i'm spending so much money it hurts

[witzgall]

Reb,

Once you get going, the pain of spending that $$$ will fade away, replaced with the joy of cruising!!!

My one little bit of advice, based on our 6 month cruise last winter:
We had to repair or replace every pump on the boat. Anything that moved water needed attention. If you think it is older, suspect, then replace it, or at least carry some spares. I wish we had preemptively replaced a few of these items. Since you have been living aboard for a few years, this may not be as much of an issue for you.

Chris

[Rocketman]

Rebel Heart, thanks for the story. By the way, I do not know what heat exchanger you have, but I had to replace mine this year. They wanted $1600.00 for it from the perkins dealer, but I found a place called Orcamairine that made me one for $600.00 It was a work of art. They can make almost any heat exchanger. If you have to replace, or want to take a spare check out there web site.

[Sandero]

It's a lot to do it right. I began with a new boat and spent 6 years tricking her out to cruise. The boat came with a set of B&G instruments which still work today. But the other work spread out over 6 years was spendy to say the least... and only the last bits like spares and replacing all sorts of bits and pieces on the engine and the electric windlass we spendy. I suspect all the changes were north of 30K, but I've never had the guts to add it all up.

Shiva in her present form does not need gear...just a once over on her systems and updated spares and perhaps a class B AIS and a sat phone and a new 406 epirb. But the work to get everything in order is a large undertaking.

YES for the pumps.. take spares.. very expensive out there.

Good luck!

[Rocketman]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

I am using spectra rigging which is cheaper and 2x stronger than stainless. It does not rust and does not work harden. You can splice it with a pencil and a marker. You can make your own hanks out of it instead of bronze hanks. Galvanized is superior to stainless in virtually every respect, I laugh at people who use stainless rigs as it really is not the correct material to be using in that application, as it can fail without warning.

Anyone who spends $100,000 on a boat should seriously consider how greedy of a person they are and how much they are taking away from the less fortunate people of the world by doing so. Maybe you should give $99,000 to charity and get a $1000 boat and you would have already started cruising 3 years ago.

I am not sure why anyone would let a guy like this get to you. He is obvoiusly living very megerly, on an old boat that probably looks as good as the amount of money he has spent on it. He has a point of view where he thinks everyone in the world that works hard and enjoys the fruit of there labor is stupid and is some how taking something from him. I see these guys from time to time, sometimes I hire them for a few bucks to clean something I don't want to. We realy should feel good that we don't have to be like him. These people are usually angry at the world and think everyone should be like them, they just don't understand that this isn't the way the real world works and if it did, no one would want to live in it.

[bobconnie]

Rebel, We feel your pain! We are starting to get our new to us ready to just move her home !And the money just FLOWS !! and Im doing almost all the work myself, as you are !! it wont be to long, and things will settle down !! Your sure are doing things right ! always best to stock up Before ya leave! Things like simple filters for engine and such are so expensive in other countrys! so your preperations will pay off for ya soon !! and believe us, when ya get the trip started, and ya anchor up in the warm waters your headed to the smiles will start to shine aboard your boat again !! It always has for us ! it just seems to be a hurdle we all have to get over before the good times start !! Hang in cus we have faith in you and your lovely family !! And Connie and I hope to see ya out there !!

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

wow


I got my boat for $1000 cruised in and out of san diego and all over new zealand now I'm in wellington and I never burn any fuel. Not even for cooking. I cook on electric and wood stove which I build for free out of an empty lpg bottle. I got a free electric motor which powers my boat off solar panels 2knts without any battery drain, or I can go all night if needed from battery. Built a sculling oar with wood out of a dumpster.. come on people, stop killing the world and your wallets with engines! They are bad for you, but far worse for me as I do not appreciate the diesel exhaust you expel or the dead coral reefs making it harder to catch fish.

Talking about water tanks.. I dont have any. I left mexico with 2 5 gallon jugs and still had a full one when I got to american samoa. Yes I catch rainfall. I catch fish and hunt wild animals on land. I made my chainplates for free, re-rigged completely for $500, 9 shrouds, 1/2" bronze turnbuckles with 7mm spectra. Most sails are $30-50 but sometimes I get a good one I can do 5000 miles or so for $20, then glue it back where it ripped from so many wave strikes with contact cement and do another 2000. Get free bottom paint even though its old it still works ok. Found my anchor chain in a dumpster, and I anchor in 60 knots... really. Its enough that my rainfall gets contaminated from spray and the bow goes under the swells even though its only 200 meters to shore. I still holds but I dragged a little last storm. I even salvaged parts off sunken boats in san diego when I was there but I can tell you one thing for sure:

san diego was the absolute worst place I have ever been. The rules are unreasonable and dont exist anywhere else in the world! they required a permit just for anchoring!! Whoever made that rule should be jailed. Leave that place as soon as possible

I like your approach as a minimalist but I doubt it would be for everyone. You are in the group of the extreme minimalist. Then of course there are those that are extreme the other way with all sorts of communication at sea, huge water-makers, exotic inflatables and enough stuff hanging of their boat to look like the circus is back in town. Between the two is a broad spans. I have made sure my engine is in good condition, simplified my rig with upgrading to self-tailing winches and roller furling, so I can single hand. I have 74 gls of H2O integral to the hull and added 40 gls more in jugs stowed in the lazerette. I think there is a good middle road for everyone. It's not black or white.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

We're three weeks out from leaving the US for a few years, post shakedown cruise. I've already hemorrhaged serious dough, but the bleeding continues. Current crop:

- Repairing (hopefully, please god not replacing) heat exchanger.
- Stern chainplate (has to be fabricated; not just bar stock).
- Shrouds
- Engine spare parts

We saved up for it, but it still stings. I know people don't talk about numbers on here a lot, but I'll probably have dropped about $20K in the last couple of months which to me is a chunk of change. Took a long time to save that up. And that's with me doing nearly everything I can physically do, but I can't pull cables and heat exchangers out of my ass so those need to come from somewhere.

