££

[hunter11]

Hello,just a quick question...iam relatively new to sailing..(.back after years of absence )...but my dream is liveaboard and just sail...but my question is funding the whole thing.If I quit the world of career and bills....
What are typical costs ,monthly food,fuel etc....how to earn extra cash...or is it a retirement only goal.

 

[srm]

Probably as many answers as there are live aboard boats, so much regarding costs depends on size and type of boat, your lifestyle, and where you berth. Potential earnings depends on your skills and where you are; there may be local restrictions on working.

 

[PlanB]

It's how long is a piece of string.

If you search this forum, you'll find numerous posts about this very thing.

More information from you will likely produce a more specific response.

 

[AndrewB]

As previous posts say, you will have to be much more specific to get decent response.

However, and putting aside the issue of buying a suitable yacht, there was an article some years ago in Cruising World by Jimmy Cornell about how much a sample of 57 typical long-term blue-water cruising couples spent annually. The lowest claimed £9k but that was exceptional. The great majority were in the range £20k to £35k. Yachts were nearly all in the range 38 - 44 feet. (This compares to the then average annual domestic spend of £25k by retired couples living in the UK).

Younger couples tended to be more spartan, with smaller yachts and lower costs. There was evidently a relationship between the annual cost and the level of income to which the couple were previously accustomed, which suggests people will be out of their comfort zone if they try to cut back too hard. Jimmy Cornell ended with the general advice that for most, the cost was higher than they had originally planned.

 

[doug748]

This is an ok overview as a starting point:

Though I seriously doubt that you could do it for less than 5k per year and you would need a fair slice of luck in terms of avoiding large expenditures. Doing it cheap would not be my dream but then again I am an old bloke.
Boats are small, quiet ,damp and often cold places in winter, you really need a sailing partner with the same enthusiasm as yourself to stick it 24/7.

 

[sailaboutvic]

5k that's less then £90 pw good luck with that.
Just our shopping for 2 comes more then that and I wouldnt say we eat anything special .
We manage to get a good deal in marina for the last two months €65 pw .
Electricity is now 65 cent a KW its not hard to use 10kw over 24 hours with a small heater this time of year
Then there fuel, insurance,maintenance break down, the odd night out ,
Add to that list 101 other things .
Good luck in getting a figure after the last 14 years full time cruising I have no idea although I come across many who after a couple of season run out of dosh.

 

[KevinV]

If you're working with a finite amount of money then at some point (quicker than you budget) you're going to run out - it's that simple. Then you have to re-integrate into "normal" society with nothing but a worn out old boat and a lousy work ethic to your name.

The only way round that is if you have a portable, always in demand skill so you can earn as you bum around. Better not be a boat based skill as those who have money get a yard to do it. There are rare exceptions, I knew a chap who specialised in boat electronics who always had more work than he wanted wherever he went.

Socially it's difficult too, unless you particularly enjoy the company of other men who spend too much time on their own. Having a solo cruiser for drinks, who has gone nose blind and hasn't spoken to anyone in a week, gets tired very quickly.

People do it, but very few are successful for any length of time.

 

[doug748]

5k that's less then £90 pw good luck with that.
Just our shopping for 2 comes more then that and I wouldnt say we eat anything special .
We manage to get a good deal in marina for the last two months €65 pw .
Electricity is now 65 cent a KW its not hard to use 10kw over 24 hours with a small heater this time of year
Then there fuel, insurance,maintenance break down, the odd night out ,
Add to that list 101 other things .
Good luck in getting a figure after the last 14 years full time cruising I have no idea although I come across many who after a couple of season run out of dosh.

Indeed the figure given in the video was £4,201 for most of that 1st year.

I believe they have been scrupulous with the account and frugal with spending but it is easy to overlook stuff. Hence it would be unwise to take the figure too seriously, however the video and costing on the channel, are well worth the viewing.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Indeed the figure given in the video was £4,201 for most of that 1st year.

I believe they have been scrupulous with the account and frugal with spending but it is easy to overlook stuff. Hence it would be unwise to take the figure too seriously, however the video and costing on the channel, are well worth the viewing.

Ok I stop watching when he said they spend £40 pw on food .
Did you see the Trolley full of food .?
As for the marinas fees when was that video taken ? 2000 ?
It's very simple anyone can live on next to nothing for a short time .
I sure most of us remember the MP that lived on the street for a week and said it was no hardship.

 

[AndrewB]

Why is it that, whenever this question of cost comes up, posters assume the OP wants to go long-distance sailing on a shoestring?? Hunter11 hasn't said so.

 

[sailaboutvic]

@ Andrew you may not agree but most posting when it come to how much it cost are from people who don't know boats and looking at buying to live on board , if they did own a boat they would know boats are some think you just pile money into.
Even just a small Weekender can drain a wallet let along something that's being used 24/7 .

