Shoestring Sailors (Cruising on $500 per month - part II)

[lorrie]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

I picked the boat too...

You are a inspiration to a lady boat owner and sailor. My boat is named after a life boat from a great rescue story. After some time in the mountains I almost thought of selling the boat due to it sitting in storage. Be careful how long you stay in the mountains, it could make you crazy. After some serious allergies and health issues I realized I can't make it without my life boat. Talk about small, 25 Catalina, now that is starting small. I may have to get a bigger life boat.

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Substitute "manly varnished teak" every time ya read "pink" though. Jes sayin'.

or maybe white paint. i don't think sc would pay the price of good varnish and varnish brushes when you can get a pint of porch and deck paint and a throwaway brush for six bucks!

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by lorrie

You are a inspiration to a lady boat owner and sailor. My boat is named after a life boat from a great rescue story. After some time in the mountains I almost thought of selling the boat due to it sitting in storage. Be careful how long you stay in the mountains, it could make you crazy. After some serious allergies and health issues I realized I can't make it without my life boat. Talk about small, 25 Catalina, now that is starting small. I may have to get a bigger life boat.

Ahoy Lorrie!

You know its better to start with a boat that is small then a boat that is too big. Plus it gives you time to figure out what you want in a boat, while still messing about in boats.

BTW boats can make you crazy too. But in a good way

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

or maybe white paint. i don't think sc would pay the price of good varnish and varnish brushes when you can get a pint of porch and deck paint and a throwaway brush for six bucks!

The problem with the porch and deck paints is the color selection, which runs into shades of grey and maybe white and brown. Very guyish.. Need at least a sky blue or yellow, purple and of course hot pink....

I have paid for the best varnish more then a time or two. But the labor required to maintain varnish, is just a little high maintenance and pricey. BTW I only use the cheap throwaway brushes anyway. Cheaper as no cleaning is required that way.

Anyway its a small craft advisory day with gusts to 35-40, so this lady needs to raise anchor and raise a sail or two.

[onefastdaddy]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

For many or even most people it is impossible to live on $500/month. They need too much stuff to be happy or really to try to be happy. Its practically ingrained into American society that more is better. If I had $5000 or even $10000 a month, I would not be any happier then I am right now.

Gee, I use to make $8000 a month as it was. Had a 3500 SF home and all the trimming of the american dream. But I've never been as happy as I am now living life large in the small lane.

Luckily, there is no one answer to how live life. Some need $5000 a month and that totally fine. Others can do with far less and be quite happy... Its not a one size fits all world...

I'm a bit late to reply to this but ... well said. My wife and I have had similar realizations and consider ourselves lucky to be shown that we far happier the less we have. The more we shed the less there is to worry about. The less we need to worry about being judged by what we have or do not have.

Death will make us all equals. Try and anyone might you can't take anything with you when we all pass and at that moment we are all the same. No one is better than anyone else and this I am sure everyone who meets death finds out.

I wondered the other day what a shock it must be fore the elite, who truly do feel entitled to the feeling of superiority over others, to meet death and truly feel at that moment that equality. I then smiled to think how the opposite must be true. Those who likely feel inferior for not having will find there is nothing wrong with having nothing since that's what we all have crossing over in the end.

I smile more, truly appreciate more, judge less and never feel any better or worse off than anyone else. I'm just more appreciative than a good many people I see around me at any given time. People with far more things and money surrounding them.

Glad to read about you. Your comment above struck a chord with me. Now I'm going to have to go learn from your wise decisions for my family so we can experience the world as long as possible. Thank you for sharing.

[Hudson Force]

I guess I could be happier with the "less" that is mine, but I've never had "more" so it's hard to judge. Before we moved aboard everything we owned could fit in our car, but that was a Karmann Ghia. After 43 years of living aboard I can no longer say this, but only because we don't own a car. I could not fit all of our stuff in a Fiat or a Mini Cooper or even our old Karmann Ghia, but it would travel in a MiniVan! I step into friend's garages at their houses and I'm overwhelmed by the volume of stuff and it's uselessness.

