Month 35 Expenses of Cruising and Living on the Boat

[Jhull]

Welcome to Mississippi, SB!!
We’re glad you chose our corner of the marble. Enjoy your stay. By all means check out the barrier islands!! God gave us gifts just offshore.
Y’all will be back, we know you will.

J

[kiruli]

Heyho!

Happy to hear that you have that much money to spend.

We are cruising the Mediterranean sea since 2017 and are spending 800 € / month - two people including all (also boat).

And - we are happy.

Best regards,
Uli

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by cyan

You might have a good idea for your own thread though.

My threads are usually about which sailboat I want to buy (and sail) next not about motoring the ICW

I just happened to live in this area for many years and really enjoyed sailing in the bays and sounds of Pensacola, Ft Walton Beach, Panama City (and Ocean Spring/Biloxi and out to Ship and Horn Islands) plus doing the yearly 100 mile Round the Island Race on beach cats which started in Ft Walton Beach and went out into the Gulf West to Pensacola and then back on the inside

I started motoring the ICW when I was about 7 years old on both the bayside and seaside (oceanside) up here so maybe it's lost some of it's appeal

If it's new to you it may be really exciting stuff though.....

[cyan]

Originally Posted by thomm225

My threads are usually about which sailboat I want to buy (and sail) next not about motoring the ICW

I just happened to live in this area for many years and really enjoyed sailing in the bays and sounds of Pensacola, Ft Walton Beach, Panama City (and Ocean Spring/Biloxi and out to Ship and Horn Islands) plus doing the yearly 100 mile Round the Island Race on beach cats which started in Ft Walton Beach and went out into the Gulf West to Pensacola and then back on the inside

I started motoring the ICW when I was about 7 years old on both the bayside and seaside (oceanside) up here so maybe it's lost some of it's appeal

If it's new to you it may be really exciting stuff though.....

I was not actually suggesting that you start an ICW thread about the ICW for ICW people that like to talk ICW on non-ICW threads about expenses, though it seems you would enjoy it.
Not my jam.
I did spend time on a low budget ICW trip without a motor once, though.
Kayak.
If you include the beer, my expenses averaged almost $27/day.
(That's sort of the topic here.)

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by cyan

I was not actually suggesting that you start an ICW thread.

I did spend time on a low budget ICW trip without a motor once, though.
Kayak.

If you include the beer, my expenses averaged almost $27/day.
(That's sort of the topic here.)

Oh, I see. Thanks.

I made my early ICW trips on power boats. The lowest priced one cost $300 for the 16' boat, motor, and trailer. Beer and lemonade was extra. I ate clams and fish for lunch and dinner

Another one was $450, and there was a third I bought in North Carolina that was $700. I used to take the back way to Cape Lookout. There used to be some neat little marina stores you could stop at along there in the mid to late 70's (and sometimes take the ocean for the short trip from Morehead City) Once I rounded Emerald Isle on it. It had a 4 stroke 55 hp outboard on it in 1976 and it was great on gas.

I usually sail or motor sail now though since the 1980's when I started buying sailboats...….the most recent boat cost $2,000, but it doesn't have a trailer

Btw, I keep my 16'6" kayak on the deck of this 27' sailboat

[Sonny36]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Food does not have to cost anywhere near what Americans pay for it. We pay less than 50% for what the same products cost us in America, and waste much less.

Yes, and all these countries have the dreaded "socialist" system, universal health care, et al. Is America missing something?

[Scarlettn]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

You asked for it.... this is what our expenses looked like for July here in Greece. I went a little over this past month, it cost me €26.45 euros per day to live in paradise. €840 total divided by 31 days to live on a self-sufficient Oyster 53.

Total cost for diesel in Montenegro was €625 for the entire year, paid for back in June.

So the annual fuel of $625 was not included in your daily budget. That would be close to $2 day...hmmm
All the annual things don't disappear because you didn't pay them during the 4 month period.
We could all argue that we have had a couple month run without spending anything.
You don't have any insurance? What about medical? I suppose I didn't ask if you are young and independently wealthy and have a brand new boat?
If you cruise full time, you take your entire yearly expenditures and divide that out by 365.
You don't cruise the world on a 53 oyster for $7300 a year.

[CatNewBee]

I do separate boat related expenses from general living expenses like health insurance etc. Also provisioning costs are a separate item.

