Operational Costs

[Wolfar]

Greetings,

My wife and I are beginning to consider the idea of moving onto a boat cruising about the Caribbean and possibly Gulf of Mexico. Our first and biggest problem, though, is neither of us has the first clue of what the monthly costs of operating a boat are. It's been years since I did any kind of private boating and I'm sure things have changed a great deal since my last foray out as a private boat owner. There are the obvious costs such as
Food
Consumables (non food items such as soap, drinks, paper towel, etc)
Fuel
Internet Access (if available)

I expect to purchase a sail boat, preferable a single mast sloop, in the 48-55 foot range and I expect to purchase something that's Self Sustaining (able to make water, solar to at least recharge batteries, etc. I also expect to be mostly anchoring out rather than docking to avoid docking fees and all that crap.

There will be at least three adults on board, more than likely 4.

I would appreciate and and all info, answers.

Thanks in advance
Wolf

[sailorboy1]

adjust as you desire for you, but these are our real numbers

[Wolfar]

Greetings,

I can't thank you enough for that. It was exactly the kind of data I needed for my very OCD wife (okay, she's not really OCD,, she's just very detail oriented

Have a wonderful day

Fair winds and following seas

[Love and Luck]

I have a very detailed budget spreadsheet for cruising, however, we haven’t left yet, so I’m not sure how accurate it will be! I compiled it from going through expense sheets and budgets posted here by a number of cruisers. If you search these forums you will find several like sailorboy1 shared.

Those are a good starting point. My biggest “unknown” right now is insurance, which will likely be our biggest monthly expense. If you haven’t owned a boat near the size you’re looking at, insurance is going to be expensive, if you can find it at all. Insurance costs are difficult to figure out until you actually shop for a policy.

We’re jumping from 27’ on the Great Lakes to 41’ for Caribbean cruising, so we actually bought our cruising boat a few years early to sail coastal US before trying to get cruising insurance.

[Maviarab]

I think a lot of budget sheets are rather, in all honesty, and respectful to others, utter rubbish and meaningless.

Case point: On many months, sailorboy's monthly 'eating out' budget is on a par with my monthly total budget. Your costs will be your costs, we all live differently and have different priorities and starting budgets.

Most boats are not insured (make sure to have liability insurance though and this is cheap really)...account 10% of vessel value for maint and costs (average over the ownership period) and whatever your usual 'grocery' budget is. If you add in kit you don't need but want, fancy excursions, long stays in marina's, then your costs are going to be a damn sight more than someone who eats mainly on board, stays on anchor etc etc.

You can make it as cheap or expensive as you want (within reason). I know people who have a 500 monthly budget...for everything. I know folk who struggle with a 3k a month budget and act like they slumming it *shrugs*

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Maviarab

You can make it as cheap or expensive as you want (within reason). I know people who have a 500 monthly budget...for everything.

I have been full time cruising for 7 years and have never met anyone with a $500/mo budget. Even living on anchor on a falling apart boat that will never move except to sink. So maybe there is such a person out of 10,000s, but is mainly a myth.

[Mike OReilly]

I am one who lives and cruises at the lower end of the financial spectrum. Last time I checked our numbers we averaged about $750/person/month. I think it’s a bit higher right now because the modest pension has seen an increase, although sadly, all our costs are higher as well.

Regardless, it is possible to live this life fairly modestly, but only if you are willing to make what some people would consider, hard choices. Mainly it’s around choice of boat, choice of cruising location, and choice of lifestyle.

Without knowing anything about you, I say your initial choices suggest you won’t be operating at the inexpensive end of the cruising world. That’s a large, well-equipped boat. Again, it’s hard to infer your lifestyle, but I sense it is not currently at the frugal end of life.

One truism is that most people don’t change lifestyles — at least not easily. So if you currently live a steak and lobster kinda life, then you are not going to suddenly embrace a rice and beans approach.

If you really want to live modestly on a boat, then start living that way in your land life.

[SailingHarmonie]

Originally Posted by Wolfar

Greetings,

My wife and I are beginning to consider the idea of moving onto a boat cruising about the Caribbean and possibly Gulf of Mexico. Our first and biggest problem, though, is neither of us has the first clue of what the monthly costs of operating a boat are. It's been years since I did any kind of private boating and I'm sure things have changed a great deal since my last foray out as a private boat owner. There are the obvious costs such as
Food
Consumables (non food items such as soap, drinks, paper towel, etc)
Fuel
Internet Access (if available)

I expect to purchase a sail boat, preferable a single mast sloop, in the 48-55 foot range and I expect to purchase something that's Self Sustaining (able to make water, solar to at least recharge batteries, etc. I also expect to be mostly anchoring out rather than docking to avoid docking fees and all that crap.

