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Old 11-02-2008, 12:08   #46
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THIS GUY DID IT!

Not counting his plane ticket, this guy successfully sailed for LESS than a dollar a day in one of the most beautiful places I've seen.

Goes to show you that we needn't always think of cruising the entire planet and vast oceans to get the same experience:



RebelCat - the simple catamaran you can build and sail


His boat cost $100 and he used it for 4 mos. So... technically, he did it!
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Old 11-02-2008, 13:04   #47
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Latitude 38 over the years has run articles on how to live cheaply while cruising.

March 9, 2001

Well we can spend a fortune or you can get by cheap. For instance is an engine a necessity or a luxury. This reallly depends on your point of view. Lets call it a neccessity well all of a sudden your budget goes up b/c you use it to charge your batteries which implies you have electricity which implies that there are lots of electrical toys to play with etc. So now don't call it a necessity after all there were circumnavigations done w/o engines (most recently done by a frenchman to set the singlehanded around the world non stop record in 2008 Latitude 38 - The West's Premier Sailing & Marine Magazine ). Well there are alot of costs eleiminated.

A wood boat can be repaired at minimal costs and wood masts can be replaced at minimal costs. I have a nice Sugar pine in my front yard that is 70' tall.

Here is a link to a guy who lives on a cat in the Sea of Cortez for less than $5 a day. Latitude 38 - The West's Premier Sailing & Marine Magazine

As G8 people we (I include myself here) are "soft." Captain Bligh sailed what was it 2500 nm in an open boat. Slocum sailed the Spray around the world with a small budget. Shackleton sailed the Antartic in an open boat.

Can it be done. I'd say probably (red tape might make it impossible at the least illegal) Would I be willing to do it under those conditions. A definite. No!!!! I condsider the Pardey's to be Ludites. On the other hand for a couple I think that $1000 a month would be reasonable and maybe less. But that would limit the size of boat to 30' and under. I've grown to like my luxuries. I don't want to barter for everything.

I can't find it but will continue to look there was a Lat 38 article about a teacher who built a traditional tri in the marshall islands or maybe PNG or some location like that who was cruising the world on less than $1 a day. He had made the boat himself and sold it for a few $1000 when done. He used woven sails and wooden masts.
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Between us there was, as I have already said somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding our hearts together through long periods of separation, it had the effect of making us tolerant of each other's yarns -- and even convictions. Heart of Darkness
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Old 17-02-2008, 21:09   #48
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Here is another guy who has gotten by really cheap. In fact he made a Cat for around $1500 and sailed it from the Philipines to China and Back.
Atom Voyages | One With The Oceans - Sailing Across the Pacific by Dugout Canoe
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Charlie

Between us there was, as I have already said somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding our hearts together through long periods of separation, it had the effect of making us tolerant of each other's yarns -- and even convictions. Heart of Darkness
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Old 03-03-2008, 10:07   #49
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I read about Alberto, and his spinning to find direction in the early 90's. This man is an exception, and not many would have his determination to do it his way. He probably did it on a whole less than a dollar a day.

The biggest cost is upkeep of the vessel, so the smaller the boat. The smaller the bill to be paid. It's a sailboat, so sail more often to avoid using fuel. The start up cost of wind, and solar is expensive, but the freedom is fantastic.

I am probably one of the first to reduce sail, and I believe that this saves me wear, and tear on the boat. Which in turn transfers into money spent, or not spent. A little grease will go a long way way to extending the life of hardware.

We lived, and tavelled on Imagine for 4 years. I had a budget of 2k a month. Most of that money went to food, docking during the hurricane season, and upkeep. Once we left the dock, and lived on the hook. Our little bank account would actually grow.

I think that once the boat is fit, and you have some time before you start spending money on upkeep. You can get away cheaply. We troll constantly, and have only caught a few fish, so we eat out of our freezer mostly. We seldom eat out, and when we do we always find the hole in the wall where you get more than your money's worth.

During the time we lived on the hook, and this includes life ashore, such as movies, museums, t-shirts, trinkets etc. etc. We probably got by on around $500.00 a month.

Now when we sail to the Philippines we will have a small home on 10-20 acres with fruit trees. We will be able to sail the 7000+ islands 6 months out of the year, and live for 1/4 that $500.00. During Typhoon season I haven't a plan yet for keeping Imagine safe. Since I have got about 3 years to fix that worry. I will worry about that later.
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Old 03-03-2008, 13:27   #50
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I like to hear different stories of people living 6 months on and 6 months off. I think I could get that out of my wife. I personally would love to sell a bunch of stuff and be off aon an edventure this week.
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Between us there was, as I have already said somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding our hearts together through long periods of separation, it had the effect of making us tolerant of each other's yarns -- and even convictions. Heart of Darkness
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Old 03-03-2008, 14:59   #51
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie View Post
I2F:

I like to hear different stories of people living 6 months on and 6 months off. I think I could get that out of my wife. I personally would love to sell a bunch of stuff and be off aon an edventure this week.
I used to do pretty much that for quite a few years - albeit not on a boat.

Never seemed to work out exactly 6/6 - but pretty much the deal.

The key (for me) was earning in a place where the cost of living is very high (and wages in my profession are commensurate)........living a frugal lifestyle / working the hours.........and then spending £££ abroad in places where a proper currency goes a long long way (apart from in the Bars ) and you get to decide how expensively or cheaply you want to live - but essentially it is better to be happy living fairly cheap (but this doesn't have mean living rough or native!)........and having a profession in a place where I did not worry greatly about picking up work pretty much as soon as I arrived back off the plane. Being unemployed in a place with a very high cost of living is a real killer £££'s wise!

