The biggest difference between living in a house and living on a boat is the walk to your car. The inside of a boat can be exactly what you want it to be since can pick and choose what kind of boat you want to live in. Regardless of what kind of boat you have, the walk will always be the same. Getting off the boat can be accomplished by either jumping the gap to the pier, walking down a series of steps, or walking down a gangplank.
From here, you will walk down a pier where birds and fish will be a frequent sight. There will be wind in your face and sun on your skin as you make the trip.
I used to jump the gap between the boat and pier for a few years, but I don't recommend it. If you miss your step, you can fall into the water and get completely soaked right when you were ready to leave. This can easily make your day turn for the worst.
Steps are the other alternative for getting on and off your boat. Steps do make it easier and reduce the risk of falling in, but they can be hard to navigate when you are carrying a large load. Imagine your hands are filled with laundry and you can't see your feet. Now walk up a small set of stairs and get into a boat without seeing any visual ques as to where your feet should go. Yeah, not so easy.
The next option is to use a gangplank. A gangplank is a much simpler device as it is just a ramp that runs up to the boat. There are no steps to trip on, just a ramp that takes you from the pier to the boat. The best part about a gangplank is the ability to get large items into the boat. If you are pulling a cart up to the boat, you can now easily bring the cart up onto the deck. If you had steps, you would have to leave the cart on the dock and carry your items into the boat.
