Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[zeehag]

why is it so important to keep size of boat below 34 ft....mine is 41 ft and i do just fine and dandy on less than 500 per month. size is not an object except in initial purchase and only if you plan on being in with the snotty yotty folks. my 41 is cheap enough to repair and i donot usually do marinas. no sweat. i am actually out here cruising. is that also a problem, or does one need to be in side at a desk instead of out here in reality.....just wondering what other parameters you have declared on this one. lol

[w1651]

Originally Posted by zeehag

why is it so important to keep size of boat below 34 ft....mine is 41 ft and i do just fine and dandy on less than 500 per month. size is not an object except in initial purchase and only if you plan on being in with the snotty yotty folks. my 41 is cheap enough to repair and i donot usually do marinas. no sweat. i am actually out here cruising. is that also a problem, or does one need to be in side at a desk instead of out here in reality.....just wondering what other parameters you have declared on this one. lol

The main reason is maintenance costs. The smaller the boat the lower the costs in theory anyway. I have a 33ft but it needs a lot before I get underway. I am glad it is only 33ft a 41ft would bankrupt me.

[zeehag]

bought my formosa41 for 10k. i put in a nother engine for 3000 total. i repaired the backing plate for the foredeck for 800 dollars. i replaced windlass for 500 dollars so now i have 2, but electric one doesnt work...bought a genyoowine bruse 30 kg anchor for 200 dollars. bought 194 ft chain for 398 dollars.
i am cruising in mine now--- am in mazatlan. might even be able to find a parts boat for mine for 800 dollars with a salable item i can get upwards of 2000 dollars for if i decide to sell on market--might sell to someone for less-- dunno...depends on situation and how to transport it to the man.... so ..how is that unable to be handled on 500 dollars per month--in mazatlqan--i exceeded my budget on my birthday purchase--lol-- but my usual outgo monthly including food is less than 500 dollars per month when i am not in mazatlan marina waiting out hurrycame season. there is no reason a 40 ft or so boat should be any more pricey than a lesser sized one if you know what you need and where to find it. never pay retail. never think something is over your head as it prolly isnt. there are not many folks as unwilling to spend money as i am, and still keep a boat afloat in decent shape. in old harbor , my anchoring place, i only spend 450 dollars per month on living. i can do that again in nov. in summer when hurrycames come , this marina was recommended to me-- is 350 per month-- wont be being spent after november.

[callmecrazy]

It only takes one gallon of paint to do the bottom on my 30 footer, the docklines are smaller, sheets, halyards, shackles, anchors and rode... That is all regular maintenance stuff that really adds up over 30-34 feet. But everything else is not much different when it's all in working order. I'd hate to have to buy a sail for a 40 footer...

But then, I see the low budget cruisers on 40 footers and they are making out just fine. But, they simply don't keep up with regular maintenance... They don't haul out and paint the bottome, they have really old lines and rigging that could go at any moment, they have more spare parts than would even fit on the boat, and are always working towards fixing something major, like a windlass, prop shaft, dingy davits, etc... Meanwhile, their boat is falling apart.

I know that's not always true, and some 40' low budget types keep thei boat up, but I'm not sure how, and it's definitly not typical.

When you go from 30 to even 34, the cost everything doubles, go up to 40 and it's quadrupled...

[zeehag]

i also have a 35 ft sloop i wont cruise as i will not again cruise a single mast boat. i much prefer this 41--isnt a big deal to save for sails as needed--buy used--, isnt a big deal to repair stuff yourself or have a friend help with a job. isnt much to have a friendly mexican worker repair asomething for a fee--is usually low. usa prices do not reflect the remainder of the earth. if you do not sail out of usa, you will never finish a boat ona beer budget. i cant even afforsd beer, i do have a formosa 41. my boat improves with each relocation. doesnt cost arms and legs. i am on fixed income. i make sure my stuff is done by my standards--if i scrimp on a small part and have to redo it--just means i have to inspect the thing and that is necessary anyway.
oh and regular hull underwater work and zinc replacement included...
there is no reason to restrict low cruising budget boasts to under 34 ft. my parts did not double from 35 to 41 ft sized boat. open your eyes and look past west marine for parts and workmanship. there are many more ways to get something done than at a boatyard . paint isnt a west marine purchase either. shop it. what kind of paint you want--find out what is in it for antifouling, get that and find a less expensive gallon of the same paint. mil spec is awesome -- barter is great.
i am essentially cruising a 41 ft boat that is becoming in better shape than it was when i left san diego in april, and the only time i broke $488 was when i bought my birthday present to myself. and, did i say , my boat's over all condition is improving.......i only bought it 3 yrs ago as a major fixer upper with a blown engine.....among other ills....
never pay retail and never waste anything you can use and has more than 2 uses...

[callmecrazy]

My only price comparisons are from international dealers on parts only. I have no interest in labor charges whether it's the US or Mexico...

With a ketch rig you have nearly 4 times the amount of wire and fittings, no matter the size of boat. There's simply no way that's cheaper to maintain (or replace) than a sloop.

Not to argue Zee... I know you are doing your thing and doing it well, but when you compare the cost of parts (only) between a 40 and 30 footer, there just isn't anything to compare...

Now, if the boat is in good enough shape, rigging (both), anchors, sails, and everything else, is already in good condition, then you don't have to worry about for another 10 years, but a time will come when something has to be replaced, and yeah you can manage it, but you're looking a spending a few hundred extra dollars no matter what the parts are.

