The Cost of Cruising

[Mariness]

Willing to go at the cost of having spent the last several years working 4 jobs (between us). And rarely taking any vacation time - only a couple days when we do. And putting a giant chunk of what is earned into various savings/investment/retirement accounts. Hubby has pointed out that we have about as much available now as his dad did when he went...except that his dad also already had a boat. Willing to give up TV, constant internet access, "fluff", etc.
I'm not willing to sacrifice the fun & interesting things to do when we're out there - that's most of the whole point of going. And not willing to sacrifice basic niceties - like a bed big enough for us both to sleep in, separate from the kid(s), a head with a closing door (J has much stronger feelings about the head than I do, so he gets the veto on that one - galley is the opposite). Most of the lifestyle choices (less consumption, etc), we could do those right here - no boat required. So we're making sacrifices NOW so we don't have to make as many hard choices THEN. (Not that it isn't hard to remember this on bad days! But hopefully it'll make it all that much better when we get ungrounded.)

[sailorboy1]

I'm willing to use public transport and eat less expensively in order to be able to see what I want to while leaving the boat in a more secure location so as to not have to worry about it. I'm willing to not have boat insurance if I feel the risk is very low if this the difference between seeing the area or not getting to. I'm willing to sit in a boring out the way place where there isn't anything to do and spend money on in order to do boat maintenance and save on spending a while, in order to move on to a sight seeing location. I'm willing to eat beans and rice for a while in order to do whatever is available.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

I'm willing to eat beans and rice for a while in order to do whatever is available.

So am I! So is Nicolle as long as the beanz are covered in caviar....


Many times the local bus it more colourful, more 'real', and you get to see and meet the locals too

[osirissail]

Cruising is pretty much a "seasonal" situation - you can move reasonably easy in one season and then "hide-out" for the "off-season." So monthly budgets are really not valid whereas yearly budgets are valid.

[SaltyMonkey]

The addendum to the question I would like to ask all of you who are out there is:

"Is it still possible to live off the grid worldwide, or has commercialism of cruising and population taken over where it's difficult to find remote areas so you can budget up or not worry about money?"

e.g. before you could live off the grid and have $, rent a car cheap with a guide etc. Now, everyone may be wanting to make a buck and it may be difficult to find a place to lay back.

e.g. before you weren't forced to cut back and could live frugal but comfortably; these days you are forced to budget closely whether you like it or not. So it's not what you are "willing" to give up so much as "what" you must give up.

[osirissail]

Living "off the grid" - whatever that means? Main problem with money these days is inflation or lose of purchasing power. For instance, I purchased a R.O. watermaker new 10 years ago for $2.5K. Now the exact same model goes for $8K. Same with all the other boat parts, pumps, and supplies. Add in that most everything is now made in Asia and lasts a fraction of the time the "old" models lasted and you get where all our money is disappearing to.
- - There are still localities/islands where you can "hide out" and recoup your budget but they are few and far between. Since cruising is really seasonal you can save on the yearly budget during the "off season" by staying put and fixing things, eating on the boat and staying busy with low cost exploring locally. Then in the season you can spend above budget on tours and such great things at each new place. The trick is to have the two halves add up to your original budget.
- - And it really doesn't take that much effort if you have a realistic budget in the first place. Everybody's life style choices are unique to themselves and you simply must be realistic about what makes you happy and how much money that involves.

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by osirissail

- - There are still localities/islands where you can "hide out" and recoup your budget but they are few and far between. Since cruising is really seasonal you can save on the yearly budget during the "off season" by staying put and fixing things, eating on the boat and staying busy with low cost exploring locally. Then in the season you can spend above budget on tours and such great things at each new place. The trick is to have the two halves add up to your original budget.

Agreed if you stay in one local area.........
For us, as well as many, we migrate throuout the seasons...Northern Lattitudes for the summer months and southern lattitudes for the winter..spring and fall we're moving between the two..

[Vasco]

TV, online all day, flush toilets, cars, expensive restaurants and incessant shopping. Not to mention terrible traffic. That's what we give up and it's no loss!! (Back home for the summer sitting in front of the computer).

[Randyonr3]

I think what we miss most when cruising, and at great cost is our grandkids...
when we raised our own, 4 sons, much of our time was devoted to putting the bread on the table, paying off the house and keeping the homefront secure.. BUT it wasnt until we had the grandkids that we realized we had missed some of the special times with our own kids.....
Now that were cruising, we miss the Grandkids.. thats our greatest cost.........

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Randyonr3

Agreed if you stay in one local area.........
For us, as well as many, we migrate throuout the seasons...Northern Lattitudes for the summer months and southern lattitudes for the winter..spring and fall we're moving between the two..

