This university professor works remotely from a 500-square-foot sailboat he shares with his 2 sons. See how he does it.

Sarah JacksonJul 12, 2021, 22:23 IST

Christopher Bergeron

Christopher Bergeron has been working remotely from a boat off of Portland, Maine, since May.
The instructional design professor shares the 500-square-foot space on the boat with his two sons.
He says the move has been a win-win, giving him "more time to work and more time to play."

Like most teachers working through the pandemic, Christopher Bergeron has been holding classes remotely for a while. In May, however, he took remote work a step further: The Portland, Maine, college professor started working from a boat. Here's a look at how he does it.

An instructional design professor at Bellevue University, Bergeron had already been working remotely for more than five years before he and his two sons moved onboard a sailboat this May with their cat.

Christopher Bergeron

An instructional design professor at Bellevue University, Bergeron had already been working remotely for more than five years before he and his two sons moved onboard a sailboat this May with their cat.

One of the biggest changes the family experienced in the move was the drastic downsizing.

Christopher Bergeron

They kept their boat on the hook for a while, meaning it stayed in nearshore waters and the occasional marina, which Christopher says "isn't much different than living in a really small apartment."

Christopher Bergeron

They kept their boat on the hook for a while, meaning it stayed in nearshore waters and the occasional marina, which Christopher says "isn't much different than living in a really small apartment."

Everything on the boat runs off of a 12-volt battery, except for Christopher's laptop.

Christopher Bergeron

For internet, the Bergerons have a 4G LTE hotspot with no limit on data usage.

Christopher Bergeron

They time their trips to stagger sailing with Christopher's work so he can fully focus on sailing when they're in motion.

Christopher Bergeron

Despite the close quarters on the boat, Christopher has plenty of options when it comes to his workspace.

Christopher Bergeron

Besides its smaller space, the Bergerons' boat also has a few other differences from many homes on land.

Christopher Bergeron

Christopher says his passion for sailing boils down to "the connection of the love of nature and the love of travel."

Christopher Bergeron

Perhaps the family member who has most enjoyed boat life is the Bergerons' cat, Apollo.

Christopher Bergeron

So far, the Bergerons have made their way along the coasts of New Hampshire and Maine.

Christopher Bergeron

Christopher describes the experience of living and working on a boat, particularly at anchor, as "freeing."

Christopher Bergeron

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This university professor works remotely from a 500-square-foot sailboat he shares with his 2 sons. See how he does it.

An instructional design professor at Bellevue University, Bergeron had already been working remotely for more than five years before he and his two sons moved onboard a sailboat this May with their cat.

One of the biggest changes the family experienced in the move was the drastic downsizing.

They kept their boat on the hook for a while, meaning it stayed in nearshore waters and the occasional marina, which Christopher says "isn't much different than living in a really small apartment."

Everything on the boat runs off of a 12-volt battery, except for Christopher's laptop.

For internet, the Bergerons have a 4G LTE hotspot with no limit on data usage.

They time their trips to stagger sailing with Christopher's work so he can fully focus on sailing when they're in motion.

Despite the close quarters on the boat, Christopher has plenty of options when it comes to his workspace.

Besides its smaller space, the Bergerons' boat also has a few other differences from many homes on land.

Christopher says his passion for sailing boils down to "the connection of the love of nature and the love of travel."

Perhaps the family member who has most enjoyed boat life is the Bergerons' cat, Apollo.

So far, the Bergerons have made their way along the coasts of New Hampshire and Maine.

Christopher describes the experience of living and working on a boat, particularly at anchor, as "freeing."