Published Costs of Cruising

[barry2010]

Most of what I have just read on this thread seems to be opinions and nothing to do with budgets.

I would be very interested in seeing what people actualy spend (not what was budgeted) on the things that are not lifestyle related like mooring fees, visas, clearing in and out, etc and how this varies in differant parts of the world.
I am not interested how often you eat out or fly home, that we all do as much as we can afford anyway.

Barry

[Mimsy]

If you aren't interested in how someone spends their discretionary funds, skip over that line. Not too difficult. If you are just looking for clearing in fees, check noonsite. Mooring fees, contact the marina in question. It varies from season to season.

[John A]

Sorry, my personnel budget is my personnel business. I really don't want my private life raked over the coals in an international forum such as this, by telling a stranger how I finance myself from one month to the next..

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by barry2010

Most of what I have just read on this thread seems to be opinions and nothing to do with budgets.

I would be very interested in seeing what people actualy spend (not what was budgeted) on the things that are not lifestyle related like mooring fees, visas, clearing in and out, etc and how this varies in differant parts of the world.
I am not interested how often you eat out or fly home, that we all do as much as we can afford anyway.

Barry

Your question begs another question - Why? What interest do you have in discretionary spending not related to the actual costs of live-aboard cruising.
- - Discretionary spending of anybody, cruiser or somebody living on land is so subjective and variable that any discussion is meaningless. Whether you buy brand name this or that in stores versus buying store brands is purely a personal preference thing. Same as in whether you shop at markets and stores that specialize in 1st world goods and food versus the "local" markets where the prices are significantly less than the former.
- - Some cruisers have no discretionary income but live quite comfortably in their minimalist cruising lifestyle. Other have quite a lot of discretionary income available to buy non-cruising related stuff and are never satisfied. But most cruisers all across the budget spectrum will agree that you spend what you have available be it nothing or a large amount.

[barry2010]

I basicaly know what it costs me to live but with no fixed plan where I am heading, seeing the costs at variouse locations might swing me this way or that. Its all not too important but with my slow internet connection I am not going to be doing much searching for the info needed. To get it all in one place would be great.

Barry

[David_Old_Jersey]

I rather suspect that no easy answer(s) being forthcoming is the answer. What one makes of that answer (and the use it is put to) is down to each.

[daddle]

I spend more at the yacht club bar the first night after arrival than the clearance fees ever add up to. Clearance fees are the least of my cruising expenses. Maintenance is certainly the greatest. New outboard. Engine servicing. Haulouts. New sails. Followed by wooing women and food.

(I realize haulouts and sails probably don't apply to the typical cruiser...just my observation looking around the anchorage....)

[zeehag]

is there a "typical " cruiser??? is like typical male, or typical female-- aint such a dog.
everyone is different and will always be so. i can tell ye that in ensenada ther eis no anchoring aloowed. is pricey to get marina if you go with the big usa run corporations that give ye all that "yachties" want..... very plush,and the prices there reflect that standard.. i like the lil rickety and rinky dink places that most cruising types dont like. LOL. they are way cheaper and more comfortable.
i anchor for free. i get fish from fishermen for free, or for the price of a beer. LOL
i find less expensive places for repairs. i shop in the places that are run by locals, and i deal with locals for daily needs and repairs. is a lot m0re comfortable than the huge corporate mass yacht parking zones.
have fun and good luck finding what ye need as far as questions and research is concerned. everyone is different. as far as checking in to place-- noonsite.....

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by barry2010

I basicaly know what it costs me to live but with no fixed plan where I am heading, seeing the costs at variouse locations might swing me this way or that. . . .Barry

Now that is horse of a different color - You first question was rude and invasive. However it you are asking for a comparative of what it costs to live on board a cruising vessel in different parts of the world - that is different.
- - For the Caribbean from Trinidad to the Bahamas here is a rough idea based what it costs to live in the U.S.A.
- - Trinidad prices vary from very economical for foods and transportation with plenty of bargains on clothing. But Marinas are expensive and anchoring requires a fee to get your dinghy ashore. Since Trinidad is a major industrial gas/oil country there are plenty of up-scale shopping centers and entertainment complexes. But if you avoid these the overall costs are probably a third of similar USA prices.
- - Grenada and the islands north to Martinique - and in general all the islands - have a dual economy. An upscale pricey economy for the visiting tourists and cruisers who want access to stuff they are used to in their home country. But if you avoid that and shop where the locals shop prices are about 1/3rd to 1/2 of USA Prices.
- - The problem is that except for places like Dominica and the Dominican Republic the islands exist on tourism and local agriculture and manufacturing is minimal to nil.
- - The French Islands - Martinique and Guadeloupe are downright expensive as European prices prevail for just about anything.
- - St Lucia is expensive as it is too small to have much of a local economy and the locals live off tourism.
- - Same with Antiqua except you can find local markets and stuff at quite reasonable prices probably about 1/2 or less.
- - But just about everything in the eastern Caribbean that is not food is imported from China. Food is imported from Central America and South America.
- - St Martin/St Maarten are not cheap by any means either on the Dutch or French side.
- - The Virgins and Puerto Rico are pretty much on par with costs in the U.S.A.
- - Then you get to the Dominican Republic which is a major food production island the living there is about 1/4 or less of USA living costs.
- - Others can expound on Central America and other western Caribbean basin countries.

