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

[Blue Crab]

Budget Buster my butt! I had a 60s engine like this. It was 2 plugs every 6 hours of run time. Think it was 25:1 mixture. Still, it started every time needed from Galveston to Miami. It was on my Wharram Hina 24. I didn't always need it to come about but that was my beer joint story.

[zeehag]

ok idont pay more than 500usd fro the dinghy and it best b ehypalon and in decent shape, and 500 for a used engine---nissan 3 1/2 or a 4 -6 evinrude---dosnt take much to outfit when you can find good used stuff cheaper than new

with news depreciation, used is a lot better.....

[Buzzman]

Well, this might be my first post, but I have been lurking for yonks, and have - believe it or not - just spent over a week (on and off) going thru the 261 pp of the "Under $500" and "Shoestring" threads....phew!

FWIW I checked my Excel spreadsheet budget, removed all the 'onshore unavoidable' items, and I am 'just' squeaking in under the arbitrary $500 mark.

So I figure I'll be able to do the liveaboard and cruising thang, once my boat is finished building.

I don't have anything much concrete to add to the points already posted over the past 3 years, but I did find an 'alternative dinghy' that piqued my curiousity, and that can be homebuilt. The Wooden Widget Fliptail.
The Fliptail folding dinghy

I especially liked the video of the guy with the folding bike, first fold the dinghy, then unfold the bike, attach the dinghy and cycle off. Methinks with some care the folded dinghy could be used as a trailer for scudding around port collecting basic items like food.

The design also lends itself well to hauling, folding and chaining up, to prevent theft, and even if a small 3HP outboard was included (or oars) these too could be chained up. Much easier than any type of hard or unflatable version, and avoids the time limits on slips and docks for dinghies.

Also, folded and snugged down on deck or saloon top it would not take up mach space and could even be tied off to lifeline stanchions as with a kayak.

There's no evidence on the site for a detachable ladder so that it could be used for scuba diving from (as per the Porta Bote link previously posted) but surely is do-able....

I live in a State (New South Wales) that does not 'allow' liveaboards 'except' at marinas, and only then when attached to pump out hose.

Still, there's a few doing it.....and as long as done carefully and not blatantly, harbour police tend to ignore. State north of us, Queensland, allows liveaboards. Gotta love a Federation, eh?

Thanks to all who have posted positive with ideas, hints and tips for the 'shoestring sailor'. I have bookmarked many websites as a result and have done much reading as a result of those tips.

All grist to the mill for the 'apprentice liveaboards'.

[mausgras]

Originally Posted by Group9

Back to the original point, I've been bucks up and bucks down in my life and
one thing I have learned is that it is amazing as to how little money you can live on if necessary (and, how much you can spend if you have it).

That was exactly my ex-wife .....

[zeehag]

i will post exzactly how much it will cost to completely rebuild my perkins 4-108 inboard here in barra de navidad.
so far, 3 parts rebuilt, injection pump, tranny oil heat exchanger and the lift pump were a total of under 300 usdollars entirely rebuilt .
now we go for the rest of my seized engine.

[Vino the Dog]

SailorChick, congratulations on getting your motor hummin! Zee, good luck (or better yet, good skill) on rebuilding yours.

After almost a year doing the refit on my CT, unless the water gods spit on me, looks like the first move within the next 4-6 weeks. Got a competent crew lined up for the short 110 mile trip down the Columbia River to Astoria, where I will spend the next 2-3 months pulling the masts to rebuild them. Rot in the mizzen sail track, and full check out on all standing rigging.

Plan is to strip down both to bare wood, scarf in new spruce in damaged areas, penetrating epoxy where hairline cracks are found, then several coats of varnish. They are white now and can't see condition.... yeah, I know, more maintenance for varnish over white paint.

[zeehag]

vino..i hope you checked out the beam under your mizzenmast...it steps to a beam... that beam goes under the galley fridge and supports the companionway bulkhead. i put a compression post under my mizzen....as long as you have the mizzen down it would be a grand time to check it.
engine will come together poco a poco....will post pix.....

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by Vino the Dog

SailorChick, congratulations on getting your motor hummin! Zee, good luck (or better yet, good skill) on rebuilding yours.

After almost a year doing the refit on my CT, unless the water gods spit on me, looks like the first move within the next 4-6 weeks. Got a competent crew lined up for the short 110 mile trip down the Columbia River to Astoria, where I will spend the next 2-3 months pulling the masts to rebuild them. Rot in the mizzen sail track, and full check out on all standing rigging.

Plan is to strip down both to bare wood, scarf in new spruce in damaged areas, penetrating epoxy where hairline cracks are found, then several coats of varnish. They are white now and can't see condition.... yeah, I know, more maintenance for varnish over white paint.

woof woof dog!- I had a Garden 35 ketch (65-built in Japan) for 20 years. It had Sitka spruce sticks-At about year 10 I put 5 coats of epoxy on- then white awlgrip . It seemed to really strengthen them and never a problema for next 10 years. If I was to do over I would just paint them buff with one part epoxy by hand. That west marine stuff-The awlgrip started chalking after 6 years anyway.

[mitiempo]

One part epoxy?

[Vino the Dog]

Zee,

Thanks for the advisory. I have checked out the support stringers and there IS rot there. Plan to replace it when mast is out. Don't know if Formosa may be slightly different construction than the CT, or if there is variation from boat to boat, but the support stringer under the mast step on my boat does NOT support the cabin aft bulkhead. The bulkhead support is a large beam just below deck level. Below that, clear down to the mast support stringer is a non- bearing partition on the starboard side, and an open cavity on the port side. Double checked it after reading your post.

After I pull the masts and crawl down there, will let you know from closer up. If I am wrong, I'll buy you a beer when I get to Mexico.... Oh, hell, I'll buy you the beer anyway, just because you care!

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by zeehag

i will post exzactly how much it will cost to completely rebuild my perkins 4-108 inboard here in barra de navidad.
so far, 3 parts rebuilt, injection pump, tranny oil heat exchanger and the lift pump were a total of under 300 usdollars entirely rebuilt .
now we go for the rest of my seized engine.

AHHHH...ZEEEE....I sure hope you are NOT using JohnCo for your 4-108 Engiine Rebuild in Barra! He totally scewed up TWO engine rebuilds a few years ago while we were there. Rebuilt them TWICE and they ended up having to have them REDONE in Mazatlan!!!! RUNNNNNNNN FAST

[zeehag]

thankyou, rich..not using him. i heard the warnings all the way to zihuatenejo,and brought my own canuck repair guy. we use the locals for parts and rebuilds and so far, so good....we just need to loosen up the bits inside engine so isnt seized anymore and replace a lot. we found a stash of 4-108 parts!!!! local mexican fella has em. we sniffing around with pesos...and beer...

[Vino the Dog]

Hey Zee,

Have you gone to see my friend Bob Hansen in Barra yet? He is a sailor who lives there and has a photography gallery there and is quite active in the community. I think his wife grew up there and has family locally. I am planning on having an art show at his gallery when I get down there, if all works out right. He might be a good ally.

[zeehag]

hqvent met him yet,i will see if anyone knows where to find him and go meet him....ty

[SV THIRD DAY]

Every summer up in the Sea of Cortez our family of four cruised quite comfrotably on around $500/mo. The key was there was nothing or nowhere to spend money...ha ha ah. We were so tired of eating fresh fish twice a day that my wife made me stop spear fishing!