Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by kenny chaos

So what do you do now?
Thanks-
Kenny

LOL... not a lot different really.... buy pilot charts if a voyage (delivery) and a local chart for the destination (if I don't have them already)... if my own boat pretty much the same... have CM93 on the laptop.. also NOAA's charts but to be honest I rarely if ever turn it on...
Just put my trust in 'the knowledge'....

[hellosailor]

Originally Posted by goprisko

For example, given a contest 33 can be had from a charity for $2500, that boat comes equipped with a mast, boom, sails, engine, winches, head, and other items salvagable and refurbishable at a fraction of the cost of new.
INDY

Indy, when you say "salvagable" I'm reading that to mean you keep the shiny parts and toss out the rest. Coming back to the BUDGETing part of this thread, what do you figure the cost of obtaining (trucking, home deliveyr, whatever) the hull is? And the cost of disposing of the hull? And have you considered, in many parts of the US you'd have to dispose of it as hazmat, not just tip it at your local dump?

I'm curious to look at the more complete dollar figure for buying those shiny parts--with a couple of tons of scrap attached to them.

[kenny chaos]

Did a post just disappear from here by Alf?

[Blue Crab]

Hey Alf, when I read about a hermit in a rowing dink counting his pennies, I'm wondering if you're just talking about me? I'm kidding Cap but I do resemble that remark. I love inflatables to dive from as you said but I just don't want the attendant worry about damage and theft. Plus the dinghy discussion really had to do with not going with the cheapest one you can find, which was advice I was handing out gratis.

My real point is to encourage you to keep posting. It's evident to me that you've been cruising awhile. Indy certainly has as well and I think this thread is actually his book in-the-writing. But it's not anyone's thread in particular. I think you've been staying on point about managing things at low cost. That's what we want to hear about. Hope you and Indy don't get into it any worse because you both have good experience that is worth sharing. If certain posts have run off the marina-based yotties, that's Ok by me. Keep stuff coming please.

What I don't want to read is wannabe junk from guys with no experience that already know everything.

[kenny chaos]

Post #1172 was Alf expanding on boatman61's post and I bookmarked it.
Came back a half hour later and it's gone.
Alf?

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by kenny chaos

Did a post just disappear from here by Alf?

Dunno about that but I had an gmail notice last night about the mast trimming thread that was not on the forum later when I went to check it out. Fortunately I'd already read it in the email. It was a doozy and essentially calling another guy a BS er. Guess the mods pulled it.

Also Hello Sailor, as you indicated, it isn't free here in NC to scrap a hull at the dump. They want money.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by CaptainAlf

You forgot to mention James Cook and Christopher Columbus...and they did not use outboard engines either.

My point is, that in between James Cook and the Hiscocks is not a bigger gap in development than in between the Hiscocks and our days. The pace of development is still accelarating and propagating their outdated ideas from 50 years ago is like recommending horse carriages over cars.

The good ol' days are over and I definetely don't see the point why we should add the disadvantages of that time to the ones of ours. The cruising community has grown easily by a factor of 1000 since Hiscocks days. The boats on the market have changed as well and there are much more interesting boats and designs to the low budget cruiser on the market than tiny, heavy and slow long keelers with expensive conventional riggings...

INDY, I'm well aware that you've started this thread but you stated this one as well:
"Your comments and suggestions are welcome....."

But then you're coming up with this:

"This forum is for the practicalities of micro-budget cruising. Micro-budget cruising is defined here as that in boats less than 34 ft LOA. While we concede that frugality is possible in larger boats there are certain irrefutables that prevail."

Since I consider a budget of 500$/month as rather luxurious and managed myself to come down to 2500$/year I think I have something to contribute, even if my opinions differ from yours.

Of course you are right, if you absolutely refuse to make some money underway. Then you have to be one of the fortunate ones, who have the amount of 500$ as a steady income through assets or a pension and still have to lead a rather frugal lifestyle.
Since I started cruising at the age of 30, I'm not one of these fortunate ones. After purchasing Freedom Fargo I had about 40,000$ left, from which I used 30,000 up in the following 6 years, having the best time of my life.

