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Old 16-07-2012, 11:55   #16
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

Solar where do I start the Arch enemy! Well it is my fault since I am a power hog, but years ago I met a wise man and he bestowed apond the power of the red box!! Its the HONDA 2000 portable Gen. or Lil Red as I call her. 1000 DOLLARS AND MY PRAYS WHERE ANSWERED! All kidding aside I have a wind generator which does most of the work but when there is no wind I break out lil red has a ECO switch on her purrs like a kitten on the low speed and runs the A/C! 1 pull everytime best thing I ever bought for the boat
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Old 16-07-2012, 15:37   #17
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

Yep.

The entry fees are sometimes a bit over the top. We still buy water / fuel / food / everything in each country so what the heck?

When we get 'robbed' up front then I tend to be more 'frugal' ashore. Their govt gets the money, but their pueblo suffers ;-(

Oh Gods of Cruising! Please bless countries with low entry and cruising fees.

;-)

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Old 16-07-2012, 15:49   #18
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

Roverhi i would like to cross the pond to the islands but I hear it is totally exspensive now, plus my lil 35 footer will be 40 next year, but I know a couple crazy candians did it in Gemini 34 (The Slapdash) 2 years ago. So hey who knows?
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Old 16-07-2012, 16:35   #19
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

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Originally Posted by crazycat View Post
All kidding aside I have a wind generator which does most of the work but when there is no wind I break out lil red has a ECO switch on her purrs like a kitten on the low speed and runs the A/C! 1 pull everytime best thing I ever bought for the boat
AC!!!!!

I know for a CF fact that if one cruises on 500 a month they are not allowed to have AC! Much less refrigeration or a diesel. Ach du Lieber!!

Good thing you didn't read the thread before you left.
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Old 16-07-2012, 19:03   #20
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

During the summer you can anchor out most of the time around most islands so that will keep expenses down but come October you will need a place to hide. The State marinas usually allow up to 3 months in any calendar year, space permitting. You can get from October through March doing the 3 month thing. Don't remember what the transient rates are but seem to remember they were about what I was paying in Alameda ($8'). Had several boats spend the winter here in Kona last year and look to be a few vacant slips. Some boats stay on moorings year around in Kailua Bay here in Kona and off of Lahaina on Maui. You have to stay close to the boat as big surf rolls in regularly from the NW in the winter. You'd have to up anchor and sail out for a day or two till the surf dies down. These swells are generated way north of us so are just surf, no bad weather usually assocated with them. We do get a couple of lows that pass through in the winter that can bring 30 plus mile an hour winds so you have to be ready for that as well. Most cruising boats that hole up here for the winter head back to the mainland or down to the Cooks, Tonga, Fiji in the late spring. Some people do the roundtrip from the mainland and back in one summer. A bit ambitious for my tastes but quite a few do it.

One big advantage to Hawaii is you can work legally if you can find a job. I sure could have used someone to help with my haulout work. Hired a guy but he took constant babysitting to be sure he was doing things right. Finally just decided to work by myself which extended the haulout quite a bit. Laydays aren't cheap.

Generally fresh produce, milk etc. is at least a 1/3rd more costly than the mainland though Costco helps cut that a bit. Things that grow here like fresh fish, avocados, etc can be dirt cheap, sometimes just for the picking though ask first. We typically pay 1$-2$ for rats (small ahi) in the summer. I'm not much of a fisherman and haven't had much luck catching fish while sailing. Did take a fishing charter captain sailing with me last year and he caught a couple of small fish that made a nice meal for four.

Let me know what other help you may need.
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Old 17-07-2012, 12:49   #21
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

Did you guys cross in the Pearson 35?
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Old 17-07-2012, 13:05   #22
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

I single handed the Pearson from SF in 2010. 15 days from the Gate to anchored in Radio Bay, Hilo. A DDW milk run for most of the way running wing and wing, jibed once.

We sailed to French Polynesia and back to Hawaii from San Diego in 1976-77 on our Westsail 32. Dropped the hook in Kona in 1977 and couldn't get the damn thing back up. Still here 35 years later.
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Old 18-07-2012, 16:12   #23
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a suggestion for crazycat

". . . my lil 35 footer will be 40 next year."

Just wait another, nuther year. . .

I think a 45' boat should be boat enough.

Wow . . . I knew boating grew on ya, but I never knew the boats actually grow
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Old 18-07-2012, 16:30   #24
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

I too am thinking of a 45 footer for my 45 birthday. The point is nearly all boats of this size have their decks far away from the ocean. So, for the time being, I will keep on pretending I am always 27!

