Cost of Cruising

[captain58sailin]

It will always cost more than you think it should, and take longer to fix than you think it should. Always go with the more heavy duty hardware and you can extend your hardware maintenance costs further into the future, especially if you keep up the day to day maintenance you should, ie cleaning, greasing, & oiling.

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by thomm225

It's all about what makes you feel good and comfortable.

Some folks like to spend a lot on their boats, and it makes them happy. That's great.

Others do the same with less and sometimes live a more healthy lifestyle besides while sailing longer distances for a very few dollars:

Example:

$1,000.00 boat plus fix-up costs

Thomm, maybe it's just me but I don't think this video, while slightly entertaining, would serve as an enticement to the sailing life for anyone accustomed to even a marginal standard of civilized living (and basic sanitation). The narrator said it himself, they lived in squalor.

And I agree with ZBOSS....they should have been arrested for trespassing on that yacht. The fact that they used his dingy crane to raise their mast, without permission, knowing full well they could have damaged or destroyed it tells me that they have no respect for the property or rights of others. It was criminal and not to be held up as an example of "how you get things done on the cheap."

I hope that non-sailors who watch this don't walk away with the idea that all sailors conduct themselves this way.

As an aside, I'm just curious how they came up with the proper paperwork to clear in and out of other countries when they said they had no title, no registration, no insurance.

[Randyonr3]

I think I'm in "the same boat" as many cruisers as the work and up-keep of my boat is also my hobby.
10 years ago we did a re-fit on her at a great cost, with the work done by myself, and here another 10 years and its time to do much of it all over again.

Its the same as dumping money into an old car, as you'll never get a return on sale but as a hobby, who cares..
So for us, the constant mainteance and up-grades are a hobby..

That and fishing, so I've got another project for the future, a custon teak rod holder for the quarter berth, which by the way, I've claimed as my "Man Cave" And Ramona says that its OK with her..

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by oldragbaggers

Thomm, maybe it's just me but I don't think this video, while slightly entertaining, would serve as an enticement to the sailing life for anyone accustomed to even a marginal standard of civilized living (and basic sanitation). The narrator said it himself, they lived in squalor.

And I agree with ZBOSS....they should have been arrested for trespassing on that yacht. The fact that they used his dingy crane to raise their mast, without permission, knowing full well they could have damaged or destroyed it tells me that they have no respect for the property or rights of others. It was criminal and not to be held up as an example of "how you get things done on the cheap."

I hope that non-sailors who watch this don't walk away with the idea that all sailors conduct themselves this way.

As an aside, I'm just curious how they came up with the proper paperwork to clear in and out of other countries when they said they had no title, no registration, no insurance.

Okay.

I posted that video (Hold Fast) of the Punk Rocker's sailing adventure as an alternative to spending tons to go sailing.

They got an old boat, sailed the Bahamas and the Caribbean, and now they are on to their next adventure. Not saying I condone every action they took.

As compared to them, some on CF spend sometimes a life's savings or a large amount of dollars to do the same thing then the boat ends up parked at some marina unused for years.

I'm still trying to figure out if I need a better boat or do I have enough with the boat I have. Should I buy that Composting Head? Should I paint the topside hull after I redo the bottom or just knock off the peeling paint and sail it 3 more years? Do I buy new lifelines or just tie on some line good and tight until I decide.

See my point?

The thing about sailing an old boat without modern conveniences takes you back. I love history and majored in it. When I blew my inverter on the first day of my 5 day sailing vacation last June, it was okay. I still had my VHF and lots of books. I had battery power in my laptop and jetpack that I used just for emails. My cell phone got wet also while I was sending text messages to my son while I was hove too waiting out a squall before heading into Onancock Creek so I lost that as well until I dried it out 2 days later.

Point is that it's a nice escape from this world for a while, and it's a bit tough especially if you have to deal with some heavier than usual weather as I did on my sail back south. At the end of that sail I found a few beers at the bottom of my ice box (that no longer contained ice) , canned pork and beans on one of the shelves, and some crackers. It was an awesome dinner before I turned in for a nap at like 5pm that afternoon anchored inside the cement ships at Kiptopeke. Nice end to an adventurous vacation.

