Cost Per Year

[finnegan]

Another poster mentioned Health insurance what do cruisers under medicare qualification do for their medical insurance?

[Perfect Ride]

Originally Posted by SoonerCruisin

My question is, is there a general rule of thumb that you can use to estimate costs per year? I know on the big yachts operating costs are around 10% of purchase price per year I didn't know if this was the same for small catamarans as well.

Many types of lifestyles, boats, and costs. I would say the range is from 1% to well over 20% and also depends on your definition of "operating costs".

What we have done that keeps costs down.
We prefer to cook our own meals (make own yogurt, beer, bread, humus, kambucha, etc.) We normally prefer to be at anchor, even when right next to a marina (my wife really does not like cockroaches and they normally will not swim to the boat). We prefer our own exploration on dingy, bike, paddle board, kayak or hike rather than paid tours (we still do a lot of rental car touring and with kids I imagine you will find plenty of admission only sites). I have found it better to learn all systems on the boat and learn how to do your own work (as owners we just take more time to make sure it is 100% right. Start taking classes now.). We spend on average 2 hours a day in upkeep and maintenance so we seldom have any major failures (we catch weaknesses before they catch us). Choose the right boat in the first place. Choose passage by weather first, so to not generate undue stress on boat or systems. Be attentive to monthly bills like international cell and data costs and find best solutions for them. Just a couple cents of ideas to counter the lack of a specific percentage. One last thought: find several cruising family blogs and follow them and when you see lifestyles/boats that look close to what you imagine, ask them for rough ideas. Enjoy the process !!

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by SoonerCruisin

Okay, so try not to be too brutal with me but I am completely new and wanting to learn. My wife and I would really love to be one of those families who sells everything buys a boat and sets sail.

Do you know how to sail? Have you ever sailed? Where are you based? (It's helpful if you update your profile to reflect where you are. Remember, this is an international forum. )

[ewishki]

My question that I cannot get an answer to is what is the estimated percentage a reference to? Original boat cost or current boat value. If I buy a $250,000 used Cat then do I expect $25,000 a year average in boat related costs or do I find the original value selling price of the boat and use 10% of that number? Huge difference depending

[ewishki]

Originally Posted by Four Coconuts

Just to add some color to the aforementioned comment about sailing without a boat that’s 100%. We were near the San Blas, Panama when we got hit by lightning, which knocked our anemometer, among other things. We didn’t run away to the next marina. We are cruisers. I knew the strength of the of the wind on my face and the direction based on turning my face....we sailed the next 2000 miles based on my “feel”. This is not unusual, Mariners have done it for a thousand years...you can survive without instruments,,,,,,,,..

I will definitely be adding a portable anemometer to my list of must haves now. Thanks for that story

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by Mystic38

My budget shows 10% for repairs, maintenance, replacements and upgrades.. but excluding marinas and insurance...which I budget another 10%..

avoiding marinas is the #1 way to reduce costs.

Figures of 1% are pretty laughable..as accruing that would not even cover the standing rigging and sails.

Whatever boat you purchase, and I assume it will be used.. expect to spend up to $100k to get it outfitted and updated for a world cruise.. so pick your purchase price accordingly

It would seem most cruisers are happy sailing around with bagged out dacron sails though. Hell, I've seen boats for sale that were manufactured in the 1970s and still come with the original sails (as if it was a selling point). Also when they do change them, every cruiser I've met has gone for the cheapest bog standard Dacron. Holds a triangle for 10-20 years so they are happy.

Likewise, very rarely have I seen an ad where the standing rigging was recently replaced (in the last 5 years). A lot of it seems to still be the original. It seems most people don't care, and will happily sail around with ancient rigging so long as their insurance doesn't kick up a fuss.

Originally Posted by ewishki

My question that I cannot get an answer to is what is the estimated percentage a reference to? Original boat cost or current boat value. If I buy a $250,000 used Cat then do I expect $25,000 a year average in boat related costs or do I find the original value selling price of the boat and use 10% of that number? Huge difference depending

It would be of your purchase price if you subscribed to such a rule. Otherwise things would start to get silly. My boat is from 1977. The equivalent new value would have been £180,000 or similar. There's not a single thing on this boat that would cost £18,000 to repair or replace, let alone £18k each year.

