Cost to sail 1,000 nm.

[akprb]

Just finished sailing our 40' monohull from Connecticut to Florida. Took 3 weeks at a leisurely pace and went solo for all but 5 days. Another week of farting around at each end with friends. Marinas each night or a mooring, rented cars. Several nights offshore. Plenty of restaurants :-)

That being said did not keep close track of spending which is one kind of cruising. The other is shoe string and there is a wide variety in between. Have done shoe string and must say it was fun as well and led to many adventures and meeting many interesting people.

So all that being said you will spend what you bring (I think there is a name for this principle), and maybe a bit more, but you'll have the time of your life and you will not forget one day.

I did meet a guy in New Jersey, however, on a well founded offshore boat who's trip was ended due to a failed transmission. He said over and over the budget was shot. That was tough to hear and I contemplated how to help. As I walked back to the boat it crossed my mind that how we prepare: the boat, provisions, skills, our health, our budgets etc are our responsibility and the consequences of our decisions is what shapes us. The inevitable failures we will experience make for great stories and great learning. If the money runs out you'll figure it out, or not.

Costs? 30-40-50, exponential. Go small go now :-) (Lin Pardy)

By the way think I blew about 4k going south, worth every penny. (guess how much I brought with me)

[a64pilot]

It is in fact answerable, it is 42

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aboZctrHfK8

[2hullvenus]

I'm getting about $1/mile right now in fuel on a 50' catamaran, motoring the whole way amd using the generator for ait conditioning.

My 5kw generator uses more fuel per hour than one of my engines.

Food is the same as land, I don't use marinas.

$60 on propane. Propane refrigerator/freezer, cooktop and hot water. Oven is electric (generator).


Put in perspective, my state registration cost about the same as the trip!!

All of it costs $0 compared to building and fitting out a brand new cat though. Trip also costs less than going ashore to go out during the trip as well. Just as the previous poster mentioned.

[Cheechako]

I think the cost to sail from Virginia to Fl is pretty much not a consideration. That is assuming you have a boat and will have whatever expenses are related to that boat anyway. As mentioned, figure the diesel cost if taking the ICW or maybe 50% of that if sailing outside.

[exMaggieDrum]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

I was really thinking wear and tear on the running gear, sails, hatches, engine etc. as well as fuel.

I am thinking a marina about every 4 or 5 days for 1 night.

A 33' sailboat is less expensive to sail than a 40' sailboat and 40' less expensive to sail than a 50' sailboat. But no published historical data on over ownership cost per 1,000nm?



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You must be an accountant to want to view sailboat ownership from a cost of depreciation point of view. Way too analytical and it won't give you anything meaningful information. Costs can be erratic and unpredictable. And some costs are annual and monthly - depending on how you use the boat. If I were you I would put together a time line budget rather than a depreciation one. (I used to be an accountant at one time, and analyst, and scientist, and boat tech, and still cruising)

[hamburking]

Its interesting that you ask about cost per unit distance. Wind is free, so distance is almost irrelevant. You can cross an ocean without using any fuel.

However, you must eat, cook, drink water, be entertained. IMHO, most people think of cost per unit of time. How much $ per month for example.

Coming full circle back to distance, my rule of thumb is 1000 miles a week, and 100 miles a day. That applies for passages. For coastal cruising, assume 5 knots and about 10 hours a day, so 50 miles is a good day.

These general rules of thumb used to truly annoy a skipper friend of mine. 100 miles a day does not equal 1000 miles a week. 5 knots does not equal 100 miles per day. Also, it does not consider the size of boat, hull speed, rig, etc. What truly annoyed him though, was that using that rule, I was able to predict the time required for us to cross the atlantic ocean, correct within a few hours. I believe he started the engine to WOT on the last day just to be sure I wasn't exactly right...which would have killed him, figuratively.

I believe I got those numbers from a sailing book, but can't remember who said it.

[Cheechako]

OP: think the cost of a sailboat is more daily than mileage. Often boats deteriorate as much from NON use, than from use. You can add up the fuel, but just sitting unused in the water; the bottom paint needs done every 1-2 years or so, the prop shaft may deteriorate inside the cutlass bearing, the sails deteriorate from sun/uv etc.
The 1000 miles is irrelevant.