Frustrated

[MJH]

Originally Posted by 2935

Thank u for your answer. I phrased it wrong. I was talking about dock slip costs, when I shouldn't have. I want to get a boat and sail it to see things and places and meet folks. The thing is I am disabled and 900 is all I get a month. Can I really live on a boat and sail. I am selling truck, camper, and everything I own. Don't own a house. Didn't mean to appear an idiot. Thank you to all people who helped.

Thank you for clarifying your financials. In a word, NO! You haven't mentioned what your savings/investments might be but I trust that is nothing to speak of or you would have mentioned it.

That said there are others who are disabled and have started a new life with little or nothing. I encourage you to continue your search for an answer to your desires. There is an answer for you out there; you just need to keep looking for it.

Good Luck.

[garyfdl]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Due to recent global issues , the G20 have refined “ B O A T”

Break out another ten thousand !

ROFLMAO!
Amen to that!

[medevicerep]

Take out a $100 bill. Set it on fire. If you are comfortable with that you are ready to contemplate sailing and live aboard lifestyle.

[Carl-T705]

Originally Posted by 2935

Wanting to get into sailing. One reason is thought living on a boat was cheaper. Then researched marina slips. Roughly 260 dollars for a slip on top of the 100 dollars just to live on your own boat plus water a d electric fees. Can a person realistically live on a boat for less than a 900 dollars a month? Am I chasing the wrong dream? Thank you in advance.

So, you're looking into cruising / boating to find a cheaper way to live... Nah that isn't going to happen, that's kind of like buying a small airplane to not have to deal with traffic jams on the roadway. All the fees you mention don't even include insurance, repairs , daily maintenance etc. Although my brother bought a almost new trailer for his Cape Dory from a couple who bought a 35 foot sailboat and needed to transport the boat to the desert in AZ, where they dug a hole , stuck the keel in the sand and live in the boat because they were looking for a cheap home. I don't know how it ended but that may have been a bargain. The scenery doesn't change much but they have white sand, a breeze and solitude of the ocean passage. Maybe it's all possible. Wish you well

[Lancerbye]

A very entertaining thread. I have lived aboard full time for the last 10 years. Bought a 44 ft. Motorsailer in 2006 when I was working and had a good income. I do all my own maintenance and upgrades. Last year I was paying $565 per month at a substandard marina, thats for moorage, electricity, water etc. Since I now live on a pension, ya I am one of those close to 80 single guys living on a boat. I moved a few hundred miles north and to a better marina for $288cad per month including everything. I enjoy my lifestyle in comfort. My pension however is more than double of that of the OP.

[terbare50]

Check out Sailing Spoondrifter on U tube. They are in Texas and always looking for a place to keep there boat. Seem like nice folks.

[SofaKingFishy]

I’m on the Chesapeake & pay about $9500 a year. 45’ slip. That’s slip fee, $175 a month live aboard fee, $300 a year for a small storage shed & rack for my kayaks, and about $40 in electricity. Water is free, as are marina heads, gym, internet & trash disposal. Life in a boat is wonderful if you’re willing to minimize your possessions & live frugally. It is by no means cheap- living aboard stresses pumps, AC units, water heater & refrigerators, that are designed for occasional use. Factor in $3000 a year for improvements, maintenance, cleaning supplies, replacement & repairs. I’m a boat tech and that’s just parts. That said, I’ve a 2 head/2 bedroom living space that is waterfront & doubles as a vacation getaway.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by SofaKingFishy

I’m on the Chesapeake & pay about $9500 a year. 45’ slip. That’s slip fee, $175 a month live aboard fee, $300 a year for a small storage shed & rack for my kayaks, and about $40 in electricity. Water is free, as are marina heads, gym, internet & trash disposal. Life in a boat is wonderful if you’re willing to minimize your possessions & live frugally. It is by no means cheap- living aboard stresses pumps, AC units, water heater & refrigerators, that are designed for occasional use. Factor in $3000 a year for improvements, maintenance, cleaning supplies, replacement & repairs. I’m a boat tech and that’s just parts. That said, I’ve a 2 head/2 bedroom living space that is waterfront & doubles as a vacation getaway.

I think you are saying it’s not cheap to live aboard for you.

Those on a budget do not have AC Units, refrigerators, or water heaters.

They do not do $3000 worth of improvements/year.

Slip fee is less because they are usually aboard a smaller boat at a cheaper marina

[garyfdl]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Sure you can do it for $900/month, you just have to plan it out.

Some experience with boats would also be very helpful.

A friend of mine just took possession of a Cape Dory 25. (I also saw the ad on Craigslist: Free Boat)

He has just completed repainting the bottom, and hull. He sailed the boat about 12 -15 miles to the boatyard

I believe the PO had already replaced the rigging.

The boat has a well for an outboard and since the guy that got the boat is working he bought an Epropulsion outboard for it, but could have gotten an inexpensive gas outboard and would have a nice sailing/cruising boat for under $5,000/$6,000.

He has new sails on order.

His last two boats were an Alberg 30 and a Westsail 32

OK let's look at your example:

• Free boat - $0

• Repaint bottom and hull ~$500 (Rustoleum/Amazon)

• Launch boat 25' boat @$10/foot + tax - $262 (local marina near me)

• Fuel for outboard ~ $25 (5 gallons @ $5/gal)

• Used 10 hp (min) 2 cycle out board and fuel tank ~ $500 (maybe - Facebook Marketplace)

• 1st months slip rental/live aboard fee ~ $360 (per the OP)

TOTAL $1647

New sails? add ~ $1200 (Discount Sails)

So the 1st question is: 'can the disabled OP do the work?'

