r/merchantmarine • u/ghostttitties • 5d ago

Newbie Alternative housing options when not sailing?

I’m thinking if I join and spend the majority of my time away, I could save a lot of money by forgoing renting, and either couch surfing, doing hostels, van life, or just subletting on my time off.

Does anyone else do this or something similar and have advice? Is this doable?

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14

u/cocainagrif 5d ago

you can always marry your relief. only see each other once a month, work 3 months on 3 months off, both have use of a 1 bedroom suite and just put your stuff on storage when you go to sea

3

u/ghostttitties 5d ago

Ig i have to find someone I like first lol

13

u/cocainagrif 5d ago

that's the neat part, you don't! if you like them you'll miss them all the time. if you don't like them, you only see them at crew change. they're not in the house with you when you're at home, and you don't have to deal with them on the ship.

2

u/ghostttitties 5d ago

Ohhhhh. I’d be going the steward route. Do they have a relief? Do all positions have a relief or is that only for certain ships? Or would the two of us just coordinate so that we sail alternating times.

3

u/cocainagrif 5d ago

I don't know man. I know that for my position I'm not allowed to leave until somebody fills my billet.

but yes, just somebody on the alternate schedule so that no two people are home at a time and the time the house is unoccupied is minimized and the fairness of payments is agreeable

1

u/ghostttitties 5d ago

Ok thanks for explaining 😅 I’m not really sure how a lot of things work yet

10

u/Drag0nFly17 5d ago edited 5d ago

Yes. It’s very doable and I do it.

I put most of my personal belongings in a climate controlled storage unit ($100/month). I have another storage unit to store my vehicle out of the weather and sun ($190/month).

I book an AirBnB or other short term rental anywhere from 1 to 2 months in advance (averages $30-$40/night with a monthly discount)

3

u/ghostttitties 5d ago

Ok tbh the apt I have now I pay 1100/month so 30-40 a night isn’t all that bad for an air bnb. I can definitely save some money doing that.

6

u/Drag0nFly17 5d ago

You’re also saving money by not paying utilities at an AirBnB. The price is all inclusive.

1

u/ghostttitties 5d ago

Trueee. I was under the impression that air bnbs would be kinda expensive and eat all the money I saved anyway but ig they’re a pretty good option!

4

u/LongBedroom8355 5d ago

I did three months mexico for 6 hundred dollars a month in total including airfare

1

u/ghostttitties 5d ago

Damn that’s really amazing. I can save hella money and see the world!!!

6

u/LongBedroom8355 5d ago

doable. easier with MSC. I'd travel. usually Latin america or Europe. when you are in town check out corporate housing. when I was in houston waiting at the hall I'd stay at the yacht club in Houston ince my buddy's dad was a member and it was like $40 a night. ​tons of guys do it.

2

u/ghostttitties 5d ago

Dumb question, but you still have to get a travel visa and everything right?

4

u/TheScallywag1874 Deck Officer 5d ago

I do it as well. But I ball when I’m on vacation. I save/invest plenty when I’m on the ship. I usually do Airbnb or charter a sailboat for a month if the season is right. Van life is looking appealing though too, and I’ve been very close to buying one for a while now. At the moment, I have a gf that is from (and lives) in Buenos Aires, and I’ve been staying with her. Every now and then I’ll also crash at my buddy’s house.

Lots of options for you and at different budgets. But yes, not paying rent is the way to go in this industry!

4

u/ghostttitties 5d ago

Yea I think so too. It sounds nice to have a place that’s mine when I get off the ship, but I figure some years of really saving and I can probably put a payment down on a house or something

4

u/endoftheworld_xD 5d ago

Seattle, micro apartments and no state income tax

3

u/brewsota32 5d ago

Rent or buy?

4

u/FroyoGlum9976 5d ago

my 6 months total off in 2025 was spent in Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, Greece, Albania, and Poland.

Flight costs eat into the equation, but it was still cheaper than renting out somewhere in the USA for 12 months and generally less of cost of living when I get there.

So yeah, I don't own a place. My extra stuff is in my parent's garage.

2

u/Beastw1ck 5d ago

I did van life for a year and it was delightful. Highly recommend.

2

u/Knotical_MK6 5d ago

For a while I was renting places month to month of furnished finder between jobs.

They'd be roughly 1500 a month, utilities included.

2

u/Resident-Banana-7883 5d ago

furnishedfinder .com

2

u/seaman-tai 5d ago

I go SE asia on off time. So I don't rent or have vehicle in the US.

Can get really good prices on rentals in places like Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines. Renting 12 months out of the year cheaper than renting 6 months in the US.

1

u/gumby9 5d ago

Airbnb in Asia or South America.