Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[MacG]

@Virtual Vagabond

As far as I know, the Black Sea is only cruised by the Ukrainians and maybe a few from other bordering countries.
Turkey has got some lengthy coastline along the Black Sea, undiscovered (as I presume) by the sailing crowd.

It is my opinion that we are slowly sliding back to medieval times, where the travelers were robbed by (read: Government, townships and other criminals) the highwaymen.
Spain is exemplary, but the UK and the Scandinavian countries are following second.
Unless you know local people en local anchorages.

Look: a simple trip to the South of France is as much expensive as trucking the boat. If you use the Marina' s for berthing and supermarkets in way of foodsupplies.
The last trip for me, a few years ago totaled 2300 Euro's, so I really stay away from dreaming. If you cherish your budget, stay as far as possible from the Club Nautico' s.
They rob you totally blind.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by MacG

Living on a 500 US$ / monthly budget is restricted to certain area' s.

I take in regard only the costs of living and maintainance of the boat.

If you include personal cost like Health Insurance, boat insurance (obligatory), gasoil - whatever little you use - berthing - what little you use - It is just looking for the Dorado Islands - i.e. it is a dream and no more than that.
It may work (to a certain extend) in the America' s and some places in the Asian continent. In Europe, it is the ultimate impossible, unless, maybe, some places in the Black Sea. . . .

The Thread is titled "Cruising . . ." - to me that translates to an actual moving boat and the expenses involved underway and when visiting various ports/places.

- - That doesn't mean that discussions and ideas on how to started and underway with acquiring a boat aren't very worthwhile. - That subject is closely allied but unfortunately contains way too many variables from boat size to age to re-fitting the boat.

- - Likewise, it is pretty much a given that marinas and berthing and insurance (boat and/or health) are not in the realm of keeping the cruising budget under $500/month. Who would insure a $5000, $500 or free boat anyway? In the USA Medicare is not free, it and the associated supplementals have premiums that must be paid - and costs me almost $500/month.

- - But I would say the $500/month should be for an open-ended period of time, not just a year or two or few while on a "fancy" boat that does not really need any expensive stuff for its first few years.

- - If I remember correctly - boatman61 listed some free anchorage areas in the Med and around Europe. Finding them is the secret to being able to maintain cruising on a minimalist budget. I don't think you could anchor free, if at all, in the Thames while visiting London, but you must probably could anchor at some coastal area and take the train to town.

- - The point being that there are going to be obvious restrictions on where and how you cruise and they will most probably be as a result of how much energy and searching you are willing to do to find ways to do stuff without spending big bucks.

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by MacG

@Virtual Vagabond

As far as I know, the Black Sea is only cruised by the Ukrainians and maybe a few from other bordering countries.
Turkey has got some lengthy coastline along the Black Sea, undiscovered (as I presume) by the sailing crowd.

It is my opinion that we are slowly sliding back to medieval times, where the travelers were robbed by (read: Government, townships and other criminals) the highwaymen.
Spain is exemplary, but the UK and the Scandinavian countries are following second.
Unless you know local people en local anchorages.

Look: a simple trip to the South of France is as much expensive as trucking the boat. If you use the Marina' s for berthing and supermarkets in way of foodsupplies.
The last trip for me, a few years ago totaled 2300 Euro's, so I really stay away from dreaming. If you cherish your budget, stay as far as possible from the Club Nautico' s.
They rob you totally blind.

Thanks.
I know of a boat based in Greece that the previous owner... Nelson?? lived on for a number of years. He and his wife were American and spent so much time in the Black Sea that they eventually wrote the Pilot for it, which I believe is still the one used today.
It was in the cold war 80s so who knows, maybe they were doing a little more than just cruising
We've only heard in relatively recent times what a great place Croatia is to cruise, so I was curious if the Black Sea was also an undiscovered treasure.

[MacG]

It is indeed a fact that Croatia is extremely beautiful. I received the advice that if you go there, stay away from the mainland and visit the islands, which are plenty.
There, you have less problems with the bureaucrats and you avoid the costly marina' s. Elsewhere in this forum someone found out same.
I will do next year an all-around UK tour, strolling around in the Scottish waters and due to the little draft of my steel tank I have possibilities.

Some years ago I met two guys from Nikolayev who operate a small shipyard, making alu sailingyachts for???????
My boat is very "truckable" and maybe I go down in Russia and have my boat trucked to the Wolga. Going downstream I will end up in the Black Sea.
It is still an idea.
You might be right with the assumption of the real "works" of this couple.
Reminds me of the history of Tao Mo Shan. You should look that one up.

