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Wavewacker · 07-08-2011, 13:25

Very good comments with a few of the costs I had not really thought of...Thanks!

I suppose hauling out is for the larger boats. I was hoping that a trailerable boat would do, at least transpotable with a Ford 450 and a flatbed trailer, no crane required.

We thought food would be about 50% more than at home and that our entertainment woud be twice as much, part of the reason to go some place.

$700 a month for boat expenses and the maintenance "sinking fund" (lol)
Had no idea! None! On my boats, something seemed to go bad every year, like a $350 part and labor bill.

I realize the more you have on a boat the more can go wrong. I'll keep my GF away from the fridge and electronics!

I thought sails and rigging were good for about 5 years on a 30 footer or less. And that for a boat that size it would be about 3K. I don't want to change the OPs boat requirements, but isn't smaller alot cheaper?

I figured since I wasn't driving my truck and the GF the car, that my fuel bills should about the same, about $320, maybe less.

If you rent/lease a homeyou get away from the mortgage,taxes and insurance and should have a positive cash flow. Taxes and the insurance on the boat I would think would be less than the house. No mortgage payment, that's a plus of my side.

If I sell my vehicles, I could live on that easily for a year, but being retired, that means not earning new money to replace vehicles if I came back. So, seems like that should be a slush fund for emergiencies. Just in case, I'd like money set aside to ship my body back or have a Viking funeral.

Health insurance is $X regardless if I'm here or there, doesn't matter.

If I spend three days a week on the hook, playing with my boat and my GF, I don't see spending very much other than these accunulating expenses for maintenance. $3,000 for an anchor and chain.....had no idea! Another reason to go small I guess. That kills that Carri-Craft idea!

No more land line, cable TV, internet and trash service or utility bills, that's almost $400 to go to something else, like entertainment or whatever, like a battery, paint, varnish, lines and motor repairs.

There is a small houseboat down at the lake that has been in the same slip since 1964, never moved and hasn't sank yet. A new generation sits on it for weekends. I knew large boats were hauledout, but thought that was like every 5 or 8 years, not 2.

Someone enlighten us on the incidentals usually overlooked, thefts, getting mugged, bribes and fines, you know, the stuff you don't see coming.

osirissail · 07-08-2011, 13:40

First off, there are static live aboards that don't go anywhere so avoid a lot of costs like haul-outs and bottom painting. Eventually the sea growth on the bottom reaches the sea floor and attaches the boat there -then you can discard anchors and dock lines.
- - But for the moving live aboard, there are a lot of costs associated with a moving operating boat. Like any complicated life support system, a cruising boat need maintenance and replacement parts. The size of the boat and the degree of hard use greatly influence "wear and tear."
- - Costs ashore are something else and not really boat dependent. Where you chose to cruise and your attitude toward locals can make an astronomical difference in those associated costs.

capcook · 07-08-2011, 15:12

Having inquired via private msgs i know for a fact there are several cruisers on this forum who are spending 10k usd per mth. Where you cruise and what you do when you get there are going to be the biggest factors. For example if you plan a week long land trip to explore say Turkey are you going to leave your yacht on the hook? I think not. We are not out there yet so take this for what is worth. We will be a family of 4 and with boat and health ins, some land trips, 50prct marina, 25prct mooring, 25prct hook, boat maintenace, one trip home, culverts for the kids education we can't get the budget under about 8k per mth and I expect 10k is probably more realistic