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

[capta]

Not a cruiser any longer, sob, sob....
"To be truly challenging,a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise, you are doomed to a routine transverse, the kind known to yachtsmen who play with their boats at sea..."cruising" it is called.
Voyaging belongs to seamen, and to wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change.
Only then will you know what the sea is all about".
-Sterling Hayden, "Wanderer"

[Cacique]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Fair enuf

Hi David_Old_Jersy I'm liking your list of essentials but couldn't work out how to make an addition.
However it seems to me you have left out TWO of the most essential peices of equipment namley
Bottle opener
Corkscrew I cant imagine leaving port without either of these! Also canopener.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Cacique

Hi David_Old_Jersy I'm liking your list of essentials but couldn't work out how to make an addition.
However it seems to me you have left out TWO of the most essential peices of equipment namley
Bottle opener
Corkscrew I cant imagine leaving port without either of these! Also canopener.

I would view those items as under the heading Cooking Utensils I have updated the notes next to that category accordingly .

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Greenhand

Turns out that most people who claim this don't include long term expenses.

Just maintaining a US passport works out to a dollar a month over ten years, now work out the things on the vessel that actually see use.

Several have shown how they squeak in around $500 a month, but I have yet to see a plausible budget significantly under.

I don't really see this thread as being about creating The Handbook for a $500 sailor.

IMO a specific budget (plausible or not!) developed by one person is not going to be much use to another (even if of interest) as circumstances, , boat, location, goals, skills, comfort levels will always differ - and even for one person will likely change over time.

Indeed, I would go so far as to say that this is one of those subjects that fall into the category of "if you need to ask - you can't".

I see the value of this thread as twofold:-

a) Throwing up ideas that can be used by others (as is, or tweaked around own circumstances).

b) demonstrating that even folks who are constrained by budget can get "out there" - whether or not on a specific $500 a month budget. a blank cheque book not a requirement. nice to have though!

In practice I would imagine that folks on $500 a month would likely not be paying for 24/7 internet access and likely also have other things to do anyway, possibly involving working hard living on little (being broke is surprisingly hard work!).

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Cacique

In the UK I know of many places where you can moor for free, ok its usually pretty far up the river and usually dries out but I know of places really quite close to civilisation (5 to 10 mins walk to the shops) some in quite nice areas.

+1

Depends on location. Whilst not legal to liveaboard a boat here, perfectly doable - and "civilisation" not more than 5 minutes away. Accross in Northern France lots of opportunity to tuck a boat away for free - and on that note, smaller is often better . Not to say that free does not always come without cost or compromises.....

......I recall many moons ago when my day job involved chatting to folks in the UK that the subject of commute times often came up - me used to say it took 10 minutes, but only that long if I stopped off for an Icecream at the Beach on the way home .........the longest I heard was 3 hours. each way ........but plenty an hour or 2 ......and those were land based folks. Not my cup of tea for sure - but nonetheless evidently doable. even if mental .

[atoll]

talking about eesential money saving devices,i recently bought a hydralic swaging tool,and have just re-rigged my 28 ft boat with 10m mast.
costs were £70 for swaging tool.
£30 for copper furrules
£ 20 for thimbles
£100 for 120m new 316 7x19 8mm wire @£2 a kilo from the scrap yard
so £220 or $350 total,i was also able to do all the life lines aint half bad!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/70mm-Hydraul.../dp/B006B70XY4

[sailorchic34]

Well I just checked my costs for anchor out living and its at about $535-$540 ish a month. Including 2 days at a marina a month, Food for me and the evil cat, Internet, fuel, boat insurance taxes and repair. No medical, no car, no utilities. Oh no beer or wine either in my budget. No bottom cleaning by diver. Same unskilled blonde splashes about in the water in attempt to clean the boats undersides now and then

My average cost for maintenance was running $65 a month. That includes a haulout when needed ( looks like maybe next year after 4 years) with an unskilled blonde chic doing all the labor. BTW haulouts are BY FAR my least favorate part of living on a boat...

BTW I could easily spend twice the $540 ish a month if I was not careful on where I shop and what I purchased. Truth be told, give me a blank check and I spend that puppy in just a few hours of carefree abandon.

This year has been a little rough on boat parts. Things that failed this year include:

Water heater developed a leak....Removed and replaced with $25 solar shower.
Electric water pump blew a diaphram. Junked it and using the foot pumps for water.
The &^^% RAM mic died. This I replaced as I singlehand and having a mic at the wheel was important. Tried being without it for a month and it was a pain.

