What happens to all the wannabees?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by MLOI

And over the next 10 years, assets will increase as liabilities diminish.

Mike

That is the key in my opinion. The majority of the money I have stashed away and we are permanently retired I did so in the last 5 years or so.
I didn’t buy new cars and had zero debt, put us on a cash basis for anything that was purchased, and lived a normal existence, sort of.

Now it helped of course that I was making more money than I ever had, but it was surprising at how fast the money accumulated.
Then you have to decide when enough is enough and just go. I could have worked for five more years and bought the million dollar Boat etc. but of course would have lost five of my best years cruising, cause I’m not getting younger. Your likely not there yet, but one day you’ll wake up and realize that you literally cannot do what you used to, that ability is gone, and will never return.

Before we jumped off I had what amounted to great fear of running out of money, I struggled to determine how much does it cost to cruise.
Well after a lot of research, I came up with two things.
1. People for some reason don’t like to talk about finances, my wife says it’s rude, I don’t get that, but I’m socially inept it seems.
2. When I could get straight answers, it seemed that to do so without any undue hardship, it seems most fall into between $3,000 and $4,000 US a month to cruise in the US and Caribbean, there are more and less expensive cruising grounds of course, and yes you can cut corners, but that was an average that I found, and seems to leave enough money to maintain the boat for extended time too.

[TheGoldenFleece]

$3-4K seems very reasonable.
For the YouTubers out there, Keith of S/V Zatara put out a video recently about their expenses. They sailed from FL through the Panama Canal, down through the South Pacific and into AUS on their 50-something foot Beneteau monohull, for about 30k a year he claimed.
They just upgraded to a big Privilege Cat, so I would guess their costs will go up slightly.
They’re a well-to-do family of 6, and they certainly weren’t “slumming” it, so I suspect 3-4K a month is quite realistic.

[thomm225]

Just don't sell everything before you go cruising unless you've had the time to test the waters so to speak for a month or two before hand on the boat

It would be really sad if 6 months into your cruising adventure you decide that it isn't for you and have to restart all over again

[sailorboy1]

No sell everything so you don’t have to worry about or spend money taking care of “stuff” ashore. If it doesn’t work out I promise you that there will still be “stuff” available. It’s the perfect time to downsize with new “stuff” in a place of your choosing instead of just where you “were”.

[a64pilot]

Well, I have quite a lot in storage, furniture etc in AC storage, and an old airplane and two cars, tools, yard equipment, grills etc. in an airplane hanger in a small town in Georgia, where hangers can be had for less than you might think.

I know that one day cruising will end, and when it does we will still have our better furniture and automobiles etc.
Yes storage adds up, but it’s in the budget, and when you go to sell, your lucky to get 10c on the dollar, but your going to pay full price of replace when cruising is over.
I had no idea if we were going to like this life style or not, had to kind of talk the wife into it, so didn’t know how long it would last.
In truth we have lived aboard a year and haven’t started cruising yet.
Stuff happens and some dirt bag decided to run over our Son who was riding his bicycle and leave him for dead. It took awhile for him to get better, but I think he has, but it put cruising on hold for awhile, and at one point I was certain that it was over, before it even started.
Then I have ridden out two near miss Hurricanes, in two years.
So hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

[Tetepare]

[QUOTE=sailorboy1;2687100]

Originally Posted by jlcnuke

There's a mod here that does so it seems... I'm not saying it's common, but apparently it can be done.[/QUOTE

Living on the boat in SF Bay isn’t the cruising that people are normally trying to do.

Meanwhile I stated a direct personal fact in 2 years I haven’t met a cruiser doing it on $500/mo. Even the poor “kids” living on moldy hotdogs I met in the Bahamas on a 27’ boat weren’t

I could do the pacific on $500 month not counting expensive engine repairs or rig or sail replacement.

[WingRyder]

I'm a noobie and a wannabee. I am mostly lurking, but occasionally pop up to as a stupid question in Maint or Monohull forums...

[Sawbonz]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

1. People for some reason don’t like to talk about finances, my wife says it’s rude, I don’t get that, but I’m socially inept it seems.