There's a great freedom in non-ownership!

[onefastdaddy]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

I guess I could be happier with the "less" that is mine, but I've never had "more" so it's hard to judge. Before we moved aboard everything we owned could fit in our car, but that was a Karmann Ghia. After 43 years of living aboard I can no longer say this, but only because we don't own a car. I could not fit all of our stuff in a Fiat or a Mini Cooper or even our old Karmann Ghia, but it would travel in a MiniVan! I step into friend's garages at their houses and I'm overwhelmed by the volume of stuff and it's uselessness.

There's a great freedom in non-ownership!

Indeed, I believe there's a great value inside people (all people) that is often hard to see behind those with too much stuff. My own experience is all that stuff outside is trying to make up for the lack inside.

Really really good tips here to be had. To read someone who truly leads by example is really helpful. I hope to follow those footsteps.Hoping for more specifics. Hard to read about inexpensive marinas, destinations, etc but get no more details other than they exist from some posts. Tell us we all want to know pls. Of course those of you giving specifics it is most appreciated.

[Hudson Force]

I excel with the "little amount of stuff" category, but I do not cruise on $500/month. I do stay well under my income, but I'll blow the whole $500 for a month at a marina; a hull out, my yearly liability insurance, food and drink, an airplane flight an electronic gadget, Christmas gifts...... the list is long and with more than twelve things on the list, so, I can't come close to claiming $500/month!

[seandepagnier]

This thread keeps popping up, and I think the people here must be crazy. Since I am cruising on $100-$200 per month, I might post some details. To me $500 seems crazy, I could buy all kinds of stuff on that budget.

Currently I am in a marina. The marina costs $4 per day or $60 per month. This is including unlimited internet, showers, laundry machines, etc...

I went out to eat today, and it cost $1.25 and I felt I was getting ripped off. In the philippines I could get a decent meal for around 50 cents. I'm not talking rice only.. I mean rice, soup, vegtables, and meat. Two of these meals for the day and I'm quite full and happy. I usually cook also on my wood stove which costs me less than $1 for a very large amount of food, and good quality because I don't ever use crap like sugar or vegetable oil.

For internet I have 3g internet. It cost $16 for the usb dongle plus 1gb of data. I can get 1 gig more for $8. Otherwise I have to go in the marina lounge for wifi.

In the philippines, it costs $1 per day for unlimited 3g (I can download 1gig in 24 hours) or $20 per month. Fruit like mangos costs $1 for 5 (best mangos in the world) and I even got a whole jackfruit for 50 cents one time. It varies greatly depending on which island.

As for sails.. I have upwind sails, and downwind sails. The downwind sails are mostly in bad shape, maybe ripped, whatever, but can be used in these conditions at little speed difference to save the upwind sails from deteriorating in the sun. I am still using sails from the dumpster in sausalito as well as ones I bought from people who "upgraded" to roller furling for only $30 or so. Sometimes people get new sails and throw away the old ones just because the shape isn't as good. In this case you can still circumnavigate on these sails. My main sail was $150 triple stitched with 3 reef points, and was basically brand new for example, and going strong after 15,000 miles.

I think just about everyone on here (myself included) is addicted to money. They cannot conceive of a life without it. I think also there is some ridiculous concept that it is temporary, or that you cannot make money while underway or in remote regions. In fact I have received some $$ in donations for my efforts on opencpn. This money is of course only used to buy more computers and electronics to further my work, and so far as not been needed to for cruising yet.

The real challenge, I think I can make some day soon is to really cruise full time on $0. This doesn't mean you spend what you make, it means you do not have money on board, and never touch the stuff or purchase things. Instead everything needed is obtained via salvage and barter.