Btw, I did have a fine dinner the day before that I bought takeout at the restaurant on the wharf there in Onancock

[zeehag]

cruising cannot be compared to car ownership nor home ownership.
it is a lifestyle chosen by the cruiser.
what bs you keep at alleged home is what you need to worry about, as cruising costs same as life anywhere else. get real. isnt magic.
buy a boat afterselling house--boat IS home, place you left is NOT home.
what money you use while on land will be used while cruising.
budget is a budget.
gasoline becomes diesel for running boat engine. food is still food and your needs do not change just because you are in a different place.
if you are a homeowner an selling home for a boat, consider the repairs same as home repairs, only not reimbursible by govt grants lol..improvements are on yourself.(unless youy find a way to .....)
if you are not selling home for boat--you are buying an extraneous toy. toys have expenses different fom household expenses. good on you. have fun.
comparing a cruising boat to a car is comparing apples and watermelons. aint gonna be a reasonable comparison as a boat is not a car. UNLESS you are buying a toy.
the dink may be considered as a car, but not the mother ship.
there is no equity in a boat. oops
if you need to ask how much food you wil eat, then you have no idea what you normally eat on a daily basis.is same as on land only in water. is not magic.
a boat for cruising willnot change your life, as so many i have seen count on having it do..lol is laughable, as this is not a magical lifestyle, but one you make yourself. those who seem to be living magically have better smoke and mirrors than others...folks have posted "i am on my way to florida and the magical boat that will change my worthless life into magic" are not thinking and not considering the self they need to always bring with them. you cannot run away from your own self, as many think they can.
as for me--i LOVE this life--i enjoy all aspects of it, or i would not have been doing this for so long-i moved on board in 1990 and have not returned to land based life.
i will not.
in this boating/cruising lifestyle, i have not spent nearly the money i spent on land based lifestyle.
but, then, i made 90,000 usd annually and lived on 10,000 usd annually. the rest i gave away.
i still live on less than 10,000 usd annually, but now i receive ssdi as my primary income-seems i broke self being intensive care and emergency room rn for over 30 yrs(no good deeds go unpunished, ever)
asking what it will cost to cruise is like asking how much will a trip to XXXXXXX cost me, as it is different for each and every soul out here cruising and who make full time permanent cruising their lifstyle.....
how much will it cost to cruise??? what ever you CHOOSE to pay.
btw, my 10,000usd boat is actually, in real money, a 5,000 usd boat. lol finally sold ericson for 5000. ok ,oops ,and wow. is what this boat cost me---as it was amn essential trade. yes she is essentially seaworthy, yet in need of some repairs, as are all boats, even those brand new fresh from the mold production boats.
my monthly cruising allowance is small, and my rewards are great.

[TacomaSailor]

I think Randyonr3 made a very important observation that explains a lot of the variance in the amount some of us spend on our boats:

"Its the same as dumping money into an old car, as you'll never get a return on sale but as a hobby, who cares.. So for us, the constant mainteance and up-grades are a hobby."

I too love working on stuff and take pride in the state of maintenance. I also get attached to old hardware and spend unreasonable amounts of money to maintain it at "better than new" condition.

I have a 1993 SAAB 900 that may be worth $1,000 on a good day. I recently put over $8,500 into the car and it now drives better, handles better, and looks better than the day my brother bought it new. That expenditure made no economic sense but I sure am proud of the old Swede!

I have a 1984 handmade Gary Klein bicycle that I have rebuilt several times. Over the years I have put 4x the original price into the bike - just 'cause I like working on it and maintaining it.

Some of us like to maintain stuff and will spend a lot more time and money than is absolutely necessary.

