The Answer to How much it Costs to Cruise

[SimonV]

Originally Posted by scuba0_1

This thread really is strange. Don't understand why people who I guess don't have the means get upset when people who do continue that life style on a boat get so mad. Wonder if this happens when they live on land and see people living in big houses and driving nice cars.

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Or how about my RV is bigger than your RV. It comes down to how comfortable you are in your own skin. If you own and look after a boat you can cruise, some do it in extreme comfort others it's barely camping. There is no right answer, it costs you what it costs, sometimes a bit more sometimes a bit less.

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[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Group9

Out of curiosity, why would someone who doesn't want to cruise, and thinks it's a bad idea, come to a cruiser's forum? Just wondering.

To learn from those that have. I'm still trying to figure it out.

I raced for years but always loved the old full keel cruisers and the characters that sailed them.

Those guys were always a lot of fun to be around. Now this was on the Gulf Coast (Redneck Riviera Section) from 1996 to around 2008.

We parked the catamarans just above the high water mark at my apartment which was on the water, but the hangout was the dock.

The boats included a Cape Dory 30, Tayana 37, Bristol 27, Tartan 30, Soverel 30, C&C 37, 30' S2 among others.

Could be that I'll end up cruising locally and just redoing old boats.

I used to not be able to figure out why some folks were at the dock all day working on their boats while I sailed, but now I'm starting to get it. It's like playing chess. If you are sanding with say a 6" sander, you are totally into that job. It's a great stress reliever.

I just finished sanding all the topside hull and bottom on my boat.

[goat]

Originally Posted by SimonV

Or how about my RV is bigger than your RV. It comes down to how comfortable you are in your own skin. If you own and look after a boat you can cruise, some do it in extreme comfort others it's barely camping. There is no right answer, it costs you what it costs, sometimes a bit more sometimes a bit less.

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Yeah I love that. "If you don't have a (whatever I'm sailing) you're just camping". It's probably said best with a fake British accent whilst looking down ones nose.
Note; first time I've used 'whilst'.

goat (camper)

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by chuckr

You can cut out as many of the cost factors that you want but in reality when you rip your shoulder tendon while working on the boat and need surgery in a foreign port that to us part of cruising. If you do not have a terra firma dwelling and need to get back once in a while to see family that is part of the cost of being out here.

I guess in the end I guess each person must define what cruising is to them. If we were to sail the bay or go to the gulf and hang out or what ever to us that is not cruising as our defination is using the boat to see and explore. If we were to just hang or cruise the bay the boat would be gone and we would be doing something else.

In our opinion there is a substantial difference between the cost of being a full time cruiser where you are on the boat the majority of the time. When you use the boat 12 months a year and put 2-3,000 miles a year on it, ie a full time cruiser the costs go up a lot.

The question is basically then define crusing and then take all the cost you do not think apply and then try it and see if it works.

Okay, thanks for that explanation.

Posts like this one to me are more informative than simple dollar figures.

A shoulder tendon rip does sound painful.

It's a bitch getting old. Takes me about three days to recover from a run with a few pull ups, some pushups, and a few curls.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by thomm225

To learn from those that have. I'm still trying to figure it out.

I raced for years but always loved the old full keel cruisers and the characters that sailed them.

Those guys were always a lot of fun to be around. Now this was on the Gulf Coast (Redneck Riviera Section) from 1996 to around 2008.

We parked the catamarans just above the high water mark at my apartment which was on the water, but the hangout was the dock.

The boats included a Cape Dory 30, Tayana 37, Bristol 27, Tartan 30, Soverel 30, C&C 37, 30' S2 among others.

Could be that I'll end up cruising locally and just redoing old boats.

I used to not be able to figure out why some folks were at the dock all day working on their boats while I sailed, but now I'm starting to get it. It's like playing chess. If you are sanding with say a 6" sander, you are totally into that job. It's a great stress reliever.

I just finished sanding all the topside hull and bottom on my boat.

Well, I agree, that there are definitely a lot of different ways to have fun with boats. I enjoy working on mine as much as I enjoy sailing it. Both fun. Both relieve stress.

I think that's what I like about cruising, getting to do both, all of the time.

