Cruising on $5,000 / Month

[sailorboy1]

Just a note, but good days at the office lead to GREAT days on the boat!

BTW - a truly bad day on the boat isn't better than a good day at the office, it is just a bad day!

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by northoceanbeach

But maybe the people cruising on $500 a month are out cruising month to month year to year, where the people earning as much money as they like are stuck earning money.



I'll take the nightmare over those two options.

Some of us that are "stuck earning money" enjoy what we are doing. Do I want to do it forever? No, it's really a means to an end, but I still enjoy it. The other thing I enjoy is knowing that when I'm through with cruising, say in my 70's, I won't need to rely on anything (the government) or anyone to survive. Would I have liked to take off when I was younger and not deal with real life, maybe, but it didn't feel like eating cat food when I was old. You are perfectly welcome to cruise on as little as you want to, but remember Easop's fable about the ant and the grasshopper, don't expect me to open the door when it's winter and you've danced the summer of your life away. Actions have consequences.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Hiya Tom! You need to get a travel guide for the area you'll be visiting

SNIP

In the Grenadines, you can barter

SNIP

I try to visit areas where there are no, or at least few stores. In the Dry Tortugas I had several commercial fishing boats come along side and ask if I had rum to trade for fish. The fast boat will also sell you water and even bring other goods from the mainland if you make arrangements. I never utilized this service. But it was nice to talk to the fast boat captain and get the real scoop about the weather and sea conditions when planning my trip back to Boca Grande.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by northoceanbeach

But maybe the people cruising on $500 a month are out cruising month to month year to year, where the people earning as much money as they like are stuck earning money.

I'll take the nightmare over those two options.

One has to be very careful not to make the choice that is right for others, but the choice that is right for themselves. They can learn a lot from others and the choices they made but they may personally have very different views and desires and they need to continue to find the right fit for themselves.

And while cruising may be a huge part of our lives and even a larger part for others, it isn't our lives. There are other things. And sometimes it's difficult to find the right balance for each of us. I know one couple that was very happy being full time cruisers until their first grandchild was born. They realized more grandchildren would follow, so they purchased a condo in the area the family lived. They continue to cruise but for the holidays they are back home.

[northoceanbeach]

Originally Posted by Red Sky

Some of us that are "stuck earning money" enjoy what we are doing. Do I want to do it forever? No, it's really a means to an end, but I still enjoy it. The other thing I enjoy is knowing that when I'm through with cruising, say in my 70's, I won't need to rely on anything (the government) or anyone to survive. Would I have liked to take off when I was younger and not deal with real life, maybe, but it didn't feel like eating cat food when I was old. You are perfectly welcome to cruise on as little as you want to, but remember Easop's fable about the ant and the grasshopper, don't expect me to open the door when it's winter and you've danced the summer of your life away. Actions have consequences.

I wasn't saying work has to be a nightmare. Many people have successful careers and live in San Francisco and own a boat and go sailing and life is good. I'm not even putting myself in the $500 a month camp. I was more addressing the comment that $500 cruising is a nightmare and it's preferable to work and save money so in the future you can cruise with a higher monthly budget. I do tend to sway towards the go now crowd. I wonder when the future comes.

I think the aesops fable sounds pretty dick though. Should the people out cruising refuse to open the door to those that are at home working?

If someone asks a question:
I have two week off this summer and want to sail to Baja, please give me advice. Should the people that went there for years on $500 a month say. No way sir, when winter comes, your door will be close, so I will not help you have your summer?

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

+1 exactly why I do it. A bad day on a boat beats a good day in an office...

Or as I often tell landlubbers 'my life is better than your vacation'.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by northoceanbeach

I was more addressing the comment that $500 cruising is a nightmare and it's preferable to work and save money so in the future you can cruise with a higher monthly budget.

Wrong thread, this one isn't about arguing whether you can do it on $500 and most of us don't have a problem if you want to try it (unless you run into us on an uninsured boat). Lets move on.

I've come across lots of cruiser blogs in my research that have some budget info. The reason I like to read these is that you can see how and where the people are cruising and then compare that to their costs to see how it fits with your plans. I will post a couple of links, but note than in both you need to read though the interviews and "boats we follow" to find the info as not all post this info:

Cruising Budget 2011-2012 | Come Along with S.V. Scream

The INTERVIEW WITH A CRUISER Project

In the end I think the best way to decide on your budget is to find info from others who are cruising in the style that you wish to and then find out what it is costing them.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Red Sky

Some of us that are "stuck earning money" enjoy what we are doing. ...The other thing I enjoy is knowing that when I'm through with cruising, say in my 70's, I won't need to rely on anything (the government) or anyone to survive.

Does this mean you'll decline social security and medicare?

