# Your opinion on the cost of cruising, please



## bellefonte (Jan 14, 2010)

Hey, can you guys weigh in on your opinion of the cost of cruising?

There is a survery on my blog.

Thanks a bunch!


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

Cruising will cost what ever you want it to cost. If you have $10,000 is will cost $10,000 and if you have $50,000 it can cost $50,000. It's a lifestyle it all depends on how you live that life. Some people can't have fun without spending money others can, I believe it is as simple as that.


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## bellefonte (Jan 14, 2010)

good comment. I suppose i should have phrased it, how much have you spent on cruising annually?
Thanks to all who have visited my blog and cast their vote


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## utchuckd (Apr 4, 2010)

I hope you get a lot of votes, I'm very interested in seeing how it turns out!


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

We spend as little as one thousand a month when we are feeling poor or wishing to build up funds for a special need and then we may spend eight thousand a month with excessive wants and play. I think freesail99 hit it right with his post, but at the final tally we succeed as fullltime liveaboard cruisers by spending less than our income. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew


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## eryka (Mar 16, 2006)

That's an awful lot like asking "How much does a car cost?" You're thinking Lexus, I'm thinking Dodge Neon (and a used one at that). Some months we spent <$1000 for two of us. But we had a lot more fun and were a lot more comfortable spending $2000 - $3000 / month in the U.S.


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## bellefonte (Jan 14, 2010)

these guys have a well documented expense trail for a 44' cruiser. url=http://www.livinthedreamcruising.com/about%20the%20boat.htm]About the Boat[/url]


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## imagine2frolic (Aug 7, 2008)

Freesail99 said:


> Cruising will cost what ever you want it to cost. If you have $10,000 is will cost $10,000 and if you have $50,000 it can cost $50,000. It's a lifestyle it all depends on how you live that life. Some people can't have fun without spending money others can, I believe it is as simple as that.


No matter whose blog you post. This statement by Freesail covers it all... ....*i2f*


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## tommays (Sep 9, 2008)

I dont want to crush your dream BUT your blog seems to say beyond some time on a sunfish in your youth you really have not worked you way up to the point of even seeing if the wife can go sailing without getting ill ?

I got the whole full burden of modern life going on and i have worked on changing my life enough to allow sailing time and its real easy to OPB (other peoples boats) crewing thing and get some wet time


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## bellefonte (Jan 14, 2010)

tommays said:


> I dont want to crush your dream BUT your blog seems to say beyond some time on a sunfish in your youth you really have not worked you way up to the point of even seeing if the wife can go sailing without getting ill ?
> 
> I got the whole full burden of modern life going on and i have worked on changing my life enough to allow sailing time and its real easy to OPB (other peoples boats) crewing thing and get some wet time


As far as my wife, she may find she in not able to sail. That would be a sad outcome, but it would not deter my dream of sailing. 
I know it's not much, but I did own a boat larger than an sunfish and sailed it often with my daughter. Making time to sail is important.


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## Jay2 (Feb 9, 2009)

I am sure you will get good responses but the unknown is repairs and the need to dock instead of anchor due to poor weather just to name a few.


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## eryka (Mar 16, 2006)

Jay2 makes a good point - if you're on too tight a budget you can burn yourself out. Staying up all night to protect yourself in a storm (whether you're concerned with the poor holding of your cheap knockoff or undersizsed anchor, or someone else dragging into you) can really ruin your appreciation of the next day even if nothing goes wrong. Or for example - in parts of the Bahamas, water costs 50 cents a gallon at a marina, or you can haul it by jerry jugs for free. So, how many trips are you going to dinghy back and forth, filling and hauling jugs at almost 50 lbs per jerry jug, 4 or 5 jugs a week, before cruising gets too old and you give it up?


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## bellefonte (Jan 14, 2010)

*real life examples*

I love that some cruisers have posted real life examples of theri expenses. I found one here. Expenses

This is a great example. Some months are only 950 while others are 3 and 4 thousand dollars for a 44' yacht.

I am not trying to nail this down to a science. I am just looking for real life data.

I think the questions should have been "What are you spending?" I also know the larger the boat, the more it costs.

Of course everyones numbers will be as different as their experiences and their boats and the ports they sail to.


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## kenster (Jan 26, 2009)

I agree with senior member Tommays. Sailing experience is essential.
Also talk to more sailors inperson, so you can get some idea of what is involved. The more money you have, after buying a boat, the easier your life will be. 

Buy an intermediate boat, so you can see if you and your family even enjoy the sailing life. After years of expences and experience, you MAY have a better idea of what is right for you.

No matter how it turns out, owning a starter boat is better than just sailing the forum.

For reasons you can't even comprehend yet, You may even come to value some of those 'cramped interior boats'.

P S My boat slip is in Corpus Christi.

Ken, Bristol 32


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## night0wl (Mar 20, 2006)

Bumfuzzle (much controversy with these two) probably have the most comprehensive sailing budget for a circumnavigation I've seen online:

bumfuzzle | sailing costs

Now they're not including the buying costs of their boat...or the opportunity cost of paying cash.


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## Architeuthis (Mar 3, 2008)

night0wl said:


> Now they're not including the buying costs of their boat...or the opportunity cost of paying cash.


and I'm sure many other things. We cannot say what it costs only what it costs us. Many people do not consider the cost of the boat, but to me that is important.

Example a guy spends three years (on/off) sailing the east coast. Spends less than $10G a year, well less. Such a small budget meant no, or little money for the boat. A boat that started out being worth well over $30G. At the end, after a few years sitting in the yard, it sells for less than $10G, almost $30G lost. His boat costs exceed all other expenses combined, so he leaves that part out.