[monstads]

Originally Posted by zboss

$30 a month on beer and booze? You spent more than that for the colonoscopy!

Was thinking the same thing.. Think he's missing a zero.. I read these type of threads with a lot of interest, and I for one love seeing as many angles as possible.

Cruise on $500? Cool, I love trying to figure out how that is possible (I.e what "compromises" are involved), but I also really like seeing where the $3000 a month go. Personally, I am shooting for saving enough for the $3000 a month club, but try as hard as I can to avoid the "you spend what you have" trap by learning from the $500 a month crowd.

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[zboss]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I haven't read the whole thread. Do people really get upset that appear not to have the means. The key word here is appear.

Some folks couldn't just sail around and visit places all the time. It's really bad for your body for one thing because you don't get enough movement sitting around on a sailboat for weeks at a time without proper sleep and sometimes a proper diet.

I'm thinking going coastal may be better for those seeking an active life style.

Also, it's starting to become evident that this work your entire life then suddenly stop and have a permanent vacation may not be the best way to go about it.

Better to be living a more well rounded lifestyle that includes work, sailing (if you enjoy sailing), exercise to includes aerobic as well as anaerobic (try and sprint if you can at the end of your 3 mile run), weight training, yoga for some, reading/studying, social interaction, etc.

It appears from this forum that sometime the life of a cruiser starts to close in meaning there isn't enough stimulation for them so they argue meaningless points way more than should be argued.

Now don't get upset, this only means some of you guys are really smart and don't have enough challenges to occupy your mind 24/7.

Not that I disagree with you but I do believe most businesses do. They do not want to actually make good on their promises to you and they hope you won't push for them. Large businesses (think IBM) are alreadt like this and small and medium businesses may SAY they don't want this but they really do. They want to run you into the ground, take you for all you are worth, and when they have burnt you down and you get a few bad years, get rid of you for a cheaper more active employee.

I am doing what you have suggested and its very very very hard sometimes. Although we have no common workplace and we are a completely mobile workforce with no office to physically go into, for some reason me being on a boat is a problem. It not like they ever came to visit me in my physical house. If it were not for my boss being such a reasonable and great guy - I would be long gone.

Originally Posted by Group9

I enjoy working on mine as much as I enjoy sailing it.

I enjoy working on mine as well... I also find it stress relief... I can focus on a single matter and get everything else out of my head for a few hours.

[brookiesailor]

Sv third day,
I want to thank you for sharing your costs with us. I was laying in bed and thinking of this for some reason. Your annual expenditures are equal to a single one week vacation for us, a family of five. Who ever says cruising isn't cheeper is wrong. The cost of the boat is always factored in, but the cost of the house you live in seems to be missed. If you live on the boat that is your home, so why not include the cost of the mortgage for those flying to destinations. I know I am crossing posts it just hit me as funny.


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[SV THIRD DAY]

You are welcome my friend.
The No 1 question/fear we had before we headed out was could we afford it, so I'm happy to show others that if a bozo like me could pull it off pretty affordably, then heck anyone could.

Don't let the fear of affordability get in your way...there are plenty of other real fears out there...like what Taco Cart to dine at next!

[Hard Rock Candy]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

You are welcome my friend.
The No 1 question/fear we had before we headed out was could we afford it, so I'm happy to show others that if a bozo like me could pull it off pretty affordably, then heck anyone could.

Don't let the fear of affordability get in your way...there are plenty of other real fears out there...like what Taco Cart to dine at next!

I really like your attitude and your altitude also. When I went sailing I was considered broke by most of the USA. But I had lived at that level my whole 62 years. and considered myself quite wealthy. I was not poor enough to save pennies but not rich enough to eat out more than once or twice a month. I owned my own property, but did that mostly so that I would not have to pay rent. Life is not well defined by how much a person spends but by how much they get back. In Frontera On the Rio Dulce the kids used to follow me around because I had holy pockets. and small change down there, is really worthless to me the rich gringo. It was kind of a game to try and find the best food for the buck in the whole town. I would have friends from the states come down for a week now and then and live the boat bum lifestyle. and astound them with some of the best food they had ever eaten, in a little hole in the wall with a tile floor with Live lizards on the walls and ceiling. And when we had eaten and were full, paid for dinner for four, with a twenty dollar bill and 4 dollars was a large tip. Mac

[GGamble]

I have to admit I find it interesting to follow these conversations. Bottom line it costs as much as your willing to spend to support the life style you desire. You can boat camp just about as cheap as you can camp on land. I have a 2014 Beneteau Oceanis 55. My monthly budget when cruising is about 6k USD. I could go cheaper but don't care to make the lifestyle changes I would have to make. Life's good and it's all about choices.

