10.5 Month Budget $$

[MV Wanderlust]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Hey, I guess I'm rich and a yachtie :smile

In the words of Carl the Greenskeeper from Caddyshack, "So, you've got that going for you... which is nice."

(BTW, Bill Murray totally ad-libbed that entire scene; it wasn't even in the script but they kept the cameras running and kept it in the movie. Yes, I'm aware this is also totally off topic. )

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by JohnEasley

In the words of Carl the Greenskeeper from Caddyshack, "So, you've got that going for you... which is nice."

(BTW, Bill Murray totally ad-libbed that entire scene; it wasn't even in the script but they kept the cameras running and kept it in the movie. Yes, I'm aware this is also totally off topic. )

Off topic but acceptable thread drift

[smj]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Ralph,
The distaste or hate if you will for Marina's is sometimes for how usury some can be. In Key West one has free pump outs, the next one wants $25. I'm sure they don't expect you to ask how much and after you get the service, well you have to pay right?
Where I am at, it is around $120 a day for my 38', and there is I believe an environmental fee, and a admin fee, and power is $15 a day for 30 amp.
I stayed in the mooring field one day for only $30 a day.
That is $900 bucks a month for a ball?

Think that just might be a little gouging?

If you are where I think you are, they have a monthly mooring ball rate of around $325.00.

[smj]

Originally Posted by RTB

I agree totally, and was going to post the same a few days ago, but you beat me to it. Monthly dockage here, for a 41' boat will cost $19.11 per day figuring minimum electric. Transient dockage for the same boat will be $79.75 per day.

Cruising boats might decide to pull into a marina for several reasons. One would certainly be for weather. Often, that will run into more than a one day stay. Another would be for fuel, water, to dump trash, and to pick up provisions. You might want to spend an extra day to clean up the boat, maybe find a dive service to clean the bottom, or you might need something shipped to some address. Maybe a part for instance. This may require another few days spent in a marina at transient rates. It REALLY can add up quickly, and totally start messing with your budget.

Regarding electric (here), we read the meters (meaning I walk the docks and physically read every meter at each of our 340 slips). Those are on each pedestal that you plug into. Get your starting reading, and you can see what you are using each day if you want to monitor it. You pay for what you use this month, next month. It is added to your invoice.

For sailorboy1....save your money. Use the free loaner bikes that we offer, instead of buying your own new ones. Use the savings to pay your electric, which could possibly be the kink in your beating the budget. Just sayin....

To me, marinas are like tools. You use them when you need them. I don't understand the hate for marinas. If you just want a break, where better to spend your time if your boat is your home? Free water, unlimited electricity, shore access, a place to deposit your garbage, no need for wet dinghy rides, and maybe free wifi if you are lucky. You might even meet some other like-minded liveaboards that sold everything to live this lifestyle.


Ralph

Does that mean I should stop complaining about the $175.00 per month all bills paid for liveaboard dockage I used to pay?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by smj

If you are where I think you are, they have a monthly mooring ball rate of around $325.00.

They probably do, but don't you think that is just a little expensive for a mooring ball and a shower?
It doesn't take a genius to figure out why they don't want you anchored out, they want you on a $325 ball. Profit rate on that has to be pretty good.

I'm in Britt Point Marina, a working yard kind of Marina and paying way more than I did in my old Marina and more than I will in Brunswick for old wooden docks without even cleats, no showers, Wifi, nothing.
Boat is being worked on, I don't have a choice.
We rented a house on the island.
S Fl prices is what I'm told, but it's not "season" so why the high prices?
Astonishingly to me Ft Lauderdale gets it. I stayed there at the City Marina which is a very nice Marina for an insanely low price, when I told them I thought it would be $300 a night or something, they told me in Winter it would, but the city decided during off season that a mostly full marina is better than an empty one.

[smj]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

They probably do, but don't you think that is just a little expensive for a mooring ball and a shower?
It doesn't take a genius to figure out why they don't want you anchored out, they want you on a $325 ball. Profit rate on that has to be pretty good.

I'm in Britt Point Marina, a working yard kind of Marina and paying way more than I did in my old Marina and more than I will in Brunswick for old wooden docks without even cleats, no showers, Wifi, nothing.
Boat is being worked on, I don't have a choice.
We rented a house on the island.
S Fl prices is what I'm told, but it's not "season" so why the high prices?
Astonishingly to me Ft Lauderdale gets it. I stayed there at the City Marina which is a very nice Marina for an insanely low price, when I told them I thought it would be $300 a night or something, they told me in Winter it would, but the city decided during off season that a mostly full marina is better than an empty one.

Seems like about the going rate. There used to be boats anchored between the mooring field and land, they used the city park to dinghy dock. I agree, Britt Point is nothing special.

[RTB]

Originally Posted by smj

Does that mean I should stop complaining about the $175.00 per month all bills paid for liveaboard dockage I used to pay?

Hey AJ! Yep, you should stop complaining. We paid $250.00 a month in Rockport two years ago. Nice floating docks, and two one-person restrooms with showers. Nothing else. That's Texas, so very different from the US East Coast. I hope you and your lovely wife are well. Say hi to the gang back in Texas for me.

