Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[w1651]

What happens when the sextant gets dropped and something bends or breaks?

Put a show lace on it and hang the sextant around your neck. End of problem.

[w1651]

Originally Posted by Hud3

I have a sneaking suspicion that 98.5% of the $500/month crowd will be cruising coastal waters only, not crossing oceans. For them, a sextant is irrelevant, and they could easily get by without a chartplotter or GPS. In fact, in the West Indies, three used (read "cheap") cruising guide volumes would get them from the Virgin Islands to Grenada without the need for paper charts, since the sketch charts and sailing directions in those guides are so good.

Island hopping south to Brazil then coastal hopping to the horn seems to be the norm on this side of the country.
Then it's point and go across the deep Blue sea.
But your right most of your travels are going to be within 200 miles of shore. whether it be off the Carolina Coast or South America for that matter.

[callmecrazy]

everyone is coastal cruising 95% of the time. Budget range is irrelevant.

[wolfenzee]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Maybe its tme to start the "survivalist sailing on less than $500 a month" thread...

OTOH - if we all simply continue cruising our computers none of the bad stuff like your watch stopping will harm us...

My definition of a budget is keeping with in your comfort range. Not causeing discomfort because you are trying to spend more money than you really have (spending above your means) and not feeling discomfort because you are trying to spend as little as possible and suffering for it. The owner of my semi-sistership cruised all over the Pacific with a one burner camp stove, water in jerry jugs, a bucket head, dysfunctional under powered auxiliary, no winches and galvanized rigging in nasty shape.....but he did it on next to nothing and had fun doing it...which is what counts.
I want to be a bit more in the way of physical comfort (this does not mean loading up the boat with electronic gadgets and gizmos that the marketing industry tries to make people think are necessary "conveniences. I will still live very inexpensively with the intention of sharing my cruising experience with someone.

[callmecrazy]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

My definition of a budget is keeping with in your comfort range. Not causeing discomfort because you are trying to spend more money than you really have (spending above your means) and not feeling discomfort because you are trying to spend as little as possible and suffering for it. The owner of my semi-sistership cruised all over the Pacific with a one burner camp stove, water in jerry jugs, a bucket head, dysfunctional under powered auxiliary, no winches and galvanized rigging in nasty shape.....but he did it on next to nothing and had fun doing it...which is what counts.
I want to be a bit more in the way of physical comfort (this does not mean loading up the boat with electronic gadgets and gizmos that the marketing industry tries to make people think are necessary "conveniences. I will still live very inexpensively with the intention of sharing my cruising experience with someone.

Before I disagree with you're definition of a budget Let me say that I feel exactly the same way. There's no reason to make life miserable for yourself just because you think you don't have the money, or because thats how someone else did it in the past. The ideal is to find ways to create comfort, with as few resources as possible. For me, that meant saving several thousands of dollars on the initial boat purchase, which free's up that money for 'nice things'

A budget is a method of managing whatever amount of money you have. 'Budget cruising', for our purposes, is when you actively change you're pre-conceived notions of comfort, to fit a budget that makes cruising a possibility. Otherwise, without the ability to 'do without', you would not be able to manage such a small budget in the first place. Going without, is precisely what budget cruising is all about IMO.

But, like you said, we don't have to go without everything. It doesn't have to become 'survivalist sailing', or living in the pre-gps era, eating nothing but beans and rice, or whatever other extremes people have done in the past.

Stuff like a motor, toilet, fresh water tanks, dinghy with a motor, etc... are all relative 'comforts', but, instead of going without, we can change our perception of what is acceptable quality. Do research, DIY, find good used gear (even if it's 40 years old), chinese electrical stuff, a thermos instead of a hotwater heater, a simple head installation instead of bucket, etc... as opposed to completely doing without, or overspending on the quality level others deem necessary.

We are simply doing without a certain level of quality, not necessarily the actual convenience/luxury items themselves.

[dana-tenacity]

I've followed this thread with interest. While I may not go to$500/month (at least as long as I am married) I thought there would be good information I could use, because, even though above $500, we still consider ourselves "budget" cruisers (no marinas, lots of cooking on board...)

But I am astounded at those who come across as almost offended that somebody would like to cruise on the cheap. Live and let live guys.

