$3,000 / Month Cruising Budget Planned

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by hpeer

So I take it that most of you are considering NOT having health insurance?

I haven't got the health insurance part of the budget figured out yet. A lot depends on where you are going to cruise at. The other part is your income as if you stay in the US that determines your subsidy for an ACA policy.

But for my wife and I who will be in our mid 50s I think that $3k/mo can include health insurance. I think that $3k/mo budget means basically living on about $2k/mo and that $1k/mo goes into things like health insurance and savings for long term big ticket items.

[a64pilot]

Some of us are lucky enough to have Health Care as part of our Retirement, but at least in my case that's only if I'm in the US or maybe at Military bases on a space available basis, My plan is to buy my own when cruising, but if it gets too expensive, then I guess I'm coming back to the US for it.
A few things are preventative and if you don't have it done, will cost you in the long run, like teeth cleaning, I assume that's not hard or too expensive to buy outright?

[boatman61]

Think $3000's not enough.. now I've a 'big boat'... only been here on the boat for 10 days and I've gone past that.. and the steering heads just gone of for new seals.. might need the ram doing as well..

[a64pilot]

Ah, Boatie, so you have a new Mistress? You know she is going to demand your attention, until she believes she's your's. It's pay me now or pay me more later, but she will be paid

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by hpeer

That's a difficulty with threads like this, far too many assumptions.

Sorry, it was the way you wrote it.

We currently work in the US 6 months per year and have my wife's employer provided (paid for by the employee) insurance which costs $35,000 per year up until she turns 62. After that, we have a healthcare savings account which will take care of anything non totally catastrophic or, she may choose to continue working part-time in order to retain the insurance until age 65. Basically, we will be self-insured as we travel and carry an evacuation policy for anything HUGE that will probably never come up or be needed.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Ah, Boatie, so you have a new Mistress? You know she is going to demand your attention, until she believes she's your's. It's pay me now or pay me more later, but she will be paid

She'll be bludi sold more like.. To many systems.. and she's steel..

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by boatman61

She'll be bludi sold more like.. To many systems.. and she's steel..

Welcome to the dark side boatie!

[SV Sailfish]

Originally Posted by oldragbaggers

This "trying to keep up with the Jones'" has infected the cruising world as well, which is why we have threads that question whether you can live on $3,000 a month while cruising (when the average yearly income in this country is only $51K and that's supporting land based homes and families, kids in college and all the rest).

The serious cruisers of yesteryear were mostly on boats in the 30' -35' range (usually those horrible, slow, full-keeled things....however did they manage), they had no refrigeration, no electronics, no expensive roller furlers, no hot pressure water, kerosene for lights and heat, no air conditioning, and the list goes on and on. Today the prevailing wisdom is that you will be absolutely miserable if you have to be crammed into a boat that small full-time, and you would be absolutely foolish, and risking certain catastrophe, to try and cruise without all that gear. Look at the ads in the sailing magazines and the new "cruising" boats being previewed. Back in the 80's the Cape Dory 30 was the ultimate. Now they're running in the 50' range. By today's standards the Hiscocks, Roths, Pardeys, Paysons, Caseys, Bingham-Burke (on a 20' Flicka no less) and so many more should have been the most miserable lot on earth. Thank God they didn't know it at the time and managed to have the times of their lives despite all the obvious shortcomings of their vessels and gear.

I have always believed that happiness is a choice, and your perception will become your reality. So if you "decide" that you cannot be happy without x, y, and z, then you won't be, regardless of what you do have. And if your perception is that cruising cannot be done without a certain type of boat, without a certain complement of gear and a without a certain level of disposable income, then for you it can't.

What is needed for cruising hasn't changed in any fundamental sense except that our sense of entitlement to and expectation of a certain level of comfort and convenience has changed. I believe that if you can change your perception about what that is, focus on all the positives to be gained from the cruising experience, and choose to be happy to adjust your lifestyle within the level of income you have (especially when you're talking having an income of $3K per month), you can go cruising. And if you can't, it wasn't really the lack of funds that stopped you.

Wow... best post I have read on this whole site! (and I've read a lot)

I am a new member here. I had a couple friends tell me I should join as I am a cruiser. What I realize is that after reading a couple dozen topics here in all catagories is that this is not primarily a cruisers forum. It is a forum about sailing in general.(and a very good one)

I, on the other hand, am a cruiser. I am out doing it. Currently on the west coast of Mexico. (With one of those "full keeled, old school. slow as hell boats" as quoted in the above post that I truly love.

I did not buy an "old boat" because that's all I could afford. I bought her because I thought she was beautiful and... I have had several others like here before. My first full circle of the Pacific was on a Murray Peterson schooner. My second full circle was on a 37' Island Trader ketch. I have also helped a number of friends from the west coast U.S. bring there boats to Mexico and beyond because they needed that extra "nudge" to untie those concrete dock lines. On two of these boats we transited the Panama Canal and took them all the way around to Florida. Having a hell of a good time in the process.

I am not a professional skipper. I was not paid crew or captain. I just wanted to help "get them out here" to be able to see what I was seeing. Living life!