When I was in vanuatu, I would take locals sailing, transport them between islands, or take them to remote areas for hunting. In all cases I was rewarded with the meat of the wild pig, and the best quality food in the world ( local food grown right there in their garden) I was able to reach philippines eating only this food which cost me nothing. They also explained in many cases it would have gone to waste, because we were digging up wild manioc, and taros which no one had bothered to plant, but had sprung up from an older garden which no one was tending.

Going back to san francisco... there was enough free food being thrown in the dumpster every week to support 3x the number of people anchored there. I doubt much has changed. In wellington I found enough food in the dumpster to support at least 50 people, and I was the only person anchored in the harbor at the time.

Originally Posted by weavis

Conclusion: Boats are expensive

Correction: as expensive as you make them.

Originally Posted by sparrowhawk1

A frugal sailor tries to use his engine as little as possible but I understand there are times where you just have to use it excep

You don't need an engine. In fact, they are destroying the world and serve no useful purpose at all. I can attest to this as I reach the same location as any boat with an engine, without using one. I may arrive a few hours later, but I haven't wasted any time at all.

For a dingy, using an outboard, you actually waste a lot of time compared to rowing. Consider 30 seconds using the motor (wasted time) compared to 2 minutes rowing (enjoyable time) and the rower also lives 10-15 years longer on average, because healthier people live longer.

Engines are basically are used by foolish people to waste time and destroy their personal health while also destroying everyone's hope for the future and habitable zones for human life on this planet. This is a criminal activity.

About

[weavis]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

This thread keeps popping up, and I think the people here must be crazy. Since I am cruising on $100-$200 per month, I might post some details. To me $500 seems crazy, I could buy all kinds of stuff on that budget.

Currently I am in a marina. The marina costs $4 per day or $60 per month. This is including unlimited internet, showers, laundry machines, etc...

I went out to eat today, and it cost $1.25 and I felt I was getting ripped off. In the philippines I could get a decent meal for around 50 cents. I'm not talking rice only.. I mean rice, soup, vegtables, and meat. Two of these meals for the day and I'm quite full and happy. I usually cook also on my wood stove which costs me less than $1 for a very large amount of food, and good quality because I don't ever use crap like sugar or vegetable oil.

For internet I have 3g internet. It cost $16 for the usb dongle plus 1gb of data. I can get 1 gig more for $8. Otherwise I have to go in the marina lounge for wifi.

In the philippines, it costs $1 per day for unlimited 3g (I can download 1gig in 24 hours) or $20 per month. Fruit like mangos costs $1 for 5 (best mangos in the world) and I even got a whole jackfruit for 50 cents one time. It varies greatly depending on which island.

As for sails.. I have upwind sails, and downwind sails. The downwind sails are mostly in bad shape, maybe ripped, whatever, but can be used in these conditions at little speed difference to save the upwind sails from deteriorating in the sun. I am still using sails from the dumpster in sausalito as well as ones I bought from people who "upgraded" to roller furling for only $30 or so. Sometimes people get new sails and throw away the old ones just because the shape isn't as good. In this case you can still circumnavigate on these sails. My main sail was $150 triple stitched with 3 reef points, and was basically brand new for example, and going strong after 15,000 miles.

I think just about everyone on here (myself included) is addicted to money. They cannot conceive of a life without it. I think also there is some ridiculous concept that it is temporary, or that you cannot make money while underway or in remote regions. In fact I have received some $$ in donations for my efforts on opencpn. This money is of course only used to buy more computers and electronics to further my work, and so far as not been needed to for cruising yet.

The real challenge, I think I can make some day soon is to really cruise full time on $0. This doesn't mean you spend what you make, it means you do not have money on board, and never touch the stuff or purchase things. Instead everything needed is obtained via salvage and barter.

When I was in vanuatu, I would take locals sailing, transport them between islands, or take them to remote areas for hunting. In all cases I was rewarded with the meat of the wild pig, and the best quality food in the world ( local food grown right there in their garden) I was able to reach philippines eating only this food which cost me nothing. They also explained in many cases it would have gone to waste, because we were digging up wild manioc, and taros which no one had bothered to plant, but had sprung up from an older garden which no one was tending.

