The Answer to How much it Costs to Cruise

[Mirage Gecko]

Thanks Catamoron for the costs data.
If you actually need to know what it costs there is no need for comparisons of boat size ,salary desired ways of entertainment ,eating style etc etc you just need to analyse as much data from different sources as you can find.Then add up the bits that will apply to you on your boat in your desired destinations.
No different from anything else you buy or costs money to do in your whole life.
Now a budget that is an entirely different animal.
Chris

[zboss]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

Ask and you shall receive.....every dollar spent on our 4yr Cruise of Mexico.
http://www.svthirdday.com/PDF/expenses.pdf

$30 a month on beer and booze? You spent more than that for the colonoscopy!

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

Your are kidding right.....
That's $42K per year so before taxes that's about a $55K/yr paycheck.
I don't know many folks making $55K/yr that have lived such a grand life in style.

Third day not sure if that was for us or not. But we live off our social security as both of worked over 40 years at senior management positions. We have not touched our 401ks until this year when we had to replace our mainsail and i have to start taking it anyway as at some point you have to start withdrawal and i am a year away from that.

We have done a lot of inland travel here in Tunisia, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, along with both sides of Italy. We are also full time liveaboards and winter over last year and this year on the boat in Port Yasmine Hammamet Tunisia. And it is every dime we spend regardless if we are with our kids in the USA or not. It is basically our cash flow.

As soon as a member here changes the format of our excel file we will publish 6 years of data. When it comes out you will see we spend a lot on upgrades on our boat as we want it in top condition and not just maintenance stuff but new and better stuff. So we have spent from $2,300 a month in the caribbean to $3,400 in the med. As full time cruisers we could spend a lot less if we stayed in the western caribbean but then that would get boring and we wanted to see the med.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by colemj

I know very few people making $45,000/yr who spend a couple months of each year touring around Mediterranean countries. And pay for their own major surgeries.

Mark

I'm thinking many that plan to cruise aren't dealing with major surgeries. When reading about Robin Lee Graham and Tania Aebi, it's just not something that comes up a lot.

That (having surgeries) may need to have it's own separate category.

Many would want costs just to cruise! Not including surgeries, flights home to see the grandkids, entertaining guests, etc.

No, what does it cost to just cruise? I'm thinking a lot less than $3,300 per month. Also, you don't have to cruise the Med. You can cruise the bay for the summer, or go down to the gulf and hang out and in the Spring.

Just some other possibilities......

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

Ask and you shall receive.....every dollar spent on our 4yr Cruise of Mexico.
http://www.svthirdday.com/PDF/expenses.pdf

$429.00 for colonoscopy?

Yep, this thread needs to be renamed cruising for old folks.

Also that's usually covered under preventive care for free. Many would get that done Before cruising since you are usually set for 10 years once you have one. So you can drop that from your cost to cruise list.

Now I do question that alcohol bill though. The max you spent on booze was $22.00. For a whole Month? And you call yourself a sailor?

Some sailors I know actually use alcohol for medicinal purposes. And they can always come up with an ailment that needs fixin'

[Group9]

Originally Posted by thomm225

$429.00 for colonoscopy?

Yep, this thread needs to be renamed cruising for old folks.

Also that's usually covered under preventive care for free. Many would get that done Before cruising since you are usually set for 10 years once you have one. So you can drop that from your cost to cruise list.

Now I do question that alcohol bill though. The max you spent on booze was $22.00. For a whole Month? And you call yourself a sailor?

Some sailors I know actually use alcohol for medicinal purposes. And they can always come up with an ailment that needs fixin'

Yeah, my last colonoscopy, was $30 under my health insurance plan, and they I didn't need to have another one for three years. Except for injuries, if you are going to have a health problem like cancer, or heart problem, it's going to happen whether you're at home or on a boat. In fact it's probably less likely to happen on a boat in most cases, due to the active lifestyle. Being sedentary, being one of the biggest causes of health problems.

[jaybird1111]

It might be more instructive to indicate what is included in 'groceries.'

Some people smoke, some eat a lot of meat, some have more expensive gustatory tastes than others. So one man's 'groceries' is another man's 'luxuries.'

Another example: some people just have to have whatever they would eat at home, even though the prices may be much higher than what is available locally. That would make a big difference in the end result

[scuba0_1]

This thread really is strange. Don't understand why people who I guess don't have the means get upset when people who do continue that life style on a boat get so mad. Wonder if this happens when they live on land and see people living in big houses and driving nice cars.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I'm thinking many that plan to cruise aren't dealing with major surgeries. When reading about Robin Lee Graham and Tania Aebi, it's just not something that comes up a lot.

That (having surgeries) may need to have it's own separate category.

Many would want costs just to cruise! Not including surgeries, flights home to see the grandkids, entertaining guests, etc.

No, what does it cost to just cruise? I'm thinking a lot less than $3,300 per month. Also, you don't have to cruise the Med. You can cruise the bay for the summer, or go down to the gulf and hang out and in the Spring.

