Our cruising costs - month two for a middle-aged couple on a modest boat

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I’ve heard many say go synthetic, the quick dry stuff, cotton never dries, then some say don’t go with white sheets cause you’ll get them nasty with sun screen etc.

I suspicion most of this comes from water rationing, cause I’ve had no problem yet, but we haven’t had to be real careful with water consumption either.

I just wondered. I've been using regular cotton sheets for 7 years including the last 2 full time cruising and they never have felt damp. I have regular cotton towels on the boat, they dry after use. Guess I just have a dry boat

[thruska]

Originally Posted by Drew13440

This is long staple cotton, rather than the more common short staple variety. The seeds for it were developed in the South Carolina Sea Islands and sold to the Egyptians in the 19th century.

We do know something of cotton over here.

I believe the long strand cotton did not fair well with the use of the cotton gin . Thus the result was the demise of the long crop in the states .
The states had some of the finest long stranded cotto world wide and much was exported.

[thruska]

There is talk of new gmo cotton causing skin rashes.
I think organic cotton and hemp textiles are the new material towatch for regarding comfort and longevity.

[sailorboy1]

fancy imported cotton and silk sheets aren't in the budget

there back on topic

[Sapphir3]

Good luck CTHoops on your adventure

SYC will be waiting when you get back.

[GinoDelG]

My wife and I have been living aboard our 1988 Brewer 44 for the past year and a half. Last fall we went from Maine to George Town Bahamas for the winter and back to New England in the spring. We mostly anchor out. I do most of the work on the boat myself, and I try to keep the boat fairly simple ie no watermaker, generator or air conditioning. My wife has elderly parents so she had to travel back and forth a number of times. Our health insurance is low because we pay the same low premiums as when she worked. Here are our general expense categories per month, which have worked well for us. Do not underestimate the cost of boat maintenance and repair, if you don’t stay ahead of it it will bite you in the butt. We don’t spend $1,500 on the boat every month, but some months the bill can reach several thousand or more.
Docking/mooring $350
Fuel/water $350
Boat maintenance/repair $1,500
Boat insurance $237
Local travel $300
Food/alcohol $600
Dining out/entertainment $600
Personal (inc air travel) $1000
Communications $100
Software/subscriptions $60
Medical/dental insurance $100
Doctor/dentist/drugs $30
Storage container $130
Gifts and tips $250
Charity $300
Interest/bank fees $20
Taxes $600
Total $6,527/mo

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by GinoDelG

My wife and I have been living aboard our 1988 Brewer 44 for the past year and a half. Last fall we went from Maine to George Town Bahamas for the winter and back to New England in the spring. We mostly anchor out. I do most of the work on the boat myself, and I try to keep the boat fairly simple ie no watermaker, generator or air conditioning. My wife has elderly parents so she had to travel back and forth a number of times. Our health insurance is low because we pay the same low premiums as when she worked. Here are our general expense categories per month, which have worked well for us. Do not underestimate the cost of boat maintenance and repair, if you don’t stay ahead of it it will bite you in the butt. We don’t spend $1,500 on the boat every month, but some months the bill can reach several thousand or more.
Docking/mooring $350
Fuel/water $350
Boat maintenance/repair $1,500
Boat insurance $237
Local travel $300
Food/alcohol $600
Dining out/entertainment $600
Personal (inc air travel) $1000
Communications $100
Software/subscriptions $60
Medical/dental insurance $100
Doctor/dentist/drugs $30
Storage container $130
Gifts and tips $250
Charity $300
Interest/bank fees $20
Taxes $600
Total $6,527/mo

WOW -- you are spending over $6k a month? We have been out 11 years and publish our cost data yearly here --- http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ta-197309.html

We keep SoulMates in primo condition (wait till you see our 2018 expenses) and we average about $3 a month give or take a bit -

[NormanMartin]

Many thanks.
If nothing else, I have a great start on the items for a spread sheet for tracking expenses