Going back to san francisco... there was enough free food being thrown in the dumpster every week to support 3x the number of people anchored there. I doubt much has changed. In wellington I found enough food in the dumpster to support at least 50 people, and I was the only person anchored in the harbor at the time.


Correction: as expensive as you make them.


You don't need an engine. In fact, they are destroying the world and serve no useful purpose at all. I can attest to this as I reach the same location as any boat with an engine, without using one. I may arrive a few hours later, but I haven't wasted any time at all.

For a dingy, using an outboard, you actually waste a lot of time compared to rowing. Consider 30 seconds using the motor (wasted time) compared to 2 minutes rowing (enjoyable time) and the rower also lives 10-15 years longer on average, because healthier people live longer.

Engines are basically are used by foolish people to waste time and destroy their personal health while also destroying everyone's hope for the future and habitable zones for human life on this planet. This is a criminal activity.

However......... you did have to move to a third world country area in order to achieve your aims. A cynic would say that you are not contributing to improving their situation but rather benefitting from it because while you may not have a lot of money, you have the option to leave at any time and also the option to make money if you choose. You also HAVE $4 a day to pay for the amenities in the Marina.

Im sure if people there could get more money for their products, they would most certainly charge it and accept it gratefully to have the modern way of life.

Im also sure that boating is and remains expensive because most people do not want to move to the Philippines or Borneo to live cheaply.

good luck to you and your choices. But its not frugal living where you are. Its luxury.

[boatman61]

I've found in my travels the cost of living around the world is dictated by the average daily income... so Oz is expensive as hell while in India for example on the same money one can live like a king..
Kinda explains why so many Aussies move to Thailand and surrounds.. and Americans to the Philippine's..
Its not just for the easy sex...

[weavis]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I've found in my travels the cost of living around the world is dictated by the average daily income... so Oz is expensive as hell while in India for example on the same money one can live like a king..
Kinda explains why so many Aussies move to Thailand and surrounds.. and Americans to the Philippine's..
Its not just for the easy sex...

not just......

[Blue Crab]

I think it's most interesting that b_a is apparently not just some loathsome hippyish dumpster diving boat bum. Accent on the "not just......"

The use of high modulus materials and tech savvy plus being an actual no engine sailor who has sailed several seas in a very small boat sets him far apart from the AWBum in Richardson Bay where I used to summer.

Moreover, word on the wharf is that he is a past Commodore of the Sausalito Yot Clubbé. I tried to document this but ran into a small electronic road block: "Sorry, but you do not have permission to view this page." My buddy at the clubbé didn't return my calls.

Fortunately, for me, I was using a pirated wifi signal just outside the club's perimeter concertina-wired and electrified fence. Clubbé security then escorted me to their HQ for a well-needed meal, shower, and overnight sojourn:

[Blue Crab]

Hey b_a, I'm just fooling around this Sunday morning before church. I do admire your posts and walk-the-walk lifestyle. Keep 'em coming.

[sparrowhawk1]

Hey b_a love your post and understand that in certain parts of the world you don't need an engine. but I'm pretty sure you've never traveled on the East Coast of the USA. Well I have sailed from Anchorage to ocean to next Anchorage many times but there are so many more times that it would be impossible to do without an engine. I've also sailed for days to cover a distance that I could have motored in a few hours. On the East Coast the holding isn't always that good so before I can go to sleep I need to make sure my anchor is well set, the only way I know of doing that is with an engine. I totally agree that comparing a 3-minute motor to a 10 minute row the engine is ridiculous. but there are anchorages that the current is so strong ( in Key West for example ) that if you're rowing and the tide is going the wrong direction you have to wait for the tide to change to go back to your boat. You can easily spend an hour rowing or more. It's all about balance