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

[Sailorman Ed]

We have a "free table" at the marina (as I am sure many others do also) and I check it several times a day to get the good stuff before my marina mates. I used to (but not any more) be amazed at how much brand new stuff ends up there. Last week were 2 brand new water filters (in the box) and a dock line much better than mine and previously was an unopened bottle of wine. Although I do miss an actual boatyard dumpster. We do try and add some other items back onto the table - not to be greedy.

[Freemind]

Originally Posted by StuM

Or: You are attached to another object by an inclined plane, wrapped helically around an axis

I think it's wrapped around the AXLE.

ETA: RE: "dumpster diving" If you happen to be near a college campus at the end of the semester take a look around the dumpsters there too. College dorm sized furniture, etc.

[EX Wanabe]

Hello, I am new to this site and I have been reading this thread for the past few days and am only up to page 56, but couldn’t resist joining CF and putting my two cents worth in on living well for less. I learned at “The School of Hard Knocks.”

First let me say that in 2008, after looking at hundreds of boats from Portland, OR, to central CA. I purchased an Islander 44 at Moss Landing Ca. At this time most thought I had more money than brains, as I had zero experience at sailing. I hired a surveyor that gave an excellent survey report on the boat. He was also a 100 ton licensed Captain and I hired him and his crew to sail the boat north to Newport, OR. This was in December; I fired him in Fort Brag after he tried to enter the ship staging area off San Francisco in a white out (Fog) without turning on the radar. I asked him why he didn’t turn on the radar and he said we didn’t need it, because the ships could see us and would go around us. I took the wheel from him and turned the boat back out of the fog bank and told him to turn on the radar. I couldn’t believe his reply when he said he didn’t know how to use it!

Long story short, I had to completely replace all wiring and plumbing. The compression post was rusted almost completely through and I could push a screwdriver through it with little effort. I spent over $35,000 on equipment, replacement parts, and repairs. I had only taken the boat out with a sailing friend twice at Newport OR. He was an experienced sailor and was willing to sail with my wife and I as far as San Diego CA. We headed south Sept. 1st and were hit by an unpredicted storm. We lost the engine, all electric and electronics upon our approach to Coos Bay, at which the bar was closed. At this point we headed out to sea and spent the next three days and nights in 55 to 60 knot winds and 22’ to 24’ breaking seas, at which time we had to dead recon back north to Newport. Two weeks later and $8,000 poorer, we headed south for Mexico. By the time we reached San Diego we had spent another $7,000 on parts and repairs. Yes I have all the receipts still, but don’t know why.

We spent three weeks in San Diego replacing injectors and the high pressure injector pump. Why you ask? Well we had no wind and were forced to motor. From Ensenada to just before Turtle Bay we lost the Depth Finder and the Radar, they just quit. This meant not being able to enter any anchorages safely. After rounding the tip of Baja the water maker blew a high pressure hose and the water bounced off two bulkheads and hit the back of the auto pilot control box and of course fried it, another thousand dollar repair waiting. My wife and I motored into La Paz from Ensenada in eight days.

We were down to my SSI and $4,000 in the bank a year later when my wife decided she didn’t like sailing, fishing, the heat, Mexico or anything else down here and returned to Oregon with the last $4,000.

Now the moral of the story! I have currently been single handing Wind Raven for over six years, of which the last four years and nine months have been in the “The Sea of Cortez.” My SSI income is $667.00 minus the Medicare deduction which leaves me around $550.00 per month. I will drop Medicare this year, because I now have 100% medical insurance here at no charge (Seguro Popular). I don’t drink, smoke, and seldom eat out. My boat is in need of some aesthetics and I would have done the bottom this year, but Hurricane Odile decided I should haul out to repair the damaged keel she caused instead, maybe next year? Then again if all works out I will sail to Ecuador, where it is much less expensive to live and the weather is perfect year round!

I have enjoyed reading this thread and will return to reading the past comments. Thanks to you all for the useful information

[Ballenxj]

EX Wanabe, that was quite the story of your trials and tribulations.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Welcome Ex :-)

[EX Wanabe]

Thanks, that was by far not all that happened, there was much more, but I tried to keep it as short as possible.

[EX Wanabe]

Hello, I just thought I might make a suggestion about how to cut the expense on your grumpy cat. I had a cat aboard and didn’t care for the hassle, the mess, and especially the smell of a litter box. While cruising, it became very difficult to find the no smell litter and was forced to use beach sand.
My solution was to cut a piece of plywood about two ft square and rounding two corners. Then cutting a five inch round hole in the center. On the underside I screwed two metal strips, with spacers between the plywood and the metal to allow a temporary sand box to be slid underneath. I attached this to the stern so as to hang mostly overboard. I then bent some small tubing to hold a safety net around this contraption.
Cats are very intelligent and train easily if you are patient. To start you slide the litter box lip between the plywood and the metal strips, making sure that the spacers hold the box securely. This can be adjusted with more or less spacers (washers). Show the cat where the hole is and that the litter is there. It’s best to do this before you put fresh litter in, but is not mandatory. The cat will start using it on his own. In a few more days remove most the litter, not the box. In a few more days remove the box and the cat will continue using it all will go overboard.