In the beginning I used about 800$ a month, using less and less over the years with growing experience how to avoid costs and making easy bucks on the side. The last year of my cruising life, sailing from Brisbane to Thailand I managed the before mentioned 2500$/year budget. This was still a failiure, since my goal for that year was a budget of zero bucks, or in other words: Zero bucks vanishing from my bank account.
The 2500$ were the bill from Rolly Tusker in Phuket for my new sails. Apart from this I managed a 0$ budget just by hanging up ads "looking for crew" which I printed on the printer coming with my lap top and being reachable via e-mail and mostly via mobile phone.
(Please note, all the costs for lap top, mobile, Pactor modem, sailmail fee etc. were included in those 30,000$ for 6 years).

The Hiscocks had the huge advantage of unspoiled cruising grounds and their achievement of circumnavigating in those days cannot be questioned
but they didn't have the slightest chance supporting themselves underway without giving up the cruising lifestyle.
We've lost the unspoiled cruising grounds by growing populations and as well by the huge armada of yachts cruising around the planet (since you need only half the guts for doing so because affordable and reliable GPS systems are available since far more than 10 years).
But we have the chance to make the best out of it - there are always two sides to a coin.
I don't imply, that you need the funds I've had for a start, or a boat as big as Freedom Fargo. That's only important if you're a lazy bastard like I am but you have to open your eyes and ears to the opportunities the modern cruising times are offering.
And you won't see or hear them if you're listening to such great advice:

"My entertainment allowance is based upon potlucks.. inviting guests aboard for tea..
limiting drinks severely." or
"Virtually NO ELECTRONICS"

It's all about communication. If you don't mingle with the guys who can spend some bucks, how should they know that they can give them to you?

A few beers in the yacht club are well spent money, as long you connect with the right people. Let the hermit with the rowing dink count his pennies - it's good, less competition.
I don't want to say it's all easy, building up a reputation as a good and reliable worker needs time, but once achieved, this reputation will even travel with you...maintenance work on boats is IMHO the most reliable money bringer for people who do not want to take passengers or whose boats are too small to do so.

So, I hope I didn't offend too many people - just tell me if it's inappropriate what I'm posting - then perhaps I open a thread:
long term low budget cruising in the 21st century

Cheers

Alf

Alf... you aint offended me.. there's things we agree on and things we don't but there's wisdom in your words... just down to the readers which bits they choose to use... I don't carry a sextant for one simple reason.. I've a good knowledge of my geography and that combined with my charts for a voyage is enough to get me safely anywhere should my h/hGPS crash... but I am aware that many don't have a clue about the layout of the planet... including 'World Leaders'
Pretty sad huh....

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by kenny chaos

Did a post just disappear from here by Alf?

The post in question was deleted by the member himself, stating as his reason, "was already answered."

TaoJones

[kenny chaos]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

The post in question was deleted by the member himself, stating as his reason, "was already answered."

TaoJones

Thanks for your reply-
Kenny

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by tgzzzz

...I had an gmail notice last night about the mast trimming thread that was not on the forum later when I went to check it out. Fortunately I'd already read it in the email. It was a doozy and essentially calling another guy a BS er. Guess the mods pulled it.

There has been one post removed from the "Mast Trimming Help !" thread, which consisted only of a single line of ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ to indicate the member's apparent boredom with the subject. As it did nothing to further the discussion, it was removed. I'm not aware of any post being a "doozy and essentially calling another guy a BS er."

TaoJones

[pullord]

Originally Posted by TaoJones

There has been one post removed from the "Mast Trimming Help !" thread, which consisted only of a single line of ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ to indicate the member's apparent boredom with the subject. As it did nothing to further the discussion, it was removed. I'm not aware of any post being a "doozy and essentially calling another guy a BS er."

