Cost per year

[rmorrow1970]

This is very subjective I know, but realistically trying to figure out a yearly budget for living aboard, sailing, setting up shop in the Caribbean, then the Mediterranean perhaps. Assuming a 50' boat, (figuring the cost by the length of the boat seems a bit odd to me, obviously bigger costs more,....but has anyone actually done the real numbers to back this up, I think there must be a zero point.... then extra maintenance needs....also what you do where you are also greatly affects your financial needs.....I just want to get the right amount in annuities and call it done...thanks for the help as always....
Rick

[Eben]

Originally Posted by rmorrow1970

This is very subjective I know, but realistically trying to figure out a yearly budget for living aboard, sailing, setting up shop in the Caribbean, then the Mediterranean perhaps. Assuming a 50' boat, (figuring the cost by the length of the boat seems a bit odd to me, obviously bigger costs more,....but has anyone actually done the real numbers to back this up, I think there must be a zero point.... then extra maintenance needs....also what you do where you are also greatly affects your financial needs.....I just want to get the right amount in annuities and call it done...thanks for the help as always....
Rick

It's not that straight forward, the numbers are different for everybody and every boat.

Some simple rules to get you started is 10-20% of the purchase price of the boat for maintenance per year.

Living costs will be the same as what you spend now minus a few land only expenses.

The short answer is it will take everything you have plus a bit more.

Now to get down to what's possible, firstly if you're willing to simplify your life, which sounds like it's not your style since you're already talking 50' boats, you can really shrink your budget. The sad reality is that most of us are so brain washed by the media that we believe we must have all the mod cons in order to be happy.

Figure out what you truly need (not want or desire), to be happy then work backwards from there to figure out what your monthly number is.

Best of luck! I hope this helps even though I didn't give you the real numbers you're after.

[zeehag]

one year can'be 10 dollars us, the next 10,000. depends on what breaks.
plus your rent and food and daily expenses, of course, which donot really change much when ye travel.
have fun

[rmorrow1970]

I was hoping those who are doing this will chime in. I have seen two spreadsheets, but I'm sure others have this figured out. . I would call myself average as far as extra things or expenses. Because I say a 50' sailboat, some assume I can't or haven't eliminated excess in my life. I have lived in 350sq. ft. for past 4 years. Not because of money. But by choice. A larger boat of the size I'm buying will actually have more space than I've become accustomed. Thank you all for the input. Also, as far as living expenses being "the same" as on land...that's not possible..it will be much higher than my current expenses, so if anyone has good estimates for that..it is appreciated.

[model 10]

It costs what you got to spend.

[sailorboy1]

Assuming a couple eating once/wk and staying in marinas a week/mo, assuming owner is fairly handy and can maintain most things and keeps the boat in good condition, carries boat insurance, factors into the budget long term maintenance items - I've going to say $45,000/yr for a 50' boat. This is a semi simple life that allows sight seeing and having fun with restraint.

This is based on my 7 years of research but no actual long term cruising yet.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by rmorrow1970

I was hoping those who are doing this will chime in. I have seen two spreadsheets, but I'm sure others have this figured out. . I would call myself average as far as extra things or expenses. Because I say a 50' sailboat, some assume I can't or haven't eliminated excess in my life. I have lived in 350sq. ft. for past 4 years. Not because of money. But by choice. A larger boat of the size I'm buying will actually have more space than I've become accustomed. Thank you all for the input. Also, as far as living expenses being "the same" as on land...that's not possible..it will be much higher than my current expenses, so if anyone has good estimates for that..it is appreciated.

you did not like the answer of someone out here doing this.
you donot recognise those of us who are out here doing this.
i spoke accurately. some years no maintenance of record..all goes well. next year you have 10k usd repairs to effect.
have fun.
everyone is different.
you n only you know what your personal habits include.
there have been so very many threads on tbis topic 8npast 5 yrs.
you want spread sheets, check out sailing with terrapin and check out svbebe and check out the others with long involved micromanaged blogs and spread sheets. i donot play that way. i face what i need when i need it. sometimes i eat a lot sometimes nkt. as i stated only you know personal habits. those fo not hange.
only variable is maintenance
my statements come from sqiling opb and my own. mine 5 yrs, opb one year before.
have fun.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by rmorrow1970

I was hoping those who are doing this will chime in. I have seen two spreadsheets, but I'm sure others have this figured out. . I would call myself average as far as extra things or expenses. Because I say a 50' sailboat, some assume I can't or haven't eliminated excess in my life. I have lived in 350sq. ft. for past 4 years. Not because of money. But by choice. A larger boat of the size I'm buying will actually have more space than I've become accustomed. Thank you all for the input. Also, as far as living expenses being "the same" as on land...that's not possible..it will be much higher than my current expenses, so if anyone has good estimates for that..it is appreciated.

out gere in my formosa 5 years now seems to be out here doing it enough for most other folks. ye want spreadsheets, sailing with terrapin. sv bebe. others who micro organize. i donot do that. i enjoy my cruising and repairing with money to neself each month. i live on 1500 usd monthly. it is easy.
you are not going to change basic habits merely by moving into a boat.
as i have stated, yearly maintenance can be from 0 per annum to over 10k usd.
have fun.

[TJ D]

It depends on a lot of things.

Miles sailed is one. I was based in Mexico for a number of years, and a certain poster preceding me has not to my knowledge moved outside of a very narrow stretch (a few hundred miles) of the coast there. Not the best benchmark for 'cruising'. Stuff wears out faster when you're actually sailing your boat long distances.

Over the last 3 years, we have gone from San Francisco through Panama to Newfoundland, back to Florida, and are now on our way back north. This is a pretty moderate amount of miles, but probably in keeping with a good deal of full time cruisers.