You seem ok to me, and _I_ would ask! Actually, I have, but people react as you say.

I think the reason I would react like that is that a budget number I would throw out would make many people jealous and their responses, especially over the internet, are painful.

[Sailor 99]

3000-4000 US a month seems pretty excessive. How much time are you spending in marinas and how much time you spending at anchor. Something is out of balance.

[Sailor 99]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

3000-4000 US a month seems pretty excessive. How much time are you spending in marinas and how much time you spending at anchor. Something is out of balance.

As I re-read some of the other posts I gave some more thought to this.


I am assuming that its my wife and I, not a herd of kids in tow. That is going to drive up costs and it is not something I even considered.



I am also assuming that all major work that the boat needed was done before we started, not done on route. Sails in good shape, rig redone, motor in top notch shape etc.



I am also assuming Caribbean and or Central America. Not cruising state side.


I figure somewhere 1500 to 2000 per month. Anything less will probably seem like camping and that number is in line with some others that I know who have cruised for a few years.



The $500.00 stuff is possible if your hooked off some island somewhere just sitting on your boat and never getting off but other than that it seems unlikely and not like much fun.

[Steven UK]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Well, I have quite a lot in storage, furniture etc in AC storage, and an old airplane and two cars, tools, yard equipment, grills etc. in an airplane hanger in a small town in Georgia, where hangers can be had for less than you might think.

I know that one day cruising will end, and when it does we will still have our better furniture and automobiles etc.
Yes storage adds up, but it’s in the budget, and when you go to sell, your lucky to get 10c on the dollar, but your going to pay full price of replace when cruising is over.
I had no idea if we were going to like this life style or not, had to kind of talk the wife into it, so didn’t know how long it would last.
In truth we have lived aboard a year and haven’t started cruising yet.
Stuff happens and some dirt bag decided to run over our Son who was riding his bicycle and leave him for dead. It took awhile for him to get better, but I think he has, but it put cruising on hold for awhile, and at one point I was certain that it was over, before it even started.
Then I have ridden out two near miss Hurricanes, in two years.
So hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

F@£$ Me... that would have spoilt my day! i am busy preparing my family for my planned absence and something this bad happening has been in the back of my mind i.e. how would we deal with it. we've had a few family meetings but this kind of thing never came up, i'm going to keep it to myself... my people are not monitoring CF. The thought makes me feel ill...!

Hope everything worked out OK for you guys...

Regards Steven

[Large Luke]

To get back to the original question, my wife and I sold our house in July of last year. Right now we are anchored up a channel just behind the Statue of Liberty on our way to the Bahamas and Caribbean for a couple of years.

[ReneJK]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

I figure somewhere 1500 to 2000 per month. Anything less will probably seem like camping and that number is in line with some others that I know who have cruised for a few years.

We just spent 5-6 weeks in Morocco, one of the ‘cheapest’ countries we have encountered so far and we went on a 2 week roadtrip renting a car , leaving the boat in a Marina for the duration we were there (anchoring not really possible , no shelter)

All in all the 5-6 weeks costs us 2500 - 2750 euro ?

Marina : 700
Car : 350
Airbnb’s : 400
Gas for car : 250-300
Eating on the road , dinners : 600

Rest : provisioning , eating in the medina’s (for 5 euro a day you can feed your whole family)

If we did this in an expensive country that cost would increase by a lot !!

http://www.svbluepearl.com/?s=Morocco&submit=Search

[Zarih]

So, buying a boat, setting off and then quit is failure? Bying a boat, never leaving the dock is failure? I just wonder, who are you to judge? People change their minds, sometimes the Dream isn't all that it's cracked up to be and so forth. Trying is better than doing nothing. Stop sailing is not failure. And no wonder newbies don't advertise their change of heart here if this is how they are met.

The sailing Community is so supportive I've Heard. I don't agree.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by Large Luke

To get back to the original question, my wife and I sold our house in July of last year. Right now we are anchored up a channel just behind the Statue of Liberty on our way to the Bahamas and Caribbean for a couple of years.

One of my favorite memories was sailing past the Statue of Liberty on our way to the Caribbean for the first time. Good luck on the new adventure!

Matt