Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[Starbuck]

A boat less than 34 ft does not need a windlass either... use a pawl... for a description of one see Hiscock's Voyaging Wandering Under Sail..

FIFY

[MichaelC]

Indy, thanks so much for this thread. And many thanks to all who have posted herein. This thread is an extremely valuable set of info. I, too, sail without an engine. So far, in a 34' Colvin aluminum schooner and a 26' Colvin plywood ketch. I am building a 32' stretched Buehler Emily at the moment. None of these had/have engines. My only cruising however, has been inside Puget Sound, and down the coast and out to Hawaii and back. Nevertheless, these inexpensive ideas fit very well with my experiences, my prejudices and my loves. Thanks again.

[Springbok]

Morning Indy Please answer the questions re Free medical attention on French territory on the original Cruising on $500/month thread
Us foreign sailors don't have AARP, so this does not apply. Anyway thanx for your contribution re sailing on a budget
Don't mention the underwater volcano near Grenada otherwise you will scare the dockside sailors some-more
Clyde

[perchance]

Beware them Sirens; they will love you up and turn you into a horny toad, "O brother where art thou"

[osirissail]

If you are going to cruise on $500/month please stay away from Grenada and the other nice cruising destinations. Go to the D.R. Dominica and maybe St. Vincent. We are getting more than a few "cruisers on the cheap" boats here and the local watering holes are really pissed at having lots of rolls of toilet paper, cutlery, eating utensils and drinking glasses, etc. stolen from the establishments. There is the temptation for "cruisers on the cheap" to go places they cannot afford and to finance it by thieving stuff from other cruisers and local businesses. And it is giving the whole cruising community a bad name. This is from a request by several local business owners here in Grenada and they have caught several of these cruisers with the "goods" in their carry bags and packs.

[agrainofsand]

Originally Posted by goprisko

Dear Agrainofsand.....

The downeast 32 is a nice boat.... whether you make it to the South Pacific depends not on anything you mentioned...but on things you didn't... like BA pilots, Radio Signals books, paper charts, quartz watch as chronometer, sextant, tables, almanac,
Most of what you described won't be working by the time you make Papeete... Will you spend
precious resources trying to get it fixed there? Or will you simplify and carry on to NZ where you can get replacements cheap?

If you can't fix it, it will break and you will have to do without it... how you deal with that situation when it arises will determine how successful you are.

INDY

So tell me why these things wont be working when I get to the south seas

[agrainofsand]

Originally Posted by agrainofsand

So tell me why these things wont be working when I get to the south seas

I can fix almost anything mechanical or electrical, I made my living at it for 40 years

[agrainofsand]

Originally Posted by agrainofsand

I can fix almost anything mechanical or electrical, I made my living at it for 40 years

Also what makes you think that I dont know how to navigate with a sextant.Maybe you should step back , take a breath of fresh air and think that mn the world.aybe you are not the smartest person i

[agrainofsand]

How did that happen

[tager]

Whoa. It's getting a little hot in here!

[waterworldly]

Originally Posted by osirissail

If you are going to cruise on $500/month please stay away from Grenada and the other nice cruising destinations. Go to the D.R. Dominica and maybe St. Vincent. We are getting more than a few "cruisers on the cheap" boats here and the local watering holes are really pissed at having lots of rolls of toilet paper, cutlery, eating utensils and drinking glasses, etc. stolen from the establishments. There is the temptation for "cruisers on the cheap" to go places they cannot afford and to finance it by thieving stuff from other cruisers and local businesses. And it is giving the whole cruising community a bad name. This is from a request by several local business owners here in Grenada and they have caught several of these cruisers with the "goods" in their carry bags and packs.

I agree. There are enough self proclaimed "sea gypsies" that leave an unpleasant wake when they leave a small island. Don't ever think that the next cruiser won't be judged on the last to leave the anchorage. While it may sound romatic on paper, $500 a month will make you a pretty desparate sailor after a short time, and it isn't a great way to live, unless you go to remote places in the third world. For example, if you are planning to come to the Bahamas, food is very expensive, water is very expensive, and after spending several seasons there, you will not get enough rainwater to avoid buying, at 65 cents a gallon or more. AND all of those "budget" cruisers that sneak into places for showers etc make it exceptionally hard for normal budget cruisers when they show up to actually pay for what budget cruisers are sometimes stealing. Its a thin line, and we have met and made friends with some from both sides of the fence, but I have to say that the really really tight budget guys are a real problem sometimes because of the desparte things they do to save a little money from their budgets. SO, my anwer is NO, you can't cruise on $500 a month without some very necessary items to make your cruising enjoyable enought to really do it seriously. BUT, as always, the call is yours, but please don't go out of your way to enforce the rumour that all cruisers are broke and planing to life whatever isn't tied down to reinforce their idea that they are living "off the grid" HA!

[dana-tenacity]

Ummmm, be as cheap as you like, just don't break the law/be rude to other people/make life difficult for those that follow/attract the attention of the authorities.

Bit rude to assume that poor people automatically become criminals- I have been down and out more than once but didn't resort to illegal activity.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by goprisko

Hi,


Haulouts $ 50

No one has mentioned beaching legs. http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-m...some-legs.html

[mintyspilot]

Originally Posted by conachair

No one has mentioned beaching legs. Giving Your Boat Some Legs - SailNet Community

That is why I rather fancy bilge keels.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by mintyspilot

That is why I rather fancy bilge keels.

Yep, or a cat, or an ovni Though not sure I´d feel comfortable offshore in a bilgekeeler, dunno exactly why. But I think most budget cruisers end up with the boat they´ve got and make the most of it.
Another interesting thing on this thread is the cultural (right word?) side. Europe seems to have many more people doing it on a tight budget and it seems much more applauded there than the USA given the negative comments on this thread. I´ve met many on a budget, 2 friends have been out for 20 years, independently poor as they put it, but can´t think of any I´ve met from the US on a very tight budget. Same seems to apply to travelling, backpacking around India and Nepal for example I met very few Americans in the backstreet guesthouses, plenty crazy aussies or europeans. Strange given the high population of USA.
Don´t shoot the messenger, just a few thoughts.