Quote:
Originally Posted by BanksBaker
Do you have any other suggestions for 28-30 ft bluewwater live aboards? Could you estimate (roughly) what the costs to maintain, insure, etc.? If i anchor out in the islands it's free right?
Thanks
Banks
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Hi Banks,
You are asking some really open ended questions. Also you might want to search the
archives on this forum as many of these issues have been discussed in great length.
Regarding
blue water cruisers. Ask ten sailors and you will get twelve different opinions, not only on the boat but what is meant by blue
water cruising. A lake sailor may call a trip to
Bimini water sailing">blue water sailing where someone else may see that as a short day sail.
An interesting list that is not definitive but at least gives you some fodder for daydreaming can be found here.
Mahina Expedition - Offshore Cruising Instruction
Regarding costs, again an issue that has been covered extensively on this forum. The short answer is it can be what you make it. When I was living on the
Morgan 36 the owner was in a serious cash flow crunch. I spent several months anchored out in Marsh Harbor in the
Bahamas and lived on an average of $40-$50/month. I did have a pretty good supply of stapes on hand (plenty of canned and dried
food, etc) but also took the boat out frequently to catch dinner.
There were times when I was so broke I could not afford to run the
engine to charge the
batteries so when the sun went down I had no lights and just went to
bed. Water was $0.10/gallon at the local marina and several times I had to row (no outboard) over the the docks in the evening with a jug to "borrow" a gallon to drink the next day (not my proudest moment but in my defense when
money came in I gave that same marina all my business).
Obviously one could not live that cheaply forever. Sooner or later you will have
repair or replace a sail/halyards/sheet/winches/alternator/anchor rode/starter.......... and then that low monthly cost is out the window. Some things you can plan for;
sails only last so long for example, but how do you plan for the the exact day your starter dies?
So how much does it cost to
cruise or
live aboard a boat. If you stay in a marina take that amount and add it to the same amount you currently spend every month for
food, gas, car payments, etc. Then depending on the age and condition of your boat and all the systems figure that at random times you can get hit with the big charge that is calculated in boat units or boat bucks (one boat buck is equal to 1000 US dollars).
Insurance, extremely variable. Like car
insurance more coverage costs more
money. If you keep the boat in a marina in
Maine and sail 3 months a year and haul it every
winter the insurance is not bad. Was quoted $1600/year for a $80k boat. South of the Carolinas in the summer-fall
hurricane season it is about double. If you sail
offshore it is double.
Hope this at least gives you a starting point..