Tim Morris, Torquay, DEVON GBR asks:
I have been following from the beginning. I wonder how much
this whole trip will have cost by the end. (Will there be an end!!)
Fuel, provisions, books(!), servicing, crew, weather, etc. It's just so
I can be absolutely sure I can't afford it. Take care....
Scott Flanders from Egret responds:
Tim, First of all we intend to cruise until we simply can't. What could
possibly be more rewarding? By shedding all dirt dwelling 'stuff' with its
attached financial responsibility, having your boat paid for, you spend what
you have. We all adjust our budgets to our ability to spend. We have
friends on a no refrigeration sailboat who have lived for years on $400 a
month. Egret's budget is a bit more. Your biggest single yearly expenses
are boat insurance (about 1% of the insured value), marina costs in the
winter if you cruise the Med (about $6000), health insurance and flights
back home. If you live on anchor, don't eat out a lot and take it easy you
can cruise remarkably inexpensively. Fuel is not a big cost. Normal US
east coast cruising or west coast cruising you buy less than two tanks of
fuel a year and there are no wintering marina fees. If you are on a tight
budget you need to learn to do your own work. Mary and I have painted the
bottom on every boat we have owned, every time. Since buying Egret we have
paid a total of one hour's labor for repair. We did have a boatyard sand
the bottom to gel coat once. The Naiad stabilizer electronic upgrade was
expensive as was adding paravanes but most of that will return on the back
end. What is really important is you buy the right boat. The single
biggest long term expense is what you pay for the boat, its maintenance, and
its resale.
Keep saving, stay focused, reduce your present unnecessary extras and your
day will come. There is a simple test. For one month, without adjusting
your lifestyle, write down EVERY dollar/pound you spend for whatever. At
the end of the month evaluate what you HAD to have, what you did not have to
have. Next subtract all expenses that directly are spent to live ashore.
(Include mortgage payments, 1/12th of ALL insurances, car expenses, etc.)
You will be amazed at the figures. We were. We live comfortably on a small
percentage what it used cost to maintain two paid for houses, a few cars,
and no debt.
You keep saving, you'll make it. We'll keep cruisin' n' writin'. |
