Month 46 Expenses of Cruising and Living on the Boat

[sailorboy1]

Just sitting in Jacksonville FL doing the “living” part of the thread title. We are staying here for the summer hot/hurricane season and hoping the world opens back up this Fall/Winter. It was fairly inexpensive to do the “living” part, but the doing boat repairs and upgrades (yes after 46 months we still are doing major upgrades) to prep to do the “cruise” part really adds up!

Grocery, beer, and supply runs, sundries, etc. for the month were “normal”. I get comments on this about how others “eat” for less. This category is more than food. It basically is anything (haircuts, new sandals, gym memberships etc.) that don’t fit into one of the other categories I long ago decided to have.

Boat costs were high! If you hope to cruise you have to repair, maintain, and constantly upgrade the boat. The BOAT has been the most expensive category this year! If I wasn’t planning on moving along this category would have been around $180 this month. - A few months ago in the Bahamas an engine seawater flange cracked and started leaking. I got the only one in existence months ago, but finally got to replacing it as months ago when I started I could tell it was going to be a bigger job than expected. So that ended up with removing the HX/exhaust manifold and taking to machine shop to get broken bolts removed and by the time is was reinstalled was about $260 in needed “stuff”. Got new foam for the settee cushions $146, a used Spectra watermaker $2750, a refrigerator unit to be able to separate my spillover system $450 (new unused but second hand).

Dining out and entertainment costs were low due to virus considerations.

Communication was cell phones with internet and data. Since we really use the phone more for video streaming Netflix etc. and as hotspot for internet, they are more entertainment than communication. But at the start I called it communications so are to going to continue that.

Marina cost was a month slip in Jacksonville ($307.29). Electric was $21.20 for all the power we want at the dock (air conditioning).

Medical was just monthly plan premium.

Transportation costs were gas for the car, tolls, and a credit for something I paid for last month that I got back.

The total expenses were $6,004.21. Cheap, to us, if you “not count” the boat upgrades. Cost breakdown as follows for planners and hecklers and spreadsheet attached:

Food, soda, alcohol, clothing, sundries - $ 1,355.84
Boat upgrades, repairs, maintenance - $ 3,732.38
Fuel (diesel, gas, propane) - $ 8.80
Dining and drinking out - $ 87.80
Entertainment - $ 96.72
Communication, storage, shipping - $ 126.73
Fees – $ -32.20
Marina - $ 307.09
Electric - $ 21.20
Medical - $ 58.70
Transportation and travel - $ -21.75
Gifts - $ 0
Water - $ 0
Registration - $ 0
Insurance - $ 263

[Gregorys6601]

Thank you again for the data!
Scott

[pdxsailordiver]

Thank you

[Davy J]

Hey Don, Davy J checking in.......

Are you heading back down to the keys for the winter or going back to the Bahamas, or elsewhere.?

Grocery, beer, and supply runs, sundries, etc. for the month were “normal”. I get comments on this about how others “eat” for less. This category is more than food.

I didn't track my expenses while I spent last winter down in the keys, but now that I'm back home on the west coast, I think my "food" expense category is now less than it was while I was on the boat.

First, that Publix in Marathon seemed to be slightly more expensive, on almost everything, than the Publix stores here in the Tampa area. Second, having a large fridge and a spare freezer, at home, allows one to stock up on food that is not really possible on the boat.

Just thought I might point that out to folks who haven't been out long term.

Anyway, glad to see you made it back to Florida. Good luck on your future plans.

[sailorboy1]

I dont know my plans. Have to wait the virus to decide.

[fred4936]

Thank you once again! You seem to find some great deals out there on parts. It is amazing how fast the "sundries add up!

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

SNIP

Food, soda, alcohol, clothing, sundries - $ 1,355.84

SNIP

I doubt I spend $US355 on food and soda a month. I generally shop at Good Will for clothing; something like $US1.75 a pound so less than twenty bucks if that.

It would be interesting to see a break out for alcohol. Since I don't drink alcohol my expenses since I bought the boat in 2012 for alcohol have been zero.

[alansmith]

Don thanks for the updates. Always read them and appreciate your honesty. I think you have gotten real good at sourcing things. That is a great price on a spectra. What is the rated output on this model?

I tell you straight up Don that it has been an eye opener reading your reports. It, in a way, convinced me that my trailerable 30 foot trimaran is the way to go for me. I have an outboard when I need it and easy to repair. Replace with a new one for 2500 bucks I think I can get my Suzuki10 hp through the next 10 years. But I retire next Spring and then see what the real expenses are when using the boat a lot more. Your information... your actual costs have helped me decide to do it my way. Some guys come up with how they can do it cheeper by XXX. Good on them if they can. But your reporting isn’t about that. It is about what are the costs of one couple cruising full time with your boat and your personal preferences. Solid data. Take it as real world information cruising along the Atlantic seaboard. Thank you Don.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by tomfl

I doubt I spend $US355 on food and soda a month. I generally shop at Good Will for clothing; something like $US1.75 a pound so less than twenty bucks if that.

It would be interesting to see a break out for alcohol. Since I don't drink alcohol my expenses since I bought the boat in 2012 for alcohol have been zero.

Did you even read the write up

Btw feel to provide a full long term accounting and show everyone how you spend your money. I will wait for it and reserve my comments till then.

[daddio862]

Thanks for sharing this info. A glimpse at a realistic budget helps others plan with a more realistic outlook. Still in the planning stage as retirement nears.

[friz]

Like the cost of the marina. Care to share which one? I live about 100 miles from Jax.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Did you even read the write up

Btw feel to provide a full long term accounting and show everyone how you spend your money. I will wait for it and reserve my comments till then.

Yea I read the write up and it seems the part you refer to is this:

"Grocery, beer, and supply runs, sundries, etc. for the month were “normal”. I get comments on this about how others “eat” for less. This category is more than food. It basically is anything (haircuts, new sandals, gym memberships etc.) that don’t fit into one of the other categories I long ago decided to have"

I cut my own hair, get my Crocs (which I like better than new sandals) at Good Will, again for US$1.75 a pound, and don't belong to a gym.

Keep waiting as long as you wish, but when you combine food, beer, haircuts, shoes, and gym memberships in the same total with no breakout I have to wonder how meaningful how you are spending your money really is.

My point is I know lots of folks who spend more every month on alcohol than they do on food, same goes for folks who buy $US100 shirts at West Marine, or get $US20 haircuts twice a month. Also have to wonder how a gym membership fits into a cruising life style.

I have no problem with folks spending their money any way they wish; and truth be told I would be embarrassed revealing how much money I spend on toys like an H2O Hexcopter; not to mention the brand new Egg I just got; not to mention my ExCal or the pointer for the Excal.

Everything but the HexH2O was bought in the last two months. Along with two pairs of Crocs and three long sleeve Columbia shirts at Good Will. But I did make a vid with my new Egg Pro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yygb...VlFLxQ34ht-AVw

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Cost breakdown as follows for planners and hecklers and spreadsheet attached:

there is a reason that word is always in this thread series

I have tossed out the challenge lots of times for others to post their expenses and prove their points. How many have we seen here? Just one, and she gave it up.

[Rennsail]

What marina in Jax?

[slowneasy]

As always thanks for sharing. I find the information meaningful. You provide real data (and a description of the data) so it can be interpreted. I can use the information to adjust my expectations/budget to better suit my desires.