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Old 14-10-2009, 06:40   #106
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Originally Posted by Ex-Calif View Post
That's a great plan, especialy if you plan to cruise with a wife. Well, my wife anyway.

She manages to double my budget all the time...
(spring boarding off your answer, this is not directed at you specifically...)

The question still remains, where is a reasonable place to start my budget. For example, I know that, if I wanted to ship out (hypothetical situation) in 6 months, I could easily save 1/3 of my paychecks without impacting my lifestyle in any noticeable way. If I tightened my belt, (not eating out often, paying 500% rather then 800% the minimum payment for my student loans, etc) I could save 1/2 my paycheck, and if I really scrimped (eating cheep home meals, only paying minimum student loan payments and then claiming unemployed interest relief come ship off time) I could likely manage saving 2/3rds of my pay... I shouldn't need to tell you what I actually make in order to find out which of these three budget options I should choose for saving to go away.

I really don't think it is such an unreasonable question (though, not having actually lived the life yet, I could be wrong. But I make this assumption by drawing on basic concepts that are applicable regardless of being on land or water) to ask what is a reasonable budget... which is really what people are asking when they ask how much it costs. It's not a lot different then if someone asked me how much it costs to live in Toronto... I could easily say "well, that depends on the lifestyle you intend to live", but that really doesn't help them. I could also say "people have done it on less then $600 a month", but again this doesn't really help without explaining how, including the fact that the people who do so often sleep in hostels or at friends houses to reduce costs, or perhaps rent a room (not apartment) for $350 (which are rare and you need to know where/how to find these).

A more reasonable answer will typically look like "Depends what your looking for, but by renting an apartment in the outskirts, it can be done on about $1300-1500 a month pretty easy. The downtown core is gonna cost you closer to $2-2.5K or more". This example answer obviously makes some basic assumptions, such as, you don't want to live on the street or in a hostel to save on housing expenses, and that you don't have a huge budget to blow (because really, if I had some huge budget, I really wouldn't need to know about how much it typically costs, It would be unlikely I couldn't afford it). It also leaves the person to determine for themselves the cost of their lifestyle habits (the "it can be done..." implies that eating out every night and movies twice a week are not included in this budget, but rather, typical expenses such as rent, food and utilities mostly, with some comfort ("pretty easy") accounted for only). In the same manner, when someone asks what it typically costs, they are likely not looking for how to live like a water hobo budgets, nor are they so well off that it really doesn't matter to ask ($10K/month), they are generally looking for a comfortable low end range upon which they can build to personal taste. To this point, that question may have very well been answered by the $1000/month provided early in this thread, but the bickering has made that number confusing, as I personally am not sure if thats a low end comfortable budget, or some "it can be done on as little as..." water hobo budget that require finding those low cost gem locations and significant personal sacrifices to accomplish.

I think so far, the most helpful post in this thread towards answering that question has been SV Third Day (post #11) which offers their budget, as it shows some common expenses (Groceries, sundries, insurance), but also shows some pleasure/entertainment expenses, and shows how quickly the small things can add up and how random the unexpected boat costs can build. (thank you for that BTW. I have saved it in my folder as a sample for personal planning, though I'm currious what months were spent where (US... other) and the size/age of your boat (can't see it in your profile)?)