Just kiddin', 'cuz I would think that ss is "your" money, not the Ponzi scheme some uninformed folks try to portray it as.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by Red Sky

Some of us that are "stuck earning money" enjoy what we are doing. Do I want to do it forever? No, it's really a means to an end, but I still enjoy it. The other thing I enjoy is knowing that when I'm through with cruising, say in my 70's, I won't need to rely on anything (the government) or anyone to survive. Would I have liked to take off when I was younger and not deal with real life, maybe, but it didn't feel like eating cat food when I was old. You are perfectly welcome to cruise on as little as you want to, but remember Easop's fable about the ant and the grasshopper, don't expect me to open the door when it's winter and you've danced the summer of your life away. Actions have consequences.

Actually I'm dancing the fall of my life away. Honey I would never dream of ever imposing on you or anyone else. I'm just one of the older folks laid off over the recession. Engineers and architects took a beating over the great recession, and frankly the industry is not really expanding. Far easier for an employer to hire young grads just out of school, who would love to work 12-14 hour days then a 50 something women. Just the new reality. So I go sailing.

Don, I've been aground, been soaked to the bone, Engine breaking, bruised and bloodied and some really bouncy nights during storms. I'll still take that over a great day in an office any day. Fishing is better too. I find the american dream not so much to my liking.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Just a note, but good days at the office lead to GREAT days on the boat!

BTW - a truly bad day on the boat isn't better than a good day at the office, it is just a bad day!

I've been sailing and enjoying life full time for four years now. Every day a great day too. I've had good days when I was working, but frankly not having stress in my life is a breath of fresh air.

But to each their own. Its what ever floats your boat.

[sailorboy1]

I was going to do a counter post but figure it just encourages the thread drift, so see post 427 and discuss what you would change in your cruising in order to make the costs change in whatever direction you want to.

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by northoceanbeach

I wasn't saying work has to be a nightmare. Many people have successful careers and live in San Francisco and own a boat and go sailing and life is good. I'm not even putting myself in the $500 a month camp. I was more addressing the comment that $500 cruising is a nightmare and it's preferable to work and save money so in the future you can cruise with a higher monthly budget. I do tend to sway towards the go now crowd. I wonder when the future

I think the aesops fable sounds pretty dick though. Should the people out cruising refuse to open the door to those that are at home

someone asks a question:

I have two week off this summer and want to sail to Baja, please give me advice. Should the people that went there for years on $500 a month say. No way sir, when winter comes, your door will be close, so I will not help you have your summer?

The future comes tomorrow, next week, or 50 years from now, if you're lucky.

Advice: 2 weeks isn't enough time to sail to Baja and do much but fly home. 1000 miles from SD to Cabo, 120 miles a day is 8 days +- and you're not in the Sea of Cortez yet.

Come on down, I'll party with you, I'll have you over for dinner, help you fix your boat, but I won't help you finance, directly or through the taxes I pay, your summer or winter.

What are you going to do when you're 70, work? Now that's crazy talk.

[northoceanbeach]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Wrong thread, this one isn't about arguing whether you can do it on $500 and most of us don't have a problem if you want to try it (unless you run into us on an uninsured boat). Lets move on.

You must have missed the post I was responding to. I didn't bring up $500 in this thread.

What would I do with a cruising budget of $5000? One significant Upgrade a month when in a place that could do it. Go to the Mediterranean and shop. And eat very well. Spend money at museums and buying small but expensive souvenirs. If I was in Egypt I would spent $4000 at the gold bazaar on earrings. In Italy I would buy Italian glass or shoes or clothes. In England or Norway I would buy an ancient Viking hammer necklace. Stuff like that.

It's funny how everyone says that cruising doesn't cost them much more than living at home, yet $5000 is considered a huge cruising budget yet $5000 to live on land, that's $60000 a year. That's not that extravegent.

[northoceanbeach]

Originally Posted by Red Sky

Advice: 2 weeks isn't enough time to sail to Baja and do much but fly home. 1000 miles from SD to Cabo, 120 miles a day is 8 days +- and you're not in the Sea of Cortez yet.

Come on down, I'll party with you, I'll have you over for dinner, help you fix your boat, but I won't help you finance, directly or through the taxes I pay, your summer or winter.

What are you going to do when you're 70, work? Now that's crazy talk.

Doesn't anyone cruise the pacific side? That's the part I want to go to the most. Lots of surfing.

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by northoceanbeach

Doesn't anyone cruise the pacific side? That's the part I want to go to the most. Lots of surfing.

Not much on the Pacific side. Yes, there is some great surfing, but a lot of open roadstead anchorages. Get yourself to the mainland, try Punta Mita, Sayulita and Bandares Bay. You'll enjoy it and can live pretty cheaply in the La Cruz area if you anchor out.