Regarding size and cost, the comparisons are mostly false. Mostly.

Really, the places where the expenses really get high is everything to do with sails and rigging. A main and a jib for our 55 cost the same as a half-way decent 30 footer would. Granted, we went with laminate sails, but even with just plain ol' dacron, that stuff's expensive. We replaced the standing rigging, which was also much more than a smaller boat. The nice lines with the spectra cores add up too. This is the main drawback in my mind. Slip fees too, but it's a marginal increase. Our last boat was a more 'normal' 44', so we're paying 20% more than we used to. No big deal.

Everything else is really pretty much the same. Our boat is basically equipped the same way as a well equipped 35 footer. We don't have a generator, no washing machine, dive compressor, or any of the other crap commonly found on 'bigger' boats. How you equip the boat will determine the upkeep costs more than simply size. I don't view the 55 as more expensive to maintain than any of my previous boats, outside of the sails/rigging.

Leaving out the big ticket items that are generally done prior to a longer cruise, what do we spend, all in? About 4k a month on the average in the USA or E. Caribbean when we're mostly in marinas.

In the W. Caribbean or a place like Newfoundland, it's a lot less.

Averaged out over a few years, we're about like this annually:

Marinas-12k
Food/drinks/entertainment (aboard and out)-15k
Insurance 3k
1 haulout annually, basic work-1.5k
Car rentals/tourism2-3k
Ordinary boat maintenance-5-10k
Misc, maybe 5k more.

We left on this boat in 2013 with the boat in just about bristol condition (which meant writing some big checks not accounted for here), and have kept her more or less the same way while cruising, and we aren't really depriving ourselves when it comes to spending, but we're also not nearly as profligate as many we see out there. We know it can be done for a lot less, but this is where we have found our comfort zone.

Hope it helps.

TJ

[zeehag]

oh!!!! my error!!!!
op, your best info will come from post number 9. the poster is THE only individual ever to have gone cruising.
sad.
but he knows it ALL..just ask him, he will tell ye.
no one else could possibly have any time on sea but he.
is impossible . one trip pony. knows everything. rude. inaccurate, but knows it all.

oh yeah i only been doing this owning of boats and going places in em since 1990. learned to sail from age 7, 60 years, now. naaaw i know nothing.

[rmorrow1970]

Zeehag....did I wrong you in another life? Whatever your problem is, please get some help, stop feeding diatribe, and keep off my posts. I value all information I get, but you simply have some agenda. (perhaps with me) that is negative, sarcastic, and antagonist for no apparent reason. Thank you in advance for simply staying off my posts.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by rmorrow1970

Zeehag....did I wrong you in another life? Whatever your problem is, please get some help, stop feeding diatribe, and keep off my posts. I value all information I get, but you simply have some agenda. (perhaps with me) that is negative, sarcastic, and antagonist for no apparent reason. Thank you in advance for simply staying off my posts.

ha ha ha ha ha ha
only thing you have done is fail to see the experienced others who travel in sailing boats many thousands of miles on under 1500 usd monthly.
enjoy your spreadsheet life..

[TJ D]

I'm not quite sure where all that came from either. I was just pointing out that 'out doing it for 5 years' actually didn't mean much more than living aboard in Mexico in a couple of places, hence it wasn't really a good benchmark for a lot of folks. I gathered from your post that you were not trying to do this on a shoestring anyway. Hence my reply. How this can be seen as pompous is beyond me.

Zeehag and I have met a few times over the years. Mostly in Barra, where she had been for a LONG time. Before that, it was La Cruz. Last I heard, she made it all the way up to Mazatlán. I certainly never thought of myself as an authority on this or any other cruising subject, but I also know that these last 5 years for her have not been exactly spent cruising in the sense that most probably think of it.

Anyway, Zeehag, I'm sorry if I offended you, but these posts where you portray yourself as being out there bluewater cruising just aren't reality. I have no idea what you did or didn't do before that. Perhaps it is previous voyages you are referring to, but the last 5 years? No.

Next time we sail through Mexico, if you're still there, I'll buy you a taco.

TJ

[zeehag]

i do have over 10000 miles of cruising within the past few years, so my ability to repair my boat ON A SHOESTRING in a non usa locale has been allowed by even the old salts, with whom i am often associated with my over 60 years now of sailing including gaff rigged sloops, and 3000 miles in this particular boat.
my info is also accurate as you will learn.
you wanted info, you got the only info you will be able to use. you want spreadsheets on an imaginary boat, design unknown, yet you sling at me with disrespect despite my being out here living the lifestyle you wish for.
you get what you deserve when you have closed mind in cruising. spreadsheets,no matter how well designed are never all inclusive. life and **** happen. guaranteed.
micromanaging cruising results in fail.
i have cruised my over 1000 miles in recent years on under 1500 usd monthly. inclusive of repairs.
and tjd, if you know me so well, you would know i found the only honest diesel repair guy in barraś immediate area in spanish, and the day my runaway engine, named ka lunk,(there is a thread on that, bearing name ka lunk. look it up) ran, my brother died. and you donot know how many miles i have cruised nor where i have cruised, as we never spoke nor made friends, did we. so you cannot speak for my knowledge nor my mileage cruised, as you donot know, but make presumptions. which is pompous. as you have no clue, that makes your words false.
ps moved on board 1990 full time, sailing over 60 years. totally inexperienced. ye think?

[Kenomac]

You need to provide the age and make of the 50ft boat along with how much maintenance you plan to do yourself, and the amount of time you intend to spend in marinas or anchorages in order for anyone to provide you with any meaninful figures.

Otherwise, expect to spend anywhere fron $10,000-$100,000. Does that narrow it down enough?