Sorry if I seem hostile, it's just these threads always seem to degenerate into a series of "It depends" and "I've seen it done for as little as ...", nether of which are particularly helpful to the average person looking to learn more about something they don't have the experience to determine for themselves yet. It's like if my 16 year old son (if I had one) came to me and said, "I want to buy a car, how much am I gonna have to save up?"... If I answered "depends what kind of car you want, such as new or used, size, fuel economy, number of doors, brand, etc etc etc..." but don't actually give him an idea of actual prices, he's gonna walk away frustrated, having had to listen to me ramble on and still not have an idea on how much he needs to save up (just that, not only is price a consideration, but now there is a ton more to think about too ( and the truth of the matter is, once he understands about the cost, it's going to eliminate most of those options anyways... at least for a 16 year old buying his first car (after which, he will have gained some personal experience needed to make further car purchases))). he still could be thinking "oh cool, I want a Hummer"... because I have yet to give him any indication of the value of a vehicle. Had I answered, "depends what kind of car, but you can get a used one for around $2K, and some of the low cost hatchbacks can be bought for $10K", even though he still has all those other things to consider, I would have given him far more information towards his goal of buying a car then mentioning all the options and bells and whistles he can buy as options, largely because I have answered his question rather then piling on more questions.
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Old 14-10-2009, 07:01   #107
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Vic de Beer >>>After determining that the costs are around $1000.00/month, I am seriously considering going again. <<< Vic, change the verb "are" to "can be" and you are quite correct. Not everybody can do it for $1k/mo - some can do it for less and some can do it for more (considerably more). The whole point of the discussion is that it is a variable based on how you want to do it.

Kratch - What I meant was that the number of "old fashioned sailor/cruisers" at any given time is pretty constant to diminishing. And "new cruisers" are entering the arena in greater and greater numbers as boats and modern equipment makes it easy to set out.
- - Just like in the ancient days when you needed to know how to rebuild a car engine and know how to manipulate the clutch and gear box to be able to drive a car. Now the cars have computer controlled engines and have automatic shifting along with GPS road maps, all built in. Basically anybody who can point the car in the right direction can now drive, and I have seen some sailor/cruisers in exactly that category. But that's a different thread.
- - In a market economy if you increase the demand (more boaters), the prices will rise. This is what inflation is all about. Too much money chasing too few goods. In sailing/cruising it equates to more boats and people wanting to purchase the limited goods and experiences available at the various destinations. Add in, that (I will go out on a limb here) a growing number of the new sailor/cruisers who cannot and/or do not want to do the maintenance and repairs on their vessels. This creates a whole new market in the islands for maintenance, parts and repair businesses. In Grenada, specifically in the last five years this area has gone from 2 or 3 businesses to over a dozen now.
- - You are dead on correct that having "local knowledge" of a place can cut your costs in half or more. And even more on the bull's eye is your recognition that you need some "depth" behind your financial budget to allow for "revisions" upward, if necessary. I have seen more than a few sailor/cruisers who - on unrealistically low budgets - end up "paupers on water" and when forced to do critical repairs or replace critical equipment resort to thieving from other cruisers. It has been a problem all through the islands where a good portion of the thieving is not from the locals but from other sailor/cruisers who just need to "borrow" something from you without your permission and never get around to returning it.

Don Lucas - The problem lies in separating the "romance of cruising" from the "reality of cruising." Just like when you fall in love with a pretty young thing - have tons of fun and ecstatic experiences and then end up "married" to her. All of a sudden - - what happened? The romance is still there but the fun starts decreasing as the bills and expenses start mounting. Then you either get a "divorce" from the formerly pretty thing or learn to live with her and accept the costs involved. Woman or boat, same difference. - - You decide how much you want to spend and then double it or have the ability to double it and then the romance and ecstatic experiences can continue. But be aware, some months your costs at anchor will be nothing more than the cost of what you eat and drink and toilet paper. Other months, entry/exit fees, boatyard expenses, medical bills, parts and repair services can blow your budget almost to the moon. You need "depth" behind your finances for those circumstances or your sailing/cruising experience will end right then and there.

Talbot - come on - this is supposed to among friends, don't introduce the specter of horror by offering your "ex" . . .
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Old 14-10-2009, 07:26   #108
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How Much Does It Cost To Go Cruising?

How much you got?
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Old 14-10-2009, 07:38   #109
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Cruising is an industry. The people who extract a living from it far outnumber the people who are paying for it. Look at the line of people at the pay window: brokers, chandlers, riggers, sailmakers, engine makers, marinas, and all layers of government. The latter enjoy the benefit of simply declaring what their fees will be with no regard to services provided! On the other side of the window sits... ME! Checkbook in hand, I pay everybody in line, their dentists, their mortgages, their insurance and their kids college expenses. The line ends with the Tax man, patiently waiting for his turn, unless of course I take too long and the ides of April approacheth!

