Cruising a financially efficient way to see the world?

[Group9]

From reading these posts, it's amazing anyone can afford to cruise.

I'm even wondering how I did it!

[weavis]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

really more interested in arguing than in the topic I see

naah.

If he had been arguing, he would have said your financial model, projection, value assessment and figures were totally wrong.

He was very nice in pointing out some things you may have "overlooked" and thus skewed the comparison.

Me? I think your blowing smoke and ignoring statistics.....and totally wrong...... but then what do I know, your much betterer at math than me, you told me.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Group9

From reading these posts, it's amazing anyone can afford to cruise.

I'm even wondering how I did it!

Hey!!

Everyone is entitled to a hobby!!
Hobbies cost!

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by Group9

From reading these posts, it's amazing anyone can afford to cruise.

I'm even wondering how I did it!

It certainly requires tradeoffs, but isn't at all impossible. I'm not sure I believe that cruising is cheaper than an equivalent lifestyle on land. There are certain unavoidable costs that are in addition to the costs of a land existence. If cruising is cheaper, it's likely because some luxury is being given up, not that there is anything wrong with that.

I mean you really don't need cable TV, so there's a savings there. You don't need fast food, so there's a savings there. You can give up that gymn membership, but if you were using it, you'll be needing to go swimming, not that this is a problem. I believe you can cruise efficiently, but you can also live more efficiently by giving up those things on land.

When people say "look at how much I saved by not staying in hotels and eating in nice restaurants", it seems to me that if they were traveling long term, they'd be looking at alternatives to hotels and eating in nice restaurants.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

When people say "look at how much I saved by not staying in hotels and eating in nice restaurants", it seems to me that if they were traveling long term, they'd be looking at alternatives to hotels and eating in nice restaurants.

The restaurant thing is a biggie. My wife and I don't eat out much any more, but we went out the other night with some other couples and dropped $130 on a meal (just under $400 for six people total).

It was nice, but later, at home, my wife and I were talking about how much nicer a meal we could fixed at our house, for everybody, for $130.00.

And, that's what we all do most of the time now. We have each other over to our respective houses for meals and only occasionally go out. That is a cheaper lifestyle than eating out in restaurants all of the time, whether you are cruising on a boat, seeing the country in an RV, or living at home. But, that is not often something that flying to a place and staying in a hotel lends itself to very well (but, if you only have a week or two off, that's about all you can do, I admit).

We still like to occasionally go out to eat, but it is a budget buster.

[Julie Mor]

Originally Posted by sardinebreath

I have yet to hear anyone say, "Wow! Owning a boat is just so much less expensive than I thought it would be!"

That's pretty much what my dad said after a year living aboard his boat. He couldn't believe how inexpensive it was.

I know at least one other couple who chose to live on a boat because it was cheaper than living on land.

If you are a liveaboard and you want to see the world, I can imagine many scenarios where it's cheaper to do it by boat than over land.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Julie Mor

That's pretty much what my dad said after a year living aboard his boat. He couldn't believe how inexpensive it was.

I know at least one other couple who chose to live on a boat because it was cheaper than living on land.

If you are a liveaboard and you want to see the world, I can imagine many scenarios where it's cheaper to do it by boat than over land.

I'm in the camp of "its cheaper to live on a boat" as well. I'm not going to say its inexpensive when just about anything costs as much as buying a brand new small motorcycle but our boat is very much like owning a one bedroom condo, which is a lot cheaper than living in a 4000 square foot house.

Going back to the original posters question - is "Cruising a financially efficient way to see the world?" - then I have to say 'yes', if your idea of seeing the world is more than staying at a nice resort on the beach for two weeks a year. Is it as efficient as being a 19 year old backpacker? No... its not... but people don't usually backpack for 15 to 20 years either.

Maybe an alternative question is "how do I get 365 days a year to see the world?" In other words - how else would you get the type of experience you get while cruising?

Unless you have a lot of money you are not going to be renting a hotel room - you would probably need to rent a room or a home. This would have to be in a new location every one or two weeks. You are not going to get a long-term stay discount for 1 or 2 weeks and scheduling this takes a lot of work either upfront or during your travel. If you do that work up front you lose some of the flexibility that cruising affords and don't necessarily save any money. How much does it cost to rent a highly desirable beachfront home in Fiji for two weeks? What happens if you do not like the location? Can you just move to a new house?

Then you have to pay for travel to get to a new location every one or two weeks. Walk, run, taxi, bus, airline, etc. All that takes money.

You can't bring your food and booze with you when you travel and you will be packing really really light.

When taking the experience and crossing it with the cost I have to say "yes - 30 to 40K a year is a financially efficient way to see the world."

[FamilyVan]

I don't know. I've traveled pretty cheap on land. I spent 7 months traveling in India, by volunteering with a non profit. Cost me nothing. I was in Nepal for 6 weeks last year, the whole trip cost around $3000 and I saw some pretty cool things. I have more examples but moving ahead.

Boat ownership is pretty expensive, I'm in the boats under $30k camp, and I still find it an expensive hobby. I was just working on my budget for my next trip in about 2 years, it's a cruise about 10 months (unfortunately with a lot of motoring). I'm looking at about $40000 for 3 of us.

I'm not saying I would travel as cheap as I used to with a family, I'm guessing it could be around the same cost.

Either way, if you are able to take 10 months off work and spend $40000 on travel by boat, camel or otherwise- you're engaging in an expensive hobby.

You're not traveling like that to save money. I think you really just have to look at what you want to do and either find a way to make it work or not and not worry about which option is cheaper.

