How We Turned a $3000 Sailboat Into a Home

We’re Sailing Dog House. Two beginners. Two dogs. One tiny boat. She’s a 28‑foot Newport sloop we call Dog House because… well, we all live in it. Two humans. Two pups. Nine and a half feet wide. Tight, but cozy. Most folks live on 40‑foot yachts. We don’t. We just work with what we’ve got.

Meet the Crew

First up: Tula. High‑energy. Sharp. Needs a mission every hour. We adopted her from the SF SPCA in 2022.

Then there’s Peaches. Senior girl. Blanket lover. Calm soul. She’s been with my family since 2013. Total opposite of Tula, but somehow they click. When we’re all tucked inside the cabin, they both settle into the same rhythm.

Now the humans. Justin grew up on a Midwest farm. Sheep. Dogs. Open sky. Studied Computer Science at Minerva. Loves languages. Loves math. Loves wandering.

I’m Bene. Born in Tumauini, Philippines. Moved to California at 10. That move opened my world. I speak five languages (some better than others). Served in the U.S. Navy as a Gas Turbine Systems Tech. Studied Marketing at San Francisco State. I dream of sailing the South Pacific someday. Learning the cultures. Meeting the people. Seeing the islands.

The Boat

When we looked for a boat, we only knew two things: We wanted to live on it. And it had to be small enough for two people.

We didn’t know anything about racing vs cruising vs weekend boats. We just searched listings until we found a Newport 28 for $3,000. Rough shape. Old. Needed love. But she felt right. Maybe it was the solar panels. Maybe the potential. The owner showed us every flaw so everything was transparent. I bought her that same day.

Why This Life Matters

People think sailing is for rich folks. Big boats. Big budgets. Big egos. But that’s not the whole story.

For us, it’s about living lighter. Using less. Wasting less. A boat forces that. Limited power. Limited water. Small space. You learn what actually matters. You learn how little you really need.

And honestly, living aboard is a real housing option. Not for everyone, sure. But it’s valid. It’s simple. It’s sustainable. It cuts your footprint way down. Less energy. Less stuff. Less land. More intention. More awareness. More connection to the world around you.

It’s not glamorous. But it’s real.

If you’re still here, thanks! This is just the start. We’ll share the wins, the mistakes, the repairs, the storms, the sunsets, and the dog chaos. All of it. Let us know in the comments what you’d like to learn about our lifestyle, the projects we had to do to get the boat where it is now, or just have a chat. If you want to follow along, subscribe below and come back next week for more stories.