Ralph

[Janet H]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I've been in a marina all month and there are 9 days left in this month's budget period and I still have $652 left in the target monthly budget . That includes that I've paid 1.5 months of slip fees this month and gotten a bunch of boat maintenance stuff. Maybe long term hanging in a marina is acturally less expensive than cruising around to new places. Just what are people going to complain about if I manage to make it under budget while staying in a marina this month?

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

looking up even more, won $5 last night at poker so now there is extra cash in this month's cruising kitty

Given that you are IN a marina, just exactly what is this months 'cruising kitty' earmarked for? What sort of cruising did you have in mind?

[BandB]

We're under budget too. I learned long ago the art of budgeting conservatively so I'd never run over it. i remember one of my positions where I budgeted salaries including my own. Wasn't about to let my salary be limited because I didn't budget enough.

Seriously, we budget everything and have for years. The real value in budgeting and tracking is you learn where your money goes and you see the easy places to save. You run into surprises and then either budget more for those items or find a way to reduce them.

Our biggest savings versus budget the last five years have been diesel, as I originally budgeted it at $4 per gallon and maintenance as we've had no major items of maintenance. Our biggest spending shock has been travel to and from boats. We often cruise for a few weeks, dock the boat where we end up, go home for three weeks or so and then go back. West Coast or NYC or even the Virgin Islands I was prepared for, but haven't figured out a decent way for a sizable group of people to travel between Fort Lauderdale and Lake Pickwick yet.

Everyone has different budget amounts but I'm always impressed by someone tracking it like the OP.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Janet H

Given that you are IN a marina, just exactly what is this months 'cruising kitty' earmarked for? What sort of cruising did you have in mind?

We still are living on our boat, which is a lot closer to cruising I bet than 95+% of people here

[model 10]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

We still are living on our boat, which is a lot closer to cruising I bet than 95+% of people here

You aren't doing much cruising dude. What, you went to the Bahamas and then came back to a marina? Wow. So now you dis 95% of everybody?

[a64pilot]

OK if it's worth anything, but likely not.
I am headed his way as soon as I can, reason is I want to sit out the named storm season in I hope a relatively safe place. Staying in the Bahamas now is sort of rolling the dice isn't it?
Let one show up and sitting up river in a Marina may not be a bad place. I have lived in Savannah for years, and off hand it has been a livery long time since that part of the world has been hit, I assume it's because of the way Ga dips in to the West?
My other reason is our youngest starts College there in Bainbridge in about a week, she and her Mother are attending orientation tomorrow.
But, in my opinion taking a break from cruising to sit this season out may be a prudent thing?
I'm actually later than I like, I didn't want to be in South Fl myself now, I had hoped to have left, but likely have two more weeks.
I need to figure out when is the best time to head to the Bahamas myself, and whether to come back to the US next year, or head South and get South of the bad zone next year?
Lot to see and I don't know if one year is enough?

[keith4001r]

Aah, yes. This is the kind of forum I love, everybody is so friendly and supportive.

Sailorboy, good on you and thanks for the updates.

[jeepbluetj]

Yaknow, Maybe SB could describe his preferred anchors and firearms. That'd be CF gold, wouldn't it?

Hey SB - thanks for providing the info, even with all the slagging.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

OK if it's worth anything, but likely not.
I am headed his way as soon as I can, reason is I want to sit out the named storm season in I hope a relatively safe place. Staying in the Bahamas now is sort of rolling the dice isn't it?
Let one show up and sitting up river in a Marina may not be a bad place. I have lived in Savannah for years, and off hand it has been a livery long time since that part of the world has been hit, I assume it's because of the way Ga dips in to the West?
My other reason is our youngest starts College there in Bainbridge in about a week, she and her Mother are attending orientation tomorrow.
But, in my opinion taking a break from cruising to sit this season out may be a prudent thing?
I'm actually later than I like, I didn't want to be in South Fl myself now, I had hoped to have left, but likely have two more weeks.
I need to figure out when is the best time to head to the Bahamas myself, and whether to come back to the US next year, or head South and get South of the bad zone next year?
Lot to see and I don't know if one year is enough?

Wifey B: I think whatever anyone wishes to do is fine. No one here has to justify how much of this and how much of that they do. It's not a competition. We have someone we think of as a daughter who came into our life at 18 and soon after started college. Seems like only yesterday but she graduated now. She was with us this summer and we came home today because grad school starts for her on Monday. It hits you hard. Hubby cried at her graduation. (I might have a little but I hide it better plus it's his fault I did). We limited this most recent cruise because we wanted to be home and have this weekend at home with her before school resumes. Then we'll go cruise some more. She and two other girls her same age earned the name, "The Brat Pack." Darn, they aren't 18 anymore. Now one has two younger sisters and the baby is 18.

Whether the OP or Pilot or whomever, just do what works for you. No one is crazy enough to live life like we do, but sure works for us.