[capn_billl]

I would say to make the discussion meaningfull to limit it to fixed expenses. Yes you can try every 5 star restauant in every upscale marina in the world, but if you can afford that the cost is irrelevant.

For the rest of us budgeting to retire in a declining economy, making or breaking a cruising lifestyle may very well come down to whether to work a couple of more years and risk health failure, or go now and risk running out of money from unexpected haulout fees, or taxes.

I for one although noonsite does have a list of fees for clearing in and out, a summery list for lets say the coconut run, or a circumnavigation would be more helpfull.

Yes some islands have ATM's, but some don't and several cruisers have stated they were trapped on an island waiting for money to come in or a bank to open, so they could get enough of the required currency to check out, or into the next one.

A summery cost of a circumanvigation with mostly anchoring, refueling, and buying basic food rations, and only spending the required cost of mooring where required, marinas for periodic maintenence, or no anchoring available. check in and cruising fees for reasonable passages, and maybe a list of places to avoid or recommended stops.

I know fuel is a big variable, but considering most of us will be sailing mostly, usually a refill at the end of the bigger passages will be expected, and every three of four small ones. Most people eat 1-2 tons of food a year, at sea mostly canned, or dried.

A one year estimate for a typical 40' boat with two crew would be a good starting point for anyones long range planning.

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by bigjer40

Would love to see this broke down

If it looks good would love to get my final check and set sail!!!!!!!!

I can e-mail the spreadsheet to those interested, PM me. My assumption is a flat rate of return from a mutual fund or CD, (good luck getting more than 2% right now). $500,000.00 at 5% will gross $2,000.00 a month, or 1 mil at 3% will gross $2,500.00 a month. Assuming you eat basic rations, and don't motor too much, that will pay fees, and living expenses in most places I've been to with a little left over for treats, or unexpected maintenence. I haven't cruised most places in the world, so hard real world numbers would be good.

[osirissail]

The best general over-all discussion of the cost of cruising I have seen to date is done by Beth Leonard at:
http://www.bethandevans.com/pdf/costofcruising.pdf

[janders]

Originally Posted by John A

Sorry, my personnel budget is my personnel business. I really don't want my private life raked over the coals in an international forum such as this, by telling a stranger how I finance myself from one month to the next..

Wouldn't the act of not hitting reply have the same effect?

I'm a bit confused by all the opinion stirred up here. Wierd. When we were getting ready to go cruising we very much wanted to know what other people were spending. It's not an easy thing to predict if you've never done it and while "just leave" is a great notion, cruising is a pretty big life change to undertake for the first time and if someone wants to research the cost of that life change, God bless.

For what it's worth, here's our average expenses for our first year of cruising broken down by country. We made our budgeting guesses based on expenses in Mexico and forgot how expensive Canada (seriously - are you guys flavoring beer with ground up 20 dollar bills?) and the US can be.

s/v hello world: budget

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by janders

I'm a bit confused by all the opinion stirred up here. Wierd. When we were getting ready to go cruising we very much wanted to know what other people were spending.

I think its been said about 5,000 times on this forum.

Its just none of the askers listen.

We tell folks how much it costs and then they run off and play in the Cruising on $500 per month thread.

What do we have to say? LISTEN it costs more than $500 per month! LISTEN lots of folks put out their budgets and expenses. LISTEN they have cruised all round the world to more places you've ever heard of.

Janders, your figures bare out what I am saying, what we are all saying, but nobody listens.

If people can do it less than Janders good. But few can do it for half. Let alone that pathetic $500 per month.


Sustained cruising.....

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by capn_billl

For the rest of us budgeting to retire in a declining economy, making or breaking a cruising lifestyle may very well come down to whether to work a couple of more years and risk health failure, or go now and risk running out of money from unexpected haulout fees, or taxes.

If you retired and ran out of money due to something like this then you should have never retired and gone cruising. Seriously, its not a matter of will there be unexpected costs but when and how much and do you have a viable plan to deal with them; otherwise, you need to keep working a few more years.