Published Costs of Cruising

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by zeehag

cs--the general overall health trend here in many places has been toward better foods and more healthy diet. i just made rice--with a bunch of veggies in it--and some cheese and egg...total-- 4 pesos. this place rocks.

And that's what it's all about! Living to the LOCAL economy! Cheers

[zeehag]

barny--i didnt say I am eating healthy--and i ran outta bacon 3 days ago--is a emergency.....

[Celestialsailor]

I hear rat is the new beef...

[wolfenzee]

Considering all the variables involved that would make "published cost of cruising" impossible to figure....what would be helpful would be a planning sheet and/or guide of known costs and expenditures from experienced sailors.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

Considering all the variables involved that would make "published cost of cruising" impossible to figure....what would be helpful would be a planning sheet and/or guide of known costs and expenditures from experienced sailors.

Wouldn't a "guide of known costs and expeditures from experienced sailors" be a "pulbished cost of cruising"?

Costs of course are not impossible to figure for those who are doing it. Most of them know what they are spending. But the question always becomes weighted down by "it depends" responses instead of just numbers from those doing it.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

Considering all the variables involved that would make "published cost of cruising" impossible to figure....what would be helpful would be a planning sheet and/or guide of known costs and expenditures from experienced sailors.

The most helpful guide that I have observed from a few decades of "living on a boat full time" and is pretty accurate and accounts for individual "style of life" variables - but - does NOT incorporate "catastrophic" costs (e.g., medical emergency / need for constant access to advanced medical assistance; running up on the rocks; insufficient planning to carry adequate spare parts, etc.) is as follows:

For cruising outside the USA or E.U. and other definitely 1st World societies: take 1/2 of your total present costs of living on land in a home/condo. This does NOT include putting yourself and boat into the "$500/month" category with its restrictions mentioned in that CF thread.

This includes maximum time at anchor and minimal time in a marina. It also includes divesting yourself of all "land-based" real estate (non-income producing) and other stuff like cars, airplanes, and other "big-boy toys." However, it does include ties to stuff like maintaining health insurance in your home country.

For coastal cruising around your home country and neighboring islands and island countries: take a 1/3rd reduction in your present total costs of living on land.

This includes the same caveats as above but accounts for the generally more expensive cost of living in neighboring "tourist" type islands (e.g. Bahamas). Also the higher costs of food and supplies in little towns and cities along the shorelines of your home country.

For home country coastal cruising with occasional excursions to neighboring island and island countries - and - maximal time in marinas and keeping the use of your car(s): take a "0%" reduction from your present total costs of living on land.

You are basically, in this category, simply trading living in a home firmly attached to terra firma for one that floats and is attached by dock-lines. Your life-style choices and expenditures will be nearly identical.

[zboss]

Hi All,

I have a few comments about this subject but also some caveats on my comments:

I have owned a house in the BVI for 30 years. Over the years, along with three moorings out in the bay, we have owned boats ranging from a 38' Bertram to a 20' run-about, several sailboats of various sizes, dingy's etc. All of which were kept in either a boatel or on the moorings. I even had a sailboat break free on the mooring and land on the beach while I was gone. It is now a reef. So I can speak a little about the costs of non-cruising sailboat maintenance. I know where to get parts, who can do repairs if I cannot, what I need to bring from the states because it is cheaper, etc... and we have a pretty regular maintenance routine.

Our house takes about $40,000 a year in maintenance. This obviously includes all the things you would have to do on a regular house but also things you don't - like cutting coconuts down and lots and lots of bug/termite killer. The 20' runabout costs us about $3000 a year in storage and maintenance.

The moorings alone are $1200 a year for our maintenance contract. They keep the moorings in relatively good shape.

We don't cruise yet but we are leaving in a few years so we have a budget - and our budget is our budget. I'm being realistic and not planning in changing my land-lifestyle so much. We can do without the blender but I can't give up my fridge, nice rums, and eating out - which we do about twice a week. All that said, we are planning on $28,000 - $35,000 a year after taxes.

I am not saying that $500 is hogwash or that our lifestyle is a pretty good example. I am sure there are folks out there that are capable of living on $500 in MEXICO. However, in my my experience that this is totally untrue for places like the BVI. I can't get a tiny stainless steel mechanical piece for the boat in the BVI for less than $125 and that assumes I can do the work myself.

We used to meet the guys that are cruising on $500 a month all the time but that went away in the BVI (for the most part) 10-15 years ago. Now we will occasionally see them come in - sans motor. I would not count in that today in anywhere but Mexico and places where you simply could not spend money.

Also, let's not forget that at $500 you can end up being a constant burden on your fellow cruisers... its not their responsibility to make up for your lack of preparedness or money.

My opinion - for what it's worth.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by zboss

(...) I am not saying that $500 is hogwash or that our lifestyle is a pretty good example. I am sure there are folks out there that are capable of living on $500 in MEXICO. However, in my my experience that this is totally untrue for places like the BVI. (...)

Hi,

Yes. I too think it is as you said. Right now we are in a place where a couple can live (berthed in a (govt owned) marina!!!) for USD 500 a month (small boat and two crew, berthing & food incl.) but we have visited places where USD 500 could buy you perhaps a week of cruising, maybe 10 days, if you were smart enough.

Where one is cruising bears strongly on the cost. The other major factor IMHO is boat size and then, last but not least, how smart a scavenger one is.

b.

[settingsun]

Well, I appreciate the comments about the BVI which I found very expensive while chartering there in 2006, but I don't think it's quite right to say that you "can't spend money" in Mexico.