There are enough of us cruisers to go around, so many brokers, marinas and governments have found ways to deal only with the deeper pockets. Vagrant cruisers need not apply. This is done by raising the price of admission, or by chasing the shabbier cruisers out of site by regulating moorings and taxing visiting yachts. Its far easier to service one shiny new yacht with pretty flags than to try to shake the last nickel out of a passle of unkempt boat bums!

And the beauty of the cruising industry is this: no one can stay away from the cash register forever: Every one of us has to come in sometime, for dinghy fuel, dried beans, or dental work!

So; do you dream of dropping out and living a life of carefree, dollar-free sun-drenched bliss? Do you see your self as something of a totally self sufficient mountain man only without the need for snow shoes? Well, there is an initiation fee. And you will have to have a nest egg. And you won't be welcomed in an undiscovered free paradise anywhere within reach of an airport unless you are pretty. Or famous.

Don't be hard on yourself for being born 30 years late for a 30 year old dream. There aren't that many mountain men out there either; all the good caves are taken, and you need a permit to dig a new one.
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Old 14-10-2009, 07:38   #110
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Kratch - you are asking for a hard number which cannot be given as there are too many variables - for instance:
1. What is your age? From your post it seems your are young - "student loan"
2. Are you married? From your post "easily save 1/3 paycheck" - obviously single.
3. Where are you located/starting point? Canada? Europe? USA - east/west/gulf coast? All very different places with significantly different costs.
4. Do you have a boat? Where? What? Costs escalate with size of boat. If no boat, start up costs vary from "free" to many hundreds of thousands.
5. Where do you intend to cruise? Your own examples of living in a city vary from $350 to $2.5K/month. Cruising in agriculturally self-sufficient third world countries is radically different from first-world tourist countries.
6. What is your health and health of your financial resources? Bad health means more equipment and access to health care. While no depth of financial resources (especially in the Pacific) will negate being able to visit a few significant destinations.
- - As you can see asking "blindly" for a "number of dollars" is not possible as the number would be meaningless. It is possible to sail/cruise as a poor person, middle income person, or rich person. Just like on land, the financial restrictions determine where - when - and how. And that can be simply determined by -- oldsalt 1942's post "How much you got?"
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Old 14-10-2009, 08:10   #111
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Kratch - It seems you want a definitive answer not options.

It costs exactly US$2,356.74 per month to go cruising.

(If it costs you more you are spending too much)

oh...

(If it costs you less you need a bigger boat - or my wife for whom I am still accepting offers)
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Old 14-10-2009, 09:08   #112
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Kratch - you are asking for a hard number which cannot be given as there are too many variables - for instance:
Actually, what I am suggesting is that, simply answering a question with more questions, and absolutely no indication of an answer is evasive, not helpful. Obviously someone who asks such a question isn't looking for a budget tailored to their personal needs, they are looking for a ballpark figure or range, based on whatever assumptions you wish to make (presumably you will state which assumptions you make, such as my above example that states inside and outside the downtown core). Other factors based on my personal information should be for me to account for. For example:

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1. What is your age? From your post it seems your are young - "student loan"
Shouldn't be relevant. On land, rent is not more expensive for those in their 50's vs those in their thirties. if I have additional personal expenses, such as student loans (young) or healthcare needs (old), those are for me account for in my budget, not you.

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2. Are you married? From your post "easily save 1/3 paycheck" - obviously single.
Obviously, this will have a small impact on costs, but not a significant one that will skew the numbers of cost of living (cost of boat repairs and mooring aren't based on couples vs single.).

