Month 10 Expenses of Cruising and Living on the Boat

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by SV Bacchus

If you are not careful your level of living will always rise to meet your income. A gem from a former brother-in-law who never had a pot to pee in. When he made it, he spent it. Got a 2nd job to pay off debt and a year later he was deeper in debt!

Its true! But also the other part of it is learning to try to adjust from a big income to a smaller. As a previous business owner I always had some money stress, there was plenty of money coming in but the bills were plenty as well, most of the bills were fixed but the income wasn't thus the stress, it always worked out but it didn't stop you worrying. I didnt worry about buying a couple of coffees and breakfast each day, whats $30 when the outgoings for the day were $2,500!

My dad used to say " look after the pennys and the pounds will look after themselves"....I used to say "Dad I'm to busy trying to direct the pounds to worry about the pennys" don't have the time for the small stuff.

Now im completely retired his saying is suddenly very true and very relevant, but adjusting to penny watching takes time. Big money coming in and going out devalues money, but now with alot less coming in its value increases, which I like by the way, there's an appreciation that comes with being more frugal, having time to do things differently saves you money. Credit has changed the way we spend and devalued money as well.

[Lost Horizons]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

$210: Lock fees ($30x7)

Anything else you’d like to know?

I thought I read somwhere that Canadian locks were going to be free this year. No?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Lost Horizons

I thought I read somwhere that Canadian locks were going to be free this year. No?

The historic locks operated by Parks Canada are free, although still have to get a park pass (for free, but takes time). The commercial locks on the St. Lawrence are definitely not free.

You can save money by purchasing your tickets online. And you can pay $30 CND at the two American locks. They take either denomination at the same value, even though the greenback is currently 25% higher.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

The historic locks operated by Parks Canada are free, although still have to get a park pass (for free, but takes time). The commercial locks on the St. Lawrence are definitely not free.

You can save money by purchasing your tickets online. And you can pay $30 CND at the two American locks. They take either denomination at the same value, even though the greenback is currently 25% higher.

It's still cheaper than hiring a locksmith.

[buzzstar]

Sailorboy- Despite the occasional negative responses, the information you post is valuable to many of us. Do not allow the ornery ones cause you to stop. Despite the fact that we are not all in lockstep, I think and believe the vast majority truly appreciate the information. Thanks.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by buzzstar

Sailorboy- Despite the occasional negative responses, the information you post is valuable to many of us. Do not allow the ornery ones cause you to stop. Despite the fact that we are not all in lockstep, I think and believe the vast majority truly appreciate the information. Thanks.

I don't think folks want to be ornery, but is it every ones dream of cruising to buy a sailboat and motor for hundreds of miles along the ICW?

Then stay at marinas along the way that are usually way overpriced?

Wouldn't that be like buying an RV and staying at the rest stops along the interstate?

I guess I saw too much of it when I was in my late 30's and 40's sailing and racing beach cats along the Gulf Coast. Old folks at marinas and motoring the ICW that seemed to always stay at the most expensive and worst places.

The worst part of the yearly 100 mile beach cat race back in the day down there was the ICW. The part where we were out in the Gulf for about 60 miles was so much better than all the traffic along that last 40 miles or so of the narrows plus it's a real PITA to try and sail it if the wind is wrong.

[a64pilot]

Thomm, if your talking about Sailorboy, unless I'm way mistaken, he stays in Marinas way less than most, way less, and even if he didn't it doesn't matter, cruising is different for different folks. That is why I'm sure some can do it for way less than others and why some spend way more, cause they are doing different things.
That's why the statement we do it for $1,500 a month is interesting, but not really that helpful without defining what IT means.
The ICW is a good way to get down from where he was, unless your in a hurry, and that sort of goes against cruising doesn't it?
I thought cruising for most is meandering slowly and soaking up the views, local foods, sightseeing etc?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Thomm, if your talking about Sailorboy, unless I'm way mistaken, he stays in Marinas way less than most, way less.
The ICW is a good way to get down from where he was, unless your in a hurry, and that sort of goes against cruising doesn't it?
I thought cruising for most is meandering slowly and soaking up the views, local foods, sightseeing etc?

You are probably right about the meandering but many of us get this idea of cruising in our heads and it usually has to do with sailing.

Maybe I'm just different and think that cruising a sailboat should be about sailing not motoring, anchoring, eating out, and movies.....along a narrow path that is well used

especially since we could eat out and go to movies for the 40 years before we started to "cruise."

To each his own though, if you are thrilled with cruising the ICW that's great! At least you know what you like.

My usual idea of cruising is to sail to exhaustion then come back and recover...............or if I wasn't still working heave too and recover in temps less than 95 degrees.........

On my short vacation sail along the 30 mile wide ICW up here, I had a couple nice days crossing the bay back and forth

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by thomm225

...Maybe I'm just different and think that cruising a sailboat should be about sailing not motoring, anchoring, eating out, and movies.....along a narrow path that is well used .. My usual idea of cruising is to sail to exhaustion then come back and recover...............or if I wasn't still working heave too and recover in temps less than 95 degrees.........

You're talking sailing, not cruising. Sailing is a vacation. It's an activity you do for a short time in between your real life. Cruising IS real life. If you gotta motor, you motor. It's not a puritan experience.

Sailorboy (Don) is out cruising. IOW, he is living and travelling on a sailboat. He's doing it in a way that works for him (and Ms. Sailorboy). No one can hope for more.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by thomm225

You are probably right about the meandering but many of us get this idea of cruising in our heads and it usually has to do with sailing.

Maybe I'm just different and think that cruising a sailboat should be about sailing not motoring, anchoring, eating out, and movies.....along a narrow path that is well used

especially since we could eat out and go to movies for the 40 years before we started to "cruise."

To each his own though, if you are thrilled with cruising the ICW that's great! At least you know what you like.

My usual idea of cruising is to sail to exhaustion then come back and recover...............or if I wasn't still working heave too and recover in temps less than 95 degrees.........

On my short vacation sail along the 30 mile wide ICW up here, I had a couple nice days crossing the bay back and forth

Cruising for me involves alot more than just a nice sail. I motor up and down waterways, day sail/hop, time in marinas, restaurants, dinner in locals houses, it's walking through new towns/villages and cities, its climbing mountains, its scuba diving, its repairing the boat , motoring up rivers see elephants (that happened!!) and currently crossing an ocean. It's a lifestyle, moving around on a boat, and involves ,and is made up of so much. People do it all sorts of ways, and BTW the sailing as you mention it is the smallest and least important part to me.

[Lost Horizons]

"If you are tacking, you are not cruising."

[Lost Horizons]

Originally Posted by thomm225

cruising a sailboat should be about sailing not motoring, anchoring, eating out, and movies.....

I suppose, sex is out of question either?

[Jason Flare]

Originally Posted by Lost Horizons

I suppose, sex is out of question either?

That was covered.

[Papasail]

MarkJ gets 10 points for being a friendly Santa with purebred thoughts of living in the 1600's:
"Thaaaats the way you do it, play the guitar, get your checks for free".


Bill

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by Lost Horizons

I suppose, sex is out of question either?

Lol....