Just some other possibilities......

You can cut out as many of the cost factors that you want but in reality when you rip your shoulder tendon while working on the boat and need surgery in a foreign port that to us part of cruising. If you do not have a terra firma dwelling and need to get back once in a while to see family that is part of the cost of being out here.

I guess in the end I guess each person must define what cruising is to them. If we were to sail the bay or go to the gulf and hang out or what ever to us that is not cruising as our defination is using the boat to see and explore. If we were to just hang or cruise the bay the boat would be gone and we would be doing something else.

In our opinion there is a substantial difference between the cost of being a full time cruiser where you are on the boat the majority of the time. When you use the boat 12 months a year and put 2-3,000 miles a year on it, ie a full time cruiser the costs go up a lot.

The question is basically then define crusing and then take all the cost you do not think apply and then try it and see if it works.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by scuba0_1

This thread really is strange. Don't understand why people who I guess don't have the means get upset when people who do continue that life style on a boat get so mad. Wonder if this happens when they live on land and see people living in big houses and driving nice cars.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Just the opposite for us. People with huge house mortgages and driving brand new cars, keep asking us how we are able to afford to stop working and go cruising in our fifties.

When I point out the fact that we drive an eight and a ten year old car, have half the house costs they have, and don't spend money like drunken sailors (just regular sailors), they usually act like they don't believe us. I'm sure most of them think we inherited some money or something we're not admitting to.

People who live high cost lifestyles, come to believe that is the only lifestyle they can live, on land or on water. They are the people who get excited every time American Express upgrades their card color. I know, because I used to be one of them.

[scuba0_1]

Yep I get that, that's where were at down sizing for more later but I don't have a issue with those that spend it.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Group9]

Originally Posted by scuba0_1

Yep I get that, that's where were at down sizing for more later but I don't have a issue with those that spend it.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I agree, There is nothing wrong with really enjoying a high cost lifestyle and planning to work until you die to maintain it. I have several attorney friends who have that exact philosophy on life. One of them flies to the Bahamas, probably a dozen weeks out of the year and stays at GTC.

He and his wife keep asking us to go with them on some trips and we keep saying, thanks, but we'd rather go down there our way.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by scuba0_1

This thread really is strange. Don't understand why people who I guess don't have the means get upset when people who do continue that life style on a boat get so mad. Wonder if this happens when they live on land and see people living in big houses and driving nice cars.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I haven't read the whole thread. Do people really get upset that appear not to have the means. The key word here is appear.

Some folks couldn't just sail around and visit places all the time. It's really bad for your body for one thing because you don't get enough movement sitting around on a sailboat for weeks at a time without proper sleep and sometimes a proper diet.

I'm thinking going coastal may be better for those seeking an active life style.

Also, it's starting to become evident that this work your entire life then suddenly stop and have a permanent vacation may not be the best way to go about it.

Better to be living a more well rounded lifestyle that includes work, sailing (if you enjoy sailing), exercise to includes aerobic as well as anaerobic (try and sprint if you can at the end of your 3 mile run), weight training, yoga for some, reading/studying, social interaction, etc.

It appears from this forum that sometime the life of a cruiser starts to close in meaning there isn't enough stimulation for them so they argue meaningless points way more than should be argued.

Now don't get upset, this only means some of you guys are really smart and don't have enough challenges to occupy your mind 24/7.

[Dixie Dog]

Well I tried to speed read all of these posts, and the answer to the first question has too many variables.
If I were to sell everything I own, buy a sail boat, good one, spend what it takes to dress it up with kitchen, navigation, toilet etc. Would I not also want to buy some kind of insurance? Liability, fire, collision???? I hear for ocean worthy boats that's real spendy. Am I off base?

[Group9]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I haven't read the whole thread. Do people really get upset that appear not to have the means. The key word here is appear.

Some folks couldn't just sail around and visit places all the time. It's really bad for your body for one thing because you don't get enough movement sitting around on a sailboat for weeks at a time without proper sleep and sometimes a proper diet.

I'm thinking going coastal may be better for those seeking an active life style.

Also, it's starting to become evident that this work your entire life then suddenly stop and have a permanent vacation may not be the best way to go about it.

Better to be living a more well rounded lifestyle that includes work, sailing (if you enjoy sailing), exercise to includes aerobic as well as anaerobic (try and sprint if you can at the end of your 3 mile run), weight training, yoga for some, reading/studying, social interaction, etc.

It appears from this forum that sometime the life of a cruiser starts to close in meaning there isn't enough stimulation for them so they argue meaningless points way more than should be argued.

Now don't get upset, this only means some of you guys are really smart and don't have enough challenges to occupy your mind 24/7.

Out of curiosity, why would someone who doesn't want to cruise, and thinks it's a bad idea, come to a cruiser's forum? Just wondering.