G


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[rwidman]

How much does it cost to cruise? How much does it cost to live on land?

I made the mistake one time of showing a business associate photos of my boat. I realized later that my boat was worth more than his home (in a trailer park) and that in addition to the boat, I owned a nice home. Now I know why he never really liked me after that.

My point? Some folks get by on $30K per year (we are talking USA here) and some folks are deep in debt while earning $300K per year or more.

Some folks will buy an old, depreciated sailboat, move only when the wind is blowing, never stay in marinas and eat only the least expensive grocery store food. They may defer maintenance both on their boats and on their bodies.

Other folks buy a new or newer boat, stay in marinas and eat restaurant food. They may fly home or to friends or children's locations a few times per year.

There are many folks cruising part time and maintaining a home on land and a marina slip. My wife and I are in this category and when we cruise, the object is to get the most enjoyment of our time on the water. Frugality is not as important as enjoying the trip. Of course we try not to waste money unnecessarily just like our lifestyle on land. We can afford to own a boat and cruise because of a sensible lifestyle throughout our lives.

It's interesting to see what one boater or couple spends but each of us has different needs and wants and often the listed expenses are not realistic, leaving out things like depreciation, deferred maintenance, medical care, etc.

[Catamoron]

As I've read over the past 100 entries on this thread I keep hearing about not accounting for depreciation as a cost and that I didn't figure that into my list. But for the life of me I cannot understand how this costs me anything. Is the philosophy behind it that as time goes by my boat is becomes less valuable? If I'm wrong, I still don't understand how when a boat that's paid for looses value it costs the owner anything....or for that matter, even if its not paid for, how does a lower value effect my cost? I understand what the definition of depreciation is, so how is it that if I've got say $175k in my boat that in 5 years when I'm ready to sell it...are you saying I won't get that out of it? And even if I don't, how does that affect my monthly budget now?

[dlymn]

If you sell an asset(boat) for a loss and then you average out that loss over the years that you have owned it, that is like depreciation. Furthermore, the money that you have tied up in the boat can't be used to invest in a profit making activity such as buying a house or bonds.
When they talk about car operating cost per week, they factor in the money you are losing in both resale value and investment value. Years of trading have given the experts a good idea of how much value a boat loses as time goes by.

Let's imagine you invested that $175k in a tax free annuity. In good times, I can draw $15,000 a year out of that investment and after say 25 years I've still got $175k in the annuity. I can keep on doing that forever. By buying a boat you chose not to profit from making the investment. After say 25 years your estate is poorer by $550k minus the resale value of a very tired but much loved old boat. These figures hold even if you buy and sell over the years.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Catamoron

I understand what the definition of depreciation is, so how is it that if I've got say $175k in my boat that in 5 years when I'm ready to sell it...are you saying I won't get that out of it? And even if I don't, how does that affect my monthly budget now?

In accounting terms the capital tied up in the boat does not affect your cash flow (what you are calling cost) except for "opportunity cost. Opportunity cost is the cost associated with tying up capital. Lets' say you leave $175k invested and get a modest 3% return. That's $5250 per year you don't get so your cash flow is impacted - $26,250 for 5 years.

Depreciation eventually affects profit and loss. If you sell the boat for $150k at the end of 5 years you have an additional $25k in cost. So the boat cost you $51,250 over 5 years.

Add your yearly cruising costs to the $51,250 to get the total cost of cruising for 5 years.

I personally don't think a used boat say greater than 5 years old has to depreciate. The standard of maintenance will impact how well a boat holds its value.

Market forces - recessions, boating industry etc. - could also impact selling price but I view that as different than depreciation. Markets often recover and a good boat will always find a home at a good price.