My previous home made led anchor light failed, well a few leds died. I replaced it with a new improved blonde made led anchor light for $27 in parts.

Fuse on solar panel circuit melted due to dissimilar metals. Probably made by Lucas electrics ;-). Wired it to an extra breaker instead.

Belt on wheel autopilot failed. Replaced from onboard spares ($15)

So a rough year for my boat so far.

The up side is its sunny, 85 degrees f. and just lovely..

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

Well I just checked my costs for anchor out living and its at about $535-$540 ish a month. Including 2 days at a marina a month, Food for me and the evil cat, Internet, fuel, boat insurance taxes and repair. No medical, no car, no utilities. Oh no beer or wine either in my budget. No bottom cleaning by diver. Same unskilled blonde splashes about in the water in attempt to clean the boats undersides now and then

My average cost for maintenance was running $65 a month. That includes a haulout when needed ( looks like maybe next year after 4 years) with an unskilled blonde chic doing all the labor. BTW haulouts are BY FAR my least favorate part of living on a boat...

BTW I could easily spend twice the $540 ish a month if I was not careful on where I shop and what I purchased. Truth be told, give me a blank check and I spend that puppy in just a few hours of carefree abandon.

This year has been a little rough on boat parts. Things that failed this year include:

Water heater developed a leak....Removed and replaced with $25 solar shower.
Electric water pump blew a diaphram. Junked it and using the foot pumps for water.
The &^^% RAM mic died. This I replaced as I singlehand and having a mic at the wheel was important. Tried being without it for a month and it was a pain.

My previous home made led anchor light failed, well a few leds died. I replaced it with a new improved blonde made led anchor light for $27 in parts.

Fuse on solar panel circuit melted due to dissimilar metals. Probably made by Lucas electrics ;-). Wired it to an extra breaker instead.

Belt on wheel autopilot failed. Replaced from onboard spares ($15)

So a rough year for my boat so far.

The up side is its sunny, 85 degrees f. and just lovely..

It has been a lovely fall so far.

You hit on the rub and what can be the deal breaker. Boat repairs can be hard to predict and control. I've spent my three year repair budget this year. Hopefully that means I have a couple of years where nothing will prevent me from working my way up the todo list!

Years like this I remember it isn't about living cheaply for me - it's about living well.

[w1651]

Okay here's one in line with Atoll as far as materials.
I just got a very nice piece of teak for a backing board for the cap on my boat. Needed because the fore stay attaches at the bow cap along with the bow rail and I needed to upgrade and strengthen it. But I am going to need to do additional work, repairs, upgrades,etc...
What is a strong, reasonably priced wood to use instead of the pricier Teak or Mahogany out there?

[mitiempo]

G-10 - wood makes a lousy backing block by comparison.

[SailPenelope]

Thank you Cacique; I just ordered Aniie Hill's book on Amazon. Looking forward to reading it. We have no refrigeration on our CT41 ketch, and no plans to add any.

[terminalcitygrl]

I watched a TED talk on food waste recently - whoa! Totally interesting but what I wanted to highlight was the guys experiment with lettuce. He bought 3 heads, one was kept in the fridge, another was kept of the counter, 3rd he cut off the bottom and stood it up in a glass of water, like cut flowers. After 2 weeks, the fridge lettuce was by far the worst, counter lettuce looked still edible although a bit wilty, lettuce in water looked fabulous! Maybe other people already knew this? Very interested in best ways to store fresh to preserve it. Other tricks anyone? I also recently heard not to store onions and potatoes together, my mother always did so I did too. She was wrong.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by w1651

Okay here's one in line with Atoll as far as materials.
I just got a very nice piece of teak for a backing board for the cap on my boat. Needed because the fore stay attaches at the bow cap along with the bow rail and I needed to upgrade and strengthen it. But I am going to need to do additional work, repairs, upgrades,etc...
What is a strong, reasonably priced wood to use instead of the pricier Teak or Mahogany out there?

iroko is what i use generally but oak is also ok

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

No bottom cleaning by diver.

Ask nicely..........

[Ballenxj]

Originally Posted by terminalcitygrl

After 2 weeks, the fridge lettuce was by far the worst, counter lettuce looked still edible although a bit wilty, lettuce in water looked fabulous! Maybe other people already knew this?

I did not know this. OTOH, I always did call the crisper in the fridge the "Rotter." Now I know why.
The "kept in water" idea makes sense.
-Bruce