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

[Coops]

Maybe his customers or clients that he is considering. Patients even.

Coops.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by jm21

Seems oranges to oranges to me. I know very few people who rent a bout year-round. I also know very few people who live on boats and have room mates (aside from spouse or children). I also suspect many people living on the hook do not have cars or even scooters for that matter.

I have seen people with bicycles on boats. Public transportation is pretty good in some places. I suspect we will see more electric bicycles in the future.

I would not consider it a 24/7 vacation. Like I said, I had a boat and sold it instead of living on it because I thought it would be too hard to live on it and keep a professional appearance for work. But if you were at least mostly able to work from "home" and/or you had a blue collar job it would start to make a lot more sense. Certainly, living on al and has a lot of conveniences.

I have visited Thailand and like it. Also a couple other countries. I don't see how living in Thailand with no room mates would be 1/3 the cost of living aboard in the US on the hook. Can you give a few more details about your budget? If I was single in the US and living on the hook on a boat I am pretty much sure my max expenses would be $1,000 per month. 1/3 of that would be $333 per month. If you could live on $600/month here which seems possible that's $200/month in Thailand.

I'm only speaking from my experience of course, and yours may be different, but I just haven't seen many places where you can anchor out for any length of time and have access to public transportation. Public transportation usually implies a populated area and most of them don't like you anchoring out nearby. Most everyone I know cruising relies on marina cars or has one they keep somewhere.

As for my budget, I didn't mean to imply that I was living on $500/month and certainly not in the US! Mine's a bit higher but in Thailand its about 2/3'd less and that's mostly a gut feeling. I don't keep records. I can tell you it cost me about $2 yesterday for a three course lunch at a really nice local restaurant. And that was soup, main dish w/ rice, fresh fruit for dessert and jasmine tea. Even if I had gone to McDonalds in the US I'm sure I would have spend 3 times that amount. My monthly electric bill (house is all electric except for gas stove top) runs about $40, whereas in the US it was 3-4 times that for my townhouse. I have no real estate taxes ... there just aren't any! My water bill and high-speed internet run $30/month combined. I have no mortgage but a nice 1-2 bedroom house rents for $160/month. Sorry I can't give be more specific but that should give you some idea of how cheap it is to live here.

[jm21]

Originally Posted by jeffknox

I'm curious about what you mean by "A professional appearance for work."
Does that mean you think you might be embarrassed by what some of your coworkers might think of it. If that's the case I would say letting what others might think of a choice I make is handing over an awful lot of influence. Life is a little too short for that IMHO. Just food for thought.

My job, like many other jobs, has a dress code. Suits, dress shirts, and good slacks generally need to be hung up so they don't wrinkle. Have to have at least a couple ties. I hate suits and particularly ties, but have to wear them.

Also need a full shower every day, etc.

In my climate you need a drying machine to clean clothes regularly.

The 27'er I had, like many older 27'ers, did not have much room for hanging up clothes. It did not have a shower either.

When I looked at taking a shower up at the top of the docks, the lack of storage, having to go to a laundromat....I figured it would add a good hour onto my work day and be a royal PITA. There'd be suits hanging all over the main cabin and I'd have to make sure to get up extra early (not a morning person). Then if I ever burned something in the galley, well crap, probably have to dry clean quite a few things which is expensive. Just didn't seem like a good idea. And if you have to live at a marina instead of renting it's not much cheaper than renting a small apartment.

Even a lot of older boats in the mid 30' range do not have much hanging space.

[jm21]

Originally Posted by Doodles

I'm only speaking from my experience of course, and yours may be different, but I just haven't seen many places where you can anchor out for any length of time and have access to public transportation. Public transportation usually implies a populated area and most of them don't like you anchoring out nearby. Most everyone I know cruising relies on marina cars or has one they keep somewhere.

I was mainly thinking of people who didn't have to commute to work every day. If you just need to go to town to stock up 2-3 times per month you could just drop in at Seattle, free trolley up to near the big asian supermarkets, load up a hiking backpack or canvas bag, and back to the boat. Friday harbor on San Juan Island has a store that used to deliver the food to the dock for you. Sidney, BC and Victoria used to be pretty easy to zip into on the weekdays.

