At 66, Roberto lives alone on a 14-metre sailing boat off Ibiza

At 66, a former municipal employee has embraced life at sea after a health ordeal reshaped his priorities.

For the past year, Roberto has lived alone on a 14-metre sailing boat off Ibiza. The former town-hall employee has exchanged a home on land for a cabin, a deck and an open horizon. Although he had considered the move for a long time, a cancer diagnosis in 2023 hastened his decision.

Illness brought a long-held plan forward

Living on a boat was already one of Roberto’s ambitions before illness entered his life. However, the diagnosis transformed how he viewed time, making him realise that some plans could no longer be put off for years.

As retirement approached, he chose to stop working almost straight away. The final two years of his working life included a period recovering at home. That time away from work further strengthened his resolve to organise his departure.

After receiving the cancer diagnosis, Roberto decided to stop postponing his dream of living on the water.

The 66-year-old says this new way of life has made him feel younger. He even jokes that he feels 64. Behind the light-hearted comment is a clear break from a working life he no longer wanted to continue.

A 14-metre sailing boat bought for 85,000 euros

His boat is 14 metres long and has room for as many as six people. Roberto lives aboard by himself, while retaining enough space to occasionally welcome his three children or friends he meets while sailing.

He paid 85,000 euros for it. It is a substantial outlay, but he compares it with property prices and the costs attached to a conventional lifestyle in highly pressured coastal areas. In his view, the boat is simultaneously a home, a means of transport and a route to independence.

His connection with the sea began in childhood. Originally from Galicia, he says he grew up near a beach, in surroundings where sand was almost part of the house. His surname, Mariño, also appears to reflect that long-standing bond with the open sea.

Costs remain low for part of the year

Roberto receives a retirement pension alongside income from renting out his flat. Together, they amount to roughly 3,000 euros a month. When anchored in a cove, his everyday spending is mainly limited to food, routine upkeep and leisure.

This arrangement lets him save money for winter. Sea conditions are more challenging then, meaning that he needs to stay in a marina. In Ibiza, however, the charges can be extremely high.

• Sailing boat purchase price: 85,000 euros;
• Boat length: 14 metres;
• Declared monthly income: around 3,000 euros;
• Stated cost of one night in Sant Antoni marina: 300 euros.

A single night moored in that marina could cost him 300 euros. This is why he chooses to remain at anchor whenever possible, while complying with local regulations and permitted areas.

Living offshore does not mean living without safeguards

Roberto accepts the risks associated with sailing, though he believes they are often overstated. In his opinion, daily car journeys also involve numerous dangers. His sailing boat has equipment designed to limit risks and make rescue easier should anything go wrong.

Roberto’s boat has an automatic identification system and several distress beacons that make it possible to locate him.

The automatic identification system, generally known as AIS, sends out the boat’s position, course and speed. It enables sailors to detect nearby vessels, particularly at night or in reduced visibility. The radio beacons, meanwhile, transmit a distress signal and help emergency services find the vessel.

Such equipment does not remove the need for careful preparation. Weather conditions, engine condition, anchoring, water supplies and electrical self-sufficiency all require ongoing attention. Living aboard also means being able to anticipate worsening weather and reach shelter before heavy swell arrives.

Ibiza and its housing crisis

Based around Ibiza, Roberto says he has come to know a different side of the island. Beyond its frequent party-image, he speaks of its landscapes, coves and maritime life. He has also witnessed the growing difficulty residents face in finding somewhere to live.

He says that some people pay as much as 3,000 euros each month for a small one-bedroom flat. This housing pressure affects young workers and seasonal employees especially, as they face rents that are far removed from their incomes.

A critical view of access to home ownership

Roberto describes himself as opposed to traditional social norms and criticises a system in which home ownership appears beyond the reach of an increasing share of the population. He recalls buying his own flat at 24, spending roughly a quarter of his salary on it.

His lifestyle choice is not a solution available to everyone. Buying and maintaining a sailing boat requires initial capital, practical skills and the ability to cope with isolation. The costs of insurance, fuel, repairs, hull maintenance and marina berths during difficult months must also be taken into account.

Roberto has not set himself a firm timetable. He had considered crossing the Atlantic, but instead chose to let his wishes develop as his stopovers unfold. He says he does not regret his house and has no wish to take on another rental tenancy. Between visits from loved ones and encounters with passing travellers, he says he has found a form of freedom aboard his boat that he no longer wants to leave.