Cruising on $500 / Month

[Hampus]

This guy Welcome to Sven Yrvind- the official website did it on $1 a day back in the early 80's. With inflation that's $66/month in 2008. Those $30 he spent every month included everything. Of course he had built the boat himself, it was no more than 20 feet and low maintenance.

The cost depends on
1: Where are you cruising?
2: What boat?
3: What can you llive without?

If you go cruising the Med in a 45 feet boat with every luxury on board and you can't do without at least 5 restaurant visists a week, then $500 probably won't cover your cofee expenses.

If you go cruise the southern ocean, like Sven did, and you sail a 20ft homemade boat that has a one burner gas stove and a mast from a surf board with homemade sails, like Sven did, and your provisions consist of a can of water and a few bags of rice, like Sven's did, well, then $500 a month will get you quite far.

But if you dogmatically claim that cruising on $500 a month either can or can't be done, you will, under given circumstances be wrong, one way or the other.

/Hampus

[anjou]

if I was dead and buried at sea in a free plot in an old flour sack then i could do it for nothing a month.

This question is subjective to the needs and expectations of any individual and as such, relitivly impossible to answer with any degree of acuracy

so just how long is a piece of string?

[Hampus]

Originally Posted by anjou

so just how long is a piece of string?

Always one inch shorter than you need it to be.

/Hampus

[MarkJ]

Clearing in here yeasterday would have cost the $500 per month cruiser about 10% of his months budget. BUT if he cleared in Monday to Friday it wwould have been free.
We didn't find out till AFTER we had done the paperwork and they wouldn't let us escape! LOLOL

Plus the gasket of the water pump needs replacing. The pump is old. The choice is a new gasket or a new pump. The $500 man would have to save for the gasket kit which is valued at 30% of the price of a new pump. We will buy the new pump and have an emergency leaking-just-a-bit pump

Mark

[CrazyRu]

I sailed solo from Houston TX to Pamlico sound NC in 2008.
Here is repost from my tread on sailnet:
I sailed most of the Gulf of Mexico part outside, took Okeechobee waterway and continued on a waterway further north. I think I used sail and motor equal amount of miles or close to it, so it was 50/50 sailing/motoring
I sailed first half of the trip most and motored second half of the trip most.
Here is some statistic
Trip from Clear Lake (Houston) TX to Vandemere (Pamlico Sound) NC took 50 days
My actual distance was 1903 nautical miles
Moving average speed 4.3 knots (it was greatly improving with motor use)
I rested 7 days (day of rest is a day when I didn’t move the boat)
In average I covered 42 n.miles in a day of moving
I overextended my budget by 100% spending totally $1035
Expenses by category
Fuel $370 (fuel price kept creeping up)
Marina stays 5 nights $170
Food and groceries $270 (I’m good cook and I didn’t mind making food out of cans)
Booze and beer $135 (I thought I was dry entire trip until I put together all receipts)
Parts/filters $90

I had liability insurance $240/year which is not included in total of $1035 for two months.
The boat was in good shape for 30 y.o. boat.

As you could see, I didn't spend much money for boat maintenance during the trip, however, in my three years ownership I've spent on a boat $4000, mostly after purchase of the boat and I expect to spend another $4000 this winter, and, I hope, I'll be good for another three years...

So, I'd say that $500/mo is a bit low, $700/mo is do-able, and, with $900/mo I can live as a king.

CR out
s/v Nemo - Freedom 28 Cat Ketch centerboard

[Hampus]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

The $500 man would have to save for the gasket kit which is valued at 30% of the price of a new pump. We will buy the new pump and have an emergency leaking-just-a-bit pump

Mark

Nono! The hardcore $500 man would carry all his water in jerry cans, thus eliminating the need for a water pump

/Hampus

[Ram]

Originally Posted by Hampus

Nono! The hardcore $500 man would carry all his water in jerry cans, thus eliminating the need for a water pump

/Hampus

yea he could hook a siphion hose to the engine and let it cool it with gravity !

[Hampus]

Originally Posted by Ram

yea he could hook a siphion hose to the engine and let it cool it with gravity !