You assume that, because I can save 1/3 of my income easily, that I am single, but what if the truth is that I make enough money, and my wife's income compliments mine for paying our expenses (rent) enough that 1/3 of my paycheck is easily saved, not because I don't have a partner, but because our income to expense ratio allows for it. truth is, my bass costs (rent/utlities/etc) being single aren't that much less then my brothers being married. And so, my example above of cost of living in Toronto, while based on responding to a single individual, can easily be adapted to a couple on my end. Are you willing to state that this is not true for a ballpark crusing budget?

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3. Where are you located/starting point? Canada? Europe? USA - east/west/gulf coast? All very different places with significantly different costs.
Assuming your not talking start up costs, as thats different from cruising costs, then:Yes, location does matter, and this is what I would expect would be most variable in the answers, but that was also the case with my Toronto example above (to a lessor degree), where I gave a couple values (outskirts vs downtown core) to give an example range. Additionally, when someone asks the cost of cruising, it is a reasonable assumption that they don't mean how much is it going to cost them to stay in their local marina slip.

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4. Do you have a boat? Where? What? Costs escalate with size of boat. If no boat, start up costs vary from "free" to many hundreds of thousands.
Initial purchase of a boat and start up refitting are seperate issues from basic cruising living costs. Size of a boat does play a factor, but aside from repair/maintenance costs, given that it is generally new boat owners with money concerns, and thus the boat is likely to be in the 25-44' range (a reasonable assumption, any bigger and the person is likely an experienced sailor or has enough money to not be concerned with a budget) is it such a huge factor that a caveat of "the bigger the boat, the greater the costs" won't cover it?

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5. Where do you intend to cruise? Your own examples of living in a city vary from $350 to $2.5K/month. Cruising in agriculturally self-sufficient third world countries is radically different from first-world tourist countries.
Same as point 3.

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6. What is your health and health of your financial resources? Bad health means more equipment and access to health care. While no depth of financial resources (especially in the Pacific) will negate being able to visit a few significant destinations.
Again, any personal health issues are mine to incorporate into my personal budget, and should not be a factor in others providing a sample base value.

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- - As you can see asking "blindly" for a "number of dollars" is not possible as the number would be meaningless. It is possible to sail/cruise as a poor person, middle income person, or rich person. Just like on land, the financial restrictions determine where - when - and how. And that can be simply determined by -- oldsalt 1942's post "How much you got?"
So, if a familiy member grew ill and required you to go live with them and tend to them while they recovered/died, and you asked then how much it was going to cost you to live there, you'd accept "How much you got?" as an answer? Or would you find that to be a rather rude, dismissive answer that really isn't helpful?

Yes, blindly asking for you to establish a personal budget for me is not possible, asking for a basic ballpark that can then be built upon with personal needs/expectations should not be such a difficult answer to give as people are making it out to be. Hell, if you asked me how much a toothbrush costs, I could ask you a dozen questions to evaid providing an actual answer, but the truth is, it is far more helpful to give a couple ranges such as a simple one costs $4 and an electric one will cost closer to $30-40 for a cheep one. sure, there are the $400 dollar ones that someone can opt for, or people can make their own for free if they want to/know how, but does asking questions to determine which is the best fit of toothbrush for the individual (electric (rechargable or battery?) vs traditional? built in pick? tongue clearner? rubber grip?, etc etc etc), without providing a context based on the criteria they have asked about (cost) really help?

While most questions can be answered with more questions, doing so exclusively, without actually providing some basic information in addition, will only been seen as evasive (intentionally or not) and still provides no context for those new questions. For example, you state location plays a magor factor in costs, but as I still have no indication of costs to begin with, I can't determine where I can afford to go yet to determine where I want to go. However, had an answer been provided such as "basic food/maintenance/insurance/cheep mooring/etc etc etc will typically run someone about $1000/month, mooring costs in large cities can double that"... now I have an idea of what I'll need to survive as well as where I can afford to go (my budget wouldn't allow for too many large city moorings unless I choose the 2/3's skimping option from my savings plan above... as a hypothetical example). It comes back to the car example I gave previously, without being provided some indication of the cost of a car, my oblivious 16 year old son will not know he can't afford a Hummer3 by working at burger king, asking him what he wants from a car before he has an understanding of his limitations (based on budget) only goes to further confuse and frustrate.

