A family of 4 has been living on a boat. In a recent interview, the family opened up about their journey, including how they shop for groceries.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleA family of 4 is currently hogging the limelight for all things personal. Earlier, this year, in 2026, the family started their journey on America’s Great Loop, a continuous, 6,000-mile boating loop that goes up along the east coast of the US, through several Great Lakes, and down through several rivers into the Gulf of Mexico.
The family of 4 includes mom Joanna Bupp, dad Kevin Bupp, and their sons, Jackson and Julian. They have been documenting their ongoing boat journey on their YouTube channel Boundless Bupps.
The Bupp family began their full-time boat journey in April 2026. They left their home on land to live on a boat and travel at sea for one year. They knew that living full-time on a boat would make some everyday tasks, such as buying groceries, managing supplies, and handling other daily needs, more difficult. Before embarking on their one-year boat journey, the family had to get a few things in order.
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, the family spoke candidly about logistics while away from their home on land. It was Kevin Bupp who first convinced his family to agree to the idea of living full-time on a boat for a year. The first step that he took to convince them was by reminding them that Jackson and Julian would no longer attend regular classes in school. Instead, they would study at home through homeschooling.
After everyone agreed to Kevin’s plan, the family needed to find a boat that was big enough for all four family members and their dog. In fact, enough interior space was required for the children to do their schoolwork and for Kevin and Joanna to continue doing their jobs remotely. However, the Bupp family kept facing many other practical problems and difficulties while preparing for their boat journey. Those issues delayed their start.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Kevin said how issues kept coming up before they started their full-time boat journey. He shared that one day they decided that issues would come up, but they really needed to start their journey. Recalling the moment, Kevin said:
"We thought we were gonna leave on this day — and then we had another issue and another issue. And what we came to find is that we always had an excuse not to leave the day we were supposed to leave. Finally, we were like, 'These issues will never end. There’s always gonna be something to fix. Let’s just go.'"
After finally deciding to start their adventure ride despite their worries, things have gone quite well for the family of 4. During their full-time boat journey, the Bupp family have visited Washington, D.C., watched sunsets near a small island off the coast of Georgia, traveled across Lake Ontario, and sailed past the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Kevin explained that they knew the journey would involve many challenges because none of them had ever tried anything this big before. He said:
"Everything in front of us was going to be uncertainty, right? None of us had ever attempted anything to this degree."
Initially, Joanna was worried about how the family would manage their daily needs while living on the water. She contacted other families who did something similar. She wanted to know which appliances she should buy and what things she should bring from home. However, one woman advised Joanna to stop worrying and simply begin their journey.
The woman explained to Joanna that every family has different needs, so what one family considers essential on a boat might not be necessary for another. Speaking to PEOPLE, Joanna shared that she realized how modern technology made life on a boat much easier than it used to be. She mentioned that Amazon ships were everywhere. Joanna revealed that they bought groceries through Instacart.
What are your thoughts on the family's boat journey? Let us know.
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