There will be at least three adults on board, more than likely 4.

I would appreciate and and all info, answers.

Thanks in advance
Wolf

Wolf,

I put my thoughts on this down some time ago: https://fetchinketch.net/boat_though...-should-i-buy/

I see many, many new boat owners who equate that ownership of that beautiful new boat they just bought with the experience of someone buying a new Honda automobile. You pick it up from the dealer lot, do the minimal required maintenance on it, and after 150,000 miles of totally trouble free driving you sell it for a good price. This is NOT boat ownership.


Trust me on this, the cost of food and household consumable supplies will NOT be the most significant part of your budget (unless you chose to eat out every night...).

[AiniA]

There are just so many variables to consider to suggest what a monthly budget might be. Off the top of my head: where you are, some places are just pricier than others, how handy you are fixing things on the boat - there will be lots of things to fix even on a boat that is sorted out to start, are you happy eating local food products or do you want to have an American style diet, how often do you want to eat out, how much is your alcohol consumption per month - note that many restaurants do offer WIFI, if all you want is email, checking the news rather than downloading Netflix, how often do you want to/have to stay in marinas, how often do you want to fly home, etc.

You mention looking at a 48 -55 footer, if budget is a concern go with a cheaper, smaller boat. We cruised/lived on a 45' which was more than adequate for four people (two staterooms/ two heads). The bigger the boat the more you will spend on things like consumables for the boat, dockage, hallouts.

Our monthly budgets varied enormously from near zero to several thousands depending on what was what, probably averaged around $2000 ten years ago. We lived frugally but did not deny ourselves since it was a once in a lifetime experience.

[krid2000]

I would say, annual operations & maintenance of a sailboat to keep it in pretty good shape costs on average 5% of the price of a similar class new boat. E.g. that classic '80s boat that you're eying to buy for $65k? A modern similar boat might cost $400k new. That's $20k/a to keep it in pretty good shape, all included (maintenance, upgrades, insurance, fuel, registration, charts...).

Add your personal expenses on top and you have a good first budget.

HTH
Dirk

[Threemonkeys]

This is definitely one of the most mysterious and the most important questions to an outsider like myself. In the spirit of the OP, I'm curious what everyone thinks about this calculator I came across. It's certainly to be found wanting due to lack of data but is it reasonably accurate?

https://boaterpal.com › true-cost-of-living-on-a-boat

[sailorboy1]

In almost 7 continuous years it has cost my wife and I the attached amount. No stories, no maybes, no not counting, no make believe.

[SailingHarmonie]

It's always interesting to see people thinking about long term cruising process the costs. They worry about the things they KNOW, and completely miss the things they do not. They fret about how much food will cost. And the answer is, if you eat like you do at home, about what you spend at home. Eat out a lot? it's expensive. Cook at home with simple ingredients? Its cheap.

The real expenses are in keeping a boat in good, safe, seaworthy condition. They also really do not appreciate how much boat costs change with size. And how insanely expensive it gets if you have to pay people to do all the work on the boat for you.

https://fetchinketch.net/boat_though...-should-i-buy/

If you want to do it inexpensively, you start by buying a small, simple boat in very good condition. You'll pay more for such a boat, but it will be worth it. A large boat that is bargain priced will empty your wallet, and then your bank account.

[Threemonkeys]

Thanks sailorboy! very detailed, I like it. I guess the costs really depend on where you are. If you were in Indonesia or Thailand I don't think you dining out expenses would be what they were...unless you made a valiant effort lol

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

If you want to do it inexpensively, you start by buying a small, simple boat in very good condition. .

I analysed the real number I posted a few posts ago, which is cruising on a 41' boat. If instead we had done the same trip on a 30' iy would only have saved around 3% of total costs. So yes boat costs do go up with size, in the total big picture it isn't that much.

Now ............ please explain what this "simple boat" you talk about is? Because I did a thread years ago and the 2 main things that were kind of agreed about that a "simple" cruiser didn't have was a watermaker and a generator. For each of those a strong case can/did get made by many as to the value of them.