Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[Boracay]

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[goprisko]

We are in Culebra and last sunday were visited by Hurricane Irene.

Let's discuss hurricane survival tactics.....

1. Find a place that is small and surrounded by high buildings or mountains.

2. Find a place that is occupied by only a few boats, preferably lived aboard, or manned during the storm.

3. If the center of the storm is expected to pass south of you, expect winds to build from the NE then shift to E then shift to SE then S.

4. If the center of the storm is expected to pass north of you, expect winds to build from the NW then shift to W then shift to SW then S.

5. Put sufficient provisions aboard to last 2 weeks at a minimum.

6. Fill water tanks

7. Set out heavy anchors or tie to pilings or mangroves to secure the vessel

8. Make meals ahead so you only need warm them up to have something to eat.

9. Your barometer is your best guide... look for it to bottom then begin rising again when the storm passes by.


INDY

[goprisko]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Indy, could you please name this source? My experience of pricing Harken in Oz is not the same, and I would be grateful for the info.

So would nearly every other person buying marine parts in that overpriced country.

Thanks,

Jim

That was my experience in 2000-2002 when I lived there.

INDY

[w1651]

I say the best defense is a good offense here. Just head south in March to June and get out of the way. I here Argentina is a great place to visit during Hurricane season. Buenos Aries is the Rome of South America.

[seagypsy2012]

we are a family of five and we spend close to $500 a month, so $150 to $200 for two people is reasonable. you have to learn to eat right and healthy, you dont need to spend alot of money on "junk" food. if you will read the Pardey's books, you will see how it is done. taken from the Pardey's....."are you a cruiser or a consumer?"

[w1651]

Originally Posted by seagypsy2012

we are a family of five and we spend close to $500 a month, so $150 to $200 for two people is reasonable. you have to learn to eat right and healthy, you dont need to spend alot of money on "junk" food. if you will read the Pardey's books, you will see how it is done. taken from the Pardey's....."are you a cruiser or a consumer?"

Thanks Seagypsy and welcome.
A whole family that is doing it. We need more people out there actually doing it on 500 a month to come in and tell us how they do it.
Can you give us an idea how you feed and what you feed the family for meals during the week, what goes to boat maintenance, and how you get around on land?

[Wavewacker]

Affiliated Press:

A family of five was found today drifting in a small sailboat who were first thought to be victims of Hurricane Irene. Later it was determined that the small boat had been drifting for an undetermined amount of time and that all victims were the result of apparent starvation. Only water, rice and rotten apples were found aboard the small baot. Cpt. Crunch of the Boston Salvation Army identified the bodies when the authorities contacted him after finding his chapter was the source of the apples. Cpt. Crunch stated that he knew little about the family but stated that they were living on less than five hundred dollars a month on the small sailboat and refused to eat "junk" foods and their income was from selling diet books. The names were not released.

[Gracies]

Originally Posted by Wavewacker

Affiliated Press:

A family of five was found today drifting in a small sailboat who were first thought to be victims of Hurricane Irene. Later it was determined that the small boat had been drifting for an undetermined amount of time and that all victims were the result of apparent starvation. Only water, rice and rotten apples were found aboard the small baot. Cpt. Crunch of the Boston Salvation Army identified the bodies when the authorities contacted him after finding his chapter was the source of the apples. Cpt. Crunch stated that he knew little about the family but stated that they were living on less than five hundred dollars a month on the small sailboat and refused to eat "junk" foods and their income was from selling diet books. The names were not released.

Or was it from finally having to resort to eating the "diet books". I´m sure during the autopsy a few pages might be found.

[w1651]

Originally Posted by Wavewacker

Affiliated Press:

A family of five was found today drifting in a small sailboat who were first thought to be victims of Hurricane Irene. Later it was determined that the small boat had been drifting for an undetermined amount of time and that all victims were the result of apparent starvation. Only water, rice and rotten apples were found aboard the small baot. Cpt. Crunch of the Boston Salvation Army identified the bodies when the authorities contacted him after finding his chapter was the source of the apples. Cpt. Crunch stated that he knew little about the family but stated that they were living on less than five hundred dollars a month on the small sailboat and refused to eat "junk" foods and their income was from selling diet books. The names were not released.

Nice ! You naysayers Keep saying it can't be done and ask for someone out there doing it to chime in. Then when one does and a family no less you insult them instead of getting some info on how they are doing it and what they have had to give up. And one of you on a island in the Med the worst place to try to cruise on a budget of $500 a month.
I hope you don't sit and wonder why no one invites you to come over for dinner or to the pot luck.

Amazing! You guys are fricken amazing.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by w1651

Nice ! You naysayers Keep saying it can't be done and ask for someone out there doing it to chime in. Then when one does and a family no less you insult them instead of getting some info on how they are doing it and what they have had to give up. And one of you on a island in the Med the worst place to try to cruise on a budget of $500 a month.
I hope you don't sit and wonder why no one invites you to come over for dinner or to the pot luck.

Amazing! You guys are fricken amazing.

ROTFLMBO.... nice one mate..
But then thats always the way... the ones with the dosh never believe the ones without....

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by boatman61

the ones with the dosh never believe the ones without....

Prove it.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Prove it.

You just did...

[Wavewacker]

Tell ya the truth, I thought this was an old thread as I have been reading the oldies. I thought it was posted over a year ago and that's why I thought I'd revive it with a little humor. Now, I see it's not an old thread at all, I looked at the "join date" as the date of post.....lol

I'd really like to know how they do it too!

OTH, I'm sure it can be done, without any doubt in many places. Millions live on less than that and some live in a box, so I'm sure survival would be comfy in a 20 something boat with a real bunk, a place to eat what ever you carried in and a place to sit to dispose of what you ate, what more do you need?

When I started out and left the nest, I was on a budget, so I know it can be done, especially if that's all there is. It could also be done if you had an awful lot of determination.

I didn't think Jim would mind.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Wavewacker

a place to sit to dispose of what you ate, what more do you need?

Anyone can live on $500 per month if its just food. Even the Queen of England could be fed in great comfort for $500 food cost per month.

But food is no where near the largest component in long term cruising.

That a family of 5 is doing it is fine. Dunno how, but if they say they are I will believe them.

But for someone sitting at home in Happy Valley thinking to buy a boat and cruise long term on $500 per month the advice must be: A boat crusing budget is vastly more than just food.


Now let me escape this thread for another 12 months or so


Mark

[seagypsy2012]

let me clear this up, i said we are a family of 5 living on just under $500 a month for food budget. i did not mean $500 total budget. you can have an average budget for food for $100 per person. but depending on your lifestyle, you can live much cheaper on a boat than on land. but it all depends on how you do it. you do not have to have all the electronics most people have. you can do very fine with a sextant compass and weather radio. get rid of the engine and learn to truly sail. use a well insulated icebox, use oil lamps for cabin and nav lights. collect rain water. costomize your and maintain your boat to be unstopable. people did just that long before we were born, so it can be done most easily.
Lin and Larry Pardey have been doing just that all their life, read some of their books and you will be surprised just how easy it is.