;-)
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Old 18-07-2012, 17:17   #25
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

Welcome to CF and love to hear of your success on that budget.
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Old 19-07-2012, 04:02   #26
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

OMG! to funny I wish my cat grew every year that it aged! like my weigh every year, I pull on a couple more! I am planning a trip down to the BVI after hurricane season but this boat moving job I have is getting in the way of planning and preparing now.
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Old 19-07-2012, 04:28   #27
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

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New to this forum but was reading the Budget sailor posts for 500 dollars a month? Well trailor sailors and you guys that own the pier queens here is my story. after 21 years in the Coast Guard and 3 sailboats ( Pier Queens) that never made it past freeport Bahamas, I bought a less than seaworthy 1973 Prout 35 cat for 23k worked on it for 6 months, (sunk another 6k into her) outfitted her and sailed for two and a half years to Bahamas, Mexico, Belize, Panama and to grand cayman and back to Miami.I must admit some months I spent a little more than 500 but some (Mexico I spent less than 300). I single handed her so food for only one. Port of entry was biggest cost after food, beer and fuel, 150 dollars to get in Bahamas ouch! Diving and fishing alot ate like a king, met alot of great people along the way and many crazy Candians. I lived off my CG retirement and still have health care thru them for a small yearly fee. I am looking forward to another trip soon still, this time to the Virgin Islands. For all you guys that dream of sailing away, keep your dream alive and one day make it happen!
Great to hear you about your accomplishment. Sounds like a fun couple of years. I think you hit on one of the cost issues that really adds to the bill and that is crew. I tend to sail alone and notice how much less I need to carry and how little time I need to spend on land (re provisioning getting water etc...) when I don't have crew on board. My boat is easy to sail single handed and most of the time the crew tends to sit around, read, drink my beer and ask what snacks I have and whats the next meal. That does not change when at anchor either. Crew is nice to have sometime but, I've found it adds a lot to the provisioning bill. Travel light/travel right!
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Old 19-07-2012, 04:47   #28
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

BIANKA,
Your right I had visitors come meet me and went thru alot more supplies.

I think one key to Cruising on a Budget is before you leave!! AKA buy 3 of everything you think you will need. example fuel filters. belts breakfee tools, first aid stuff, elect- parts, wire ,line,..... I could go on and on.. As much as I Hate West Marine's prices when you are standing at the store in the islands and thinking this is all you got? and the price is crazy, have to ship it or at the mercy of a local mechanic?
Propane was a pain for me prices ,carrying hauling in the dink.. but just one thing you can't avoid..
Street food is a great way to save also I ate what the locals ate and never got sick off anything.. Traveling alone also gets you invited to other boats as you guys all feel sorry for the single guy.. hey and thanks......

Knowledge is a KEY learn your boat learn to fix it cause as Capt. Ron says ''IF it going to happen its going to happen out there!
After a drunken night I dropped the lil scooter ( my 2.5 honda) for the dink. into the drink oops! spent the next day hung over taking it apart changing the oil a few time started on the 3rd pull... my point well my fault dont drink and try to go to shore for more rum! ..well thats a tip but the point is that it cost me time and some oil but what if I had to take that to a repair shop in Mexico?
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Old 20-07-2012, 03:50   #29
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

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Originally Posted by crazycat View Post
BIANKA,
Your right I had visitors come meet me and went thru alot more supplies.

I think one key to Cruising on a Budget is before you leave!! AKA buy 3 of everything you think you will need. example fuel filters. belts breakfee tools, first aid stuff, elect- parts, wire ,line,..... I could go on and on.. As much as I Hate West Marine's prices when you are standing at the store in the islands and thinking this is all you got? and the price is crazy, have to ship it or at the mercy of a local mechanic?
Propane was a pain for me prices ,carrying hauling in the dink.. but just one thing you can't avoid..
Street food is a great way to save also I ate what the locals ate and never got sick off anything.. Traveling alone also gets you invited to other boats as you guys all feel sorry for the single guy.. hey and thanks......

Knowledge is a KEY learn your boat learn to fix it cause as Capt. Ron says ''IF it going to happen its going to happen out there!
After a drunken night I dropped the lil scooter ( my 2.5 honda) for the dink. into the drink oops! spent the next day hung over taking it apart changing the oil a few time started on the 3rd pull... my point well my fault dont drink and try to go to shore for more rum! ..well thats a tip but the point is that it cost me time and some oil but what if I had to take that to a repair shop in Mexico?
Yeah, refilling propane can be a pain. You don't have to be in one of the out islands either. I had a bear of a time trying to find propane when I was living on board in New York City. Finally found a plumbing supply place that would refill my 10 gallon tank. Had to covertly bring it to them in a big boat bag. I'm sure I'd have a lot of explaining to do to the authorities why I was walking around Manhattan with a propane tank if I carried it out in the open.
Since you too have a Honda 2000 generator too one thing I was thinking of doing is using it to power a small toaster oven instead of using the propane powered one I have on board. I could also use it with a microwave too and as a stove backup with a hot plate. That way if the propane runs out you have backup cooking facilities. IMO it easier to find gas for the generator when cruising than propane so it makes sense to use it as a backup for cooking when the propane runs out.
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Old 20-07-2012, 04:59   #30
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Re: I did it for 500 dollars a month!

i did it on $125 / month, (including port fees) lost weight, got fit and made a lot of friends.
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