$3,000 / Month Cruising Budget Planned

[Kenomac]

Whoa...

Gary, That's pretty deep.... man.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Whoa...

Gary, That's pretty deep.... man.

LOL
I would name names of people that I have received fantastic advice from and it actually worked.
I consider you one of the people that know what they are talking about regarding sailing. But others have to find out for themselves.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Charlie

Can you move on the boat and rent the house out? If it is paid for you should be able to get a positive cash flow. Also I would say it is not uncommon to have a few months of the cruising life and then decide it isn't what you(or your spouse)really wanted. Living aboard is harder then living on land even just tied to the dock.

Don't want to rent this house, it's a big old house in the country in a town that is not good for rental property. I rented it out when I was in the Army in Germany and it got trashed really, really bad. Plus it's just way too big and way too much up-keep for an older couple, just wouldn't make sense.
Intent is to sell the house and buy rental property, maybe a duplex or something?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by chuckr

Well said Jim. I have read most of these posting and more than a few are from folks still sitting dock side getting ready to go who seem to know more than some folks actually cruising. One reason I stopped posting, way to much knowledge from those who have yet set sail.

And its of little value to discuss because those cruising know how individual it is but those who are not yet wish to know answers to unponderables.

Deva vu... Again.


BTW someone mentioned contingency fund. I always budgeted to have $5,000 i the bank as a contingency fund. Because I came away some sage old bastard on this forum, Alan Wheeler, said "You will never have any money left over for the contingency fund". Mongrel was right.


Theres plenty of good advice here but pre-cruising people don't read it with their eyes open.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by JK n Smitty

Maybe I missed something in the posts. To what are you referring?

Referring to the cost of maintaining the boat in a seaworthy condition.
Of course just like everything else there are variables, and to get an idea as to cost you need a representative sample, they more samples of course the more likely the costs can be averaged to one that makes sense, just like all costs, one sample may not be very representative.

[a64pilot]

All,
At least for me, I can figure out how much it cost to eat, wear clothes, entertain ourselves etc., as many of you have pointed out, we do that now and it will likely cost about the same. I see the logic in that, and it's sort of irrefutable. Plus I've lived in a few different countries with my travelling with the Army and can get an idea as to costs of living in different areas.

It's the costs of maintaining the boat that I don't have.

There are derelict boats all over the place, there are "fields of dreams" all over place.
(A field of dreams is where the boats are on the hard for years being re-fit, but never get there). My silly name for them, but they are tragic.

All these derelict boats and all these boats that slowly rot away on the hard got that way because the owners couldn't or wouldn't afford to maintain them, I don't want my dream to end as so many have.

At least for me, it doesn't matter that much. I'm going, I now have permission from my better half and that was all I needed. My budget barring the Zombie apocalypse, another great depression or all of us dieing from Ebola is going to be I think around 3K + or - . I have to find a way to make that work without allowing the boat to slowly deteriorate.


I think if he doesn't mind me speaking for him, that SailorBoy did not mean to "dis" anyone, who cares about labels anyway.
I think his point to use an automobile as an example, if your trying to find out how much it cost to own a car, the number of miles driven plays a large part in those costs. The little old lady that keeps hers in a garage and only drives to church will have much lower costs than someone that drives 50 miles each way to work everyday.

I don't know squat about cruising, just learning sailing actually. I and others come here to glean knowledge from those of you that have been there and done that as we look up to you guys as our mentors, please tolerate us.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Deleted post once I realized I didn't really care./

Bingo....you just took one big step to becoming a "real cruiser" even if you don't know it yet. But once you get out there for a few years you will suddenly have a "wow...that bozo Rich was right" epiffany moment. Now here's the trick....my epiffany moment and contentment doesn't depend on you having your epiffany moment! Translation...cruisers don't care if others disagree with their opinions or lifestyle....why...because the 99.9% of the worlds population think we are crazy or insane for living this lifestyle. So what's one more person added to that list really matter?

After traveljng 10,346nm is 4 years of cruising Mexico with a 9 day consecutive run at sea...but it doesn't bother me a bit that someone on a "cruiser" chat room would say I'm not a real cruiser because I only cruised Mexico. Once you get to that point in thinking you have really made it my friend, if you spend $500/no or $5000/no.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

Bingo....you just took one big step to becoming a "real cruiser" even if you don't know it yet. But once you get out there for a few years you will suddenly have a "wow...that bozo Rich was right" epiffany moment. Now here's the trick....my epiffany moment and contentment doesn't depend on you having your epiffany moment! Translation...cruisers don't care if others disagree with their opinions or lifestyle....why...because the 99.9% of the worlds population think we are crazy or insane for living this lifestyle. So what's one more person added to that list really matter?

uhhhh Rich

Sanity is a relative concept (in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king).

But I gather from your post that we are not insane (which I thought I was)

Oh well - another "aha" moment

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Psychology doesnt really bare much of that out.

Unfortunately few people know about Maslow and the old hierarchy of needs... But its all pretty true. True to such an extent all school children ought be taught it.

Some of us have worked a whole life time to obtain a certain style of living. Its just not fun to give all that up, as well as some of the other Factors (like all your friends).