I'm just kind of ranting. It's this insane dichotomy of wanting the bleeding to stop, but also not wanting to be totally screwed in the middle of BFE.

Again, I'm talking *minimum* stuff here. No fancy gear, nothing elaborate, plenty of stuff that can be put off is. It's still crazy money.

I don't think "OUCH" is even close to covering your pain.

I am a more conservative kind of guy and I wouldn't have a problem staying awake on the midwatch worrying about that heat exchanger. I'd spend the money, buy a new one. patch the old one and keep it as a spare. Then I'd grip to my wife about all the junk she keeps around that she never uses.

I too do a lot of my own maintenance, so I feel your pain, but somethings I can't fix and I really hate it. If anything, I've learned not to sweat the small stuff.

Might want to keep a notebook of your trials and write a book, who knows, you might even make some money off your pain.

Good luck and best wishes on the commisioning.

[Target9000]

So far for us...

Categories Totals
Boat Cost $ 30,248.00
Engine Room $ 13,288.00
Boatyard $ 2,882.76
Electrical $ 5,017.04
Plumbing $ 1,812.67
Galley/Propane $ 70.00
Dinghy-Motor $ 2,650.00
Achors/chain $ 855.00
Nav. Gear $ 323.00
Boat Equip. $ 2,134.00
Safety Gear $ 426.00
Tools $ 472.00
Materials $ 498.24
Cleaning $ 291.50
Spares $ 312.00
Total $ 61,280.21

And ours is just a humble little boat.

If it makes you feel any better I think on Monday or Tuesday I'm going to drop around 7-8k on the rigging.

[Geoduck]

I'm sure you've heard this before -"A boat is a hole in the water you poor money into"
And to the person with the $1000 boat - not all of us are into ''dumpster diving".

[bobconnie]

My first sailboat cost me 1500 bucks, had a 12 gal. water tank and a Britsh Sea Gull out board for power. And my brother and I sailed it to hawyee, and back to Seattle! I would never do it now ! but when I was young it was great ! and Ive done my share of outfitting from dumpsters !! but the fella above who thinks we are all doing the wrong thing to sail what we do now, still has a lot to learn about the world !! He may if he don't kill himself in the learning curve !! Just sayin I was young and stupid once ! and I learned the hard way as he will ! again if he lives thru it !! just my 2 cents

[The Blue Heron]

Perspective! Sunsets and sunrises and moon shine on a star filled night...

[zeehag]

rbel heart--in sand ietgo-- fraser boiler will fab ye heat exchanger and repair your old one
chainplates--go across street from downwind marine and tell the guy owns the place karen sent ye and where to find the metal and such for the chainplates, and provide a template. he will do you up right. check your tangs also-- they are also taiwanse stainless. important to do this. the machine shop is awesome for chainplate work and other stainless machining .
shrouds--check tangs as you replace, buy the material and do it yourself cheaper than having rigger do it. even buying th e materials retail and installing yourself is a savings.
good luck.
san diego is worst place i ever saw for trying to get anything done on the cheap--but there are places to go for good workmanship and quality goods.

[speakeasy]

Bon Voyage, RH. fyi, labor in Mexico is mucho cheaper, but materials are often more costly. For any fabrication work, you'd be boat bucks ahead to take the materials you want, sunbrella, steel, etc., down to La Paz, Maz or PV and let the artisans there do the work.

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

Just paid $US = $BD 4.20 for tinned 2/0 battery lugs, EACH. A LOT of the suckers. Ouch!!

$1.39 ea at genuinedealz.com

[Tony B]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

..... I've already hemorrhaged serious dough, but the bleeding continues. .........We saved up for it, but it still stings...... but also not wanting to be totally screwed in the middle of BFE. I'm talking *minimum* stuff here. No fancy gear, nothing elaborate, plenty of stuff that can be put off is. .

This is a familiar song. Recently, I purchased a 1986 Mainship 36 Aft Cabin for cruising inland lakes and rivers. At the time of purchase, as in most pre-owned boats, some things need replacing right away and most things could normally wait for a few years. However, and this is the BIG however, when you are planning to go on a l-o-n-g cruise, just about everything needs to be addressed NOW, and not while on the wet road.
When cruising, the first 2 weeks, you will log in more hours and miles than most boaters will in a year. So what appears to be a perfectly good boat would be one that will go for a while without major bucks, is not that same boat when you are cruising. I budgeted myself for $25K in repairs, replacements and upgrades before we take off this coming Feb/Mar. If we weren't going cruising, we would be budgeted for about $2K this year and maybe $5K next year. And then gradual spending thereafter.