1 Year Cruising Anniversary

[SoundWave]

Good on you, Sailorboy!

Your posts are appreciated, including and especially the monthly budget vs. actual. We're still in the phase of 1-2 week cruises and most weekends.
Your info helps the Admiral and I realistically plan for our sail away June 2019
(only 21 months + 17 days from now, not that I'm counting ...)

Thanks and Congratulations!

[HIP]

Thanks for the advice. It's really helpful for all us wannabees to see how the veterans do things. Keep up the great work.

[SV THIRD DAY]

There is an interesting Bell shaped curve of new cruisers.
As the learning curve first educates them and they feel pretty confident in year 2/3 and then they start getting enough experience to really know and appreciate what they don't know in years 4-5 and beyond. I went through this in year 2/3 thinking I had it figured it out but then the longer I live aboard and cruise the more I realize that so much of my early thoughts and musing had to be adjusted based on the new experience and knowledge. It's an interesting experience and I'm sure other lifestyles have similar learning curves, but until I figure this out this Cruising Living aboard game, who's got time for other hobbies!

Like most cruisers our Year One monthly cruising expenses were our highest as we "learned" and got out of the spend spend spend culture. Of course cruising in the USA vs Mexico is a totally different budget experience when I can eat $1.2 tacos all day long (and in fact that's what I'm going to go do now)

[Blackie Swart]

Congrats - We're in the "same boat" - going 8 months now since leaving Durban in January and no income for exactly a year now. We've have also learnt a lot of trying to juggle expenses and time in places and of course sailing the boat a bit better. I'ts not islands and sun tanning but I would not swop it for the world.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Planning west coast Florida and the gulf as I want as I want to go to Mardi Gras

Congratulations on your first year anniversary. You got there! After a while we got so all our plans were written in the sand at low tide.

Ann

[LoudMusic]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Instead of getting all caught up buying and installing "stuff" go cruising for a year or so and then you will know which "stuff" is worth spending the money on to you.

This is exactly the mentality my wife and I took for camping gear in the past. People would tell us all the things we must have, so we'd try a camping trip without it, or using an existing alternative, and determine if that was good enough or if we needed something better. Nine times out of ten, we were good to go with what we had.

I think it depends on if you're out there for being out there, or if you're there for playing with toys. Neither is right or wrong, and a lot of people are gear junkies. But it's good to know why you're there before you spend all your grocery money on electronics.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Congratulations on your first year anniversary. You got there! After a while we got so all our plans were written in the sand at low tide.

Ann

Yeah I keep planning very general and big picture. It seems people are always asking us when we are going to be in a week or so and the best I normally can say is where I'm planning to be in a couple of days.

I don't have anywhere I need to be and no schedule for when I get there!

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Yeah I keep planning very general and big picture. It seems people are always asking us when we are going to be in a week or so and the best I normally can say is where I'm planning to be in a couple of days.

I don't have anywhere I need to be and no schedule for when I get there!

I keep telling people: We have no where in particular to go, and all the time in the world to get there.

But this ‘gotta have a schedule’ thing it is interesting, and kinda challenging. Our land friends and family keep asking for a plan, a schedule: “when are you going to be here, or there…?” They’re doing it b/c they want to connect with us, but I keep explaining that we’re not really the master of our schedule. As sailors, we’re driven by weather, wind and seas. Usually the best I can say is we’re going to try and be at X-place sometime in the next month or so…

It’s not something that fits easily with people who have limited vacations and definite schedules. So far we’ve ‘missed’ four sets of friends who were close, but still too far for our little sailing home.

[Jim Cate]

When asked "how long will you be here"? I reply "until we leave".

When asked "when will you leave?" I reply "shortly after we weigh anchor".

Works for us!

JIm

[desertsailor]

Congratulations Sailorboy1. I am envious. Having crewed for several skippers on voyages along the Pacific coast from Panama to Washington I've enjoyed every minute. But, the holdup for me is the cost of maintaining a boat. So far I haven't figured out whether it's doable.

Good Luck and good sailing to you.

[Kolomaya]

Congrats :-) have a great second year.

[DeepFrz]

Congratulations SB on your first year. Fair winds.

[alansmith]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Congratulations on your first year anniversary. You got there! After a while we got so all our plans were written in the sand at low tide.

Ann

Ha ha Ann! I like that phrase "written in the sand at low tide!"
Won't forget that one

[Taichungman]

Congratulations SB on your first year cruising.



I spent my first year living on board in the early 80's and found it difficult going from fast paced job to boat. It took the second year before I could relax and go with the flow. Once I discarded the schedule, life became much better. We, my wife and kids took two years sailing/motoring from South coast of Texas to Florida. We met so many wonderful people along the way that made it difficult to cast off.



So, enjoy and take your time. I admit that destinations are important sometimes but the journey can be very rewarding.

[daletournier]

Hi Sailor man, I've followed your posts off and on and I'm one that likes seeing your figures.

I'm using the Cf phone app, but the search engine sucks, so I'm taking the lazy option. How far inside or outside of your 3k/mth budget are you after 12th?

Cheers Dale.