[Fore and Aft]

SoonerCruisin I am a 100% on staying at a marina occasionally. Just imagine 2 weeks washing for the four of you. At anchor you are having to put it in the dinghy, then lug it to a laundromat wash it and then return to the yacht. Same with your groceries. One or two nights in a marina the chores are easily taken care of and everyone is happy. Remember “Happy Wife, Happy Life”
Which then brings me back to buying the smallest yacht you can happily live on. My principal has always been “Less flash, more cash” that way we can spend the extra cash on having fun as a family.
Cheers

[SurlySailor]

We budget about 30k per year in the Northeastern United States for a 38 foot monohull Sailboat. When factoring that we have an emergency fund that we continually fund for the inevitable sail or engine problem, or something less fun like replacing the through-hulls or water heater, and we do almost all work ourselves. We actively cruise and race the boat and have found that big ticket items are more expensive for racing parts but honestly it’s marginally more expensive. The big fees are dockage or mooring hauling for winter and everything associated with that. I suspect if we were in the Caribbean we would spend less on all the activities associated with winter but would spend more dicing bits that get killed by the sun.

There are pretty big jumps in parts cost as you move up in sizing of sails and rigging that you should factor in. While those parts don’t break often I have found that it makes fixing or upgrading them more expensive.

[Jim Cate]

Also when they do change them, every cruiser I've met has gone for the cheapest bog standard Dacron

Mate, you need to expand your circle of acquaintances! True, some cruisers do as you say, but others surely do not. Here on CF there is the usual mix, but I can offer myself and Dockhead as examples of cruisers who have opted for high performance sails, replaced as needed. And I know there are many others who follow this credo.

And yet, I've met folks in distant and exotic anchorages who have successfully cruised there using horrible, bagged out old Dacron sails. All this goes to support the idea that cruising sailors as a group reflect a very wide range of practices, incomes and prejudices. It is folly to say that "all cruisers do... anything" And that is one of the treasures of being a cruiser!

Jim

[mvweebles]

Costs seem to vary widely, and depend on how the owner treats longer lifespan items such as bottom paint, sails, rigging, engines, and upgrades.

A CF member by the name of Sailorboy had been posting an XLS spreadsheet with running tally of his costs. While many took exception with his numbers, I found them useful. Over 36 months of full time cruising in the US in a mix of marinas and anchor out with some dining out and some eating in, along with some travel home, insurance, and bottom jobs and repairs, he showed around $40k per year all-in except for capital cost of boat (eg monthly payments). I know many will say it can be done cheaper and I'm sure it can be, but for me, seemed like a reasonable budgetary number as a starting point as I could see where he spent his money and could decide if I'd be different. Much more useful than the oft-cited 10% number.

Good luck

Peter

[CaptWho]

There was a really good video that came out on YouTube today, you might want to watch it. It shows this couple's average monthly expenses, but you can just multiply that number out by 12.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj7o57XCuDw

[Shane450]

Originally Posted by Perfect Ride

Many types of lifestyles, boats, and costs. I would say the range is from 1% to well over 20% and also depends on your definition of "operating costs".

!!

this is spot on



also marine trades are a minefield , some of the workmanship I have seen is disgraceful

do it yourself , if you don t know how learn

[mikedefieslife]

Originally Posted by CaptWho

There was a really good video that came out on YouTube today, you might want to watch it. It shows this couple's average monthly expenses, but you can just multiply that number out by 12.

Why multiply it by 12?

Their numbers are quite impressive for a couple $2800 per month on average over 4 years for everything. All boat-work, maintenance and living expenses. The only thing they said it doesn't include is business costs.

[AKA-None]

The x percent of the purchase price ignited the actual costs of the item. Eg it costs the same to replace a part even if you got that gunboat for free

[sail sfbay]

Originally Posted by SoonerCruisin

..............My question is, is there a general rule of thumb that you can use to estimate costs per year?

Good responses above!! At the risk of saying what others have already make a realistic and detailed list of all the costs associated with boat ownership, including boat acquisition cost, financing, property/use tax, insurance, monthly berthing/mooring, fuel, shore power, water (if you have to purchase), annual, engine/transmission servicing (2x's for a cat), bi-annual hull polishing/waxing (2x's for a cat), bi-annual stainless polishing/waxing, exterior wood varnishing, semi-annual or so haul-out and bottom painting, upgrades, end-of-life equipment/sail/rigging replacement, safety equipment adders, etc.

Put these cost items into a spreadsheet and project out yearly for the duration you plan to own the boat.

Check out these links:

https://astrolabesailing.com/2017/11...g-spreadsheet/
https://www.sailo.com/calculator
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...an-152550.html
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...et-124229.html