Honestly, I think a lot of people are being evasive about the answer because they don't want people to know the truth, and thus encourage the lifestyle. Whether they do it intentionally or not is uncertain (and likely varies from person to person), but you yourself are an example. You have shown a distaste for the increasing number of "new cruisers" out there, and are unwilling or unable to provide an answer to a question that should have both a simple and a complex answer (you focus only on the complex answer and ignor the simple one), with the simple being a generalization that should typically be usable as a foundation to get into the far more complex answer.

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Kratch - It seems you want a definitive answer not options.
More along the lines of wanting a context to which I can relate the additional options to. Telling me a bigger boat is going to cost me more then a smaller boat doesn't do me much good when I still don't know how much a smaller boat is going to cost me. Knowing that some places are more expensive then others, aside from being incredibly obvious, is useless without knowing ether what a typical expense for cheep vs expensive place is, nor knowing where the cheep places are. The questions being returned are simply using the request for generalities as an excuse for being evasive.
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Old 14-10-2009, 09:23   #113
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Honestly, I think a lot of people are being evasive about the answer because they don't want people to know the truth, and thus encourage the lifestyle. Whether they do it intentionally or not is uncertain (and likely varies from person to person), but you yourself are an example. You have shown a distaste for the increasing number of "new cruisers" out there, and are unwilling or unable to provide an answer to a question that should have both a simple and a complex answer (you focus only on the complex answer and ignor the simple one), with the simple being a generalization that should typically be usable as a foundation to get into the far more complex answer.

Kratch - I think you are a bit frustrated. Sometimes people don't like the answers that are provided.

"Truth? You can't handle the truth!"

To say that people (especially people on this forum) would discourage the lifestyle is laughable. Everyone here shares the same dream.

The truth is that it costs between $1,000 and $10,000 per month to go cruising.

Everything you said about choice applies to cruising. Everything orsirisail said is pertinent and goes directly to your point about controlling costs while living in an urban environment.

There are lot's of threads here about costs of cruising and they all result in the same answer. It depends.

This board has been around a while and there are lots of really smart guys with lots of experience posting (not me BTW) so I trust the answer of it depends.

As to what I am planning?

$4,000 per month (2009 dollars) on a ~40 foot cat to cruise Asia/Pacific. All my personal choices factor in to that number. I don't choose to debate my choices because my choices won't satisfy anyone else but me.
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Old 14-10-2009, 09:51   #114
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Well this is a interesting thread but I am not sure how anyone can tell a person what it will cost them.
I know what it has been costing us here in the US living aboard for the past 3 years and basically I can tell you it cost everything we made (5K a month). Our expenses included two cars (with payments), high gas bills, various other bills, insurance for the boat and paying guest dock fees approx. 1/3 of the time. The other 2/3 of the time we were either on anchor or on a inexpensive mooring. The boat (54' 1978 high maintenance sailboat) is paid off so we do not have that expense and we do most work ourselves rather than paying others. The boat was in cruising condition when we purchased it so we had few refit expenses. We did put several hundred a month into basic improvements on the boat but also spent money more freely than we will in the future.
Starting this month we are retired and leave to go cruising and our budget will be half of what it has been the past three years since that is what we will have. We will not have the cars and all the credit card bills are gone. It really does not matter if someone says we need more money as this is what we have so it will have to work. I expect some areas will be cheaper and some more expensive but somewhere in the middle they will have to equal out to fit our budget.
I have ran the numbers over and over and feel we can make it work on approx $2,500 a month if we are somewhat careful.
If our budget was in the 1,000 a month range I am sure we could make that work too but we would be in the market for a smaller lower maintenance boat.
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Old 14-10-2009, 11:15   #115
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For those with US dollars to spend out cruising, your cost of cruising is going up every week that goes by lately, as the dollar gets substantially weaker against most other currencies in the world. The cost of cruising the med, australia, NZ or the So.Pacific, for US boats is going to be MUCH more expensive in 2010 with the shrinking dollar. This loss in spending power is regardless of if you are a scallywag or a wanker
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Old 14-10-2009, 11:18   #116
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It's kind of funny to me that someone would ask how much it costs to go cruising and then accuse those who answer, "it depends", of being evasive and trying to hide the truth. I don't understand that. If you planned to move from Louisville to Chicago, would you go on the Internet and ask any and all to tell you what your monthly budget should be? Why would you, and why would you believe their answers have any relevance to your lifestyle?

