Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[capttman]

Oh yes gentlemen Zee is all women......:-)

[familycruisers]

Like the name wasn't a giveaway!?

[w1651]

Originally Posted by zeehag

"Zeehag mentions how he doesn't like to cruise in sloops. Neither do I."

fine thing, this. i turn my back for a minuet, then come to peek into this overly regulated situation thread to find meself being maligned.
i am by no means a HIM.
i am definitely and definitively a FEMALE.
geez. so much for alleged research from this one--goprisko, i thought you knew better.

ketches are fine and dandy. easy to sail and work well in big seas with only one sailor on board. ANY boat can be single handed if iti s comfortable for the sailor. some need lines taken back to cockpit, some folks will tether on and do it that way.

too many regulations.

Don't worry Zee we all know the truth you big beautiful sailor woman with a 41ft Formosa ketch you. Ooooooops! Is this politically correct?

[goprisko]

HI,

As mentioned earlier, Pegasus and we have cruised from the Virgin Islands
to Nassau at the moment during the month of September.

How have we organized this safely?

In an earlier post I offered to take several cruisers along to teach
these skills.

So let's recap. The state of cyclone forecasting today is much better than
as recent as a decade ago. The major difference... atmospheric models!

Models of atmospheric circulation have vastly improved forecasts, particularly those of the movement of tropical cyclones.

We waited for the passage of the last one, and set off into the west winds on the port tack. We did get skunked when she slowed to 2 knots just north of the Mona Passage, but spent a day at cayo Levantado to let her move on. Once the S wind asserted itself, we were off.
We had a glorious sail under spinnaker as far as Cabo Rojas Viejo, where we encountered a vicious squall with hurricane force winds. We saw
it coming and changed down to staysail and double reefed main.

We followed the winds around and eventually were on a NE tack back into it's center, so we tacked ship to the SW and away from the center.

The squall took the wind, so we motored to Luperon, fixed the alternator, changed belts, and with the wind back, set off for Cat IS.

Thus far we've made good use of the trades, arriving in Green Cay yesterday. Ophelia is killing the trades, and we have a local trough
which turned things squally, but turned the wind to the south. We will
be off in this to Chub Cay, thence on to Gun Cay.

The spinnaker certainly has paid it's way during this light wind time of year.

Fair Winds,

INDY

[w1651]

Originally Posted by goprisko

HI,

As mentioned earlier, Pegasus and we have cruised from the Virgin Islands
to Nassau at the moment during the month of September.

How have we organized this safely?

In an earlier post I offered to take several cruisers along to teach
these skills.

So let's recap. The state of cyclone forecasting today is much better than
as recent as a decade ago. The major difference... atmospheric models!

Models of atmospheric circulation have vastly improved forecasts, particularly those of the movement of tropical cyclones.

We waited for the passage of the last one, and set off into the west winds on the port tack. We did get skunked when she slowed to 2 knots just north of the Mona Passage, but spent a day at cayo Levantado to let her move on. Once the S wind asserted itself, we were off.
We had a glorious sail under spinnaker as far as Cabo Rojas Viejo, where we encountered a vicious squall with hurricane force winds. We saw
it coming and changed down to staysail and double reefed main.

We followed the winds around and eventually were on a NE tack back into it's center, so we tacked ship to the SW and away from the center.

The squall took the wind, so we motored to Luperon, fixed the alternator, changed belts, and with the wind back, set off for Cat IS.

Thus far we've made good use of the trades, arriving in Green Cay yesterday. Ophelia is killing the trades, and we have a local trough
which turned things squally, but turned the wind to the south. We will
be off in this to Chub Cay, thence on to Gun Cay.

The spinnaker certainly has paid it's way during this light wind time of year.

Fair Winds,

INDY

Good to hear your safe and sound.

Fair winds and calm seas on your trip. If you ever come to the west coast of Florida we should meet sometime.

[goprisko]

In the old days, boats between 28-32 Ft LOA were designed as Ketches.

The Allied Seawind Ketch at 30 ft on deck was the first GRP boat to
circumnavigate.

My issue with any boat whose boom overhangs the transom is that such
a boom interferes with the operation of windvane self steering.

Since micro-budget cruising is perforce short handed cruising, wind vane
self steering is a must, and electronic autopilots are out of budget.

Given modern sail materials, in a boat of the size envisioned here, the
two rigs of choice are the cutter and the chinese lug cat or cat schooner or cat ketch. My issue with the chinese cat schooner is the same one I have with the ketch or a schooner, that is, off the wind the mizzen or aft main takes control and imposes overpowering weather helm in fresh winds, to the point the mizzen must be stowed, or the aft
main deeply reefed. Either solution slows the boat down.

A cutter can set a nylon drifter or asymetric spinnaker on the jib stay, possibly opposite the #1 staysail, and with a deeply reefed main sheeted
midships frolic downwind happily, with no rolling. Omit the main and the rolling begins. There is nothing quite like 2000 miles of rolling...
nothing at all.... take my word for it.