Sent from my SGH-I547C using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Greenhand]

I just looked up the price of a round the world trip on a cruise ship. It was about the same price as my boat, it probably includes port fees, definitely includes provisions and I wouldn't have to do maintenance or night watches.

I'm not saying that I am willing to reconsider, I am just saying that my way isn't necessarily financially efficient.

I tried to convince my partner that backpacking would be cheaper, but he likes sleeping in his own bed, so he would rather work to build a cruising kitty, then take his bed with him.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by Greenhand

I just looked up the price of a round the world trip on a cruise ship. It was about the same price as my boat, it probably includes port fees, definitely includes provisions and I wouldn't have to do maintenance or night watches.

I'm not saying that I am willing to reconsider, I am just saying that my way isn't necessarily financially efficient.

I tried to convince my partner that backpacking would be cheaper, but he likes sleeping in his own bed, so he would rather work to build a cruising kitty, then take his bed with him.

Its different experiences. On the cruise you never embed yourself into the community, you don't have control of your destiny - you go where the boat goes - and as a backpacker you are not taking your home and all your possessions with you, as you have stated. You are also not going to backpack for 10 or more years unless you are special or really really tolerant of that lifestyle.

[sailorchic34]

I guess sailing cheap depends on several things. The type of boat is a biggy as some boats, ok most boats seem to eat up money. Then there is lifestyle.

For a crazy cat lady liveaboard single handed type, its well under $10k per year. I've done it on about $6k a year which is cozy.. This year what with the work from boat thingy going so well, which oddly costs, for more internet, another solar panel and bigger batteries to run "Colossus", my cad laptop, plus the new stove last November, I'm getting right close to $9k per year.

Thats $750 a month, which for me is practically decadent. Why I might even buy a new pair of flipflops. Plush, I tell you things are getting Plush on the Rose.

Even in northern california, its very possible to live nicely below the poverty line. For me it is a very cheap way of living. Plus I work from a boat. It is a tough life...

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Bulawayo

Dear Boatman61, I am not sure if such a scenario is feasible. If average Joe has a big mortgage & struggles with that, how shall he finance a boat to go sailing? Most youngsters we meet save hard for a couple of years and buy a basic boat & work their way around. Others (substantially older) rent out their paid for house and live on that income. These are pretty typical average Joes that we come across. Yet others take a sabbatical, and budget for that fixed period. Simple fact is that if everyone could afford a house and to go cruising full time then there would be more boats out there, Governments would create ways to tax us more and the cycle would start over. There is no simple solution in this complex world and we each have to find our own method. That generally means paying for your boat 100% before leaving and then having an income of typically $1000 per month or more. The actual amount required shall depend on your chosen cruising area and your desired way of living. $1K per month in the Indian Ocean and you can live very well. $1K per month in other area's and you shall struggle. What happens when you get to a new cruising area? Do you wish to travel inland? Or just sit at anchor looking at the view? Sail around the world and see places from your cockpit only? Your own aspirations and requirements shall dictate your budget as well as the minimum required for visa's and permits.

Dear Bulawayo..
Yes.. I sail around the world seeing places from the cockpit most of the time.. its why I bought a frickin boat...
I enjoy natural settings and in the main.. I'll go the extra distance to anchor off Isla Culatra rather than tie up in Villamoura.. seen enough of 'mans glory' around the world.. just want to grab as much marine nature as I can while there's still some left..

Valhalla... why the hell would I pay for a marina in London when I'm seeing the world in a financially efficient manner.. not everyone need the land crutches..

[Ex-Calif]

Grammar Nazis? We're better than that on CF, I am sure...


The owning a house is a red herring in this thread - "Cruising a financially efficient way to see the world? "


Own a house don't own a house but leave it out of this discussion.


Also leave food out of the equation - You gotta eat either way - however cooking on-board vs. restaurants has to be cheaper.


Weavis is right - Point to point travel is cheaper by air and commercial means. Wanna see the Great Wall? Fly there and see it and come back.


Sailorboy is also right - Wanna spend 2 years seeing a ton of stuff at a leisurely pace? Buy a boat and cruise it. Forget the relative numbers from boat to boat.


If you plan to "live" away from home continuously for 2 years a boat is cheaper. If you care for the boat you may recoup 80-90% of your original investment.


My brother and his wife bought a 45 foot ferro 3 years ago and lives aboard in Malaysia and Thailand. He's on about US$3k a month. That's all up everything.


He says he can sink the boat at the end and be way ahead on rent in Oz for the last 3 years.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

If you care for the boat you may recoup 80-90% of your original investment.

This is where I think the "cruising is cheaper than x" argument diverges a little from reality. In fact, most people I know who buy a boat to live on end up investing more after their original purchase to make it liveable and cruiseworthy. They don't typically get that investment back, or the maintenance or repairs that are inevitably required.

I know people who have put lots of money into their boats, and I don't really think they're the exceptions.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

This is where I think the "cruising is cheaper than x" argument diverges a little from reality. In fact, most people I know who buy a boat to live on end up investing more after their original purchase to make it liveable and cruiseworthy. They don't typically get that investment back, or the maintenance or repairs that are inevitably required.

I know people who have put lots of money into their boats, and I don't really think they're the exceptions.

That's true - The sweet spot for boat condition is somewhere between dockominium and homeless shelter.

Both boats exist in the same marina.

I look at some of the refits done and wonder why people spend so much time on them. The money for the refit is one thing but the time investment is crazy.

I tip and rolled the topsides paint on my boat. 10 feet away you can't tell.

After splash (last Wednesday) I motored to the dock and got a nice black rub mark from the dock fender.

A boat getting used is gonna look like a used boat...