Believe me, when you finally do go cruising, you'll come to realize the truth of the answer, "it depends". I've never quizzed fellow cruisers in an anchorage about how much they spent per month, but from observation, it really does appear to vary all over the map. I'd guess maybe US$500 to $3,000 per month for "regular" cruisers, meaning without including the mega-yacht, "beautiful people" types, of which there were very few where we cruised.

I didn't keep a detailed record of our expenses for two seasons in the eastern Caribbean, but my gut feeling was we spent maybe US$1,000 to 1,200 per month. We did all the boat upgrades before we left, and didn't have any significant repair costs during the cruise. Stayed in marinas only when we were picking up guests or doing major re-provisioning. Dinner out in restaurants a few times a month. Cocktails and something tasty to share in the cockpit with other cruisers in the anchorages. Other expenses included diesel every month or two, internet cafes a couple of times a week, a taxi for guided tours ashore to explore each island, a few books on local topics. Food for two was the major expense--it costs at least 50% more there than in the States.

Have you read Beth Leonard's book, The Voyager's Handbook? She has a whole section on the cost of cruising, with "high", "mid" and "low" cost senarios. Have you used the CF Google search to research the topic on this site? There's a lot already written on the topic. You're going to have to come up with the answer for yourself, based on your circumstances and needs, but you really won't know the true cost until you get out there and actually do it.
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Old 14-10-2009, 11:37   #117
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Kratch - I would suggest everything in life is a variable - that is why there are hundreds of brands and types of sailboats - one size does not fit all. And one man's best girlfriend is another man's "ex." Take up Talbot's offer. . .
- - All the answers you want are contained in this thread under posts: 10, 11, 13, 16, 20, 31, 39, 40, 48, 63, 72, 104, 111 (the best answer), 114 and 116. If you cannot find what you want there try these links:
Since cruising the world is an adventure without borders, here is what some folks in the around the world think about the Cost of Cruising . . .
Europe
Forum, Curious - Cost of Cruising - Seacrest
Forum, Curious - Cost of Cruising - Seacrest
for Americans:
Cost of living on a sail boat | Chasing Sunsets
Noonsite: Lessons from a Circumnavigation Part III: Cost of Cruising
Tor Pinney's Homepage - A Cruising Sailor's Homeport
for Canadians:
Calculating the Cost of Cruising - SailNet Community
Mahina Expedition - Offshore Cruising Instruction
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Old 14-10-2009, 12:10   #118
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It's kind of funny to me that someone would ask how much it costs to go cruising and then accuse those who answer, "it depends", of being evasive and trying to hide the truth. I don't understand that. If you planned to move from Louisville to Chicago, would you go on the Internet and ask any and all to tell you what your monthly budget should be? Why would you, and why would you believe their answers have any relevance to your lifestyle?
Asking someone on the internet to plan your budget would be stupid, but thats not whats being asked. Asking someone on the internet what a typical cost of living in chicago is not so unreasonable. If that someone lives in chicago and has a decent idea on average rent, typical monthly grocery bills and average utility costs, they should be able to provide a general "ballpark" figure/range that I can then apply my personal need/lifestyle costs to. This ballpark won't be precise, it won't be the finished budget, but it will inform me if the savings gathered from my meager wages I've been earning in louisville will be able to support me in chicago, and if so, for approximately how long (so I know how long I have, give or take, to find a new, better job, as well as have an idea of the wage I'll need to earn at that job) as well as if I can settle for an average appartement or if I need to look for a budget place like a basement apartement, room with shared amenities, or other (cardboard box or friends couch).

