Why Living on a Sailboat Is NOT What You Think

Documentary about living nomadic life on a sailboat with Ryan & Sophie, who have done so for six years. Join us on a trip down East River in New York City while they share their story.

"You can choose the date, or the place. Not both"… Ever since Ryan & Sophie left Stockholm for their sailing adventure, which was originally only gonna last 6 months and is now up on year 6, this has been the mantra whenever we've been talking about me coming to sail with them on their boat. So last summer, I got a text from Sophie saying "You should come and sail with us in Canada in two weeks" …

Which I really wanted to but it was impossible to fit in. So I reply "But wait, on your way back aren't you passing by New York? I can find reasonably priced plane tickets there." Followed by a yes, and a "I also want to make a film about your full time life on a sailboat for six years.".

So in September Mira and I packed our bags and flew to NYC. I was more enthusiastic about living on a sailboat than her, so we got a hotel room for the week and decided we'd do boating for a couple of days and do the city the rest of the time. Which in hindsight was a wise decision.

The story of the nomadic lifestyle is often glamourised into this compelling narrative of blue water, sandy beaches and sitting with a coconut with your laptop in a serene environment. But there is always a darker side to the story, one that rarely gets shared.

They've been through a lot during these 6 years on the sea. Good things mostly, but also some really rough moments like being confined to their boat in paradise during Covid lockdown. Which is not nearly as nice as it sounds.

Ryan has also sailed across the Atlantic ocean once by himself, where he encountered horrible things that will probably keep a permanent scar in his mind for the rest of his life. How do you deal with things like this? How does it work to have a relationship in a… ship?

I mean it's a super cramped space and you are basically on top of each other compared to living in a (even tiny) apartment.

These were some of the things I wanted to learn more about to try to paint a more complete picture of what it's like to live a life completely opposite to the way we all are taught we are supposed to live.

What are the benefits?
What are the downsides?

In this film, I try to answer it all while we're sailing down East River with New York as a backdrop and spend the night just below the statue of liberty.

Hope you enjoy it!