Can I afford a Monohull boat?

[youngavidsailor]

Hi
I am hoping to save up enough money and then after uni spend 4 years working or so and roughly at 25 buy a second hand sailboat and just cruise the world. I know boats are expensive and cost of living isn't cheap but I've worked out that if me and 4 mates decide to go together 80k each should cover everything from boat maintenance,food,recreational equipment and purchasing the boat itself for 2 years or more of amazing cruising and seeing the world. Do you guys think its realistic for us to save this amount of money by then? I know i would be able to live a very simple life for a few years to pursue my dream but would you be willing to sacrifice luxuries for a few years? any personal experiences or opinions would be helpful. btw im 16 just starting A-level so i have plenty of time and plan to save up as soon as i get a part-time job. Also if we do manage to save the money is 400K an adequate amount for 2 or more years of sailing and to purchase the boat and all the other costs.

[bensolomon]

Sift through the large amount of information you will get from a post of this nature, and don't get your feelings hurt. Sometimes the forums can get rough. So.....here we go:

The most important aspect is your sailing ability, and the sailing ability of your crew. Then, your ability to improvise and fix stuff without having a west marine next door. You may be in remote areas, or out to sea.
As far as the money part....you can buy a very capable used vessel for $50,000 or so. Sailboats are self sufficient, so living expenses will be lower than you think, especially if you anchor out and avoid marinas, and sail the boat rather than burn diesel, even into and out of the anchorages.

One thing....you must love the boat, though. Don't buy a boat that you don't love. It's you and her out there. She will talk to you, and you need to be able to understand and feel what she is telling you. Is it time to reef? Is that creaking sound strain on the rig? What's that vibration? And so on....

Good luck! Be safe, and go see the world.

[a64pilot]

I think your funds would be more than enough, the issue is I believe determining an equatable way of division of assets between the four of you, putting an agreement in writing on how one gets bought out when they want to quit etc.

[FollowingCs]

You are already ahead of the game, not falling for the Matrix.... Oh the Matrix is real my friend, they put blinders over your eyes and suck the life right out of you, feeding off your energy for corporate gain.... sounds just like the movie. Take the red pill...

Read up, there are many possibilities. A smaller boat would be possible to, maybe find a mate like this guy did:

SAILING IS SEXY | Two ocean lovers sailing around the world from San Francisco, California. Inspiring others to do what they dream of and enjoy life's wild ride.

[captain58sailin]

You have given yourself plenty of time. If you have a good savings plan, forgo the pub and work out your inventory of what you will need aboard to make things work. Start now investigating what kind of vessel would suit your style. Go out on as many different vessels as possible now, to start narrowing the list of what vessel will suit all of your needs the best. No one boat will be able to cover every aspect of what you want, you need to start working on what are priorities now. Sailing on a bunch of different vessels will teach you as much about what you don't want on a boat as what you do want. Both aspects are equally important. Once you get things narrowed down, inspect as many different vessels for sale that fit your criteria, as possible, even if you are not in the market now, it will give you a feel for what is out there and what are the common defects of the kind of vessel you want.

[captain58sailin]

Welcome to the forum, hopefully you will gain information here to help you make good decisions.

[youngavidsailor]

the matrix???? whats that or am i just being completely stupid and not realising what it is

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by youngavidsailor

the matrix???? whats that or am i just being completely stupid and not realising what it is

Its a movie old men liked, and you just made them feel a little older

[Bulawayo]

Try watching the following:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DVplr3um9k

Its a Geman girl who bought a basic boat for less than $7,000 (yes. under seven thousand dollars) & fixed the boat up reasonably and started cruising for less than $10k. You dont need a huge budget but do need a reasonable boat to stay safe. Personally, I think it unlikely that several people can do this without falling out - rather buy a small mono-hull and go with one other person. There are many 28-32ft mono-hulls that are totally seaworthy and adequate to circumnavigate. I was a similar age when I started to dream of this and bought a hull, deck and bulkheads cheaply at 18 years old via part time jobs. A year later she was launched and we crossed the Atlantic. You do not need a mega budget as many parts of the world staple food is remarkedly cheap. It is certainly do-able if you can stay focussed. My only hesitation is to suggest that you ensure you know what you want regarding education/ university etc.