TaoJones

yea--some hilarious posts are removed,,some of these comments remind me of the guy i met in 1989 from duluth sailing around the carib with cases of peanut butter and canned tuna who actually drank salt water with his spirits,,,he was definitely living cheap but at what cost to his body,,this guy would constantly eat barracuda{sigautara poisining?} cause that was only fish he catch and go days without fruit or vegetables,,me thinkes he was sufferung and would be healthier getting free food from the foodbank in some big city,,was also full of bugbites and lesions like leprosy..needless to say he was less off in my opinion than one of my tenants collecting welfare who watch sat/tv and drink cold beer every day,,but of course he can say he IS cruising,,ha ha

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by kenny chaos

So what do you do now?
Thanks-
Kenny

He bumps into things. Continents mainly but sometimes....if he is lucky.......bad women

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by CaptainAlf

It's all about communication. If you don't mingle with the guys who can spend some bucks, how should they know that they can give them to you?

I might not be "out there" on a boat - but methinks I recognise a fellow traveller

Have given a lot of thought to the subject over the years (albeit never had any great dream to sail off into the Sunset) - I honestly think it is far easier to design a sustainable cruising lifestyle where you add $500 a month into the pot, rather than a life that requires a $500 per month reduction. and likely the lifestyle a bit more fun. (the fun in being broke wears off quick - living frugally by choice is a different matter entirely).

FWIW, today I came up with a way of selling Common Sense - in a bottle not as easy to do as it first sounds, as I had to invent...........Common Sense (think about it ). Be a while before I can bring it to market, so in the spirit of sharing I mention it for others to also commercialise............

So, I hope I didn't offend too many people - just tell me if it's inappropriate what I'm posting - then perhaps I open a thread:
long term low budget cruising in the 21st century

Of interest to me - I must confess that (not in particularly this thread) I do get the impression that some are living in a world long past, and that probably never existed as it does in print - and others dreaming of doing the same. The sea might not have changed much over the last 40 years, but the land bits in between certainly have. and often......shock!.........for the better

[w1651]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Indy, when you say "salvagable" I'm reading that to mean you keep the shiny parts and toss out the rest. Coming back to the BUDGETing part of this thread, what do you figure the cost of obtaining (trucking, home deliveyr, whatever) the hull is? And the cost of disposing of the hull? And have you considered, in many parts of the US you'd have to dispose of it as hazmat, not just tip it at your local dump?

I'm curious to look at the more complete dollar figure for buying those shiny parts--with a couple of tons of scrap attached to them.

All right Sailor no chopping up or salvaging my boat before I have sailed it.

Also

With the deals that are out there and a little knowledge about boats and their systems. Why would anyone build? Some of the nicest and best running boats (as well as customized) have been reconnditioned to the owners wants and needs.
I have a 1972 (though the title says 1962) contest that I have 2900 USD into. I plan on spending another 10,000 on safety systems,electrical, engine, and maintenance.
How can you build a boat either aluminum or steel or Glass cheaper then that?

Maybe I am just nostalgic but buy the worst house on the block for the best resale value.
Do I have some work to do ? Yes ! Am I going to have to put in the man hours it takes to get the old girl where I want her? Yes! When she is finally done and that's not that far away because of previous owners. This diamond in the rough is gonna shine.
But it will be my boat the way I want her to look and the way I want her to be set up. No electronics except a vhf (ssb if available at the right cost) epirb,running lights, and LED's in the cabin. Solar panels to charge the batteries as well as a wind generator.
We'll see about the engine. You eat an elephant one bite at a time and I am still trying to inventory my Good Ol Boat !!

But I'm happier then a Pig in $hiezzit !!

[Vega1860]

A well equipped, cruise-ready boat can be had for US$12000, and by that I mean just bring groceries and go. Several have been sold recently for around that price. HERE are the listings on the American Vega web site. Since I have been living aboard and cruising one of these boats for more than twenty years, I can attest that they are quite suitable for two adults. The Vega is one of John Vigor's "20 Small Boats to Take you Anywhere". We don't cruise on $500 a month because we enjoy our restaurants and wine and because we don't have to, but we could.