As to the part about me accusing those who answer "it depends" of being evasive, how is it then that they can't give anything more then more questions and yet, you can give two valid answers in your one post alone ($500-3000 is a rather large range, but one asking for generalities must expect that some variation will exist, and for cruising worldwide on a boat twho's size can varry widely, a large range should be expected without further information... However, $500-3000 with Caveates is a far more reasonable answer then $1000-10,000 with no explanation whatsoever. The other being your personal experience.). As to discussing costs with other cruisers, I can understand that, but they are other cruisers who are living the life and aren't looking for advice on budget concerns, I'm sure if you asked for some budget advice, they would be willing to offer they're opinions/experiences.

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Originally Posted by Hud3 View Post
Have you read Beth Leonard's book, The Voyager's Handbook? She has a whole section on the cost of cruising, with "high", "mid" and "low" cost senarios.
I'll take a look at that book (as well as many others I'm sure) when I get a chance. I'm still new to sailing and am a fair bit off from cruising, but I've been lurking a while and felt the need to chime in (and not so agressively at first, it was the sarcastic "It costs exactly US$2,356.74 per month to go cruising." dismissal that got my hackels up, particularly when combined with an accusation that I am looking for a specific number despite multiple examples of what I was looking for that included generalizations and ranges, as well as a language that would often include "about, to start, to build on, etc")

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hud3 View Post
Have you used the CF Google search to research the topic on this site? There's a lot already written on the topic.
yes, and a lot of it is the same banter of "it can be done with less then $1000 if you know what your doing or need to" vs "that's not enough" and the answer questions with retorical questions dismisals.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hud3 View Post
You're going to have to come up with the answer for yourself, based on your circumstances and needs, but you really won't know the true cost until you get out there and actually do it.
Obviously. but if I was to move to a new city, I would not (some might, but I wouldn't) just go there and hope I have enough money to survive long enough to get a new job and hope that new job can then pay for the appartement I managed to find with no idea if the rent on it was low, high or average... I would do some research, find out typcal rents in various areas, how basic commodities compare in price vs where I currently live, etc... and depending on how far away that move will start will determine what resources I am willing to spend on that research (I don't think buying a book to plan for a budget that is likely 2-3 years away is needed yet, but asking on a free forum dedicated to the lifestyle is not such a bad idea... or so one would think).

Anyways, I would like to thank you for your two answers, as, combined with SV Third Day's budget, gives me an idea of what the costs can look like (and then I can add my personal expenses such as student loans, any morgage or loan payments, perscription/healthcare costs, specialty food items, specialty equipment/expenses for health/work, etc as well as adjust differences in costs (say my insurance is more then SV's) to it to get something more personal to me. I can then take that number, round up, add a sizable bufferand determine what might be a reasonable budget for me for my first time out (after which I can adjust for personal prefference based on experience).
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Old 14-10-2009, 12:31   #119
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I am actually sorry that I started this thread.... I, never in a million years, thought that would stir up the animosity it did.
I thought that, amongst "fellow yachties" I would find a reasonable answer, but instead it has become something I never anticipated.
Asking Yachties that are out there, doing what we can only still dream of, still trying to get to or achieve, can help us with.... a straight forward answer.... a ball park number....but , alas... no such luck.
That is what this forum is for... not so?/ ....wwhere a sailor can ask fellow sailors questions or ask for advice???
For all the information gleaned, for all the help and assistance... this thread may as well be closed and written of.
Those who are not capable of, in a civil manner, or willing.... whatever.... to share with those who are still dreaming of getting to......and asking some assitance with..... thanks for your responses. However I am no further ahead
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Old 14-10-2009, 12:43   #120
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