Shoestring Sailors (Cruising on $500 per month - part II)

[krafthaus]

Here's a Canadian fellow, David Welsford. I'm pretty sure he's in the $500 a month group! Very well done video as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syJXrbWU1Aw

[mausgras]

Originally Posted by weavis

Ha!
for a sub 34 footer I hope not!

Seriously........ I have worked out my boating budget at

• 15K Euros a year.
• $20K.

At this price it includes marina, insurance, electric, water, fuel, clothes, food and drink and expenses. Major issues would have to factored on top of this.

I consider this as close as I can get to being reasonable for where I want to be.

For 1250 EUR a month or $1660, its a good life but not extravagant. Spain is cheap if you work it properly.

can I do it cheaper? YES........ but I dont need to.

I can guarantee most others in a marina will spend 5 or 6 times this and think it cheap.

Thats around my estimate here in Thailand as well. You need to be able to manage things within a budget.
Its not a frugal existence, nor is it an extravagant one either.

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[w1651]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Whilst I have no problem with this thread wandering off topic (imo makes it more interesting ) .........nonetheless I will point out that plenty of other threads for making value judgements on the lifestyles of others .

Amen to that Dave.
What I want to know is what is the level of self sufficiency you are at. Does your solar panel power everything you need or do you have a wind generator too. do you run a gen set or not? Do you have a fridge or freezer unit? How much power do you use and how much do you make in a day.
Also what and how are you cooking. Do you use your grill or stove and what do you use in them. these are real costs and I would like to know your monthly/yearly/ average costs for each.
(if you have to go to a marina to charge batteries factor that cost in as well as diesel.)

Nice video. That's a guy doing like I want to.

[bluetriguy]

Hi w1651, I live in an expensive area (California), I cruised the coast here for 18 mo straight in 2007. My boat cost 3700US but another 18000US before I left the yard. My monthly budget after the refit came to $700mo US . My homeport was Santa Catalina Isl off the coast of LA, California.
I have fridge freezer, diesel stove, charcol grill, yanmar inboard.
All electrical is provided by two 140w panels and one airx wind gen. I had to return to work but plan on moving back aboard again in 2015.
The only time I used tge yanmar for electrical was if I had to run power tools for extended time (switched to ryobi battery tools and thats stopped the use of the engine for charging...
In SoCalifornia you canblow the budget quickly by eating ashore, the good news is that freash foods are incredibally cheap here. Good luck with your plans!


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[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by w1651

Amen to that Dave.
What I want to know is what is the level of self sufficiency you are at. Does your solar panel power everything you need or do you have a wind generator too. do you run a gen set or not? Do you have a fridge or freezer unit? How much power do you use and how much do you make in a day.
Also what and how are you cooking. Do you use your grill or stove and what do you use in them. these are real costs and I would like to know your monthly/yearly/ average costs for each.
(if you have to go to a marina to charge batteries factor that cost in as well as diesel.)

Nice video. That's a guy doing like I want to.

Lets see I have 230 watts of solar (2 panels 130 and 100 watts) with a $16 PWM controller and four group 27 deep cycle batteries. Lights are led or CCF. Fridge is a $140 120V 3.5CF fridge running off a $50 inverter. It uses no more power in a day then the average 12V unit.

The solar will recharge the batteries, my netbook, wifi thingy, etc every day if there is 5 hours or more of sun. For cloudy days I have a small honda generator or just run the diesel to charge the batteries.

I have a 3 burner stove/oven that I generally cook two meals a day on. Its 42 years old and still going strong. A 20 LB propane cylinder lasts 3-4 months in summer, maybe 1-2 weeks in winter with propane heat. I've a second cylinder too.

Pretty much I cook what i use to cook on land. Even Bake. I have an outdoor charcoal grill that I use only a few times a year. At the $500 level its hamburger, onions, bell peppers, etc. Some caned chicken or roast beef, Fish when caught (not wild about cleaning fish). I'm not big on beans, but have 10 lb on board for rainy days.

Dishes are washed with water from whatever the boat is sitting in. I use a bucket and heat the water a little on the stove in a 8 quart pot.

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by krafthaus

Here's a Canadian fellow, David Welsford. I'm pretty sure he's in the $500 a month group! Very well done video as well.

