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Old 22-10-2016, 05:28   #1
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Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

We are in the final stages of completing the build of our catamaran and will be launching in the next few months. It is our intention to liveaboard within a short time. I know that people have discussed costings on this forum before but most of those have been for cruising around the Caribbean, US etc. Would love to hear how much it costs when cruising around Aus or NZ. There will only be my husband and I and the majority of the time we are not planning to use marinas. Thanks heaps!
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Old 22-10-2016, 17:53   #2
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

Few of us will have data for more than a couple of marinas. I'd suggest that a few minutes spent looking at marina web sites will give you current and accurate numbers. the bad news is that fees for large cats are pretty high, and the availabillity of berths may be limited in some areas.

Here is a link to the marina that we are currently forced to be in:

http://www.mbtbc.com/wp-content/uplo...-2013-OCT3.pdf

there are often additional live aboard fees added ( a true rip-off IMO).

Jim
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Old 22-10-2016, 21:22   #3
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

Thanks heaps Jim for the marina costings. Well that was an eye opener!! We can stay in Docklands in the heart of Melbourne CBD cheaper than that. We will be in the position to be largely self sufficient and wont be using marinas very often and given those costings - definitely wont be, only for supplies etc.
I was actually trying to determine monthly/annual budgets for living expenses such as food, entertainment, etc. I am hoping it will be considerably cheaper than living in a house when you have rates, water, electricity etc. Thanks again.
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Old 22-10-2016, 22:19   #4
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

It's almost a how long is a piece of string question.


I have a friend who lives on mackerel and home brew and I would guess lives on less than $200 per week. I am not a keen fisherman, like the occasional sausage, drop of red and store bought beer and live on about $400. I don't go into marinas much and actively cruise for six to seven months each year. Lots of folk up here in Queensland appear to do it comfortably on the old age pension.


Set off against the rates and electricity and water and home insurance are slipping fees, antifoul, registration boat insurance etc. so I don't think you would save a great deal there unless moving aboard from a high cost area.


For my part it turned out to be a quality of life issue and I tend to the opinion that instead of sixteen years of enjoyable cruising I would now be dead even though I formerly lived in a big house in a very pleasant, leafy suburb.
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Old 23-10-2016, 00:12   #5
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

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I was actually trying to determine monthly/annual budgets for living expenses such as food, entertainment, etc. I am hoping it will be considerably cheaper than living in a house when you have rates, water, electricity etc. Thanks again.
Shocking, ain't they!

But from our point of view, I believe that life aboard is cheaper than life ashore, IF you avoid marinas as much as possible and refrain from silly (to me) expenditures on entertainment, dining, and other "living large" fancies.

We're in a marina just now, dealing with some time consuming medical issues (old fart expenses), but prior to this we hadn't been in a marina in a couple of years (save for one night in Noumea after clearing in). As others have posted, many people tend to continue whatever level of consumption they had as land lubbers when they move aboard. As I see it, if you want to change your expenses, the act of moving aboard is a good time to institute sweeping alterations... kinda that it is easier when there is already a huge change in your life style. I dunno if it works that way for everyone, but I think it did for us.

Anyhow, depending on where you intend to cruise, economy without deprivation is well within reach!

Enjoy!

Jim
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Old 23-10-2016, 00:16   #6
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

Hi Wildfire,
congratulations on the upcoming launch of your boat. If you follow your dreams you are about to have the best time of your life.
We have lived on our 12 metre catamaran here in the east coast of Australia coming up to three years. I agree the question is similar to how long is a peice of string but here is what we have found.
1) Ultimately you and your wife determine how much you spend
2) Our daily expenses compared to that of living at home was far cheaper provided we minimised the use of marinas and bought up big when provisions were cheap. IE almost everything gets dearer north of Brisbane, repairs, food especially meat.
3) Maintenance is always a constant on a boat, regardless of age. Things break or you find that you need something you may not have considered.
4) We keep a large range of spares from screws through to spares for motors, extra electrical cable ( surprising how often you may need a couple of metres of wire or a switch) etc
5) Crusing guides, as you travel you will talk to people and find cruising books not known to you that will prove invaluable.

At the moment we are currently on the hard at Boatworks having our boat antifouled and some much needed love after the last season. Things have to be fixed that were not expected or budgeted which result in less urgent or essential jobs being put on the back burner.

It my opinion that if you budget for what you would have spent while living at home then you will have more than sufficient funds to go cruising and enjoy life.


Greg and Sue
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Old 23-10-2016, 00:29   #7
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

Is this a question where ActiveCaptain.com & other cruising resource websites might help, information wise?
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Old 23-10-2016, 00:54   #8
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

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Is this a question where ActiveCaptain.com & other cruising resource websites might help, information wise?
Probably not for australian waters.
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Old 23-10-2016, 09:59   #9
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

I've got some dumb questions. What do you do for fun, do you own a vehicle, car, motorcycle, bicycle. I don't drink much, or enjoy the bar scene. Don't mind preparing great food, and eating on deck watching the sun go down.