Another example here on the West Coast has a couple buy, fix up and outfit a nice boat and spends almost 5 years sailing the South Pacific. They had well over $100G into the boat. When they got back the boat was a complete mess. Most of those 5 year old electronics didn't work, none of the used stuff they bought to save money worked, most everything needed attention or replacement. They got an offer of $20G but it was pulled as the buyer took a second look and decided even that was too much. I saw the boat when it was first for sale. I think they should have taken the $20G, lets say they got $40G, lets say they got $60G (almost impossible), that is still more than $10G a year. I think they lost closer to $20G a year as the market was way down when they were selling. If they spent a few months and tens of thousands of dollars they could have maybe sold it close to what they bought it for but even then that would still be a loss and they didn't have the time or money to do that anyway. They talked about writing a book on sailing on less than $10G a year to raise money.

Boat costs are just one area where actual costs are going to vary by person and may not even be considered as a cruising cost by many. Each of us bring advantages and skill sets that are unique, like our viewpoint. Example the sailor that fixed his holed boat for just a few dollars, of course he left out the part about how he got the $10G welding system, and the cost of the parts he had hauled around just in case and a skill set that enabled him to rip apart a very expensive boat and put it back together in a weekend because to him that stuff was free.

Many people make money while cruising, or sell the boat for more. In that case has it cost anything? Not to me, I'd say they made money cruising&#8230;now if only I could do that&#8230;&#8230;..


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## bellefonte (Jan 14, 2010)

kenster said:


> No matter how it turns out, owning a starter boat is better than just sailing the forum.


Sailing the forum?! wow.


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## bellefonte (Jan 14, 2010)

I appreciate everyone's input. All very valuable. I realize I'm not sailing yet. Trust me, that's not by choice. I realize I will learn 99% of what I am looking for, once I start cruising. If I had the money to buy a boat now, I would be cruising now. 
Again, thanks everyone for contributing.


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## n8kraft (Dec 31, 2009)

I really appreciate these links. I've been trying to find a way to accurately estimate the cost of cruising. What it really comes down to is how you want to live. I'm pretty sure I could fit in to the $1,000 to $3,000 range easily.


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

I think like others that you will spend what you have, however much or little. To leave with a smaller (around 30') boat that has simpler systems and in good condition your costs should be pretty low unless you eat out all the time and use marinas. Eating out can vary a great geal as well. Having a local meal in Mexico is a lot cheaper than going to a tourist restaurant. 

I looked at the link to bumfuzzle and noted that their 3rd least expensive month of $1033 included $444 in bars and restaurants.


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## mccary (Feb 24, 2002)

Freesail99 said:


> Cruising will cost what ever you want it to cost. If you have $10,000 is will cost $10,000 and if you have $50,000 it can cost $50,000. It's a lifestyle it all depends on how you live that life. Some people can't have fun without spending money others can, I believe it is as simple as that.


I am not a cruiser, but this sounds just like sailing in general... it costs what you can afford to put into it. And if you want more, you will find a way to come up with the cash.


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## Architeuthis (Mar 3, 2008)

mitiempo said:


> ....included $444 in bars and restaurants.


$444, a single night in Vancouver, if you take it easy on the booze and sleep in the street.


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## davidpm (Oct 22, 2007)

mitiempo said:


> I looked at the link to bumfuzzle and noted that their 3rd least expensive month of $1033 included $444 in bars and restaurants.


Neither of them knew how to cook, or sail for that matter, when they started and they seemed more concerned about the former.

Eating out was a very high priority for them along with junk food.


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## mitiempo (Sep 19, 2008)

I see David. I just looked at the numbers and didn't dig any deeper.


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## bellefonte (Jan 14, 2010)

It makes a lot of sense that you would spend what you have. If you have limited funds, you will have limited options. May even have to stop and work some provided Visas allow it in the port you are in.


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## ekenna (Jun 5, 2009)

I consider myself to be a beginning cruiser (weekends and 2 weeks of vacation) I had my start like you in a sunfish on a lake. Then I bought a sunfish and sailed it for 20 years in conditions and places most people wouldn't (ie all over the notheren end of the chesapeake) however I wanted to share my sailing with my wife and so needed the bigger comfortable boat. I second the guy who said get a starter boat. I bought mine last year for 4000. Its not fancy. It has a tiny diesel engine no electronics (we use the gps I bought my wife for christmas and a handheld radio). Its just like camping we keep our food in a cooler It does have a head although I just replaced the holding tank. You quickly learn the list of things to get/fix for the boat is endless and it becomes a matter of prioritizing. 

Another thing to consider in your cost is training. My wife and I took asa sailing courses. Both took 101 and 103 and I took 104 bareboat. 

Lastly between sailing the sunfish buying our boat we had 3 years where we got a week of solid sail time first by taking the week long training and then by bareboat chartering. Before I bought a boat and went sailing off into the ocean I would do some chartering and coastal cruising to see if your dream doesn't have some leaking holes in it. Cruising is more than just sailing the boat it involves things like meal planning, itinery planning (how far can you go in a day), dealing with bugs, comfort and safety of your crew. And if the wife is not happy no one is happy. Also being a boat owner is more than just sailing the boat it involves things like spending 2 full weekends ripping out and replacing the holding tank or the next weekend bottom painting the boat. Of course you can find out about the cruising part without the owner part by chartering.


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## bellefonte (Jan 14, 2010)

awesome input. thanks


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## Architeuthis (Mar 3, 2008)

davidpm said:


> Eating out was a very high priority for them along with junk food.


add in beer, hanging out, and just relaxin' and that is my kind of sailing...no big sheets needed, though they can come in handy sometimes.  :laugher


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