[elliebell]

Thanks a TON to the guy who posted about the Anarchy Yacht Club and Hold Fast! Just watched it and it pretty much sums up it can be done, on much less even.... How can you argue with that!!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

But, like you said, we don't have to go without everything. It doesn't have to become 'survivalist sailing', or living in the pre-gps era, eating nothing but beans and rice, or whatever other extremes people have done in the past.

Stuff like a motor, toilet, fresh water tanks, dinghy with a motor, etc... are all relative 'comforts', but, instead of going without, we can change our perception of what is acceptable quality. Do research, DIY, find good used gear (even if it's 40 years old), chinese electrical stuff, a thermos instead of a hotwater heater, a simple head installation instead of bucket, etc... as opposed to completely doing without, or overspending on the quality level others deem necessary.

We are simply doing without a certain level of quality, not necessarily the actual convenience/luxury items themselves.

+1

Unless someone wants to do "Retro Sailing" - do what the old timers did, and use (or at least consider) every modern gadget available! Can open a can of beans with a knife - but a tin opener makes life easier and keeping all 10 digits (attached!) is always nice .

IMO s/h and budget replacements for "marine" gear (as far as possible) is the way to go on a budget. Don't always have to be doing or adding stuff that is intended to last (another?!) 40 years. Likely boat (and you?!) will be long gone by then. Pretend you are building a brand new Hunter (Merry Xmas Don )

Can get custom fitted marine quality (?!) carpet ($$$$) or recycle an offcut freebie (Dumpster / Skip?) - or pick up something from Walmart etc that in a home might be considered cheap & nasty, but onboard is better due to being 120% synthetic and then DIY the cutting / fitting.........or simply paint the floorboards and for a touch of "luxury" add a rug (or 2?!!!), whether for only in port use or 24/7...........wears out or gets stained in 5 years time? that'll be an easy refresh project.

Some folks do have a hangup with buying s/h - but remember that everything folk own is s/h for everyone else. And even if new to "you" the item was pe-owned by a manufacturer, a distributer and a retailer, so it's actually (at least) 4th hand - what you do get (usually) is never used which on some things is important and off the shelf / on demand conveniance. Price? that is subject to the same market forces as s/h - just because it is on a shelf with a sticker saying $XXX does not automatically make the item worth that......indeed, from the simple act of walking out of the shop with an item the market value has probably halved.

Personally I would draw the line at consumable engine parts out of prudence. and underpants out of choice Anything else depends on the deal and whether I can get what I need when I want it....not to say that I don't buy "new" (and more so than a true budgeteer) but nonetheless s/h works for me.......hell, when buying a boat we are usually comparing (and agonising over!) specific vessels partly for the s/h gear already onboard. Whether items are onboard already or direct from E-bay etc don't really matter.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Likely boat (and you?!) will be long gone by then. Pretend you are building a brand new Hunter (Merry Xmas Don )

Thanks, Merry Christmas to you too.

[w1651]

Merry Christmas Everyone. Pulling the Engine tomorrow. Maybe I can get her running on a bench at my shop.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by w1651

Merry Christmas Everyone. Pulling the Engine tomorrow. Maybe I can get her running on a bench at my shop.

Good luck and merry christmas to you too...DVc

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by w1651

Merry Christmas Everyone. Pulling the Engine tomorrow. Maybe I can get her running on a bench at my shop.

And a very Merry Crimble to you to WobbleU1651.... hope you get a healthy throb 2moro.....

[atoll]

and throbbing great xmas ta yall,may santa be ever bountiful and bring you the bounties of the sea...........or was that neptune,whatever....have a good one

atoll,not far from lapland at the moment

[MacG]

Merry Xmas to all - from Holland.....

[seagypsy2012]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

Well I hope I can cruise on about 1500 a month. I might as well be poor in the tropics than poor and cold in the north. We will equipe the modest ship the best we can and then be gone. Long figured out can never have enough gear or enough money so sod it. 18 months and unless things go horribly wrong I am gone!

if you wait until you have "enough money or enough stuff" then you will never get out there. your life is now, not later. later may never come , because you could die tomorrow or next week or something else can prevent you from fulfilling your dream. the only reason you have a home and your stuff now is cause you did something about it to make it happen.
if you want to eat today and this week, then you must do something about it to make it happen. it is the same with our dreams, we have to do something about it to make it happen.