[roland stockham]

I have know one couple who did exactly that, living cheaply without succumbing to to the temptations of the 'American way of life' is the key to freedom. At your age though be flexible about 'mates' to do it with, some stay some don't and will find other paths with other people. Don't try to lock people into a long term plan. Also do a long passage as crew if you haven't done one, you will learn a ton of stuff and confirm you like it. Try hear or findacrew.net (might need to be over 18 or have parents support for a skipper to be happy to take you on)

[Valmika]

I would say you can do the whole thing for the 80 K but first things first. You did not say where you are located but if you want to knock years off your departure time try to get on a racing crew for a small boat now. You can learn much from someone with the experience in both sailing and maintenance.
The videos on Untie the lines are a good learning experience at someone else expense. I'm sure many of us old guys wanted to tell her the problems before she figured them out for herself ,but she got through. Another good youtube group to watch is S/V Delos. This is a group of four that is on a 53 foot and they are doing it for under 2K a month.

[FollowingCs]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Its a movie old men liked, and you just made them feel a little older

LOL, The Matrix is a movie from 1999. Not that long ago, but about the year you were born. I didn't really like it initially, partially because I'm also an Engineer and computer programmer, so some of the 'tech' stuff bothered me. Wasn't till a bit later in life I realized it was partially a metaphor for the 'work hard, play by the rules, don't rock the boat, until you can retire at 65 and die shortly after' lifestyle.

If you decide to watch it, DON'T watch the other 2. I haven't seen either of them, but I've heard they are horrible....

~ Following C's ~

[roverhi]

Forget going with 3 other companions. Living in the cramped confines of a boat for long periods reveals things about them you won't want to know and the same for them about you.

Look at buying a smallish boat, keep it simple. If you have a particularly compatible friend, consider including them but get the break up rules and disposition of assets out of the way before you begin. Get yourself a trade or expertise that is portable/needed widely and you can go forever.

Be aware that most cruisers give it up after a year or two.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by Bulawayo

Its a Geman girl who bought a basic boat for less than $7,000 (yes. under seven thousand dollars) & fixed the boat up reasonably and started cruising for less than $10k.

In her text under her video, she says she paid 8,000 Euro, which is more than $11,000 at the time. It certainly cost her something to fix it up after that. She got a great deal on that boat, but someone told her about it and she went to Panama to get it.

But the point is well-taken that you can find and repair a boat for a reasonable cost.

[Mr42]

Make plans, give God something to laugh about...

I left the army with minimal savings and decided that the best way to get the boat I needed would be to set up a business and save for a few years. Ten years, two businesses and a bankruptcy later I went to the harbourmaster with a list of all the moorings I could find with what looked like abandoned boats on them, asking to be put in contact with the owners. A week later paid $2000 for a 30', 9tonne steel sloop which had broken her mooring 3 years prior. She was built to circumnavigate Antarctica in the late fifties and was un-damaged by the encounter with the beach, but had been seized by the harbourmaster in lieu of salvage costs.

In the following 3 years I managed to clock up over 10,000 single-handed miles, ate a lot of fish and lived the dream. I paid the bills by cleaning hulls and doing odd cleaning and fix-ups on rich peoples' boats.

Sailing is an adventure and an exercise in adaptability an simplification. If I were to do it all again, I wouldn't have bothered wasting the years on land trying to get the funds up to get a boat, I'd have gone straight to the boatyard from the barracks and cut to the chase.

Don't let anyone tell you that you need a lot of money to live the dream. The saltiest dogs in history were cash strapped and experience rich. When the sun goes down, it's the ripples lapping at your hull that fill the soul, not the resale value of the hull itself.

I used to smile when I hear someone talk about planning to save up to buy a boat. They're the ones who are working 60 hours a week to pay me for 30 hours work so that they can spend 8 hours sailing at the weekend. They're the folk who take me sailing because they're too old and worn out from a lifetime of wage slavery to manage their own vessel.

If the sea is calling, go to her without delay. She will take all you have to give and give you things that money can't buy. If you're going to enter into a relationship on those terms, it pays to bring as little money as possible.


Peace.