Shoestring Sailors (Cruising on $500 per month - part II)

[sailorchic34]

Thank you Zee. I might need some info on the west coast. Mind you I have Charlie and Margo's charts and a few other guides. I also made a complete set of google earth kap files of the western mexico coast line for opencpn. So I have been more then thinking about it.

My problem is I tend to get tired after 8 hours of sailing single handed. Two 8 hour days and I need a rest day or two. That some of the anchorages along baja are 12-15 hours apart, not counting that last leg to cabo, well, lets just say I'm still working on it. So that and the lack of water capacity on my little boat for crew are for the moment the sticky points.

I am thinking I might single hand down the coast....

[Gelfling]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Well remove the SF bay and Delta and there is a real lack of nice anchorages in gunk hole range in California. The delta has oh 500 ish miles of places to anchor, though not all areas are deep enough for a sailboat. Still it offers some of the nicest places to drop the hook.

Would love to be back on the east coast. Being from southern Georiga I can speak southern real well, though luckily eye don't haf tuw. Odds are if I want to get there, I'll need to head south a bit and hang a left or right. Still pondering that.

Well moved the boat 20 miles today, so a lovely if slightly cool day

I agree with Kettlewell, MANY free anchorages in the Chessy. And they are kinda 'lumped together' in that they are all close but it is a big bay!
"Total shoreline for the bay and its tributaries is 11,684 miles (18,804 km), and the surface area of the bay and its major tributaries is 4,479 square miles (11,601 km2)" (wiki).
Transient slips are surprisingly inexpensive in the Chessy...well at least in the mid bay where I am. I would imagine the closer one gets to Annapolis/Baltimore....the prices go up. But it would actually take more effort to NOT find a gunk hole in the Chessy.

So come on over!....we need more 'hippies' on this coast! The only ones we get are from Canada....what is that all a'boot? I only kid....Canadian hippies are really cool folks.

Zee...when I am done cruising the Chessy....I am going to hit you up for some of that Mexico info as well!

[Kettlewell]

I have met people who do Maine to Florida and back every year, and they never do an overnighter--just day hops, with a great anchorage every night--never one that is unsheltered. Anchor mostly in mud or sandy mud too, with great holding. You can almost do the Bahamas the same way, though it is a pretty long day crossing over, so I usually leave in the middle of the night.

[tonysail1]

G'Day all
I have been enjoying this thread, though I haven't read every page and post. I am relatively new to the liveaboard lifestyle and the low-cost approach, so lots still to learn. And because I need to work fulltime the liveaboard option for me is in a marina. So the $500/mth objective is totally unrealistic at this stage.

One thing I am noticing though is no liveaboard kids in our marina, and no real mention of kids in this thread.

You see I am a fulltime single father with two kids. When they are educated, then I will retire and go cruising fulltime. But in the meantime its a case of balancing their needs and my needs, and so a marina works for us.

Anyway, I would be very interested to know about low-budget cruisers with young kids. Especially cost-containment with kids.

My two cost money. Not that I begrudge that - its nice to give them a decent start in life and good experiences. But I gotta say that it can really hit the budget. You know what kids are like now - internet, iPhone, iPad, education, excursions, sports, clothing for growing kids, and a time-poor dad.

My cost containment (and keep the kids busy at the same time strategy) involves: fishing (fun and food); use public parks (we live right next to the Townsville Strand - which is brilliant for kids); mostly eat at home; rationalise my kids expectations (they understand that fashion and stuff is just 'stuff' and 'stuff' is not really important - that might change as my daughter becomes more of teenager); and just keep them on track with a mindset that understands the benefits of what we are doing and the fact that we don't really need a lot of 'stuff'.

Oh, and in closing - living on our yacht is definitely cheaper than the huge mortgage and everything that went with it was!

Tony

[w1651]

Welcome Tony
I like you have to admit I have not seen many live aboard with children. Proaibly because you are not the normal live aboard. Not that that is a bad thing I just think people prefer what they call stability on land when the kids are young and in school. Most I have seen are older and their kids have kids.
But still I have to think it's a great life to pull the dock lines and go somewhere more exotic for the summer when school is out. Not to mention the disciplines involved with owning and living on a boat.

[w1651]

So another boat got chased out of our marina this weekend. He was over a year behind on his slip fees.
Last week they warned him about the office down town wanting them to tow his boat and this Friday he hopped on board and sailed her out of the marina.
Is the newest cheapest way to live to just not pay what you owe? Last month they pulled a small sailboat (less then 12 ft) and towed it away for lack of payment. Is this why Marinas are getting harder to find and harder to conform to their requests?
Just wondering out loud.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Hi Tony, that $500 a month headline is for most simply about the concept of living as cheap as poss for them (in their own circumstances) rather than a hard literal figure......and the thread also serves as a way of folks on a budget not being alone! (can often seem that to do anything with a boat need 6 figures, for boat if not also for income!)

On the kids onboard on a budget angle, likely better off starting own thread (I think their is a family section on CF somewhere - me no kids, I may have it blocked!) in order to attract more interest / readers / comments / advice........but sounds like you have a good handle on things anyway, IMO kids starting off knowing (first hand) that no such thing as "normal" for everyone - only average! - is a good thing, and who wants to be average?! when you can create own normal rather than living someone else's idea of what is normal.......and money alone can't buy that!

