Frugal Cruising Idea Exchange

[zboss]

We try and wash our clothes aboard. Some places it can cost you $20 for a wash and a dry. We bought an old fashioned laundry ringer to help get the clothes as dry as possible before hanging.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by zboss

We try and wash our clothes aboard. Some places it can cost you $20 for a wash and a dry. We bought an old fashioned laundry ringer to help get the clothes as dry as possible before hanging.

This is a good point. My frugality changes depending on where I am. In Asia we get washing done ashore almost always, in the Seychelles never! The price difference is huge.

My Frugality is flexible, it adapts to the environment I'm in.

[GTom]

Originally Posted by daletournier

This is a good point. My frugality changes depending on where I am. In Asia we get washing done ashore almost always, in the Seychelles never! The price difference is huge.

My Frugality is flexible, it adapts to the environment I'm in.

Agreed, Seychelles prices/services availability are probably good motivation for a full self-sustained approach, especially if you are not in Mahe... The amount of cash you save there cooking a single dinner instead of using a restaurant on the shore could feed you for a week elsewhere

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by stevegerber

Which of the many tempting marine electronic devices do you feel are the most worthwhile for a frugal cruiser? Do you think that an electronic chartplotters has now become now a more frugal option than paper charts?

The following is what I would get which reflects my skill level and risk tolerance:

MUST HAVE:
Magnetic compass (not electronic but in the class of navigation instruments with many electronics)
Depthsounder
Handheld GPS w/ maps
Handheld VHF
Small solar recharger & NiMH batt for handheld GPS.
Metal ammo box for handheld GPS, batt & charger, handheld VHF.
Laptop w/ OpenCPN & GPS dongle

Paper charts I would get:
Large area chart showing whole passage, local charts showing major destinations w/ services. Any local chart of an area that would be a good emergency stop.

If I’m having problems with the main electronics or the electrical system, I want to be able to get to a place repairs or replacements can be obtained.

SHOULD HAVES:
Shortwave radio that can receive SSB w/ patch cable to laptop.
Fixed VHF w/ AIS rx
InReach or EPIRB if going offshore.

NICE TO HAVE
Speed-log
Backup handheld GPS w/ maps

LUXURY
AM/FM/CD player
EPIRB or InReach, whichever I didn’t get earlier.
AIS tx

Unmentioned MUST HAVE:
Sextant, longterm almanac, sight reduction books, 5 cheap quartz watches, 1 mechanical watch, plotting sheets.
Unmentioned because almost nobody would bother. Right now I have all but 4 of the watches.

[sparrowhawk1]

[QUOTE=boat_alexandra;2601988]You have zero sunny days? My parabolic solar furnace is as powerful as an alcohol stove whenever the sun is shining. It concentrates 6sq ft down to 1sq inch using mirrors from the dollar store. It gets hotter than a flame in the focal point.

I make charcoal and pitch, it can cook all day, and after 30 minutes I cooked all my food. End quote





Did you use a satellite dish? Any photos would be appreciated including making charcoal.

[pskudlarski]

"Shortwave radio that can receive SSB w/ patch cable to laptop. "

sounds like a great toy for practising at out curent stage: dreaming, chartering, daysailing.
Could you recommend any particular type/model that I could play with now and take sailing later?

[Fai Tira]

It took me a while to understand that the less toys I own the freer I feel.

Now I just do with what I really need.

Food water and everything that gets the boat going. No more. Im happy like it is. Im cruising right now and buying new stuff would prevent me from doing so.

1)Food
I do a big shopping once every couple of month or so. I get about 150€ of canned food, pasta-rice-beans and milk. Once a week or so I get fresh veggies for about 25-30€.

2)Water
Mostly free as you walk away from marinas. I always keep small canisters in the dinghy. Refilling at the beach showers is convenient.

3)Boat
The simpler the better. What's important is to have the mast up, a good set of sails and a rudder solidly attached to the boat. Oh and a windvane!

I use the engine to get me out of tricky situations.
The size of the boat is very important.
Too big and you end up motoring a lot (going up or down rivers, narrow entrances...)
I used about 100L in a year full time cruising and could use much less.
Outboards cost a lot of money.
Now I have a rowing dinghy. Its great! Being double ended prevents me from putting the outboard on it. Im saving a fortune by rowing.
I still use the deflatable when there's too much current. But most of the time I plan the day with the tides.

The more I sail the more I downgrade the boat. In a good way. It feels great to get rid of stuff. I wont have to maintain it anymore so I can cruise and work less for a longer period of time.
I spend about 300€ a month.

[Fai Tira]

There is no savings in buying...

[sparrowhawk1]

Originally Posted by Fai Tira

There is no savings in buying...

I have to disagree. My solar oven allows me to cook for free . a nice bicycle allows me not to have to have a car or take the bus. Pumps and filters to collect rainwater saves me time-work hauling water.
Those things are the difference between being Frugal and being a minimalist.

