Low Cost Cruising Details

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by newhaul

no but tracking them over a period of time assists in developing a budget.

Yes as long as you have expense reports that include big ticket items. So you know to set aside funds for them. Eventually you will need sails or engine repair replacement so you should have funds set aside for it. As in actuality in a bank somewhere.

[thomm225]

You can cruise on most any boat with good bones for very little money if you have a bit of experience and can deal with a few hard times and slow times......very slow times

Check here for a good, strong, and low priced cruising boat.(and some good advice)

https://atomvoyages.com/planning/goo...oats-list.html

As far as responding to the PO's question.....$300 - $1500 per month. Boat cost $2,000 to $20,000

Example: https://towndock.net/shippingnews/se...-and-alexandra

The rest is up to you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0xmMCuRrdw

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Yes as long as you have expense reports that include big ticket items. So you know to set aside funds for them. Eventually you will need sails or engine repair replacement so you should have funds set aside for it. As in actuality in a bank somewhere.

From what I have seen, that is usually the dream killer. We had a person that used to be on this forum quite a bit, was working in a Marina to build the kitty back up so they could go again, then found his engine had seized.
Not sure what he is doing now, but he’s not doing it in his boat anymore.
Nice guy too, I hated to hear about it.

It seems many on limited budgets that just get by from one month to the other have no way to recover from a major expense, couple that with the fact that due to budget constraints they are almost always in “antique” boats and first major expense and the dream is dead.

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

From what I have seen, that is usually the dream killer. We had a person that used to be on this forum quite a bit, was working in a Marina to build the kitty back up so they could go again, then found his engine had seized.
Not sure what he is doing now, but he’s not doing it in his boat anymore.
Nice guy too, I hated to hear about it.

It seems many on limited budgets that just get by from one month to the other have no way to recover from a major expense, couple that with the fact that due to budget constraints they are almost always in “antique” boats and first major expense and the dream is dead.

This boat went down a couple months ago in Madeira Beach, on the ICW near St Pete FL. She's in a derelict anchorage but was in better shape than her neighbors - not only does she have sails, but sail covers, a rarity in anchorages such as these.

Guessing the owner was just a tad shy of the funds to keep going when the hammer of bad luck fell. Too bad - she looked like a decent boat in decent condition.

Moral of the story: having some reserved can be really helpful.

[Mike OReilly]

Agree about having a decent fund to manage the big surprises. We have a modest nest egg which we tend to dip into every year or so to help manage those big boat-buck costs that the monthly budget can't manage. We also try and add to this nest egg each month when everything is running tickity-boo.

This is included in my annual expenditure that I quoted earlier.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Yes as long as you have expense reports that include big ticket items. So you know to set aside funds for them. Eventually you will need sails or engine repair replacement so you should have funds set aside for it. As in actuality in a bank somewhere.

that's the reason for building in a 5% extras into the monthly budget to cover the oh Crap stuff .

[robert sailor]

If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about.” quote from Sterling Haydon
I've met a few sailors in my travels that were almost living day to day, getting a little work here or there and then continuing on their travels. These days everything has to be packaged.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about.” quote from Sterling Haydon
I've met a few sailors in my travels that were almost living day to day, getting a little work here or there and then continuing on their travels. These days everything has to be packaged.

now days work permits are harder to get and required just about everywhere

[smbdyiam2]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

This boat went down a couple months ago in Madeira Beach, on the ICW near St Pete FL. She's in a derelict anchorage but was in better shape than her neighbors - not only does she have sails, but sail covers, a rarity in anchorages such as these.

Guessing the owner was just a tad shy of the funds to keep going when the hammer of bad luck fell. Too bad - she looked like a decent boat in decent condition.

Moral of the story: having some reserved can be really helpful.

Attachment 210041

my thoughts were his life style changed. For what ever reason. Sickness, loss of income, death, downsizing and no buyers, disabled, etc . If he couldn't sell it why put more money in it even if he had the money. Why put reserved money in some thing trying to get rid of. Might have wanted to use the money for other things.

[AKA-None]

Pity looks like it could have been a nice boat

[sailorboy1]

Reviewing 41 months of living and cruising full time on my boat

Not counting dining/drinking out and marina costs- $3070/mo average for everything else
Dining/drinking out costs - $992/mo average (because I can)

So even if never going to a marina or eating/drinking out there is a long way to go to get down to some people's low $$$$.

Do you know what it is?????? It's boat and body upkeep!

[smbdyiam2]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Reviewing 41 months of living and cruising full time on my boat

Not counting dining/drinking out and marina costs- $3070/mo average for everything else
Dining/drinking out costs - $992/mo average (because I can)

So even if never going to a marina or eating/drinking out there is a long way to go to get down to some people's low $$$$.

Do you know what it is?????? It's boat and body upkeep!

wow over $4000 a month. I spend about 1/2 that . To maintain House , boat, car, and feed and support family of 4 adults.
I don't call it upkeep. I call it keeping up.. and still going.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by smbdyiam2

wow over $4000 a month. I spend about 1/2 that . To maintain House , boat, car, and feed and support family of 4 adults.
I don't call it upkeep. I call it keeping up.. and still going.

Great you win the competition!

because for some reason people think these budget threads are a competition instead of just information

[smbdyiam2]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Great you win the competition!

because for some reason people think these budget threads are a competition instead of just information

Sorry was not thinking about competition. I was just stating facts. When circumstances change your life style you learn to adapt. Go from middle income to low income in one night ,May 11 2001,and one learns to adapt and become frugal. But one can learn to enjoy life too. I do both now

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by smbdyiam2

Sorry was not thinking about competition. I was just stating facts. When circumstances change your life style you learn to adapt. Go from middle income to low income in one night ,May 11 2001,and one learns to adapt and become frugal. But one can learn to enjoy life too. I do both now

The thing is, I AM pretty frugal overall except for eating and dining out. I could trim money on food by eating more basic and drinking mostly water.

But that isn't going to buy a new sail, haul and paint the boat bottom, replace a battery charger, get a dinghy, etc. etc. etc. It isn't going to get a crown on a tooth, take care of a broken shoulder, get the bad "things" taken off your skin.

Face it, if you have a boat that isn't your home, you are not "frugal". You can afford a "hobby".