So lets have a look at this particular pyrimid. What does a female cruiser (often) or male (less often) lose from a year cruising?
Lets start from the bottom
On passage they lose warmth, rest and food they are used to,
At sea and at anchor They lose the security they felt in their own home and the safety it garnered to a less seucre and less safe.
All their friends are left behind in the USA, UK, Aus etc, all their kids, grandkids, neices, cousins uncles, aunties, the WHOLE family is discarded.
Sure you,ay get the feeling of acomplishent but one of the needs is Prestige. I.e. Who do you share that feeling of acomplishment with?
Yes you acheive some creative outlets, but you dot get as many, or the diversity of creativity as at home.
And self actualization.... Do you achieve it? Thats about the only one thats a feeling that you can evoke... But really its one that settles quietly upon you when all the preceding are accomplished.

Please read up on it. Because some psychology is real
Maslow's hierarchy of needs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Mark

Mark, you need to get the latest update to Maslow's Pyramid. It takes into account the newest generation's basic primal needs...

[SV THIRD DAY]

Maslow's hierarchy of needs reflects real life as well as trying to set a cruising budget...but those that like structure I guess need to cling to something....

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Referring to the cost of maintaining the boat in a seaworthy condition.
Of course just like everything else there are variables, and to get an idea as to cost you need a representative sample, they more samples of course the more likely the costs can be averaged to one that makes sense, just like all costs, one sample may not be very representative.

I guess my short response is, what does it cost you to maintain the boat now? Unless you are cutting corners the answer should be close to the same. Then you need to plan for the unplanned. Sails, rigging, motor mounts, etc. Things that break. The easiest way if you want a hard and fast number is to just plan these things on a regular basis. Sails every 10 years. Running Rigging every 10 years. Standing rigging every 15 years. Motor mounts every 5-10 years. You get the point. But if you do that you could spend money that is unnecessary. You would have a great preventative maintenance plan but that wouldn't be the most effective way to manage your boat.

For instance, my genny is 14 years old, has only been restitched once and the sailmaker says it looks practically brand new. That's because the previous owner, who had the boat from 2001-2010, didn't sail it. He took it out once or twice a year and used it as a floating condo the rest of the time. My friend Andrew has the same boat, the same year and his genny has been blown out 2-3 times and the sailmaker told him he cannot repair it anymore. He has to buy a new onThe Cost « s/v Smittye.

Then there are the upgrades to go cruising. These are almost entirely dependant on you. We have spent close to $25K on a $64K boat to get in to where we want for coastal cruising down to the Caribbean. At one point I was budgeting my total for upgrades and repairs at closer to $40K. But I found cheaper ways to do some things, cut other things off the list and added things I didn't have.

My annual costs, including my slip and insurance is about $10K. Here is a breakdown.

You can spend lots of time putting spread sheets together. If my boss knew how many hours at work I have spent doing this I would be fired today. In the end, the biggest value I have found in doing this is it made me rethink some upgrades that I probably don't really need. And therefore helped me save some money.

I can send you any of my info in spreadsheets if you want. Just PM me your email address.

Good luck.

Jesse

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

...
that bozo Rich was right....
After traveljng 10,346nm is 4 years of cruising Mexico with a 9 day consecutive run at sea...but it doesn't bother me a bit that someone on a "cruiser" chat room would say I'm not a real cruiser because I only cruised Mexico. Once you get to that point in thinking you have really made it my friend, if you spend $500/no or $5000/no.

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

How do you Spot a Real Cruiser....That's easy.
Anyone who tries to define what a Real Cruiser is....ISN'T.......
...?

Sounds like you are arguing both sides. Here's my street cred to show the forum I am a real cruiser. And by the way, anyone who defines it ain't one.


It is a real crok to hear people on this thread essentially say if you haven't done what I have, then your comments should be ignored. It sounds like children saying a mantra that I am right, I am right.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Sounds like you are arguing both sides. Here's my street cred to show the forum I am a real cruiser. And by the way, anyone who defines it ain't one.


It is a real crok to hear people on this thread essentially say if you haven't done what I have, then your comments should be ignored. It sounds like children saying a mantra that I am right, I am right.

That's the hard thing about reading the context into quotes on a forum. I was told that I wasn't a "real cruiser" because I only stayed in one country. So to illustrate the absurdity of such a claim, I pointed out that a loser like me that only cruised one country could rack up more sea miles and "real cruiser street cred" (according to the ridiculous definition) than he ever imagined, thus pointing out how worthless labels are. Then for pointing that out I'm a child and bragging...ha ha ha...WTF...I'm the guy calling BS on the entire pretnesious nature of it all...now that is classic.

Sarcasm and irony is hard to follow on a chat forum....but it's still funny...even if only to me. I also love seeing how different people read posts and read thing into them that are not there...heck...people reading into what I post is often more fun to react to than the idiotic things I actually intend to say while ducking work playing on the internet...hello....lighten up will ya....

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

...heck...people reading into what I post is often more fun to react to than the idiotic things I actually intend to say....seriously....its a chat room...ha ha ha.

Yea, it is really silly for readers to misinterpret idiotic things that other people say -- usually right after those people have said that they know the true facts.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Yea, it is really silly for readers to misinterpret idiotic things that other people say -- usually right after those people have said that they know the true facts.

OK...now you are just baiting me...but I'll play along..."true facts"...what...who ever talked about true facts in a discussion of opinions? Certainly not this Cruiser Bozo. But you did save me from having to help my son work on the outboard that sunk on the dinghy in the storm last night...so he learned something new, I got to be lazy, and I'm sure you got something out of all this...right?