I came into a slip here in Huatulco at the southern end of Mexico for 2 days so I could get some laundry done, get fuel and get some food before heading out to live on the hook for a while longer.

The slip is $30 a night, without electricity or water ($4.50 more if you include those) and the shower facilities are outside with cold water only. Food costs are about 80-90% of the US. Diesel is about 80-90% of the US.

So it may be *cheaper* to cruise in Mexico, but no one should come here thinking it will be so cheap they won't be able to spend money.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by settingsun

. . . So it may be *cheaper* to cruise in Mexico, but no one should come here thinking it will be so cheap they won't be able to spend money.

I find that "won't be able to spend money" can have a very significant effect on your cost of living and cruising. In some places like Luperon, Dominican Republic where I spent almost a year and a half (but spread out over 6 years), "not being able to spend money" drastically reduced my expenses. In such 3rd World type places where you are half a day away from any significant city with shopping malls and all the opportunities to piss away way too many nickels and dimes, there is nothing to spend money on except Presidente beer and local meals. Very good local meals that fill you up for the day set you back about US$3 to $5 back in 2006-2008. Presidente beer was expensive there at $3/bottle in a tourist bar and $1 in a local bar or half a buck if bought by the case. Local stores has very little except the "essentials" usually in cans or jars that were of undetermined age. So living the "simple life" was the rule and as a rule it was a very wonderful life that did not need lots of money.

Cruiser social life mainly was sitting in places like Capn Steve's or Puerto Blanco or various ex-pat's houses/boats drinking, telling sea stories and/or just generally taking life easy. So "not being able to spend money" and still have quality time with friends resulted in - my case anyway - significant unspent money backing up in my bank accounts back in the USA. I loved that part.

Switch the location to St Martin or other high tourist traffic islands and the opportunities to piss away way too many nickels and dimes resulted in empty bank accounts back in the USA.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by settingsun

Well, I appreciate the comments about the BVI which I found very expensive while chartering there in 2006, but I don't think it's quite right to say that you "can't spend money" in Mexico.

I came into a slip here in Huatulco at the southern end of Mexico for 2 days so I could get some laundry done, get fuel and get some food before heading out to live on the hook for a while longer.

The slip is $30 a night, without electricity or water ($4.50 more if you include those) and the shower facilities are outside with cold water only. Food costs are about 80-90% of the US. Diesel is about 80-90% of the US.

So it may be *cheaper* to cruise in Mexico, but no one should come here thinking it will be so cheap they won't be able to spend money.

Sorry - that was an OR rather than an AND. Mexico (where it is cheap) or SOMEPLACE you can't physically spend money (like an ATOLL out in the middle of the pacific).

Not "not spend money in mexico".

[sailorchic34]

From the bottom end of things I just added up what I spent the last month cruising exotic central California and I came in at $475. Included two nights in marina at $25 ish a night, $250 for food (cat and I), $60 fuel and $11 for laundry, Plus maintenance and internet (which is averaging $88 a month)and propane $16 . No restaurants this past month, no beer or wine.

I'm thinking with my current glamorous Boat Bum-ette lifestyle being what it is, I'm not sure I could live cheaper in Mexico. Though I do plan on finding that out for myself sometime....

Looks like I'll be avoiding the BVI (really a bit too touristy for my taste anyway). Lord knows I would not want to be a burden to the folks there... I suspect I'm more a voyager and not really a cruiser at all.. Voyaging seems to require a lower price point... actually I hear its required....

[Travelnik]

Originally Posted by zboss

...Our house takes about $40,000 a year in maintenance. This obviously includes all the things you would have to do on a regular house but also things you don't - like cutting coconuts down and lots and lots of bug/termite killer. ...

HOLY CRAP! I couldn't spend that much every year on maintenance of my house unless I rebuilt it yearly!

[NorthPacific]

Originally Posted by dsmastern

HOLY CRAP! I couldn't spend that much every year on maintenance of my house unless I rebuilt it yearly!

Yip I think the poser, sorry, poster says everything. BVI is not the real world, it is a sailing Disney land. Don't worry I grew out of the BVI long ago. It has it's attractions but it would never be on my bucket list. I will keep my squalid lower cast self away from your private moorings and promise not to rattle my begging can too close to your Palace on the Hill.

Gee get a grip!

[zboss]

$40,000 is pretty normal. Everything costs a lot. Just to get our house cleaned between renters is $400 a week. Painting a house every other year... get a quote to get someone to paint our house in the US and the triple that cost. Get the cisterns cleaned, get your waste system pumped, pay a ton for water and electric. Regardless, this is not about the cost of a home its about the cost of cruising.

IMO - $500 isn't enough to be responsible to others around you. $500 is great until it hits the fan.

I really think all boaters should have insurance for example. I have had my moorings destroyed and my boats hit by uninsured cruisers. Oops - there goes ANOTHER $900 mooring! At least the charters have insurance - when a charter breaks my mooring - or worse yet - drives off with it on the deck or attached to their prop... I can at least call the Moorings and complain.

Make sure you are a responsible boater - get insurance, be able to evacuate yourselves in case of emergency, and afford to pay to get your boat off the beach without causing damage to other people's property. Don't anchor on coral or in sea grass which I see that a lot with cruisers cause they can't afford to pay for moorings.

I just don't see how you can pull that off for $500 no matter how much you disagree with my opinions. Your cruise is cheap to you because your life can cost everyone else money.