You could travel the same plaves without a boat by other means, rent an apartment and a car or whatever, so for me it makes sense to do the separation. The general living expenses are fixed costs you also have at home and depend on lifestyle and home country.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Having owned two small houses in my time, and now two largish boats, my experience says houses are much more expensive than boats to maintain. I think the main reason is sheer size. Any house, even a small one, is still many factors larger than a boat. It also tends to require more infrastructure and have more systems.

Obviously this depends the home, and the boat. My boat is simple and solid. The systems we employ are likewise. I don’t find the cost of maintenance and support to be nearly as expensive as my land homes were. But I think my experience is just that; my experience. There are so many variables that could tip things one way or the other.

BTW, just to further the budget discussion, my boat seems to average one major repair or system replacement per year. And by major I mean multiple boat-bucks. This always throws the monthly budget off the rails. We usually accommodate this by dipping into the rainy day fund. I tend to view these expenditures as coming from the capital budget, not the operating budget.

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I think there’s a whole different calculus for those of us who call our boats our only home vs those who have a boat AND a land home. The only way I can afford this boating lifestyle is by not being burdened with the costs of a land home.

This has been my impression too, namely it costs quite a bit more to maintain a home than a boat. Too many variables to call it so absolutely of course, just my impression. And this is leaving aside any mortgage/loan payments on either, as this tends to be the largest single monthly expense. Oddly enough, my own experience is that routine boat maintenance tends to decrease when I'm living aboard for any significant length of time, whereas it tends to be the opposite for my home. The house tends to do just fine when I'm not there, whereas boat systems seem to deteriorate when I'm not around to do preventative maintenance. Not so I'm sure for round-the-world cruisers like Dale who are on the move a lot more than most.

Totally agree that either is quite manageable financially, but having both ongoing costs is burdensome (unless the home can be reliably rented). Making the distinction between capital & operating budgets is a great way to look at it. I had no idea, for example, that one of the principal living expenses -- that is food -- is so much less expensive in the countries Ken and others are cruising around in the Med. If anything, I had always assumed that the Med generally would be a lot more expensive than just about anywhere. I'm sure it can be, but apparently not if you're living on the hook and making wise choices.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

I do separate boat related expenses from general living expenses like health insurance etc. Also provisioning costs are a separate item.

You could travel the same plaves without a boat by other means, rent an apartment and a car or whatever, so for me it makes sense to do the separation. The general living expenses are fixed costs you also have at home and depend on lifestyle and home country.

I do this as well, and for the same reasons. But I'm still affixed to land life for much of the time, so I like to know how much extra the boat is costing me.

[Porto Santo]

I cruised the Portuguese coast,west med, atlantic and caribean islands for 40 years, 3 months afloat,9 at home and working,with 4 diferent boats and budgets. It was always a 1/3 for the boat, 1/3 for the house , 1/3 for food, etc. Now I'm retired, I sail a lot more time, and the only significant diference is the berthing cost, much less because I stay much more time crusing or at ancor. It means around 10000€ for the boat and 12000€ for us, all included

[shane.h012]

Hey love to here about you expensives and what you buy etc!
Thanks

[Otium]

Hi SB! Thanks for the post! These are always informative and I appreciate your taking time to track, tally, and share with the rest of us.

I enjoy the discussion as well and it definitely brings to light the many different tastes, styles and personalities that comprise our community. For this I am eternally grateful. Just imagine how boring it would be if we were all the same!

Thanks again! and keep 'em coming!

[Porto Santo]

Thanks for your interest in my post. I still have house expenses around 12000euros year,health care, insurances...I just talked about cruising. The 10000 euros for the boat are for berthing 4500, boatyard,cleaning and painting and so on....,diesel,oil and filters,deck caulking....I have a 40 years old 50f ketch ,needs lots of manutention that I do myself all with I can. Now I`m cruising Portugal and Spain South , almost time at anchor.

[sailorboy1]

Spent 9 days doing sightseeing in New Orleans and Baton Rogue. May do a few more sightseeing outings in the area as that is the reason we came to the Gulf. If I don’t do some planned boat upgrades (3 years and still doing upgrades as I learn what things are worth doing based on real life) and buy needed new sails, I can still end the year with a below budget month.