Published Costs of Cruising

[sailorchic34]

Honey... Like it or not $500 a month is all I have to live on no matter where I live. So I make do... I'm just lucky that I lived on a boat years before the economy collapsed and I found out that I was unexpectedly retired.

At $500 a month I believe a mooring ball is totally out of the question as is a marina full time. HA, mooring balls would be a sign that $500/month sailors can't afford to live there.

BTW I do have insurance too. So no worries there ;-). See I'm responsible or is it reprehensible, I get that confused sometimes.

[NorthPacific]

I am surprised that you get out of bed in the Morning. Spending 40000 is normal for you. I am saying your life and attitudes are not normal for most. You have a very elitist view of the world, almost resentful in tone that the rug rats of the world dare live a dream.

Stop worrying will not change things. The anchorages of the world will always reflect the social spectrum. Unfortunately for you it appears that the plebs have found your little piece of heaven and want to experience what you have been enjoying for 30 years. As I said never liked crowds myself and BVI are not the nicest place for me so no worries I will keep my floating slum well away from sullying your vista!

[Celestialsailor]

I'm glad they can't take $it$ with them...They'll have to figure out another way of paying for a slip in heaven.

[oldragbaggers]

After reading through this thread I just had to take a moment and comment about how baffled I am at the number of posts that were basically just bashing the OP for her offer to help compile information for everyone else's benefit. "This is futile.....this is ridiculous.....this serves no purpose.....there is nothing to be learned from this.....blah blah blah." Honestly people, if this thread serves no purpose to you, no one is forcing you to read it.

I do not own a toaster oven, have never owned one and don't see the need for one. But I also would never be bothered to take the time to stand in WalMart in front of the toaster ovens and try to convince others who might be interested in purchasing one that they don't need it, they can get by without it, I've never needed one and therefore it will serve no useful purpose for them. If they want a toaster oven, they have a use for it and can afford the price of it, more power to 'em. I'll just ignore the toaster oven department and go over to say, sporting equipment, and spend my time looking at something I'm actually interested in and have a use for.

Livia, I have looked at cruising budgets in the past and have found them enlightening. It's nice to see what people need to spend in certain locations. If you've never been out there it can give you an indication what costs are from area to area. Someone not knowledgable might not know that you can't anchor out in someplace like, say, San Diego, but seeing that someone in that area was spending money every single month on a slip or a mooring might spark that question. (I know, someone will no doubt jump in and say "WELL THEY SHOULD DO THEIR RESEARCH..." Looking at budgets IS doing research.

Even if I never felt a need to look at this thread, I think it was generous of you to offer your time and your expertise in information management to help others. Thank you.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

I am surprised that you get out of bed in the Morning. Spending 40000 is normal for you. I am saying your life and attitudes are not normal for most. You have a very elitist view of the world, almost resentful in tone that the rug rats of the world dare live a dream.

Stop worrying will not change things. The anchorages of the world will always reflect the social spectrum. Unfortunately for you it appears that the plebs have found your little piece of heaven and want to experience what you have been enjoying for 30 years. As I said never liked crowds myself and BVI are not the nicest place for me so no worries I will keep my floating slum well away from sullying your vista!

I don't think I'm elitist at all, if this is so then your response is certainly as much plebeian. The point of my post was we all need to be responsible to others first, then to ourselves and there are a lot of negligent and/or just plain clueless people out there that the rest of us pick up the slack for. Maybe I'm getting older but the thought of me damaging another's person or property through my own negligence or stupidity horrifies me. I sleep much better knowing I can mitigate issues due to my in/action and not depend entirely on diplomacy to do so. Ever seem someone getting run over by a dinghy? I have and the blood was horrible. Not sure if she lived but she certainly doesn't walk anymore. I'm pretty sure the dinghy operator is doing hard time.

I find it difficult to imagine that you can be responsive to others needs or follow up on your responsibilities on or off a boat for $500 a month. I know there are folks that are out there sailing for 500 a month but I very much doubt that they would be able to successfully pay for damage to another's property due to negligence or chance on their part if the damage was severe. I'm one of those sailors that plans for the worst because I have witnessed how quickly things can go bad.

In my case (mooring damage) the damage is small but ongoing and regular. I'm not a marina, I don't have a full time staff to fix problems.

I think in the modern world insurance is a must and this must account for some of that $500 a month. That is what this thread is about. Sorry if that doesn't fit into your plans.

Don't be so naive to think that things don't change, thats childish. The only constant in life is change. Get ready for the moorings- They are coming to your anchorage soon!

[Celestialsailor]

ORIGINAL POST

Originally Posted by Livia

Another thread got me thinking that it would be nice to find all of the published cruising budgets out there in the ether and compile them in one place. I volunteer to compile them if you'll help me find them.

What I am looking for:
- *Actual* expenses/budgets of people cruising. Not predictions or budgets that people are hoping to meet, but what they actually spent.
- Budgets posted online somewhere.

Here are a few I already know about:
Third Day
Cruising Budget
The Shards
https://howtogocruisingnow.wordpress...o-go-cruising/
Beth & Evans
Hacking Family
Simmer

Links please!

Originally Posted by zboss

I think in the modern world insurance is a must and this must account for some of that $500 a month. That is what this thread is about. Sorry if that doesn't fit into your plans.