In 20 years of cruising, (10 being full time at it), I have NEVER spent $3,000 in a month as the OP posted as his budget. Yes, I have had major setbacks, yes, I have had boat "oh shits" happen but through knowledge learned from the likes of the Hiscocks, Pardeys, etc. I learned to "fix things" and do it the "old school" way. Was it or is it easy? Not always... but it sure has been fun!

And if you must know... I started when I was 30 and just turned 50. (Wish I had all those years back. But glad I used them as I did!)

Come on out here guys and gals... you will meet the coolest, best group of people you can ever imagine. Helpful, kind, and giving of themselves for no other reason other than you are a "fellow cruiser". And they are all characters. Me included.

And the stories you will have to tell your grandkids! ( And if you have grandkids now... bring em' along!)

So... if you wanna untie and go, no matter if you won the lottery or just have two cents to your name then... come on out here!

If you are currently out here living your dream then "good on ya", if not and you wish to be then "jump in now" cause, the water is truly fine indeed.

Fair winds!

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by SV Sailfish

In 20 years of cruising, (10 being full time at it), I have NEVER spent $3,000 in a month as the OP posted as his budget....

Come on out here guys and gals... you will meet the coolest, best group of people you can ever imagine. Helpful, kind, and giving of themselves for no other reason other than you are a "fellow cruiser". And they are all characters. Me included.

And the stories you will have to tell your grandkids! ( And if you have grandkids now... bring em' along!)

So... if you wanna untie and go, no matter if you won the lottery or just have two cents to your name then... come on out here!

If you are currently out here living your dream then "good on ya", if not and you wish to be then "jump in now" cause, the water is truly fine indeed.

Fair winds!

Excellent post!

[cwyckham]

Originally Posted by SV Sailfish

...

In 20 years of cruising, (10 being full time at it), I have NEVER spent $3,000 in a month as the OP posted as his budget. Yes, I have had major setbacks, yes, I have had boat "oh shits" happen but through knowledge learned from the likes of the Hiscocks, Pardeys, etc. I learned to "fix things" and do it the "old school" way. Was it or is it easy? Not always... but it sure has been fun!

And if you must know... I started when I was 30 and just turned 50. (Wish I had all those years back. But glad I used them as I did!)

Come on out here guys and gals... you will meet the coolest, best group of people you can ever imagine. Helpful, kind, and giving of themselves for no other reason other than you are a "fellow cruiser". And they are all characters. Me included.

And the stories you will have to tell your grandkids! ( And if you have grandkids now... bring em' along!)

So... if you wanna untie and go, no matter if you won the lottery or just have two cents to your name then... come on out here!

If you are currently out here living your dream then "good on ya", if not and you wish to be then "jump in now" cause, the water is truly fine indeed.

Fair winds!

Wow. What a great way to introduce yourself to the forum.

Welcome! We are very glad to have you here.

[oldragbaggers]

Welcome Sailfish, and congrats to you on making the dream work for such a long time. It seems you have hit the cruising sweet spot and your enthusiasm for it will no doubt be infectious. I hope you stick around.

Great introductory post.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by Ndavies

We just did a 7 month Bahamas cruise. Yes, I believe it can be done on your budget. Of course there is a bit of an "it depends" factor. From our experience the two biggest "it depends" would be
- how often you eat ( and drink) out
- how often you use marinas as opposed to mooring balls and the anchor

We found there were 2 practical reasons to use marinas - water top up, laundry, and provisions - ok. That's 3. And to be quite honest we like to eat out and explore the a Area. So there were months when we blew right threw your $3,000 number.

When doing some planning I found a great resource on this topic. I suggest listening to episode 31 of The Sailing Podcast - Come and join us on our journey The Sailing Podcast. If you go to the website and look for the podcast notes, there is a really good spreadsheet from Bill and Judy Rouse of S/V Bebe. The podcast is a great listen too.

Hope this helps. And I would be glad to share info on specific costs we experienced on our cruise. Just drop me an email

Neil
S/V Midnight Sun II
Home
S/V Midnight Sun II

I profess, I cannot understand their budget. $3,000 a year on clothes? And, what's "misc. boat expenses" at $14K for the first year alone? And those haul-out bills? Holy Cow!

And, their main complaint was for the customs fees -- admittedly not cheap, but at $700 a year, hardly a budget-busting item compared to virtually everything else on their list.

Must be the downside to owning/maintaining a 52' boat. I certainly hope my 37' bath toy (in comparison) will be cheaper to run.

(I base this on no experience whatsoever when it comes to hewing to a cruising budget)

[sailorboy1]

If the low cost people here that her get all hating on those with a $3k/mo budget want to really get really spun up they should go to CF sister site about early retirement and read about the budgets they talk there for their plans.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

If the low cost people here that her get all hating on those with a $3k/mo budget want to really get really spun up they should go to CF sister site about early retirement and read about the budgets they talk there for their plans.

Some people have A LOT more than 3K a month to spend for cruising... that is for sure!

A lot of folks have a lot less and others have much but choose to spend little.

I don't think 3K is too much. I think we can do it for a lot less than 2k a month but we are not going to base our financial decisions on an optimistic projection.

Stick with the 3k and try and spend a lot less and you can't go wrong. Sock away the rest in gold coins!

[Kenomac]

Sailorboy,

Go now, you'll do just fine.