Very good video. He's someone I would like to meet.

[w1651]

Thanks Sailorchic and Bluetriguy. I am trying to figure out how much power I will need to charge two banks of 4 bateries at 48 volts and anther bank of 2 batteries at 12 volts . Like you sailorchic I am using LED bulbs and low energy fridge.
I was thinking about 300 watts with a wind generator and propane for the stove.
Bluetriguy do you know how many watts you can make a day?

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by w1651

Thanks Sailorchic and Bluetriguy. I am trying to figure out how much power I will need to charge two banks of 4 bateries at 48 volts and anther bank of 2 batteries at 12 volts . Like you sailorchic I am using LED bulbs and low energy fridge.
I was thinking about 300 watts with a wind generator and propane for the stove.
Bluetriguy do you know how many watts you can make a day?

WHOOOOAAAAA there.....a 48V battery bank...why complicate your life and make all of your electrical items expensive and special order. KISS Baby...if you are in the United States stay at 12v for your battery Bank!

Put all your money into as much Solar as you can first, I would list 300W as a minimum. Then if there is budget left over install a wind gen...and for $949...you can have a Honda 2000i Generator for hot water heating and charging if the solar and wind can't keep up. We exchange a propane tank for $20 every other month, so that's easy.

[mitiempo]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

WHOOOOAAAAA there.....a 48V battery bank...why complicate your life and make all of your electrical items expensive and special order. KISS Baby...if you are in the United States stay at 12v for your battery Bank!

I agree 100%, but w1651 is installing electric drive - a mistake for anyone not plugging in regularly. Definitely not the way to be self sufficient.

There isn't enough space on his boat for the panels needed to achieve a small range under electric as well as charge the house bank.

[bluetriguy]

I missed the electric drive. I use an all vehicle and can tell you that theres no way to keep it running without plugging in. There is a yanmar diesel hybrid kit, which you could use much more succesfully. My panels only average a daily 200w and this in southern cal. The wind gen contributes another 110 of its rated 400w when averaged over the ladt 5 years. You cant use the output ratings as real world. My boat is a 31ft tri and the two panels take a significant amount of deck....
I have all LED lighting, an LED flatscren and mostly use an ipad as its more efficient than my laptop.
My battery bank (house) is a modest 500w 12v system. Engine bank is isolated from it.
When in harbor we use two 55lb thrust trolling motors hooked up together unless the swell is up. Hope that gives you a better idea of whats possible.

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[bluetriguy]

Ooops! Meant to say I use an all electric vehicle (no boat propulsion)..

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[w1651]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

WHOOOOAAAAA there.....a 48V battery bank...why complicate your life and make all of your electrical items expensive and special order. KISS Baby...if you are in the United States stay at 12v for your battery Bank!

Put all your money into as much Solar as you can first, I would list 300W as a minimum. Then if there is budget left over install a wind gen...and for $949...you can have a Honda 2000i Generator for hot water heating and charging if the solar and wind can't keep up. We exchange a propane tank for $20 every other month, so that's easy.

I can't run my electric motor on 12 volts. I am installing electric drive.

[w1651]

Thanks Bluetriguy that's what I am looking for.

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Fridge is a $140 120V 3.5CF fridge running off a $50 inverter.

How big an inverter is needed to run that fridge? Or more correctly, how small an inverter could I use, knowing there may be a surge at startup time? Is it possible to connect a small fan to the control module so that it would run only when the fridge is running? Sounds like a good inexpensive alternative to the usual marine setup..

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

How big an inverter is needed to run that fridge? Or more correctly, how small an inverter could I use, knowing there may be a surge at startup time? Is it possible to connect a small fan to the control module so that it would run only when the fridge is running? Sounds like a good inexpensive alternative to the usual marine setup..

I'm using a 700 watt inverter and it runs fine. fridge uses 14 amps DC (1.4 amps A/C) when running but generally uses less then 2.5 amps per hour in 90 degree cabin temps, less when it's cooler.

I put a SS clasp on the door to keep it closed when healed over, plus bolted and screwed to deck and overhead. 7 year on and going strong. I had though of hooking the T-stat to a relay to run the inverter, doable. But I use it to charge the netbook and other A/C chargers too