Good Luck, cats are smart and can be trained no matter how old they are!

[Buzzman]

I've previously heard of people training a cat to pee in the toilet at home, but this is taking that to a whole new level.

Others have commented on the difficulty of finding the no-smell cat litter 'crystals' away from developed countries, so it's wise to carry plenty.

Another trick is to train your cat to use a covered tray.

My sister has one of these and has trained her two cats to use it.

Basically it's like a large travel crate, that is not ventilated (ie: solid sides), and has a 'flap' door the cats can push past to get in and do their business.

Doesn't matter what litter you use, the smells can't escape.

But she (we) have noticed that it is *essential* to clean it as asap after the business is completed by removing the deposits or stirring in the pee, as otherwise the smell of their own business prevents them using it and they will then do it elsewhere, like on your bedding, or on an fabric left on the floor - shirt, towel, bath mat....

Ask me how I discovered this......

[EX Wanabe]

Yes, I have trained several cats through the years to use the toilet (head), but never could get them to flush, or "put the seat down."

All kidding aside though, this really is pretty simple and very inexpensive. It also saves on a lot of clean up, not to mention trips to the store for more litter.

[Buzzman]

I don't want to start WWIII, but in my long and varied experience, that although the womenfolk tend to accuse we 'mere males' of leaving the lid up, it's actually more often the girls who do this.

And if we males are leaving the seat up, well, at least we aren't spraying all over it...which they do seem to prefer...!!! LOL

<<Extremely tongue in cheek>>

Seriously, men tend to leave the lid AND the seat up, but I have noticed a definite trend of women leaving the lid (only) up.

And as they have to pull their duds up, and then turn around to remember to do the lid down thing, whereas we males only usually have to zip up and reach forward to drop the lid, reckon we've probably got less excuse.

Problem for the puddy tats is that they have no opposable thumbs, so have trouble lifting the lid in the first place, hence why the non-locking 'loose flap' door to the kitty litter 'room' is a no brainer.

Start off using only the lower half of the 'box' (as though it were a litter 'tray') and them add the top half, minus door, then finally add the door.

They work it out!

I saw a smaller version of this type of litter box at our local Reject Shop the other day, but can't seem to find it in their online cat-alogue (groan....), but this one is similar to what I'm referring to.

[onestepcsy37]

Great story, exwannabe. And great to read that you ended up in the "good" after all the "bad".

[fish53]

Me and my little dog are going to be living aboard our Westerly Pageant soon. My dog would like some advice about how she can "take care of business" on the boat. Thanks (woof)

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by EX Wanabe

Hello, I am new to this site and I have been reading this thread for the past few days and am only up to page 56, but couldn’t resist joining CF and putting my two cents worth in on living well for less. I learned at “The School of Hard Knocks.”

There's also a Part I to this thread, altho you're way past that.

Now the moral of the story! I have currently been single handing Wind Raven for over six years, of which the last four years and nine months have been in the “The Sea of Cortez.” My SSI income is $667.00 minus the Medicare deduction which leaves me around $550.00 per month. I will drop Medicare this year, because I now have 100% medical insurance here at no charge (Seguro Popular). I don’t drink, smoke, and seldom eat out....

These are keys to happiness as well as health.Great story Cap!

You might enjoy The Log from the Sea of Cortez (Penguin Classics): John Steinbeck, Richard Astro: 9780140187441: Amazon.com: Books, by Steinbeck. Wonderful read.

[Buzzman]

Originally Posted by fish53

My dog would like some advice about how she can "take care of business" on the boat. Thanks (woof)

fish, it's best to train the dog to go in a particular place at home *first*.

How you do this depends on each dog, but if the dog is an indoors dog, they tend to either use litter (you're in front already) or whine to be let out.

If the former, lay a large piece of synthetic grass under the litter tray ofr a wee or two, get the dog used to walking on the stuff to get to the litter, then replace the litter in the tray with a smaller piece of the grass.

Then once aboard, attach 2" X 1/2" hardwood to one end of a strip of grass. Best if the grass is attached to the wood by threaded bolts and nuts, 1/8: is fine.

At each thus reinforced corner add an eye, and a ttach a bridle to the eye for towing astern to clean.

Lay the grass in the cockpit or on deck somewhere and train the dog to go "there". Simply rinse off the business, or hang the grass 'mat' off the stern via the bridle to self-clean.

May require sterilising or a scrub with cleaner or plain detergent every few days to keep any bugs from breeding on the 'grass'.

This avoids having to carry tons of litter. And what to do with it to dispoase of it appropriately, as tipping it over the side is not allowed in most places other than deep ocean.

[Hard Rock Candy]

I think I would rather that you save the dog scat for disposal at sea. Or at least not dump it in my marina space. There is no scat that smells worse than dog scat. I grew up in the country. and Iv'e smelled all the common farm animals. Mac