Or drink lots of beer and pee on it. I thought Mark was talking about his fresh water pump, but again, the real $500 man would sail without an engine

/Hampus

[Brent Swain]

Originally Posted by CrazyRu

I sailed solo from Houston TX to Pamlico sound NC in 2008.
Here is repost from my tread on sailnet:
I sailed most of the Gulf of Mexico part outside, took Okeechobee waterway and continued on a waterway further north. I think I used sail and motor equal amount of miles or close to it, so it was 50/50 sailing/motoring
I sailed first half of the trip most and motored second half of the trip most.
Here is some statistic
Trip from Clear Lake (Houston) TX to Vandemere (Pamlico Sound) NC took 50 days
My actual distance was 1903 nautical miles
Moving average speed 4.3 knots (it was greatly improving with motor use)
I rested 7 days (day of rest is a day when I didn’t move the boat)
In average I covered 42 n.miles in a day of moving
I overextended my budget by 100% spending totally $1035
Expenses by category
Fuel $370 (fuel price kept creeping up)
Marina stays 5 nights $170
Food and groceries $270 (I’m good cook and I didn’t mind making food out of cans)
Booze and beer $135 (I thought I was dry entire trip until I put together all receipts)
Parts/filters $90

I had liability insurance $240/year which is not included in total of $1035 for two months.
The boat was in good shape for 30 y.o. boat.

As you could see, I didn't spend much money for boat maintenance during the trip, however, in my three years ownership I've spent on a boat $4000, mostly after purchase of the boat and I expect to spend another $4000 this winter, and, I hope, I'll be good for another three years...

So, I'd say that $500/mo is a bit low, $700/mo is do-able, and, with $900/mo I can live as a king.

CR out
s/v Nemo - Freedom 28 Cat Ketch centreboard

I've avoided most of your so called "Neccesities"expenses for the last 35 years , and never missed them

Fuel? sail more. read more in calms and wait for the wind.
Marina stays ? Anchor and avoid them altogether.
Food , stop paying others to put it in cans , buy bulk.
Booze . I haven't had that expense in decades.
Insurance , Never bothered.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by Brent Swain

Booze . I haven't had that expense in decades.

This explains allot..

[MarkJ]

I now have had a revelation (its that time of year) and now know why these threads don't work for me.

We are on a LONG cruise, 10 to 15 years long.
So all long range expences must be included too, inicluding an anual haulk out and antifoul; capital expense items of new sail/s etc


These $500 per month, or $1,000 per month are ONLY limited cruising of a year or 2.
Most of the boats stores/provisions/spares are NOT included in the $500/$1,000 as they were prepurchased.
Little ongoing maintenance apart of roil changes done during the cruise.

Yes, under those circumstances the $500/$1,000 is just beer, food when provision have run out, and port fees to the few countires they visit.

Then its acheivable.

But they DO NOT account for the anual haulout that costs, with 2x gallons Micron Extra = $2,000
Thats 4 months budget for the $500 cruiser.


Mark

[Navicula]

OK, we would like to know what one does with his bathroom pump out if they are on an anchor all the time and dont visit the marina, what about a shower and fresh water. this has to be a cost that should be included in the monthly expense.

personally $500 per month wont work for me, but I would give it a try



PS: merry christmas to all and god bless

[creakyboy]

Originally Posted by TACK OFF

OK, we would like to know what one does with his bathroom pump out if they are on an anchor all the time and dont visit the marina,

c'mon you 'potty pirates' fess up

[Springbok]

Re the nature-calls thing have'nt you heard of the poop deck.
Re annual outhauling----Get a hookah system and dive under the boat once a month for the next 5 years
Of course this may interfer with your drinking time
Best for the new year

Clyde

[7yrsorless]

Wow MarkJ you're negativity just astounds me..I've been lurking here for years and love the fact that most people on here are so positive and encouraging...But you (MarkJ) really have to realize that we're all trying to live our dreams and to go and crush them with you're negative attitude is just not the feed back we're all looking at...As my dad always says if you don't have something nice to say ...keep it to you're self!! Yes this is my first post and I'll probably be kicked off for this but it NEEDED to be said!!