Cruising on $5,000 / Month

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by northoceanbeach

You must have missed the post I was responding to. I didn't bring up $500 in this thread.



What would I do with a cruising budget of $5000? One significant Upgrade a month when in a place that could do it. Go to the Mediterranean and shop. And eat very well. Spend money at museums and buying small but expensive souvenirs. If I was in Egypt I would spent $4000 at the gold bazaar on earrings. In Italy I would buy Italian glass or shoes or clothes. In England or Norway I would buy an ancient Viking hammer necklace. Stuff like that.



It's funny how everyone says that cruising doesn't cost them much more than living at home, yet $5000 is considered a huge cruising budget yet $5000 to live on land, that's $60000 a year. That's not that extravegent.

On land you don't have something that costs a boat buck every time you sneeze. A boat already cost, use it full time and see how that increases exponentially. That only applies if you try to maintain it in top condition, which when my life might depend on it, is how I'd like it to be.

[northoceanbeach]

Yes you do. A house. My mom just put siding on for $25000 and a roof for $30000. What on a sailboat costs $55000?

[Certeza]

Originally Posted by northoceanbeach

I would change your comment to:

Any single person or couple without kids in a first world country, if willing to put off cruising for long enough, should be able to eventually save up enough to have a boat, a backup savings for emergencies and an unlimited monthly cruising budget.

Point well taken.

[virginia boy]

Originally Posted by Red Sky

..The other thing I enjoy is knowing that when I'm through with cruising, say in my 70's, I won't need to rely on anything (the government) or anyone to survive. Would I have liked to take off when I was younger and not deal with real life, maybe, but it didn't feel like eating cat food when I was old. You are perfectly welcome to cruise on as little as you want to, but remember Easop's fable about the ant and the grasshopper, don't expect me to open the door when it's winter and you've danced the summer of your life away. Actions have consequences.

The hungry grasshoppers don't need you to open the door because they have Obama...and he has a phone and a pen that can pry open your bank account.

[Cruiser2B]

I have not read through the entire post but based off title alone....I could cruise quite easily on $5k a month.

Found this video on youtube today. It is a cruising couple that I follow. They post excellent videos on cruising and their voyages. This is the latest on a cruising budget.

Cruising Lealea Q&A Number Nine: How Much Does it Cost? - YouTube

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by northoceanbeach

Yes you do. A house. My mom just put siding on for $25000 and a roof for $30000. What on a sailboat costs $55000?

$30,000 for a roof? If that's for just shingles and labor, not any underlying water damage, that's a big house. So, let's compare that to something on the water that's comparable, say an 80'-100' sailboat, how about a set of sails and an Awlgrip paint job on the hull, 50k +- easy.

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by Cruiser2B

I have not read through the entire post but based off title alone....I could cruise quite easily on $5k a month.



Found this video on youtube today. It is a cruising couple that I follow. They post excellent videos on cruising and their voyages. This is the latest on a cruising budget.

They post some great video on YouTube, check out their 54 DAY adventure from Hawaii to Neah Bay, Washington. It's not funny, but the ones of him on the cabin sole with a bucket under his arm doing the daily report kill me.

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Actually I'm dancing the fall of my life away. Honey I would never dream of ever imposing on you or anyone else. I'm just one of the older folks laid off over the recession. Engineers and architects took a beating over the great recession, and frankly the industry is not really expanding. Far easier for an employer to hire young grads just out of school, who would love to work 12-14 hour days then a 50 something women. Just the new reality. So I go sailing.



Don, I've been aground, been soaked to the bone, Engine breaking, bruised and bloodied and some really bouncy nights during storms. I'll still take that over a great day in an office any day. Fishing is better too. I find the american dream not so much to my liking.

That's three "Honey's" in two days for me, and you could rebuild my diesel if it needed it? I think I'm in love. :FLOWERS:

[northoceanbeach]

Originally Posted by Red Sky

$30,000 for a roof? If that's for just shingles and labor, not any underlying water damage, that's a big house. So, let's compare that to something on the water that's comparable, say an 80'-100' sailboat, how about a set of sails and an Awlgrip paint job on the hull, 50k +- easy.

Yeah. A 5500 square foot house. Point well taken. Not fair for me to compare a big fancy house to a used 32 foot cruising boat. Bad analogy.

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by Red Sky

That's three "Honey's" in two days for me, and you could rebuild my diesel if it needed it? I think I'm in love. :FLOWERS:

Ha, If I start calling you sugar, then you might be on to something...

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Ha, If I start calling you sugar, then you might be on to something...

Lol, I'm going to keep an eye out for you on the bay this year, just don't tell the Admiral.

[Andy73]

Originally Posted by northoceanbeach

Yes you do. A house. My mom just put siding on for $25000 and a roof for $30000. What on a sailboat costs $55000?

I could easily see spending $55k on a engine replacement and delamination issue...

That would be comparable to refitting an older issue (if your mom's roof was just old)

On the other hand, damage such as something piercing the hull and water to the electronics etc could also add up pretty quickly.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by Red Sky

On land you don't have something that costs a boat buck every time you sneeze. A boat already cost, use it full time and see how that increases exponentially. That only applies if you try to maintain it in top condition, which when my life might depend on it, is how I'd like it to be.

Have to disagree. My experience has been not using a boat is the worst thing you can do to it. I have plenty of solar but make it a point to start the Honda 2000 at least once a week or so on general principal. Same goes for for the motors on the boat, even at anchor, and I will put them in forward and reverse as well. Things seem to rust out faster than they wear out.

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by tomfl

Have to disagree. My experience has been not using a boat is the worst thing you can do to it. I have plenty of solar but make it a point to start the Honda 2000 at least once a week or so on general principal. Same goes for for the motors on the boat, even at anchor, and I will put them in forward and reverse as well. Things seem to rust out faster than they wear out.

I agree, boats rot without use, but rot isn't wear. Using your boat 24/7/365 is way different than running the motor once a week. Example, your fresh water pump has a finite number of cycles, use them up in a year or ten years or whatever.

[Jimbo485]

Originally Posted by tomfl

Or as I often tell landlubbers 'my life is better than your vacation'.

Ha Ha!!

I love it! That is us.....living life!!!