The second question is: 'where does a disabled person on $900/mo income come up with $1647+?'

Even if you delete painting, they have to cough up $1135. And anyone, who has been around or knows anything about boats, knows there are always OBTW expenses

[Curmugeon]

In terms of the cost of sailing and living aboard, my experience over the past 30 years is that you do not look at the costs in terms of dollars, but in boat units. One boat unit is $1000. Sometimes it is one boat unit, sometimes two or three or more.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by garyfdl

OK let's look at your example:

• Free boat - $0

• Repaint bottom and hull ~$500 (Rustoleum/Amazon)

• Launch boat 25' boat @$10/foot + tax - $262 (local marina near me)

• Fuel for outboard ~ $25 (5 gallons @ $5/gal)

• Used 10 hp (min) 2 cycle out board and fuel tank ~ $500 (maybe - Facebook Marketplace)

• 1st months slip rental/live aboard fee ~ $360 (per the OP)

TOTAL $1647

New sails? add ~ $1200 (Discount Sails)

So the 1st question is: 'can the disabled OP do the work?'

The second question is: 'where does a disabled person on $900/mo income come up with $1647+?'

Even if you delete painting, they have to cough up $1135. And anyone, who has been around or knows anything about boats, knows there are always OBTW expenses

He’d have to save up for it and/or sell some stuff.

And why would you buy 5 gallons of gas for the outboard? I have an outboard and have never bought that much at one time over past 11 years yet cover 70-150 plus miles on my weekend cruises.

And will sometimes motorsail home 20 miles

Plus a 10 hp is too big

Buy sails later.

Don’t paint bottom or hull. Scrap bottom, scrub hull

[mcon12000]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I think you are saying it’s not cheap to live aboard for you.

Those on a budget do not have AC Units, refrigerators, or water heaters.

They do not do $3000 worth of improvements/year.

Slip fee is less because they are usually aboard a smaller boat at a cheaper marina

Missed detail is he’s located in Texas. I’m a sailer from Texas and he would die without air conditioning from July through early November. We often go 45 days above 100 degrees and the areas he can anchor to use the water as a buffer have massive mosquitoes with little breeze. It’s not the Caribbean down there it’s 90% swamp.

To compare south Florida along the coast say West Palm in the dead of summer is pleasant without AC at anchor. Texas however is just like sitting in an oven and basting yourself. That’s one of the many reasons why it’s not a huge cruiser’s destination but plenty of folks are based at a Marina there.

[SofaKingFishy]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I think you are saying it’s not cheap to live aboard for you.

Those on a budget do not have AC Units, refrigerators, or water heaters.

They do not do $3000 worth of improvements/year.

Slip fee is less because they are usually aboard a smaller boat at a cheaper marina

No fridge, no AC, no hot water, deferred maintenance…sounds like you’ve got a real nice vessel there! I bet you save a lot of money by not going on any dates

[GrowleyMonster]

I lived aboard for 9 years, on a 70's built 27' sloop I bought for $2k with 10 sails and lots of racing stuff, but a non running A-4. I put an outboard on her the next day and went sailing. Later got the A-4 running, and then ended up repowering electric for about $2700 including batteries, less $400 I got selling the old engine. My slip was $385 per quarter, water included. My light bill was between $13 minimum, and $90 if I ran the AC around the clock. My insurance was about $600/year. A decent apartment in a decent neighborhood is about $1600, twice that in the French Quarter, Warehouse District, or Garden District. 2/3 that in a high crime area. I had 24 hr security and coded pier gates, in a high ticket, low crime neighborhood. I would still be there, in my bigger boat I have now, except I got spliced up with my current wife and she says I have to live on the hard, with her. For me, it was very cheap. For others in other locations and other situations, it might not be very cheap at all. Honestly though, $900/month housing cost is pretty cheap. My daughter in law and her husband were paying almost $7k/month for a nice apartment in San Jose CA before they bought a small $1.25M house. Even there, a resourceful person could probably live cheaper afloat than that. It is all about the boat and the marina and your insurance and maintenance and well, all about everything. I know guys who own nice houses and pay less than $2k/mo mortgage and insurance, but spend $5k/mo on their boats without even living aboard, and that doesn't count fuel. If you are a pretty fair engineer, diesel mechanic, boatwright, diver, and marine electrician, and you paid cash for the boat and get a sweet deal on insurance for being who you are and where you are and having the boat you got, you get a free pass on a lot of the usual expense of owning a boat. A slip for a small boat can be $200/month or it can be $1200/month. Or more, I suppose.

How long is a piece of rope?

[nofacey]

To OP……..you can sell everything you presently own to buy a 27-32 ft sailboat that floats. Highly unlikely that it’ll be able to go anywhere other than day trips reliably. To prep it for sea will cost thousands, if not tens of thousands.
- To stay in a marina, you’ll need liability insurance, on top of marina fees.

A big factor is how much do you spend a month on food? Guessing 1/2 your monthly income, what’s left won’t easily sustain a cruising boat.