Apr 27, 2026
Amy Morin and her husband, Steve, packed up their New England home to move onto a 53-foot sailboat in the Florida Keys — and they never looked back.
Amy, a former therapist in Maine, ditched her day job to focus on writing books full time. She and Steve used the savings from the sales of her first book to purchase a $106,500 slip and an $80,000 Pearson sailboat. They spent another $10,000 on building a tiki hut on the small piece of land that came with it. (1)
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For them, the investment was worth it. Now, the couple pays just $1,200 a month to cover their average monthly bills on the boat — and live a lifestyle of which they'd always dreamed but never thought of as an option.
"We'd saved the money from my book advance to have as a cushion, as I was still working full-time," Amy told Moneywise. "I wasn't sure I could earn enough as a full-time author."
About a year and a half after her book came out, however, it hit the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists, and sales were skyrocketing.
"I knew that was unusual; most books hit bestseller lists when they launch, so I decided to pitch another book to my publisher," she continued. "When they were on board, I quit my job and decided to give writing a chance."
The biggest pro of quitting her job? The flexibility to write from anywhere — including the middle of the ocean.
The potential con: There was no guarantee that her second book would sell or that her first book would continue selling. Nonetheless, Amy felt confident in taking the leap.
"I knew either of us could go back to a 9-to-5 job if we needed to — I have a psychotherapy license, and Steve is a master plumber who has owned his own businesses before," she explained. "We're also scrappy. We've had some interesting side hustles over the years, like an online dropship jewelry store that provided passive income."
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Amy kept writing and adding other income streams along the way. She has just published her seventh book, The Mental Strength Playbook (2), and hosts the Mentally Stronger podcast from her boat — both of which focus on what to do when you're stuck, scared or staring down a big decision, such as whether or not to move onto a sailboat in lieu of your old life.
When Amy is not on the boat, she's traveling to corporate events and conferences as a keynote speaker.
"I turned my books into a business," she said, adding that the death of her first husband, when she was 26 years old, informed a lot of her personal strategies surrounding how to navigate tough times.
Loss can also serve as a reminder that life is too short not to live the life you want.
"Steve grew up sailing on Lake Superior, and his bedroom was decorated in a sailboat theme when he was four — so this was always his dream," she explained. "I knew nothing about living on a sailboat but always wanted more freedom and flexibility. I dreamed about working when I felt like it and being able to be more creative."
She wasn't sure what boat life would be like, she admitted to Moneywise. But she and Steve agreed to just "keep doing it" as long as they both "still thought it was fun." They also knew that, if they really didn't like it, they could always rent out their slip and turn it into an investment property.
Initially, Amy and Steve thought their sailing adventure would only last about six months. Flash forward 11 years, and they're still living the dream.
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"Living on a boat has exceeded my expectations," Amy said.
How the New England couple brought their boating lifestyle to fruition in Florida
Shopping for a sailboat and a slip was a nuanced journey full of small decisions that can have a big impact.
"You can certainly go through a yacht broker to buy a boat, just like you would go through a real estate agent — and that would make some people feel more comfortable," Amy said. "But, in our case, Steve knew a fair amount about the particular type of sailboat we were purchasing, and he felt comfortable buying it directly from the owner."
They chose Florida largely for the sunshine. But another added benefit is the lack of state income tax.
"Property tax on a boat slip is low, and our monthly expenses are lower on the boat than they were living in a house," Amy explained.
She and Steve only looked at slips in south Florida where they knew they wanted to live year-round. What Amy didn't know, however, was how much of a difference square footage makes when it comes to slip prices.
"Fortunately, Steve understood it all; he knew that, if we wanted a big boat, we'd need a slip that would accommodate and that the width of the slip would be important in the event we ever got a motorboat," she said, adding that the slip they secured includes a tiki hut, storage shed and parking space.
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While there were fortunately no surprise expenses when they made those final purchases, the couple did end up facing a Category 4 hurricane the year after they moved in.
"[The hurricane] caused damage to our boat, our tiki hut, our electrical system, and to the yacht club, so that created some unexpected expenses," she said, noting that insurance doesn't cover hurricane damage. "The tiki hut roof needs to be repaired or replaced about every five years, as well … Tropical storms can also cause flooding, so items in the tiki hut can get damaged."
Fortunately, they haven't had any other major storms since the first hurricane, and Amy's book sales have paid off enough for the couple to maintain their house in Maine should they ever need or decide to go back.
"I want to make sure I own real estate on land so that we have a place to go if we decide to stop living on a boat," she explained, even though it's not "financially all that feasible" to rent out their rural home so it can make a profit while it sits empty.
If or when the time comes to move back on land, Amy and Steve will be prepared. For now, they're living in the moment for which they never felt quite ready but knew they couldn't let pass.
"You're never going to feel completely ready," Amy said. "You could spend years studying every move and all the things that could go wrong, worrying that you might make a mistake you'll later regret. Sometimes you just have to trust that you don't need all the answers — you just need to know what to do next and trust that you'll figure it out along the way."
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AnnaMarie is a weekend editor for Moneywise.