Don't be so naive to think that things don't change, thats childish. The only constant in life is change. Get ready for the moorings- They are coming to your anchorage soon!

Read the post at the top. It was the original post. This is not about modern world insurance. Feel free to do it your way. Just don't expect the rest of us to be sheep and follow the mooring moron plan.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Never been to the BVI, but I can relate to zboss' costs - small island life can be very expensive, even more so when the economy brings in lots of money from the outside. Upside is that the money made locally travels well!

I don't really see it as a great revelation that some areas will be wayyyyy more expensive than others - and that therefore some places will either be too expensive for the bare budget folks, or simply not much fun. But it's a big world.

[SmartMove]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Never been to the BVI, but I can relate to zboss' costs - small island life can be very expensive, even more so when the economy brings in lots of money from the outside. Upside is that the money made locally travels well!

I don't really see it as a great revelation that some areas will be wayyyyy more expensive than others - and that therefore some places will either be too expensive for the bare budget folks, or simply not much fun. But it's a big world.

+1 That would be my experience -- gotta choose your battles (as my grandma would say)!

[Kettlewell]

One comment on expensive vs. non-expensive areas. New England and the Northeast USA can be very expensive, if one pays for rental moorings every night, or stays in marinas, or if you want to do something like rent a car. On the other hand, there are very few harbors where anchoring is not easily done (for free). Most towns in New England have free dinghy landings with trash disposal at least, and sometimes other amenities. There is no sales tax on groceries and food tends to be cheaper than in many tropical areas, like the BVIs. There are tons of marine stores, including discount ones, but also many used gear shops, thrift stores, etc. A lot of every day gear can be purchased at discount places like WalMart or Home Depot. I could go on and on. Just pointing out that there are many aspects of cruising costs that might mean that one boater will be spending big bucks while the frugal boater might be enjoying the exact same waters for a fraction of the price. That is one reason why I am in the camp that you can't read someone else's budget and learn much.

[NorthPacific]

What a class elitist attitude bossy has! Guess I very well may change my Sailing plans! In what part of the BRITISH VI's are your free moorings located :-)?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by zboss

(...) I find it difficult to imagine that you can be responsive to others needs or follow up on your responsibilities on or off a boat for $500 a month.(...)

Yes, one can.

Which sailor is irresponsible: the one with no insurance or the one with no skills? Then think about which type is more prevalent.

Respect and responsibility do not come with thick wallet but thick wallet sure knows how to pay for lack of such.

b.

[formrteki]

Livia, I would love to see a "lonely planet" style financial guide to cruising. Separating the budget travelers from the high-enders, small boats to big, old boats from new boats, weekenders from liveaboards, etc. Making contacts on CW but receiving info privately would allow one to publish without issue, and I certainly would be willing to pay for such a treatise, as well as updates. I would also be willing to help. Maybe a collaboration of "authors", with one taking a particular cruising style and boat age/style? For example, I am interested in the "liveaboard monohull on a budget, used boat, Caribbean/South America" category, and would happily be the organizer of that material. What do you think? It seems to be too big a job for one person

[zboss]

I put out a dare to anyone to find and publish a detailed $500 a month cruising budget. I bet there are a half dozen line items not accounted for. The question of published cruising costs by the OP is still outstanding.

Someone else brought up the $500 a month cost, not me, and I simply stated the opinion that although you might be able to cruise (and please define exactly what "cruising" means please) on $500, you probably shouldn't. I gave one example of how I (and my family that I am responsible for) get screwed over by sailor/stinkpot folks all the time and never get compensated. You think I may be an ass but I have never gone so far as to chain the boat to the mooring, which is my legal right, so these guys get off easy.

I've also given examples of how someone was seriously injured due to a cruisers negligence (BUI). If you got run over by a boat by a drunk I am betting you would want some compensation (if you lived) and that boater better have insurance and be able to pay lawyer/court costs.

The question on cruising on $500 a month isn't so much a question of if it could be, but SHOULD you do it.

Regards to the thick wallet... even experienced sailors find themselves in deep trouble. Professional Mariners have just as much of experience and yet they still carry insurance.

[Kettlewell]

Insurance has nothing to do with responsibility--it is to cover your own financial ass, or a requirement so the bank's ass is covered. I have seen boats left during hurricanes by irresponsible boaters because they had such good insurance they were hoping something would happen during the storm--never seen so many happy boat owners as after Hurricane Bob wiped out thousands of boats in New England. The responsible boater manages his/her boat in such a way that insurance is not needed. Who is more responsible--the boater who ties up to your mooring with an inadequate line which breaks, sending the boat ashore into your dock, and then gets it covered by his insurance policy (probably still with a loss to you of time and money and hassle, or the boater who anchors out on his own gear and never washes ashore because he does it right, but has no insurance?

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

Insurance has nothing to do with responsibility

What? That is an insane statement and goes against every lesson you parents should have taught you. Shame on them.

So, if you have insurance and "save your financial ass" and are able to take care of your wife and kids, plus make right by the person you screwed over... that is being -what- irresponsible?

And yes, the person anchoring out and hitting another boat or running up on a beach because of negligence on their part is just as guilty.

Again, the OP asked about budgets and I am waiting.... I don't believe cruising on $500 without insurance is responsible and I will leave it at that.

And don't pick up mooring balls marked "private"... please.