Having said that - in 20-years of ownership and a lot of cruising and ocean miles - nothing has ever broken on the boat that prevented us from safely and comfortably reaching our destination in a timely manner.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Group9

These threads are entertaining to read, but in the end they seem to have about as much validity as a thread discussing, "How much does it take to live on land?", "How much maintenance will I have to do on my house in the next five years?", "What does it cost operate a car for a year?", "What does it cost to go on vacation?" or "How much does a wedding for your daughter cost?".

Sorry, couldn't help myself. Carry on!

You know, give me some parameters, and I can answer all those questions.
Or said another way, pick any of those, answer about ten questions and I can render and educated guess.

I think I've gotten my answer though, or at least one I can live with, one that will get me close enough to where a few tweaks will dial it in.

[sailorchic34]

The cost of cruising depends on the type and size of the boat and how much work gets farmed out to the "experts". My engine rebuild 2 years ago cost me $1200 for parts, machining and odd's and ends. Labor provided by some crazy poor blonde chic.. I don't think its viable to pay a mechanic to rebuild a marine diesel as the hourly rate will end up about the same as a new engine. THough DIY does work.

I only cruise local to northern California so no epic cruising for me, but I don't spend all that much a year on maintenance. The engine rebuild was a biggy and haul outs which my 6 year cycle is due real soon now.

I just replaced the gas solenoid, cost of $25 for 12V ebay solenoid, two crimps and a dab of pipe dope. That just a few days ago

Really my maintenance costs are pretty tiny, but then I only have about a 1000 miles on the hull a year. Figure two or three oil changes, a zinc twice a year, batteries every 2-3 years, the odd light, breaker, fix a bad wire splice, etc.

Rope, I buy by the spool and make my own eye splices. Yes I did get a new "used" mail sail 4 years ago for $300, still quite a fine sail. Other then haul outs and the $%^&* engine rebuild, my maintenance costs have been pretty low, generally less then $500/year and less then $2000 a year even with a haul out or engine rebuild. Luckily those are few and far between

Mind you my 42 year old trav'ler 3 burner stove is getting a bit long in the tooth. But figure I'll replace it with another $400 RV stove like it and just modify the new one for gymbols/fiddles, as was done the first time around.

Of course I have an older boat with simple systems, I don't have many things like a watermaker, radar, AIS, TV, or even a water heater. Though I may buy a new water heater this year, I'm getting soft in my old age and heating water on the stove is getting a wee bit old.

So for some maintenance very well could be $1000 a month, for others it could be less then $1000 per year to even $500 a year. Other then an odd diver now and then, I do all my own maintenance. That does wonders for keeping costs lower.

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

The cost of cruising depends on the type and size of the boat and how much work gets farmed out to the "experts". My engine rebuild 2 years ago cost me $1200 for parts, machining and odd's and ends. Labor provided by some crazy poor blonde chic.. I don't think its viable to pay a mechanic to rebuild a marine diesel as the hourly rate will end up about the same as a new engine. THough DIY does work.

I only cruise local to northern California so no epic cruising for me, but I don't spend all that much a year on maintenance. The engine rebuild was a biggy and haul outs which my 6 year cycle is due real soon now.

I just replaced the gas solenoid, cost of $25 for 12V ebay solenoid, two crimps and a dab of pipe dope. That just a few days ago

Really my maintenance costs are pretty tiny, but then I only have about a 1000 miles on the hull a year. Figure two or three oil changes, a zinc twice a year, batteries every 2-3 years, the odd light, breaker, fix a bad wire splice, etc.

Rope, I buy by the spool and make my own eye splices. Yes I did get a new "used" mail sail 4 years ago for $300, still quite a fine sail. Other then haul outs and the $%^&* engine rebuild, my maintenance costs have been pretty low, generally less then $500/year and less then $2000 a year even with a haul out or engine rebuild. Luckily those are few and far between

Mind you my 42 year old trav'ler 3 burner stove is getting a bit long in the tooth. But figure I'll replace it with another $400 RV stove like it and just modify the new one for gymbols/fiddles, as was done the first time around.

