G'day, I'm that "maritime hippy" bloke.
Little did I know that this cruising lifestyle, once started, is hard to turn your back on.
Suddenly you don't need as much money, and the money you do have tends to loose its "value" because people help you out, without payment. It all goes into the "good karma" bank.
Minimalism becomes a way of life not because you actually think about it, but because there's no physical space for useless stuff in your boat, nor your life. I can now walk through a shopping mall and not actually want to buy anything. I don't need it.
People and relationships become real and meaningful because they need you, and you need them. You share amazing moments with them, and some horrible ones as well. But it's authentic because you're actually listening and participating in their lives, as they are in yours.
Your boat is everything. It lets you see the world in new detail. It carries you to destinations and people you would have otherwise not met.
It makes you work hard and think.
Occasionally the sea and weather will scare you. It tests your resolve to live this life. But your boat and your skills will reward you keeping you dry and safe.