Another key is also to be both expense and debt free back home - when abroad and not earning........but mainly the trick is to want to live like this / get something out of the arrangement (apart from a sun tan and a lot of hangovers ).....and want to do it and are able to do so (some folk cannot cope with uncertainty - me I simply get depressed by my life being certain).

Plusses and minuses to everything in life of course and spending half one's life on holiday is not always as fun as it sounds. Mostly it is , but can also get a bit pointless.......can also lose contact with folk/freinds and "Life" back home, without really establishing a "real" life away........

Being away for an extended period lowers yer average costs radically - what I would otherwise have spent on a 2 week round trip vacation (albeit partying hard) would probably last me a couple of months, both because yer do not feel the need to do everything "Now" and also living in longer term accomadation than a Hotel.

The main downside overall is that the Bank Account has a few regrets

How does this translate to Boats? Well, I can only at this time base things on my Fathers experiance of extended holidays on a Boat (& my own as a kid with him / the family - and my own trips abroad sans Boat)........but I am pretty confident that the same principals applies - the more time away the cheaper things work out on average cost per day - obviously having a well sorted boat would be a key, rather than trying to do a rebuild enroute

Having spent half my refurb budget on a new Motorbike (delivery end of the month ) I am now a traitor to the USD1 a day cause and probably won't be setting sail into the sunset this year........but maybe next year I will give the 50 / 50 lifestyle a go. But then again I have recently developed a hankering to ride down to the Black Sea..........

Yer only get one crack at this life............
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Old 03-03-2008, 15:08   #52
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I never did get the 6/6 down either but back when there was no wife no kids and no house payments it was a pretty good racket. It is much more complicated now that I own my own business etc. I still get a good bit of vacation every year 8 to 10 weeks but I think 6/6 would be better and at least five of that on the boat. I am going to leave my boat in La Paz Mexico and hope to be able to sail down there for three to five months a year. We'll let you know how it works out. Hve fun with the motorbike and the sailboat.
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Charlie

Between us there was, as I have already said somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding our hearts together through long periods of separation, it had the effect of making us tolerant of each other's yarns -- and even convictions. Heart of Darkness
Joseph Conrad
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Old 18-03-2008, 15:50   #53
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Question:

Who all would go out without a windex or electric wind indicator? How about a paddle wheel knot meter?

I've got remnants of some of the above, but never sailed on a boat with more than one of the three functioning...

Though it would be nice to see speed over ground vs water speed on occasion! I'm not certain it'd be worth the couple hundred bucks to get everything back online.
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Old 18-03-2008, 16:23   #54
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I sailed from Port Townsend WA to Astoria OR without a knotmeter/log. To me of the instruments that you are talking about I think that the speedometer/log is the most important.If something should ever happen to GPS then you would need to calculate distance run in order to do dead reckoning. The wind indicator is nice but not necessary
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Fair Winds,

Charlie

Between us there was, as I have already said somewhere, the bond of the sea. Besides holding our hearts together through long periods of separation, it had the effect of making us tolerant of each other's yarns -- and even convictions. Heart of Darkness
Joseph Conrad
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Old 18-03-2008, 16:38   #55
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Originally Posted by Zach View Post
Question:

Who all would go out without a windex or electric wind indicator? How about a paddle wheel knot meter?

I've got remnants of some of the above, but never sailed on a boat with more than one of the three functioning...

Though it would be nice to see speed over ground vs water speed on occasion! I'm not certain it'd be worth the couple hundred bucks to get everything back online.

Ha ha ha... how true is this?

I am without a functioning knot log, wind indicator and only have a manual windlass that I'm wondering why I wasted $800 on in the first place. (should have listened to Sluissa!)

But, the delivery goes on, regardless.

I found that I could haul up a 55lb Delta with 3/8"BBB all chain rode without too much effort by hand. Now that I've done that, I'm getting bored cranking the manual windlass and just "bypass" it by grabbing the chain and pulling.
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Old 18-03-2008, 17:10   #56
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Well... I've done a few years inland sailing without that stuff, (or depth sounder...) just curious if the ocean crossers on a dollar a day say they wouldn't leave home with out them!

Otherwise simple is the name of the game. I just hate undoing something only to put it back later.
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Old 18-03-2008, 17:23   #57
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I would much rather have a spare hand held gps unit and some batteries.

But, I'm crazy. If I thought I could get by without a motor I'd be all over that too.
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Old 18-03-2008, 17:29   #58
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No 250k either and not retired yet

While I am not crusing and may never reach that goal.

Had a fellow once tell me eat to live don't live to eat.
Seems the same can be said of work.

Part of what makes life enjoyable is the special pleasure we give to the items in it.

A perfect day on the water is great because it does not happen all the time.

A great steak is great not because you've had it 10 days in a row.
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Old 19-03-2008, 06:18   #59
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Zach

The birds broke-off my windex 2 years ago - telltales do nicely, and the wind on my face should tell me both wind speed and wind direction.
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Old 19-03-2008, 12:47   #60
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The birds broke-off my windex 2 years ago - telltales do nicely, and the wind on my face should tell me both wind speed and wind direction.
Gee, a sailor.
That's what ears are for.

Don't throw out those old cassettes - the tape makes great tell-tales.
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