I'm sure you found as I have there the odd guy/female living in some died hole place , boat looking as if it's about to sink for lack of maintenance who pop out to buy a loaf of bread , milk and some thing to put on them , then hide back into his GRP home , I'm no doubt he can live on next to nothing .
But some just have no other option ,
just like the guy on the street , it's not really being a cruiser, which I understand the op wants to do.

Last year I was sad to here John who was such a liveaboard in Malta died when his boat broke away from a fishing man mooring he was using free of charge , he been on the mooring for three years ,
It turned out his engine wasn't in working order and even if it was it be no use has he didn't have a propeller.
John was well know by local as he often got a lift back and forward to land , I guess if the poor guy was about now he be someone telling people how cheap you can live on board.

Once most cruiser ( dislike the word liveaboard) where people who had retired sail for most of their lives and have some kind of income.
Now you find quite young people who saved a bit or come into some money , know very little about boats and only plain for a few years then return back to work , well that's what I found anyway.

 

[harvey38]

Living in a marina with quite a few long term liveaboards, what I would say is at what point would you stop being a liveaboard, what would you do with the boat, where would you live, what would you do for accommodation, could you afford it?

I've seen quite a few folk struggle coming to terms when the dream ends and it's been far from easy. If you have a property that's been rented out or sensible provisions have been made before the 'Dream' starts then great, but unfortunately, Ill health creeps up and it comes to an end quickly.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I say this to the OP .
Many people wake up and think wouldn't it get great to cruise country to country and as a full time cruiser for many years it is.
But unless you have the funds to support that lifestyle it can be a very miserable and lonely life.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Living in a marina with quite a few long term liveaboards, what I would say is at what point would you stop being a liveaboard, what would you do with the boat, where would you live, what would you do for accommodation, could you afford it?

I've seen quite a few folk struggle coming to terms when the dream ends and it's been far from easy. If you have a property that's been rented out or sensible provisions have been made before the 'Dream' starts then great, but unfortunately, Ill health creeps up and it comes to an end quickly.

Harvey you just posted the reality for many liveaboard .

 

[hunter11]

Thanks guys for all your replies.

 

[BobnLesley]

Living in a marina with quite a few long term liveaboards, what I would say is at what point would you stop being a liveaboard, what would you do with the boat, where would you live, what would you do for accommodation, could you afford it?

I've seen quite a few folk struggle coming to terms when the dream ends and it's been far from easy. If you have a property that's been rented out or sensible provisions have been made before the 'Dream' starts then great, but unfortunately, Ill health creeps up and it comes to an end quickly.

We were perhaps fortunate to receive a salutary lesson in the very first month of our cruising years, when we met someone who was clearly no longer able, either physically or economically to continue with their 'dream' and were now hunkered down in a sheltered corner simply existing; they didn't want to be there, but they didn't have any alternatives.
We took that lesson onboard - and from the many dozens (No, that's not an exaggeration) of similarly situated yotties over the subsequent years that we saw in similar situations - and always ensured that the amount we spent on our boats and lifestyle would never leave us in the same boat; a fortunate decision as when Covid locked the world down, we were separated from our own floating home by 11,000 miles and a closed border... think about how you'd deal with that on £5000/year.

 

[Graham376]

Living in a marina with quite a few long term liveaboards, what I would say is at what point would you stop being a liveaboard, what would you do with the boat, where would you live, what would you do for accommodation, could you afford it?

I've seen quite a few folk struggle coming to terms when the dream ends and it's been far from easy. If you have a property that's been rented out or sensible provisions have been made before the 'Dream' starts then great, but unfortunately, Ill health creeps up and it comes to an end quickly.

We've met quite a few couples who sold houses to buy a boat and live aboard. Worked OK until one of the became ill or died and the spouse (usually wife) sold the boat for a pittance and didn't score enough points for social housing back in UK. Costs vary wildly depending on lifestyle, our mooring has cost us £2k over the last 16 years, far different for someone berthing 38ft in a marina for the same period. When out and about, we prefer to anchor, others always use marinas. When eating out. we go where the locals go, not marina or seafront restaurants.

 

[Tranona]

Ok I stop watching when he said they spend £40 pw on food .
Did you see the Trolley full of food .?
As for the marinas fees when was that video taken ? 2000 ?
It's very simple anyone can live on next to nothing for a short time .
I sure most of us remember the MP that lived on the street for a week and said it was no hardship.

You need to put this in perspective. These are young people and food probably does to form the same part of their lives as it does for many older people. Perfectly possible to eat very well on £3 a day (£40 a week for 2). You just have to forget about middle class European diets which largely means forgetting about fresh meat and fish (unless you are on the coast) and looking to the sort of diets followed by other cultures where vegetables, pulses and grains form a major part of the diet and chicken is probably the most common meat. Flavour enhancers whether it be spices or sauces become a major part of cooking. If you do need meat then a chicken is so versatile. This week I have made a 1.6kg chicken (less than £5 in the supermarket do 3 main meals and 2 lunch soups for 2 people with the addition of less than £5 worth of vegetables and noodles. You can make 4 portions of pasta with a sauce of lentils and tomato (like bolognese) for well under £5. Jamie Oliver is currently doing a series on TV based on main meals for £1 a head. I agree though that the shopping trolley in the video does not reflect the budget they claim! BTW my student granddaughter live very well on less than £30 a week for food. I take this low cost approach for at least 2 or 3 days a week so that on the other days I can indulge (venison steaks last Monday and dover soles tomorrow for example) and because I enjoy turning basic ingredients into satisfying meals - and just like footloose young people I have the time to do it.

