Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[callmecrazy]

Originally Posted by Springbok

I congradulate poster 1041 and agree with poster 1042. Make a new thread re kitting out this boat. Whether Spartan or with some modern cruising equipment, is the choice of the owner of the boat being kitted out. He can accept or reject advice.
Cruising on $500/mnth should not include the project boat or any more expensive boat. Once you have the boat and have kitted it out to what you think is needed, then the question is asked re the $500/mnth. Can you cruise on this amount? That covers fuel, food,spares,custom check-ins etc. It Does Not include building a boat, buying a boat or fixing one up. This should ALL be in another thread.
Clyde

My thinking is that, if you are the type of person that needs to be cruising on $500 a month then you (more than likely) are also going to need to save as much as possible on the getting ready side of things... Cruising is a whole package, from boat to destination. I think we've already established that it's indeed possible to cruise on $500, but the caveat seems to be that it takes a certain type of person, doing certain types of cruising, to accomplish this mysterious financial feat... So it makes sense that the conversation moves to a new level. Whether it's in this same thread or not doesn't matter to me but, I think the concept of cruising on $500 a month is inherently linked to getting a boat and outfitting it as frugally as possible. It just doesn't make sense that somebody would have $100k to spend on a boat but only a $500 a month cruising budget. It's inevitably the project boats, fixer uppers, micro cruisers, and home-builts, that are allowing us to get out there in the first place.

[Springbok]

The question is whether one can cruise today on $500/mnth? This is as stated for expenses ie food,fuel, customs etc.
If this was an English Exam question, that is what you would discuss in your answer. The boat, its equipment,what to have and not to have etc are not in the question and your examiner would put a line through all that stuff as irrelevant ie off the question. 95% of this thread is not answering the original question.
Start another thread re the project boat. The boat does not have to be that Spartan and can have some luxuries. We did it 1995-2002 and our 33ft boat was well kitted-out and had an engine.On a $500/mnth budget.
Clyde

[w1651]

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post626730

I just started another thread about the repairs and upgrades I am going to do to the Contest 33 I just got.

[Springbok]

We will follow your adventure with interest. You will get lots of encouragement and advice of both sorts. Ultimately it is your project and your dream. You will succeed.
Clyde

[nonam]

One of the biggest threats,I see,to the $500 budget is increasing taxes.Just this month there is news of increased taxes for Fiji and a proposed? tax of $15 a day for Zihuataneo bay.I suspect this is just the tip of the iceberg.I suspect,for the future,there is going to be an increasingly long list of places a $500 cruiser cannot go.

[dana-tenacity]

Nonam, can you point me to a reference for those two fee increases?

[pressuredrop]

is it possible to do an 18 month, milk run, circumnav on $500/month, NO

is it possible to do an 18 year circumnav on $500/month, you betta you betta you bettta believe it

[downunder]

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

My thinking is that, if you are the type of person that needs to be cruising on $500 a month then you (more than likely) are also going to need to save as much as possible on the getting ready side of things... Cruising is a whole package, from boat to destination. I think we've already established that it's indeed possible to cruise on $500, but the caveat seems to be that it takes a certain type of person, doing certain types of cruising, to accomplish this mysterious financial feat... So it makes sense that the conversation moves to a new level. Whether it's in this same thread or not doesn't matter to me but, I think the concept of cruising on $500 a month is inherently linked to getting a boat and outfitting it as frugally as possible. It just doesn't make sense that somebody would have $100k to spend on a boat but only a $500 a month cruising budget. It's inevitably the project boats, fixer uppers, micro cruisers, and home-builts, that are allowing us to get out there in the first place.

A boat or boats for $500 month crusing.

[nonam]

Fiji fee increases reported, apparently,by a cruiser there.The link is to the PPJ group so you may need to join to read.The mods here dont like copy from other sites.

Yahoo! Groups

But I can copy it to the cruising forum at crew.org..........heh heh

[nonam]

The PPJ site was also the source of the $15 Zihuataneo anchor fee as well as a report of $10 for Cabo San Lucas bay.I suspect most Mexican port captains will eventually charge for anchoring and they will decide how big their area is.

[atoll]

checkin fee for port vila last year was over $100 us dollars inc visas

[atoll]

Originally Posted by nonam

One of the biggest threats,I see,to the $500 budget is increasing taxes.Just this month there is news of increased taxes for Fiji and a proposed? tax of $15 a day for Zihuataneo bay.I suspect this is just the tip of the iceberg.I suspect,for the future,there is going to be an increasingly long list of places a $500 cruiser cannot go.

not to mention the quarentine fee for aus
and,indonesian crusing permit

[MichaelC]

You can find an almost seaworthy 34 foot boat for under ten thousand. [I found four]. but then you will need an additional 10 thousand for getting it seaworthy. On the other hand, IF YOU HAVE THE TIME AND THE SKILLS, you can build a 34' sailboat [no engine] for under ten thousand. The 40k figure is way too high. You can live on 350 to 500 per month for one person pretty easily afloat, and probably do it for two as well. You will not have ANY of the luxuries you, as effete americans, expect as standard life style. Result: most of you will 'require' a thousand or more in living expenses and 100 thousand in boat costs. It is, in fact, your choice. Live with it.

[Springbok]

This is just a repetatve thread now. There are those who think they can survive on $500/mnth and those who say its too low. Increase charges re customs, cruising permits etc adds to the problem.
A new thread re the project boat has been opened so there is no need to go that route again or repeat lists of equipment needed etc.That has been dealt with 5 times round.
The original question was surviving whilst cruising on $500/mnth and this depends on the cruiser and the mentioned rising fees.
Enjoy the project boat thread BUT stay on the subject. It could help many re kitting out a cheaper boat or one bought in the $20-25000 range.
Clyde

[goprisko]

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

My thinking is that, if you are the type of person that needs to be cruising on $500 a month then you (more than likely) are also going to need to save as much as possible on the getting ready side of things... Cruising is a whole package, from boat to destination. I think we've already established that it's indeed possible to cruise on $500, but the caveat seems to be that it takes a certain type of person, doing certain types of cruising, to accomplish this mysterious financial feat... So it makes sense that the conversation moves to a new level. Whether it's in this same thread or not doesn't matter to me but, I think the concept of cruising on $500 a month is inherently linked to getting a boat and outfitting it as frugally as possible. It just doesn't make sense that somebody would have $100k to spend on a boat but only a $500 a month cruising budget. It's inevitably the project boats, fixer uppers, micro cruisers, and home-builts, that are allowing us to get out there in the first place.

This thread is about micro- budget cruising....

Choosing and outfitting for micro-budget cruising has from the beginning been a critical part of this thread. CallMeCrazy and the others who are sharing their experiences and learning ways to stretch outfiting dollars are
very important.

I welcome them to post here.

Those who want to philosophize are welcome to create a new thread regarding those topics.

THIS THREAD IS A CAN-DO THREAD FOR THOSE WHO ARE MICRO-BUDGET CRUISING, PREPARING TO MICRO-BUDGET CRUISE, OR WANT TO LEARN HOW TO MICRO-BUDGET CRUISE.

INDY