[Todomi]

Hi Tony,
Here's a link you may find helpful: Simply Sailing Online
Good people.

[meandmyhunny]

I drop in hear from time to time to I guess feel some connection to other sailors or see what people have to say on this topic or that. I seldom post as I live by the credo that if you have nothing positive to ad than keep your mouth shut. Unfortunately I often leave dissatisfied wondering why people feel the need to put others down or get caught up in the most mundane details straying from the topic so far that it seems they just like to type something. For example I thought this tread was about offering tips on keeping the cost down while enjoying the cruising life style, have I missed something here?

My tip would be getting the best boat you can to start with, thus saving on all the stuff that brakes along the way, in other words more money spent on the boat and getting started and less along the way.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by meandmyhunny

I drop in hear from time to time to I guess feel some connection to other sailors or see what people have to say on this topic or that. I seldom post as I live by the credo that if you have nothing positive to ad than keep your mouth shut. Unfortunately I often leave dissatisfied wondering why people feel the need to put others down or get caught up in the most mundane details straying from the topic so far that it seems they just like to type something. For example I thought this tread was about offering tips on keeping the cost down while enjoying the cruising life style, have I missed something here?

Yes it is .........and no it's not

............being an internet forum the topic will always wander! (and IMO all the better for that!) - but at the end of the day it is simply what the Members who post here want it to be. An Internet thread can never be as organised or as useful a reference point as a book (or even a website)........me has not even bothered trying to keep folks on track (due to laziness and because doomed to failure!).......but nonetheless in broad terms it is about low cost boating and cruising. Well, at least to the extent it ain't about 70' of Catamarans and what's the best way to buy the whole West Marine Catalogue!

But occasionally we get a nugget :-

My tip would be getting the best boat you can to start with, thus saving on all the stuff that brakes along the way, in other words more money spent on the boat and getting started and less along the way.

+1

Of course that is always presuming folks have the budget to make that choice..........

And on a general note for any others feeling a bit shy about chipping in or think that things have been covered before........they likely have!, but much merit from repetition from multiple sources to give folks a heads up / common theme(s).

Of course folks can start different threads any time they please .

[savoir]

Sometimes the wandering is more informative than the original anyway. It's often more entertaining too.

[captain58sailin]

A bag of brown rice, 5 gallons of soy sauce, a bag of red beans. Somer fishing lures, don't eat anything you haven't caught for yourself.

[Ocean Diamond 2]

Originally Posted by tonysail1

G'Day all
I have been enjoying this thread, though I haven't read every page and post. I am relatively new to the liveaboard lifestyle and the low-cost approach, so lots still to learn. And because I need to work fulltime the liveaboard option for me is in a marina. So the $500/mth objective is totally unrealistic at this stage.

One thing I am noticing though is no liveaboard kids in our marina, and no real mention of kids in this thread.

You see I am a fulltime single father with two kids. When they are educated, then I will retire and go cruising fulltime. But in the meantime its a case of balancing their needs and my needs, and so a marina works for us.

Anyway, I would be very interested to know about low-budget cruisers with young kids. Especially cost-containment with kids.

My two cost money. Not that I begrudge that - its nice to give them a decent start in life and good experiences. But I gotta say that it can really hit the budget. You know what kids are like now - internet, iPhone, iPad, education, excursions, sports, clothing for growing kids, and a time-poor dad.

My cost containment (and keep the kids busy at the same time strategy) involves: fishing (fun and food); use public parks (we live right next to the Townsville Strand - which is brilliant for kids); mostly eat at home; rationalise my kids expectations (they understand that fashion and stuff is just 'stuff' and 'stuff' is not really important - that might change as my daughter becomes more of teenager); and just keep them on track with a mindset that understands the benefits of what we are doing and the fact that we don't really need a lot of 'stuff'.

Oh, and in closing - living on our yacht is definitely cheaper than the huge mortgage and everything that went with it was!

Tony

Sounds like you are already living the dream and my hat goes off to you but what I cant see is keeping two growing kids with all the expences under the 500 a month thing.
Did I see you have recently upgraded the home?
Keep up your idea as I believe you will end up with two great additions to scociety.
Derek

[Liam Wald]

Originally Posted by lolarose

yes,yes, i remember that one.. only i forgot to mention that i have house in dubrovnik with lemon and orange trees around and can jump from my balkony in the sea or walk down the road five minutes to the beach.

not to mention another one on the peljesac peninsula with wineyard(quite good anual income) and quite BIG plot of land. if that is in OUR dear uk it would be wort probably few million pounds.
and i am not on food stams. i am on jobseakers alowance (presently on sick note)
but do not you vorry, i will not use your tax payer money after this july. my daughter finishing year 11 this summer and she is goin to live with her mother in tampa, and i am leaving Uk, going back to adriatic sea summer...... tampa in "winter"

i hope i clear it for you



love

Since you are obviously not embarrassed by yourself, I will be embarrassed for you.

[lunasee]

Thay do it diferent in the marina where I live. If you get behind on your payments thay seze the boat and chain it to the slip. If you still do not pay thay put it in dry storige then auction them off twice a year. If you want your boat back you have to pay back moorage.
Dan R