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by Fai Tira

It took me a while to understand that the less toys I own the freer I feel.

Now I just do with what I really need.


2)Water
Mostly free as you walk away from marinas. I always keep small canisters in the dinghy. Refilling at the beach showers is convenient.

I've never found free water in Spain. Some places will give you water with fuel, but even that is rare. I've not once come across free potable water fountain on the west coast of Spain or in the Balearic islands. At least not one that is in easy walking and carrying distance of somewhere to dock the dinghy.

I'd be curious to know where you've been finding it.

[Fai Tira]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

I've never found free water in Spain. Some places will give you water with fuel, but even that is rare. I've not once come across free potable water fountain on the west coast of Spain or in the Balearic islands. At least not one that is in easy walking and carrying distance of somewhere to dock the dinghy.

I'd be curious to know where you've been finding it.

I have yet to go to the balearics so I cannot speak about it.
However I've always had my tank topped up on the west coast.
I usually refill at the beach there's often a tap to clean your feet. When there is none I ask at a petrol station or to friends going into a marina.

Occasionally you have to pay a small fee thats why I wrote "mostly free" but so far its never been a problem.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Interesting idea. I had to look it up. Wiki tells me it is a method of cooking:

Have you actually done this on a cruising boat? Sounds like it would be rather difficult, but then we have Alexandra making charcoal and methane, so who am I to judge .

Isn't this what a slow cooker does? we are still in the early experimental stage but a small slow cooker of 2 litres says it draws 120w at 240v. So that is 10 amps at 12v. That ought to be affordable with 180w of solar, so I rigged it up through an inverter and left it for half an hour on full heat. sure enough pretty hot water that had steam rising from it after 30 minutes. Now the nice thing is that it uses much less power than I first through as it switches off when up to temperature and then back on again. Bit difficult to work out exactly how much but perhaps saving 50% on the original maximum power.

Pete

[Fai Tira]

Originally Posted by sparrowhawk1

I have to disagree. My solar oven allows me to cook for free . a nice bicycle allows me not to have to have a car or take the bus. Pumps and filters to collect rainwater saves me time-work hauling water.
Those things are the difference between being Frugal and being a minimalist.

I realise my statement was a bit harsh. Good tools saves you lot of money and can earn you some.

In my opinion solar cookers can be made at no costs, bikes can be had for free. I've been offered 2 good folding bikes lately(which I refused). I've also gave a set of oarlock and got a navtex in return!
I go by the one year rule. If I dont use it it goes to another cruiser.


I'm curious about pumping your rainwater??? Can you explain?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Isn't this what a slow cooker does? we are still in the early experimental stage but a small slow cooker of 2 litres says it draws 120w at 240v. So that is 10 amps at 12v. That ought to be affordable with 180w of solar, so I rigged it up through an inverter and left it for half an hour on full heat. sure enough pretty hot water that had steam rising from it after 30 minutes. Now the nice thing is that it uses much less power than I first through as it switches off when up to temperature and then back on again. Bit difficult to work out exactly how much but perhaps saving 50% on the original maximum power.

Funny … I had to go back to see what my quote was referring to. Sous Vide:

in which food is placed in a plastic pouch or a glass jar and then placed in a water bath or steam environment for longer than normal cooking times (usually 1 to 7 hours, up to 48 or more in some cases) at an accurately regulated temperature. The temperature is much lower than normally used for cooking, typically around 55 to 60 °C (131 to 140 °F) for meat, higher for vegetables.

Still sounds rather difficult and unnecessary to me. I never considered the amp-hrs that might be required. Does your calculation include the amps required to run the inverter? Good to hear the draw is low.

Like I say, I can see it might be useful in specific applications, but then, so would a slow cooker. Just seems a lot easier to me just to boil some water and cook your food, if that’s how you want to cook. I don’t tend to use that cooking method much in general.

Fai Tira: Yes, of course. Simpler is (usually) better, and less is (usually) more. Filling water tanks via free taps using haulable containers is a common thing for many cruisers.

My pattern of cruising has me away from civilization for long stretches, so I don’t tend to go to urban shore much where I can fill a small tank. Usually we’re off for weeks or months, so my 750 Litre (200 gallon) water tank is often down quite a bit once we hit a dock. Would take a lot of 20 l/5 gallon tanks to refill us. I sure appreciate hooking the hose up.

Here in Canada, water has always been “free” to me with the purchase of diesel or the docking to resupply (which are the main reasons we ever see a dock). I’ve been planning to start collecting rain water, but so far haven’t had a need since my water tank goes a long way with frugal usage.

[Pete7]

The initial draw was something like 10.5 amps whilst the slow cooker was on full heat warming up, so that will have included the inverter which by chance is quite well matched at 350w.

Agreed not something to use every day or life will be very boring having stew everyday. I am thinking more of curries etc, chuck it all in and let it simmer for 5 hours whilst away doing other stuff.