On marina charges, remember their boat is only 8m, not the 10-12m most mature liveaboards tend to have. Also their trip was only 6 months, so not all year round and from what I could see the boat was left in the French canals rather than in an expensive coastal marina.

For real low cost living worth re-reading Annie Hills book. Once you accept the minimalist lifestyle and a "simple boat" and keep moving in parts of the world other than Europe, £5000 would be a very generous budget. If I were 20 years younger and no ties I would be off like a shot in my minimalist Golden Hind, just like many did in the same design boat 50 years ago.

 

[sailaboutvic]

You need to put this in perspective. These are young people and food probably does to form the same part of their lives as it does for many older people. Perfectly possible to eat very well on £3 a day (£40 a week for 2). You just have to forget about middle class European diets which largely means forgetting about fresh meat and fish (unless you are on the coast) and looking to the sort of diets followed by other cultures where vegetables, pulses and grains form a major part of the diet and chicken is probably the most common meat. Flavour enhancers whether it be spices or sauces become a major part of cooking. If you do need meat then a chicken is so versatile. This week I have made a 1.6kg chicken (less than £5 in the supermarket do 3 main meals and 2 lunch soups for 2 people with the addition of less than £5 worth of vegetables and noodles. You can make 4 portions of pasta with a sauce of lentils and tomato (like bolognese) for well under £5. Jamie Oliver is currently doing a series on TV based on main meals for £1 a head. I agree though that the shopping trolley in the video does not reflect the budget they claim! BTW my student granddaughter live very well on less than £30 a week for food. I take this low cost approach for at least 2 or 3 days a week so that on the other days I can indulge (venison steaks last Monday and dover soles tomorrow for example) and because I enjoy turning basic ingredients into satisfying meals - and just like footloose young people I have the time to do it.

On marina charges, remember their boat is only 8m, not the 10-12m most mature liveaboards tend to have. Also their trip was only 6 months, so not all year round and from what I could see the boat was left in the French canals rather than in an expensive coastal marina.

For real low cost living worth re-reading Annie Hills book. Once you accept the minimalist lifestyle and a "simple boat" and keep moving in parts of the world other than Europe, £5000 would be a very generous budget. If I were 20 years younger and no ties I would be off like a shot in my minimalist Golden Hind, just like many did in the same design boat 50 years ago.

First thing that need to be said is while cruising super market like Sainsbury's are not always about and quite a lot of the time food cost a lot more because your buy from more expensive shop.
Three day ago we went into Albert Heijn a large super marker in the Netherlands bit like Tesco and brought enough shopping to keep us going for four days as we on the move and on a died line to get to Vlissingen ready for the next weather window .
We basically living on home made soups and stews to keep warm on these cold windy and wet days , throw in a couple of bottles of cheap wine bread butter cheese milk and some ham , couple of cartons of juice and some cleaning products , few other bits and before you know it that €50 I have the bill in front of me.
So there four days we still have another three days to shop for .
We eat very little meat probably twice a week and as you said mostly chicken the odd pork chop.
there was a time when we put away 100€ a week for shopping , that's every thing ,
tho days have gone a long time ago.
The trouble with these YouTube wantbee and we know many what filmed and posted very rerely is any thing like the real thing.
Living on a boat is cheaper then living on land but you have to realistic .
I doubt they would last long term on that budget.

 

[dslittle]

… chicken is probably the most common meat. Flavour enhancers whether it be spices or sauces become a major part of cooking. If you do need meat then a chicken is so versatile. This week I have made a 1.6kg chicken (less than £5 in the supermarket…

…the boat was left in the French canals rather than in an expensive coastal marina.

For real low cost living worth re-reading Annie Hills book.

Try and get a chicken for much less than €10 in France

Grehan will advise on canal costs in France but it’s not totally free. Unless staying on the Canal du MIDI, canals can be cold , damp and lonely in the winter time. Scavenging wood could keep you warm (if you’ve got/bought a decent wood burner) otherwise that is a large winter expense.
We do use Marinas which are much cheaper than England but, again, nowhere near cheap living.

My wife read Annie Hill and I think that even she stopped after realising that we could et VERY cheaply if we had lentils for every meal for the rest of our lives. (we both really enjoy the odd dahl but come on…)

It is all well and good saying that anyone can live frugally for some time but I think that most people who live aboard tend to spend at least an equal amount to their old ‘shore lives’.

I think that it’s a bit unfair to fuel idealistic dreams without giving real life examples. As stated above, the OP has set very wide parameters. Only they know how long their ‘length of string’ is.