Of course I have an older boat with simple systems, I don't have many things like a watermaker, radar, AIS, TV, or even a water heater. Though I may buy a new water heater this year, I'm getting soft in my old age and heating water on the stove is getting a wee bit old.

So for some maintenance very well could be $1000 a month, for others it could be less then $1000 per year to even $500 a year. Other then an odd diver now and then, I do all my own maintenance. That does wonders for keeping costs lower.

This seems to hit it right on target for me. You have to assess your own abilities and know what you can do. If you are not willing to dive into a transmission rebuild, then cruising is going to be a very expensive hobby or retirement. If you are willing to do your own work, it can be a cheaper lifestyle.

As Stu says, "your boat, your choice".

[nautical62]

Costs of boat ownership for short term cruising have varied tremendously for me depending on the boat, the circumstances and the times.

My first cruising boat was a Westerly Centaur. I had liability only insurance for $300/year and stored in on a trailer for $40/month. My average maintenance was probably under $100/month, despite installing all new electric and mostly new plumbing.

My Hunter 31, in contrast cost $500/month to store and insure and had a $5,000 repair before I ever took it cursing.

My Beneteau 32.5 was in charter so it generated income and all expense were covered by charter fees. I paid nothing for insurance, maintenance or dockage.

Often I've cruised for 2 months or more without ever paying for dockage. Fuel has varied. I rarely eat out, so my food costs are not much more than I'd have at home.

[Randyonr3]

Originally Posted by JK n Smitty

This seems to hit it right on target for me. You have to assess your own abilities and know what you can do. If you are not willing to dive into a transmission rebuild, then cruising is going to be a very expensive hobby or retirement. If you are willing to do your own work, it can be a cheaper lifestyle.

As Stu says, "your boat, your choice".

You bring up a point I've wondered about for a while now after reading different posts on the forum..
It often seems there are a lot of people out there with a bucked load of money.. Having a yard guy working on their boat, paying someone to do their bottom work, paying to have blisters repaired, and the list goes on..
There's no possible way we could have ever left when we did if I didnt have the ability to do the work ourselves..
I'll be the first to admit, If I had to pay someone to work on my boat, I couldnt afford to own it.........

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Randyonr3

You bring up a point I've wondered about for a while now after reading different posts on the forum..
It often seems there are a lot of people out there with a bucked load of money.. Having a yard guy working on their boat, paying someone to do their bottom work, paying to have blisters repaired, and the list goes on..
There's no possible way we could have ever left when we did if I didnt have the ability to do the work ourselves..
I'll be the first to admit, If I had to pay someone to work on my boat, I couldnt afford to own it.........

Yes, it's one of the great divides in the cruising community, actually. It's just *there*.

[a64pilot]

It does remind me of the John Muir book on Volkswagen's, where he makes the statement that nobody makes enough money to pay someone else to maintain their Volkswagen.

Having said that, I'm paying for my first bottom job as I'm still a wage slave and work 5 days a week. I'm paying for that, but installing the generator myself, electronics, rebuild heads, refridgeration myself and pay for someone to do the upholstery as I would have no idea how to do that.
Won't try to make my own sails either, so there are some things most of us DIY types do pay for. Anybody re-galvanized their own chain?

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by JK n Smitty

If you are not willing to dive into a transmission rebuild, then cruising is going to be a very expensive hobby or retirement.

I like to think that I know my limitations. I couldn't rebuild a transmission, I didn't overhaul my fuel pump or injectors, I don't knit my own sails and I didn't do the osmosis repair myself....
Does that make my lifestyle expensive? I don't think so...

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

I like to think that I know my limitations. I couldn't rebuild a transmission, I didn't overhaul my fuel pump or injectors, I don't knit my own sails and I didn't do the osmosis repair myself....
Does that make my lifestyle expensive? I don't think so...

Yes, when compared to those who can and will do those tasks themselves. It doesn't mean you have to be an expert. Just willing to put the time in to learn and try. And to be honest it has never been easier with online manuals, youtube videos, forums with experts you can ask for help.

Not trying to insult. Just trying to point out some info.

Fair winds,

Jesse