[s/v Beth]

The elephant in the room which everyone seems to only gloss over is what are you going to do with your life once you have moved aboard. Continual touring? OK for while but eventually you are going to want to do something productive. Living on the hook may be the cheapest, but I need a good hot shower to go to work. If I am clean I can get a better job. So IMHO a marina makes sense (and maybe a storage locker) while I am working.

[Blue Crab]

One real dissapointment I've had in retirement is finding that I didn't want to fish everyday. Drinking beer and shooting the breeze is what I'm good at.

[rubyjean]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

One real dissapointment I've had in retirement is finding that I didn't want to fish everyday. Drinking beer and shooting the breeze is what I'm good at.

I think we could be good friends, beer & ********...Michael..

[zeehag]

i began living board in 1990, when my 2 bedroom apt rent was 1000 per month and slip rent was 385 for a 34 ft boat. i had a storage room in the marina, and i went to work as a rn in critical care areas daily and as i saw fit. was easy. so much for the idea of professionaliswm keeping one from being a live aboard--i managed a post anes care unit for 2 of those living aboard years. not difficult.
if ye want to do something, you can. living aboard used to be MUCH less pricey than living in a land based dwelling. with marina fees nowadays, is less pricey to live on a mooring. and as easy to remain professional whil eso doing. i did that for many years without problem.
enjoy whatever lifestyle you choose and make the best of it.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by rubyjean

I think we could be good friends, beer & ********...Michael..

Thanks man. Me too.

There's a couple dozen folks on here I'd love to meet.

I've spent the entire afternoon drinkin and shootin da breeze. Of course workin on the boat would be more productive. But less fun.

Tom

[atoll]

if it all goes tits up

"drinking seawater"

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

The elephant in the room which everyone seems to only gloss over is what are you going to do with your life once you have moved aboard. Continual touring? OK for while but eventually you are going to want to do something productive. Living on the hook may be the cheapest, but I need a good hot shower to go to work. If I am clean I can get a better job. So IMHO a marina makes sense (and maybe a storage locker) while I am working.

So true!

As someone said once, you can only watch so many gorgeous sunsets and read so many books. My wife might not agree with that, especially the books part, but I need a challenging project or I get bored easily. Not ready to go back to work but doing something productive is a necessity.

[jeffknox]

Originally Posted by jm21

My job, like many other jobs, has a dress code. Suits, dress shirts, and good slacks generally need to be hung up so they don't wrinkle. Have to have at least a couple ties. I hate suits and particularly ties, but have to wear them. .

I thought that was the case. I asked because I have developed a strong opposition to relinquishing anypart of my life I prefer just because of what others might think.

[Sovereigndreams]

Originally Posted by virginia boy

In my years of doing residential construction I've seen every conceivable harry homeowner disaster there is. Most of which were simply an aesthetic failure, a few were potentially life threatening, all were believed by the homeowner to be acceptable. In many cases, it would have been far cheaper to have a professional come in and do it right the first time.

I've had similar experiences working on my cars. Disassemble part of the vehicle only to discover that I'm in over my head. Twice I've had to have the car/van towed to a garage to finish the job. Cost me more than if I'd had it done professionally from the git-go.

I try to be realistic about my limitations and the consequences of substandard work.

I had three thru-hulls to fill in. I'd never seen it done except on a youtube video, and was afraid that if I did it incorrectly the patch could be punched back out during a collision with a floating obstruction or the like. I figured that the three hundred dollars would give me peace of mind.

I have two more thru-hulls to fill and will probably pay another couple hundred dollars. The projects with less disaster potential like cap rail replacement I will do.

I guess my point is that sometimes the cheapest route (do it yourself) can often turn out to be the expensive alternative.

Amen to all of that. I'm definitely not afraid to give anything a try but you have to know when to ask for a little help. Your right sometimes a few hundred bucks will save you a lot of headaches.

[Sovereigndreams]

Originally Posted by white rabbitt

What about living aboard for free ? Catching fish and/or diving for Lobster/Clams for food. And possible piracy if and when cash may be needed ?

Sure do miss those days when one could simply duke it out for a Spanish galleons gold when things got tight.

Those sure were the good ole days

[Jengordon]

Can smeone please shed some light on sail repair? I have a sail with a clean seam rip, and am planning to attempt to repair it myself. If my sewing machine holds up, that is. Anyway, can someone give me advice about what type of thread to use? Also, what type of stitch is best?

Thanks so much,
Jennifer, S/V Northern Passage, Alaska