I would call that strategy - the "best of both worlds." And with the "best" there is normally a price tag involved. I always recommend to folks to "do the Pacific" last. Just because the "best of both worlds" is available there.
- - But I think your OP was asking what we would give up/cut back on as the "cost" of staying out there. And maybe the continuous "in season" moving is part of that "cost," Every dollar over needs to be offset by a dollar under.
- - If you are doing the "best of both worlds" then I would suggest that in some destinations you need to go "Spartan" somehow or other. The trick would be in picking the places for that.
- - An itinerary of a circle comprising low cost islands alternating with high cost islands might work. In the Pacific where it is possible, and I think desirable, to jump back and forth across the Equator seasonally there are for North American cruisers the option to hang out in USA possession islands where postal and other services don't involve expensive international courier/shipping along with other benefits of being in your "home country" territories. It may stink a little, although I heard they shut down the tuna factory, but it might just save some before heading back to the more expensive places.
- - In the Atlantic there really isn't the "best of both worlds" as the southern hemisphere does not have much to offer that is convenient. Most all of the popular cruising regions are in the northern hemisphere which means seasonal sailing.

[Lin Pardey]

Hi,

Just happened to tune in on a subject that is dear to my heart. The question should be balanced by asking what are you giving up if you don't set off cruising as soon you can. We have met relatively few cruising folks who wished they'd waited until they had more money in the bank. We have, on the otherhand, met or had letters from many who said waiting to earn enough for - a larger boat, a bigger next egg or more money to spend each month kept them from going and then something such as health issues or age or economic changes kept the dream from ever happening.

We found wonderful ways to explore far beyond the edges of the sea for very low cost as we cruised. We toured Europe on a carefully chosen motorcycle, six countries, three months and when we returned we actually were able to sell the motorcycle for more than we paid. We ate out lots but kept our costs lower than our onboard cruising costs by only eating in a cafe when we had slept in our tent the previous night. When we rented a room for the night we bought food for picnic meals. In Africa we lived in a miniature camper we fixed up in a Nissan 4X4 pick up truck (Ute, Bakkie), visited five countries over 7 months, lived with the !kung San (bushmen) in the Kalahari, worked on a sculpture commune, were invited to stay with a farm family in Zimbabwe, were hosted bya well known tracker in Botswana, all for about $600 a month and we got all our money back when we sold the truck. (Larry wanted to keep that truck he loved it so much.)

As we grew a bit more prosperous, we didn't change much other than spending more on eating out, more on the wine we bought for meals on the boat, more on fancier sails for Taleisin and a lot more on telephone calls and gifts for family and friends when we were headed home to see them.

There is a very worthwhile article about the cost of cruising in this months Cruising World, written by Fatty Goodlander.

Lin Pardey
www.landlpardey.com

[Hudson Force]

As we moved aboard almost forty years ago from a time when all our possessions would fit in our car. We were not waiting. Doing this meant that we were often at a dock and working jobs for cruising opportunities, but it was well worth the early start for us. We retired in 2002 for fulltime cruising instead of seasonal cruising. There may be something we've "given up", but, if so, we never had it and don't miss it. Take care and joy, Aythya crew

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by Lin Pardey

Hi,

Just happened to tune in on a subject that is dear to my heart. The question should be balanced by asking what are you giving up if you don't set off cruising as soon you can. We have met relatively few cruising folks who wished they'd waited until they had more money in the bank. We have, on the otherhand, met or had letters from many who said waiting to earn enough for - a larger boat, a bigger next egg or more money to spend each month kept them from going and then something such as health issues or age or economic changes kept the dream from ever happening.

We found wonderful ways to explore far beyond the edges of the sea for very low cost as we cruised. We toured Europe on a carefully chosen motorcycle, six countries, three months and when we returned we actually were able to sell the motorcycle for more than we paid. We ate out lots but kept our costs lower than our onboard cruising costs by only eating in a cafe when we had slept in our tent the previous night. When we rented a room for the night we bought food for picnic meals. In Africa we lived in a miniature camper we fixed up in a Nissan 4X4 pick up truck (Ute, Bakkie), visited five countries over 7 months, lived with the !kung San (bushmen) in the Kalahari, worked on a sculpture commune, were invited to stay with a farm family in Zimbabwe, were hosted bya well known tracker in Botswana, all for about $600 a month and we got all our money back when we sold the truck. (Larry wanted to keep that truck he loved it so much.)

As we grew a bit more prosperous, we didn't change much other than spending more on eating out, more on the wine we bought for meals on the boat, more on fancier sails for Taleisin and a lot more on telephone calls and gifts for family and friends when we were headed home to see them.

There is a very worthwhile article about the cost of cruising in this months Cruising World, written by Fatty Goodlander.

Lin Pardey
www.landlpardey.com

Hi Lin
Welcome Aboard,
And have to say, you've brought much to the cruising world as for information, and we all thank you..
Back to the origional Post.......With all your cruising, and all you've seen and the great life you've lived..
Do you feel there was a "cost" to the lifestyle, did you have to give up something dear to you to live the way you did?

[SaltyMonkey]

Small follow up to osirissail, not to distract...

offgrid meaning out of commercial area where marinas, permits. locales nickel and dime you. offgrid also meaning smaller communities where you can fish and live off season for cheap with seeing only a few other cruisers. Used to be readily available. Question from me to all of you who are really out there actually doing it, does it exist anymore, or has the commercial sprawl made it more difficult or impossible to find in places?

[bstreep]

Originally Posted by Lin Pardey

There is a very worthwhile article about the cost of cruising in this months Cruising World, written by Fatty Goodlander.

Lin Pardey
www.landlpardey.com

Thanks for the note, Lin. Fatty is the single biggest reason I keep subscribing to CW.