I guess where my boats moored, is actually decently priced. Under 400.00 a month. I don't know if theirs a live aboard fee.

I was hoping to live aboard for around 1500.00 a month. I'm now questioning my judgement. I can spend more, however I'm not intending on giving up my land toys EVER.

Perhaps my live aboard definition needs to be modified and better defined for my needs. "part time live aboard"

I don't want to quit fly fishing, hunting, riding my motorcycle, building vintage cars and bikes, and lake sailing. I want my blue water boat adventures to enhance my time left on earth, not consume that time.

Sorry to ramble.

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Old 23-10-2016, 13:14   #10
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

One of the things I think one has to do is decide why you are going off on a boat in the first place. Is it to broaden your range of experiences as part of a life style you already enjoy and value or is it because you want to make a fundamental change to a life style you are dissatisfied with.


Assuming it is the first and you like to entertain friends and eat out a lot, go to music festivals and all the other stuff we enjoy of a modern life style you need to cash up a fair bit.


However, if it is to change an unsatisfactory lifestyle the more of the indulgences we tend to support in living a modern lifestyle we can shed and replace with simple low cost pleasures like say climbing to the top of the island with a cut lunch and enjoying the view or half a bottle of red in the cockpit whilst watching the full moon rise over the granite tors and hoop pined hillside of a tropical bay, the cheaper and healthier your new life style is likely to be.


Each of us finds the comfort zone we thrive best in, your best bet is probably not to burn too many bridges whilst you give it a go and find out what the costs will be for the lifestyle aboard you are comfortable with then plan accordingly.


Defining the length of the piece of string you need is most probably an empirical operation.
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Old 23-10-2016, 21:02   #11
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

Great comments and feedback.
Jim its a bugger when the medical issues kick in - unfortunately fact of life. Wish you well and that you are back sailing soon.
You are quite right RaymondR it is a kinda how long is a piece of string question. We are changing our lifestyle to embrace travel and have the opportunity to explore many of the places we have been before. When you are employed you only get such a short time to experience the whole place. So now is the time to take in the diversity, beauty and cultures of different places. The quality of life is the probably the main reason for becoming liveaboards.
Ozsailer thanks for the congrats - we have been on the building path of our cat for just over 4 years now and cant wait to see her in the water. Thanks for the info - most helpful. Visited Boatworks last year - amazing place.
Great points Dirk Williams and you are correct. I guess its about finding balance. Its not our intention to stay in one place but rather to explore get the lay of the land and then move on, in which case it would be difficult to have cars, motor bikes etc.

Your responses have been most helpful thanks again. I would be interested in keeping the dialogue open to hear your thoughts on whether you kept your homes, or sold up everything, or have an investment property to go back too.

This is one of the most difficult decisions to make, keep the family home, or sell everything up. Then storage becomes an issue. Love to hear your thoughts and my thanks again.
Cheers Gaye
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Old 25-10-2016, 19:01   #12
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Cate View Post
Few of us will have data for more than a couple of marinas. I'd suggest that a few minutes spent looking at marina web sites will give you current and accurate numbers. the bad news is that fees for large cats are pretty high, and the availabillity of berths may be limited in some areas.

Here is a link to the marina that we are currently forced to be in:

http://www.mbtbc.com/wp-content/uplo...-2013-OCT3.pdf

there are often additional live aboard fees added ( a true rip-off IMO).

Jim


Still in MBTBC Jim? I'll be leaving the boat there over Christmas, flying to WA. Yep, the Marina prices up here are a shock after Tassie....Con Dock $115/week incl power....now that's value!


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Old 25-10-2016, 19:18   #13
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

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Still in MBTBC Jim? I'll be leaving the boat there over Christmas, flying to WA. Yep, the Marina prices up here are a shock after Tassie....Con Dock $115/week incl power....now that's value!


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Yep, still here, dammit! But we hope still to be in Tassie by Christmas, so while it would be good to catch up, we'd prefer that it not happen then and there!!

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Old 06-12-2016, 21:31   #14
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

You've made great progress down the coast...currently approaching Newcastle I see on AIS.

couldn't answer your private message...my box is full and appears no way to delete old messages to make room.


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Old 07-12-2016, 00:30   #15
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Re: Cost of Liveaboard in Australia

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You've made great progress down the coast...currently approaching Newcastle I see on AIS.

couldn't answer your private message...my box is full and appears no way to delete old messages to make room.


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G'Day Alan,

Yep, now at anchor in the north arm of the Hunter... off again tomorrow AM for Broken Bay and a short stay.

Thanks again for the dinner the other night, and sorry that I didn't warn you about the peanut allergy!

Jim and Ann
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