"I must go down to the seas again to the vagrant gypsy life, To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife." - Sea Fever, by English poet John Masefield

all it the tyranny of possessions. All your life you accumulate stuff, and then one day it owns you.

You are a slave to your own junk. The house. The cars. The grounds. The toys. The mailbox is filled with insurance bills, repair bills, real estate and property tax bills and utility bills. Your closets are full of clothes you haven't worn for years and the garage and attic floweth over with detritus. There's rust on your fishing reels and golf clubs and your camera is covered with dust.

Relax. It has never been easier or cheaper to blow it all off and take to the open road or waterway. For a few weeks, a few months, or even the rest of your days.

Money is less of a problem than you think - there are boats and RVs for almost every budget. And the lifestyle can be cheaper than living at home.

Afraid of losing touch? No matter where you are, your computer lets you keep in contact with relatives and friends, track your portfolio and make it a snap to pay your (fewer) bills.

There are even some tax advantages for RV and boat owners - it's as if even the government wants you to give the lifestyle a whack.

The number of full-time RVers and boaters is expected to increase substantially as the baby boom generation retires or simply opts for simpler way of life.

The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association in Reston,Va., estimates the number of full-time, mobile RVers - those who move around from once to many times a year - at 1 million to 2.5 million. In all, there are an estimated 25 million Americans who own or rent some kind of recreational vehicle.

"We expect our future to be real rosy," says association spokesman Gary LaBella. Demographics support LaBella's prediction. According to a recent study at the University of Michigan, 44 percent of the nation's RV-ers are 55 or over, while 39 percent are between the ages of 35 and 54.

As for full-time boaters, there simply are no good estimates, says Linda Ridihalgh, editor of Living Aboard, a magazine based in Metarie, La. While many of her subscribers are empty nesters, there are also plenty of families with young children or single people, she says. The lifestyle of so-called "live aboards" also can vary widely, says Dayton Trubee, a yacht broker in Annapolis, Md.

"There are some people who work for three or four months and move on à and those that travel the waterways all the time," Trubee says.

Before you stick a For Sale sign on your front lawn, however, there are three critical questions to ask yourself:

You and your significant other may think you are embarking on a life of independence. Freedom you'll have, but you'll also need a little help from your friends.

If you're not the gregarious sort who makes friends easily, or if you're afraid to get your hands dirty stripping varnish or changing spark plugs, maybe this isn't for you.

There are a lot of variables here. But it's safe to say that you can live cheaper on the road or on the water than you can in a vacation home or condo.

The biggest expense you'll run into is, of course, the boat or RV you buy.

You can spend anywhere from $30,000 to $800,000 or more for a fully equipped boat or RV. Bigger is not always better And, especially with boats, new doesn't always mean better, either. Previous owners of RVs or boats debug their land and sea craft, and often add features that wind up costing very little to subsequent smart buyers.

New or used, your boat or RV can earn you a fat tax deduction. Interest on the loan is tax deductible, just as it is on a home, as long as the boat or RV has a kitchen or galley, toilet and bunk or bed, says David Pilvelait, spokesman for Boat U.S., an industry association based in Alexandria, Va.

Your home on wheels or hull is also spared the real estate taxes you'd have to pay on a principal or second home. (Live-aboard families with kids in local schools near their marinas win few fans from their tax-paying, landlubbing neighbors).

And what of personal property taxes? Some states have such "wealth" taxes, which cover boats and RVs, and that is why many owners choose to register their vessels or RVs elsewhere. That's why you'll see a lot of boats with Delaware on their transoms, for example, and a lot of RVs with Texas tags.

Of course you won't get off scot-free everywhere you park or drop the hook. Fancy RV parks and boat marinas charge up to several thousand dollars per month during peak season, though those fees usually include pools, bars and restaurants, campgrounds and other amenities. And if you get tired of paying that much, just hoist the sail or turn on the ignition.

"If you're not at all mechanically competent, it can be a costly way to live," says Jan Zeller, who lives on a 45-foot sailboat in Annapolis, Md. "Boat labor is expensive." Mechanics charge as much as $70 an hour.

The same goes for motor home owners, who can't simply go to Jiffy Lube for an oil change and must have their RVs repaired where trucks are serviced.

"Our motor home is expensive to keep up because it's a big one," says Dick Stewart, who owns and lives in a $300,000 model. "It takes 22 quarts to change the oil."

Here's a partial list of costs that potential buyers can expect to incur with RVs or boats:

What about your own maintenance and repair while traveling? Seeing doctors and dentists doesn't have to be a major problem. Folks who live on boats or in RVs enroll in health plans the same way everybody else does.

If you're eligible for Medicare, you can choose your own physicians wherever they may be. Moreover, traditional indemnity health-care plans and Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs) generally allow enrollees to see providers not in their plans for emergencies. And many PPOs and HMOs have established national networks of health-care providers, so barring a phone call to a primary care physician for a referral (if required), there is little difference in service.

Still, there is always the question of finding and being able to stick with trusted health care professionals. For some, that means seeing their regular doctors once or twice a year when they pass through town and going to other doctors only for emergencies.

It's also important to make sure that your health insurance policy covers you if you are abroad; some do not, forcing enrollees to buy additional travel insurance.

The computer is the best thing to happen to the new vagabonds since Dramamine. E-mail keeps you in contact with friends and relatives. If you bank online you can move money anywhere and pay most of your bills. You can track your portfolio, buy and sell securities and get the skinny from fellow travelers in chat rooms, all with a few keystrokes.

Hint: Bring along extra batteries and, of course, your battery charger. And buy a modem that can be used with a cellular phone.

Happy trails!