Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[w1651]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

Was just looking at a blog called "Soggy Paws" Experienced South Pacific Sailor. They have done a compendium of cruisier information.

Anyway they decided to sit out the cyclone season in Tahiti and well got caught. Dragged onto another bought and damaged both. I had toyed to not bother with insurance when we head out in 16 months. However after seeing the damage, well errr any advice on blue water insurance for a North American/ Canadian boat?

Seems like this would put a dint into any $500 monthly budget,

Struggled with this myself. Was wondering if insurance is cheaper outside the United States. Maybe pick it up from a foreign company.

[w1651]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I shop at Costco...eat spinach/cheese raviolis, 9 grain bread, peanut-butter, fruit, yams, soups, almond cereal, spaghetti, veggie burgers, Jasmine rice, curries. Easily $200.

Move!!! You are in one of the most expensive states in the union. i buy at a discount super market.

Rice 3.00 a bag (good for more then a week)
Pasta .99 a box (good for a week)
2 cans kernal corn 1.18
2 cans green beans 1.18
2 cans chicken 1.38
2 cans of tuna 1.38
2 cans of clams 1.38
1 bag of potatoes 1.99
1 bag of onions 1.99
1 bag of carrots 1.99
1 can of sirloin beef soup .69
1 can of ham 3.99
1 can of beef 4.56

total 25.70

Enough for over a week of eating and no condiments. Salt and pepper plus herbs are not included but I buy a bottle of a herb or new herb I am not aware of every week for under 2 bucks. I don't eat chips and don't eat after 8 oclock . (I am on a diet)

Still that's under 30 bucks a week with food left over.

[Celestialsailor]

Well...I will move. But it is good practice here to live as cheaply as possible. I buy my rice 50lbs. at a time. Still...if i don't drink and can learn to saty out of marinas (they're so convenient), $500 a month is not out of the question. I can afford more a month of course, even double but a mainsail is expensive and so are most items that break on a boat.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Granted, it's a nice facility in a great town but i see there is no electricity. I have a 36 ft. slip for $207. If at $280, it's 1/2 price...yikes! Is there year round anchoring in Krabi?

No, there is electric now. I was there the other day and saw boats plugged in.

Yea, the price is high even at 1/2 price for here but I think it will be a while before they get their full prices. Don't know about anchoring. Haven't seen any except for boats off Ao Nang and that's not year round.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by w1651

Doodles here.

Rio Dulce, Guatemala (inTransit: Episode 17) - YouTube

or

Rio Dulce Guatemala - YouTube

Here are two videos of the Rio Dulce in Guatemala. Lots of Expats and really reasonable prices.

Sure, the Rio Dulce would be a great place to pass through. It just wouldn't appeal to me long-term, but then I'm not a fan of expat communities.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Forgot to click on "Post" last night

Originally Posted by w1651

I do lots of one pot meals like this. Rice or pasta,1can corn, 1 can cream of chicken soup ,beans,and canned chicken. total cost under 2 bucks

At the moment I am sitting here (at home) having just returned from the boat - it's 8.43 and me tummy is rumbling , but I really can't be bothered to cook (assemble?!) anything. Might have a couple of ciggies instead .....as I said, sometimes I struggle with the eating things stuff - but it's cheap .

(what actually happened was I decided on a couple of boiled eggs - I left them on the hob for a couple of hours ........apparently when the water dissapears they explode ).

Will probably pack some multivitamins, at least for the first few months - and plenty of ciggies .

So you see living on the cheap can be done in America as well as Europe which honestly I find surprising.

But that just shows what we don't know and what we really can do without.

Over here apparently has the 6th highest per capita income in the world - upside is that the earnings "travel" well .....downside is the cost of living to match ..........but I figure if I can liveaboard here for very little can do so pretty much anywhere - but a bit early for me to start celebrating!

The cruising end of things will be more of a challenge on the budget - other Islands fairly ok, but the cost of living in nearby France isn't as cheap as it was pre-Euro (and that's a rural part of France!) - but I have my eyes on a couple of free places to moor , plus thinking of inviting folk onboard for a trip (or 2) - so they can pay any Marina costs .

As far as Entertainment there are lots of things that are free around here to do. I was fishing the other day and a marina customer woke me and asked what bait I was using and I said just a shiny hook. She asked if I caught anything and I told her no. She said I should get some bait and I told her then I would have to get the fish of my nice shiny hook. Rolled over and went back to sleep..

That sounds the way to do things / life .....never been a big one on the fishing as never been a big one on eating fish - and never seen the point of killing stuff for fun. But something I hope to explore to help top up the larder .

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

But the roads, the crime and mafia scams just make it necessary to be careful.

That brings back some happy memories and some past frustrations .