[boatman61]

[QUOTE=MacG;832033]
I will do next year an all-around UK tour, strolling around in the Scottish waters and due to the little draft of my steel tank I have possibilities.
QUOTE]

Well the SW coast of the UK has a ton of free anchorages.... from the Solent to Falmouth..
if you can take the bottom there's lots of creeks on the SE coast you can slip into...
They are there in plenty...
just need to LOOK.... and enjoy walking...

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by MacG

...................

The world is getting overpopulated, overcrowded. The basis of the recent global problems.

MacG,

True words, courageously spoken.

Ahmen!

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

Thanks.
I know of a boat based in Greece that the previous owner... Nelson?? lived on for a number of years.

Admiral Nelson?

[w1651]

The Thread is titled "Cruising . . ." - to me that translates to an actual moving boat and the expenses involved underway and when visiting various ports/places.

That's what I thought myself. Though a good discussion on what needs to be done before you go is a great idea and subject for a new thread.
Maintenance items, parts carried on board, safety equipment, power systems, sail inventory , sail kits etc are all great things to look at.
These are all valued points and subjects worthy to be explored before you leave on your trip. My self I am loading up on sand paper, brushes and varnish. Just so I can keep the old girl looking good on the way to where I am going.

[wolfenzee]

Originally Posted by w1651

That's what I thought myself. Though a good discussion on what needs to be done before you go is a great idea and subject for a new thread.
Maintenance items, parts carried on board, safety equipment, power systems, sail inventory , sail kits etc are all great things to look at.
These are all valued points and subjects worthy to be explored before you leave on your trip. My self I am loading up on sand paper, brushes and varnish. Just so I can keep the old girl looking good on the way to where I am going.

My particular cruise will be for an open ended time, basically going from live aboard at the marina in US.....to live aboard while cruising the Pacific. The old books about boats are the ones with pearls of wisdom. One I have "Ocean Voyaging" by David M Parker has alot to say, one thing said "Every system will eventually fail and you should be able to repair it by your self with tools and parts available on board with no help from the outside" (I can't remember exactly what it said, but this is close).
After sticking my thumb in a bandsaw last week and paying close attention to how the hospital fixed it ( I asked for an alternative to stitches and they used "steri-strips) I started to think more about my medical supplies. You can equip a small hospital fairly cheaply on e-bay.

[Hydra]

Originally Posted by MacG

It is indeed a fact that Croatia is extremely beautiful. I received the advice that if you go there, stay away from the mainland and visit the islands, which are plenty.
There, you have less problems with the bureaucrats and you avoid the costly marina' s.

Some friends who went cruising in Croatia told me that sometimes, the locals try to make you pay for an anchorage that should be free. You just have to be sure of your rights.

Alain

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

After sticking my thumb in a bandsaw last week and paying close attention to how the hospital fixed it ( I asked for an alternative to stitches and they used "steri-strips) I started to think more about my medical supplies. You can equip a small hospital fairly cheaply on e-bay.

A sail sewing kit, duct tape and rum for anaethetic purposes shouid already be on board...

[wolfenzee]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

A sail sewing kit, duct tape and rum for anaethetic purposes shouid already be on board...

I am not so macho as to choose the most painful method of closure I can think of.
This is the 21st century and the methods of wound closure they have now (actually developed in the Vetnam war, super glue). work quite well.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

I am not so macho as to choose the most painful method of closure I can think of.

This is the 21st century and the methods of wound closure they have now (actually developed in the Vetnam war, super glue). work quite well.

Lots of things one could fix (or at least jury rig ) - but I think simply have to accept that plenty more will kill ya, that onshore would not have.

FWIW I think some sort of general medical tome would be a wise investment.....if only to read before bedtime just for the nightmares .

The tooth repair thing is something I would be seriously looking at - a constant toothache is a debilitating thing.........

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

I am not so macho as to choose the most painful method of closure I can think of.
This is the 21st century and the methods of wound closure they have now (actually developed in the Vetnam war, super glue). work quite well.

Probably have a gps on board and use your engine to claw off a lee shore too. Batteries, solar power and some of them fancy electric lights.

Whale oil lamps were good enough for Josh Slocum, good enough for me. What is the sailing world coming to?

[wolfenzee]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Lots of things one could fix (or at least jury rig ) - but I think simply have to accept that plenty more will kill ya, that onshore would not have.

FWIW I think some sort of general medical tome would be a wise investment.....if only to read before bedtime just for the nightmares .

The tooth repair thing is something I would be seriously looking at - a constant toothache is a debilitating thing.........

I am not saying fix the wound with super glue, the new form of wound closure used is basically reinforced paper tape strip with a variation of super glue, which was originally developed for the purpose of wound closure.