I agree that it can be done on a low budget, lots of folks doing it.. Just saying it can be done a lot easier on a smaller boat

[zeehag]

thinking i nside the box keeps one broke and unable to save. if you shop wisely and find a boat with EVERYTHING you want, ther eis no reason you should have to worry about some things for 20 yrs, but need to inspect regularly. there are situations under which it is much more pricey to go with the inside box thinking----not all parts are bought brand new, nor are sails bought brand new.
there is a lot more to living well on the cheap than in your box. is not how little one is able to spend to live, is how is that living being done..is it comfy or a pita. in this extreme buyers market for boats, ther eis no reason not to go as big asyou are comfortable in-- repairs are not ne4cessarily as pricey as in a 34 ft boat.a\lol i know--i have a 35 and a 41.

[Tim Schaaf]

CallmeCrazy is absolutely correct. I lived aboard and cruised a 33 foot mono for nineteen years. At the end she was in better shape than when we started, and better equipped. And, I did most of the work myself. But, I also learned what breaks after five years, after ten years and after twenty. And, all of this drives the total budget way above $500 per month, and mine was one of the simpler and smaller boats cruising Mexico. If you start with a brand new boat, and don't care about the depreciation, you might be able to do four or five years with little maintenance, and more without major replacement. I think that lots of the folks who say how little they spent on their cruise do this. But, if it in an "open ended cruise," it is different. If it is an old boat, if you don't do maintenance and refits, your boat will deteriorate till it is worthless....seen many of those. If your boat is really, really, REALLY simple, all of this is much easier. But, you still have to replace sails, rigging, canvas, dinghy, outboard, ground tackle, lines, etc, from time to time, and they aren't free, even if they are used, as much of my stuff was.

Cruising is much less expensive that living aboard in the US, no question about it. Most folks are used to having way too much and not doing enough for themselves.
They fear cruising because they don't think they can afford it, until they actually do it and find they can. Often, they take on small or temporary jobs...lots keep going this way, as it is hard to do it just on savings.

But, it does no one any good to exaggerate when it comes to what it really costs, even if it costs less than they think. And it doesn't count if you let your boat go to the dogs, and take your financial beating that way.

If you want to go cheap, you definitely should go small, and simple, avoid marinas and certain parts off the world, and eat and drink aboard; and you definitely should get a boat you can afford to lose. Then, do your utmost not to lose it!

[callmecrazy]

Sorry zee, but I gotta argue it's still Cheaper to buy half the parts or two sizes smaller, no matter how you do your shopping. I don't live inside anyones box...

Totally agree it can be done, but not for the same price. 35 foot is more than twice the price for anything on a 30 footer. Even when everything is secondhand and as cheap as possible...

[sailorchic34]

Of course if your cruising your probably buying oversize rigging, anchors, etc anyway. So not quite the same as weekend racing to begin with. I know for my little 34 footer sails, rigging and lines are about the same cost as a modern 30 footer, if not a bit less. Mainly due to the CCA design of my islander and the short aspect rig.

[callmecrazy]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Of course if your cruising your probably buying oversize rigging, anchors, etc anyway. So not quite the same as weekend racing to begin with. I know for my little 34 footer sails, rigging and lines are about the same cost as a modern 30 footer, if not a bit less. Mainly due to the CCA design of my islander and the short aspect rig.

That's a good point! but it's very boat specific. My boat was designed with oversized rigging, comparable to a 35 footer...and if your upsizing on a 30 footer, then your upsizing on a 35 footer just the same.. So we both go up an anchor size, but the cost difference remains the same... And i still don't need the extra paint, the upsized running rigging, etc...

Replacing the standig rig on this boat is probably not much different than a 34 footer, but it's still cheaper than a 40 footer no matter how you look at it. Sails are still smaller, less wiring (which costs per foot) shorter running rigging, shorter dock lines, even if same diameter... Etc.. It all really ads up to a hundreds of dollars. Granted it's not a monthly expense, but were talking about buying and equiping and old boat, it's all gonna get replaced at some point in your cruising career...


And then you have the human factor... The more space you have, the more stuff you have. I don't care who it is, even Ghandi, will fill a boat up until it's full. With a smaller boat you automatigically have less stuff, less complications, less bulk, and less waste. There's another few hundred a year... You are forced to buy local when all you can fit is 10 cangoods and a jar of sprouts in your storage locker.... No wine in the bilge and no extra anchors and dinghy motors lying around. (exaggerating of course)...

Smaller I cheaper no matter how you do the math, no wuestion about it. But I suppose the question at hand is, can youdo it on a 40 footer? Yes, of course... You can do anything. But what is te best course of action if you are knowingly planning for extended budget cruising? Go small, go now...

[callmecrazy]

Of course, I say all that but meanwhile I'm dreaming if bigger boats I can justify out making up the cost difference with more work hours, but there no question about the cost difference...

[zeehag]

real boats can be bought and cruised for well under what you , in the box you made for yourself, can possibly imagine. i know. i am there, cruising a 41 ft boat on under 500 per month including my necessary repairs.\lol.....
is humorous that folks with 30 ft boats think 41 ft boats are out of reach.....while, in reality, that really isnt so.....

[callmecrazy]

Did I say it was out of reach? Didn't I mention, several times, that you, and others, have made it work?

Am I talking to myself here? It's simple math that parts for a smaller boat cost less than a bigger boat. You really can't reasonably argue with that... I've said repeatedly that you can do it on a 40 footer (which we all know you already are), but there is no quesdtion it's cheaper to maintain a 30 foot boat...

Sorry zee, I don't live in your box either... i could make it happen on a 40 footer just as well, or better, than anyone else. But I'm not gonna pretend it would be the same price.

[zeehag]

your box, your rules, your ....