Thailand a bit like (what I imagine) the wild west to have been - plusses and minuses to that . They have all the laws and rules that "we" have, but enforcement more on the practical side of things centering around what "You" can bring to the table / argument.....and money alone is not enough (albeit damned handy!), mainly gotta use your noodle (a concept not everyone in the LOS is comfortable with ). But the upside is that the scope to resolve disputes is somewhat wider than in the west - and a bit of pre-planning for dispute resolution is useful.

IME being involved with good people locally is also important to nip problems in the bud and rectify any that do happen. Whether the good people be "good". or not .


Nowadays I don't have the energy (or the desire) to cope with Thailand again - well, not "my" Thailand......and besides, most of my contacts now gone - one way or another .

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by NorthPacific

Thailand is incredible!!!

Thailand is wild

full of Snakes

Has 24000 road deaths each year.

Has corruption problems from Kindergarten onwards


Has a brutal civil war


Has more coups than world cups!

Teakdoor forum is a forum of expats. wade through the expat dribble and some sage advice about Thailand. Me I love it, but it is scary.

Down side

wine and liqueur is expensive. Beer cheap.

My wife cracked up when I read her this because it all SO TRUE!
lol

I'm prejudice of course but I think SE Asia has a good chance of being the next great cruising ground. it's really got everything ... thousands of islands to explore, cheap food, beautiful scenery, the locals treat you great, and best of all you can sail year round without having to worry about hurricanes. If you get tired of Thailand, there is Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam. The only downside is for North Americans and Europeans it's a hike to get here but once you're here ... wow!

[justwaiting]

Originally Posted by Doodles

My wife cracked up when I read her this because it all SO TRUE!
lol

I'm prejudice of course but I think SE Asia has a good chance of being the next great cruising ground. it's really got everything ... thousands of islands to explore, cheap food, beautiful scenery, the locals treat you great, and best of all you can sail year round without having to worry about hurricanes. If you get tired of Thailand, there is Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam. The only downside is for North Americans and Europeans it's a hike to get here but once you're here ... wow!

Burma will be a great cruising ground when they get rid of the Military government. It is a beautifully but run down country, the people are the friendliest in the world. I hope that i will get a chance to cruise up the Irrawaddy before it becomes too commercialized. I could easily cruise there for $500 a month. But i am biased.

[Wavewacker]

Entertainment, is that where dating falls in the budget? I don't see much from the single guys about flipping for the tab, and I can see how the ladies have such a low budget...

BTW, David, my internet cruising is pretty cheap, but in the old days I "enjoyed" some areas that most Americans had never seen, so it's not like I haven't been out of my backyard....

[atoll]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Forgot to click on "Post" last night



At the moment I am sitting here (at home) having just returned from the boat - it's 8.43 and me tummy is rumbling , but I really can't be bothered to cook (assemble?!) anything. Might have a couple of ciggies instead .....as I said, sometimes I struggle with the eating things stuff - but it's cheap .

(what actually happened was I decided on a couple of boiled eggs - I left them on the hob for a couple of hours ........apparently when the water dissapears they explode ).

Will probably pack some multivitamins, at least for the first few months - and plenty of ciggies .



Over here apparently has the 6th highest per capita income in the world - upside is that the earnings "travel" well .....downside is the cost of living to match ..........but I figure if I can liveaboard here for very little can do so pretty much anywhere - but a bit early for me to start celebrating!

The cruising end of things will be more of a challenge on the budget - other Islands fairly ok, but the cost of living in nearby France isn't as cheap as it was pre-Euro (and that's a rural part of France!) - but I have my eyes on a couple of free places to moor , plus thinking of inviting folk onboard for a trip (or 2) - so they can pay any Marina costs .



That sounds the way to do things / life .....never been a big one on the fishing as never been a big one on eating fish - and never seen the point of killing stuff for fun. But something I hope to explore to help top up the larder .

get yourself a collapsable crab pot! lots of lobster n crabs in your area,use road kill as bait,great for feeding zombie crew.......

[w1651]

Zombie Crew ? What a concept. I like that idea where do I get one or two?

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by w1651

Zombie Crew ? What a concept. I like that idea where do I get one or two?

Unsurprisingly a subject already covered by CF

[zeehag]

wanna live cheaply on da hook--do NOT go to la cruz de huanacaxtle. greed rules here , but once by the greed mongers, life here can be good......i will leeave as soon as i am able-- jib in shop--must reinstall first, and marina fees to pay then gone.

[NorthPacific]

Originally Posted by Doodles

My wife cracked up when I read her this because it all SO TRUE!
lol

I'm prejudice of course but I think SE Asia has a good chance of being the next great cruising ground. it's really got everything ... thousands of islands to explore, cheap food, beautiful scenery, the locals treat you great, and best of all you can sail year round without having to worry about hurricanes. If you get tired of Thailand, there is Burma, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam. The only downside is for North Americans and Europeans it's a hike to get here but once you're here ... wow!

Agree, in 15months we head south and after the South Pacific we will be heading up to Asia. Krabbi and area is stunning.