Another "how much does it cost to cruise" thread, but with a twist

[CatNewBee]

I would say, it costs the same you spend on land +30%. The issue is often, the running costs on land continue if you do not cut the lines when moving on board.

[Maka]

You are planning to set out in 10 years?
Come back in 9 years and ask the question.
Any answers you get now will be meaningless in 10 years.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Maka

You are planning to set out in 10 years?
Come back in 9 years and ask the question.
Any answers you get now will be meaningless in 10 years.

Feed the Troll.. keeps them happy.. I likely wont be around to answer in 10 years.. along with a few others.

[sailorboy1]

There are documented real answers out there for the question if one looks and even a couple were posted in basic form here. Ignore all the non-answer answers.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

How long is a piece of string?

the correct answer is " twice the distance from the center to one end. "

[scarlet]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Calculate what it costs to live on land then double it..

This is sort of what I thought as well.. however, I think it depends on how you live on land, and it isn't equal across all budget lines.

For example, we have always lived WAY below our means... mainly because we've been saving for our catamaran. With our cruising life style, we know we will be living pretty close to "AT" our means.. Our catamaran will cost us 3x the amount of our house, but we are hoping to pay cash.. The insurance on the boat is outrageous!!! I think we spend about $1500 a year for our home insurance, and insurance on our cat would be close to $7000 (approx 4x the home insurance).

We do have maintenance on our home... but most months there are no maintenance items at all... other than light bulbs, filters, etc... But, we have (over 18 years) replaced just about every major system in our house.. (heating/cooling/water heater/all appliances/roof/windows, etc.. ) I think cost of boat maintenance should be 10x the amount of what we pay for our house.. (this is obviously the biggest expense)

Our cars are paid for, but we do pay maintenance, gas, and insurance.. we will have no cars when cruising.

Food should be the same. We cook at home except for a handful of times a month that we eat at local joints ($10 per person kind of places) I can't imagine that would change at all...

We would have no utilities.. (but we would have diesel fuel costs, hopefully at a minimum though)

So, now that I've written this, I realize that it would be the same cost as living on land except for the maintenance and insurance. So... how much does it cost to live aboard? just take what you spend now on land, and add maintenance and elevated insurance costs...

right?

[Dolphin460]

I would be more than happy to help you. You can reach me at 209 416-1572 PST. I will only be at that number for a few more weeks before I head back to my cat. I look forward to talking to you.

PS. 2017/18: My cat is insured for $480,000 and cost me $3,815 per year with a $9,600 deductible and 2 mil on lia. This is good for the Med. I am currently insured with GEICO Marine Insurance Company a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway (agent Teri Chamberlain - NOVAMAR INSURANCE GROUP, INC, San Diego, CA, Cell: (949)514-5569). I have been very pleased with her. In 2010 I had it insured for $665,000 and it cost $6,081.

[scarlet]

Originally Posted by Dolphin460

I would be more than happy to help you. You can reach me at 209 416-1572 PST. I will only be at that number for a few more weeks before I head back to my cat. I look forward to talking to you.

PS. 2017/18: My cat is insured for $480,000 and cost me $3,815 per year with a $9,600 deductible and 2 mil on lia. This is good for the Med. I am currently insured with GEICO Marine Insurance Company a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway (agent Teri Chamberlain - NOVAMAR INSURANCE GROUP, INC, San Diego, CA, Cell: (949)514-5569). I have been very pleased with her. In 2010 I had it insured for $665,000 and it cost $6,081.

That insurance is cheap! is it because of your location? I've been quoted 2 to 3 times that from pretty much every company I called. (including our boat broker, who just sort of gave us an idea of what to expect).. I'll have to check GEICO...

[Dolphin460]

Simi 60.....I haulout every year and put on one coat of Micro Extra. Because it is a cat it likes a really smooth and clean bottom. The extra haulout, while putting on one coat instead of two coats, works out to be only a little more expensive. I have 10 years of records. Besides, I like to checkout things that are easier seen out of the water. I am a virgo, what else would you expect.

[scarlet]

Originally Posted by Dolphin460

I would be more than happy to help you. You can reach me at 209 416-1572 PST. I will only be at that number for a few more weeks before I head back to my cat. I look forward to talking to you.

PS. 2017/18: My cat is insured for $480,000 and cost me $3,815 per year with a $9,600 deductible and 2 mil on lia. This is good for the Med. I am currently insured with GEICO Marine Insurance Company a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway (agent Teri Chamberlain - NOVAMAR INSURANCE GROUP, INC, San Diego, CA, Cell: (949)514-5569). I have been very pleased with her. In 2010 I had it insured for $665,000 and it cost $6,081.

I figured out why your insurance is so cheap... it's because you aren't in a hurricane zone...our quotes were all for Florida and the Caribbean.... I went and recalculated for outside hurricane zone, and got very close to your figures...

[Dolphin460]

I do not know where you wish to sail, but I can tell you the Med really likes cat. Mostly flat water with average winds from 6 to 20 knots. Most of my monohull friends complain that many time there is not enough wind for them and that is true for a full displacement monohull. For me, going to weather in 6 knots of wind is not a problem; I'm normally doing 4 SOG at 35 AWA. So, in light winds I can still sail where my monohull friends are motoring. Just saying.