INDY

[goprisko]

I grew up during the days before the 75 depression set the female world
on fire. I guess that was their Waterloo. During that traumatic period,
divorce was rampant, and many women suddenly found their cocooned world, home maker, supported by husband, turned upside down.

For me the comeuppance was the Carter Grain Embargo, and the depression of 80-87, yes, it lasted that long in the mid-west.

So I can sympathize. Losing everything sharpens the mind. Unfortunately, it seems many ladies who went through this, blame men for their troubles, men in general that is. They should be blaming the powers that be in DC who simply cannot understand modern monetary theory, and use it as a tool to ameliorate business depressions, and promote full employment.

Instead, we have sniping regarding the use of "his" and "him". Back when I took English grammar from Mrs. Penny no less, and a prettier battle axe there never was, it was drummed into my little head that unless the sex of the object was known, the proper usage was "his" and "him".

Should ZeeHag or any other person of the opposite persuasion take issue with my ingrained habit, please complain to Mrs. Penny. She did it to me.

Meanwhile, I have never had the pleasure of knowing a female who called herself a "Hag", much less one of the sea. I thought all females of the sea were "Nymphs" or "mermaids". Shows how much I have to learn.

Regardless, I do hope the skipperess of a Formosa 41, can think back to
her days sailing smaller craft, and share with us all her experiences.

Fair winds,

INDY

[goprisko]

If you are new to this thread, and want to learn how to sail on a micro
budget, go to page 28 and read the posts through page 36. The meat
is to be found there.

To recap our proforma budget:

Our annual cruising budget now is:
Maintenance and Repair_______$ 970
Provisions___________________$ 2,400 ( diet high in legumes, all meals cooked aboard)
Entry & Clearance Fees________$ 150
Fuel________________________$ 100 ( LPG for galley stove )
Mooring & Marina Fees________$ -0-
Communication______________$ 200
Excursions/ Entertainment______$ 800
Navigation___________________$ 700
Insurance, Boat_______________$ -0-
Insurance Health______________$ 240 (money put in rainy day fund)
Souvenirs____________________$ 150
Clothing and Sundries__________$ 290



TOTAL_______________________$ 6,000




INDY

[wolfenzee]

Originally Posted by capttman

Oh yes gentlemen Zee is all women......:-)

Considering that I often go by Zee (short for wolfenzee), I take it you are talking about Zeehag?

[goprisko]

In 2005 Florida changed it's anchoring laws.


The state of Florida passed a law prohibiting cities and counties from
regulating anchoring except in designated mooring fields, and except
by boats classified as Legal Residences or Business Location.

This means that all the draconian "move on" ordinances of the past
are history.

For more info on this, please see the Hillsboro Sailing Club website.

We have been able to enjoy anchoring in Lake Sylvia and Lake Boca Raton, thus far, and hope to visit other communities during our journey
north to Cocoa.

If you live on the east side of Florida and would like to visit please email us at:
goprisko@publicresearchinstitute.org

INDY

[sashaB]

Originally Posted by tager

It also helps not to have a woman in the boat, and to bring plenty of cheap beer.

Unfortunately, I have never succeeded in boarding a boat without finding a woman on it-- what is so expensive about them? How can I mitigate this, since I haven't got much of a choice?

[s/v Beth]

Ha ha, very funny Sasha. I think a single woman could live as cheap as a man. It is when one expects the other to come up with luxieries that the trouble starts.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

Ha ha, very funny Sasha. I think a single woman could live as cheap as a man. It is when one expects the other to come up with luxieries that the trouble starts.

Change that to "It is when one expects the other to pay for everything that the trouble starts."
- - Sharing expenses does not mean money exclusively, it can be contributing work or labor equivalent to the other's contribution.

[wolfenzee]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Change that to "It is when one expects the other to pay for everything that the trouble starts."
- - Sharing expenses does not mean money exclusively, it can be contributing work or labor equivalent to the other's contribution.

Just someone else's presence in a living situation contributes alot. When looking for someone to crew with me, the ability to contribute $ is not a major consideration ( I am actually poor though), there are so many other forms of contribution that are more important. Two people living on a boat together do not cost twice as much, the extra $cost of a secound individual is realatively nominal and in many ways saves money.

[zeehag]

why do i needs luxuries--this zee has resided aboard in complete lack thereof for many years-- since 1990 and even thru income of 90k per annum has made lil effort to increase luxuries--au contraire--has even ditched more in the process--i use no water heater. i use no fridge. i only have air conditioning for my beautiful, now world renowned kat (pic was in lat38,and i cannot see it as i am in mexico living on around 400 -500 per month including parts and labor on a 41 ft boat)
with a good autopilot, ketches do well sans windvane, a much needed item on board sloops and cutters.....
wolfenzee--i will call ye wolfie.....
2 people makes the food situation less expensive, as it is cheaper to cook for two than for one. also saves dough on repairs, as many can be done with help of other individual on board.

oh yes, and i even gave away most of my income helping others to have some kind of lives....