Average cost to live aboard in the med...sorry!

[davethedog]

Evening all, and I know this has been asked numerous times but what is the latest average monthly cost for living in the med, say in a marina twice a week, rest at anchor?

More details:
2 adults and 1 x dog.
Both under 48yo.
41ft sai boat with new standing and running rigging and well prepped before we head off.

Just after a rough figure, as we are thinking in the region of 2000 euro a month inc health and boat insurance etc

Thanks

 

[stranded]

Evening all, and I know this has been asked numerous times but what is the latest average monthly cost for living in the med, say in a marina twice a week, rest at anchor?

More details:
2 adults and 1 x dog.
Both under 48yo.
41ft sai boat with new standing and running rigging and well prepped before we head off.

Just after a rough figure, as we are thinking in the region of 2000 euro a month inc health and boat insurance etc

Thanks

To kick off - we are not yet in the Med - set off from UK in May, currently in the Guadiana. 2 adults, no dog, 44ft boat, like yours well prepped. Have averaged much more than 2 nights a week in marinas - more like 5/7 on the way down. We have spent €2,500 - €3,000 a month without any effort at economising: marinas when we want/need, eating out whenever we want - which has proved to be not as often as we thought because mostly we can eat better on board. Easily did a month for a grand less when we needed to spend that on new ais transceiver. We are now well into our third week up the Guadiana and have spent €450 of the €600 we withdrew in Ayamonte, so could easily do a month for less than a grand up here. We do have the luxury of a separate pot to cover any big boat bills, but am also trying desperately to learn to diy as much as possible to avoid those where we can.

So based on our experience so far, I’d say €2000 a month is enjoyably doable - but doesn’t leave much wriggle room for unexpected bills.

 

[davethedog]

Thanks and a good basis to work. We will both be retired with decent pensions and if the house is rented out then even better!

We will also have a boat repair fund set aside.

 

[Tranona]

Evening all, and I know this has been asked numerous times but what is the latest average monthly cost for living in the med, say in a marina twice a week, rest at anchor?

More details:
2 adults and 1 x dog.
Both under 48yo.
41ft sai boat with new standing and running rigging and well prepped before we head off.

Just after a rough figure, as we are thinking in the region of 2000 euro a month inc health and boat insurance etc

Thanks

Inevitably this has been covered many times here and as usual is a "piece of string" question as there are so many variables and so many preferred standards of living plus the Med is a big place with huge variations in costs depending on where you are and whether you are cruising all the time or living in one location for long periods.

You have probably worked out there are 4 main categories of expenditure - boat costs, mooring, food, and entertainment, some of which are essentially fixed but most are variable with many discretionary. So, if you do scroll down here you will find some spend less than £1k a month with a low maintenance boat, at anchor most of the time in a low cost location like Greece and doing very little eating out, sightseeing or flying back home. so you 2k should be enough, but wont be if you take a marina contract, eat out a lot and do a lot of sightseeing and travelling.

The reality is that you will find your own level, but expect it to be very variable. If you are doing the traditional route of going down the Iberian peninsular first season then a year or so in the western med before going on to the east, you will probably find the first part much more costly. Really useful if you can do all your own repairs and maintenance, first because no matter how ell you repair things break and wear out and secondly getting somebody else to do the work is both costly and frustrating.

Not sure why you would want medical insurance if you keep in Europe. Very few people bother if they are EU citizens as the EHIC is more than adequate for most. Insurance for what you are planning will be very expensive and really not necessary.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I think Tranona has nailed you question , it really does depend on you .
We been out here nine years this time around , marinas ar only used for a few winter months each year the rest of the time we live on our hook , we eat out once or twice a week depending who we met up with as we rather eat on board , not so much the cost more it's a lot bettter then the crap they dish out in most places .
One of your biggest cost that's hasn't been talked about can be fuel , if you rushing around and in the early days people can't wait to hit the Med ,or should I say Greece , which is a real shame as there some great cruising to be done , you can soon burn up a lot of fuel , don't make that mis take has the likehood most never return back so you would had miss it .
If you don't count our time in the Marina when we tend to spend a lot more as that's the time we tend to do any work that needs doing we spend less then 1k a month that includes every thing unless we have a major brake down , and they do happen no matter how well you boat is well maintained.
On the other hand , we just had a few months cruising with friends who just arrived and they have spend probably more in that time then we spend most of the year ,
Most of that time they spend in Marina, nearly every morning they would sit in a bar and have coffees , eat out four or five nights a week , hiring cars and going on tours , don't get me wrong , good for them , they making the most of it and I sure come another years things will be different , but it just show you how much it depend on you how much living this life will cost you .

 

[davethedog]

Cheers for the replies and only thinking if med insurance as what may happen after BREXIT.

 

[nortada]

Cheers for the replies and only thinking if med insurance as what may happen after BREXIT.

Health care already being discussed on http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?486138-EU-healthcare-any-solutions.

As to costs, as said before, how long is a bit of string.

 

[davethedog]

Once more many thanks and it is something we are planning for now, with U.S. Getting he boat prepped and sorting out the finances etc . Hope to head off Ina few years.

One thing we are going to do though is keep our house here in the UK.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Once more many thanks and it is something we are planning for now, with U.S. Getting he boat prepped and sorting out the finances etc . Hope to head off Ina few years.

One thing we are going to do though is keep our house here in the UK.

Great idea , we known a few that sold up everything just to find this way of life isn't for them .

 

[dslittle]

We are making our way there too but VERY SLOWLY... 2 people1 dog and good pensions so the same as you.

We are currently moored up for the winter in Northern Brittany. Winter contract until May if we want to stay that long is €167 per month. Alongside in a Marina with leccy. This summer cost us about £2500 in mooring fees - stayed in Marinas most nights due to dog walking... Until we get further South, talking the dog ashore in the cold and rain doesn't appeal - something to bear in mind!!!
Mostly ate on board for reasons mentioned above (not for economic reasons) but did eat out when we found somewhere we liked. Hired cars a couple of times and left boat for a couple of weeks on a mooring. Discovered four years ago that leaving the boat in a Marina when going away was a waste of money. This year's a good solid mooring cost us £2.50 a night when we left her. When we were on moorings we found out that we probably spent the same on coffees and meals ashore as staying in a Marina and cooking on board. Halogen oven and induction job makes life very much like being at home - last night we had Beef Wellington on board (not my Department but very nice..).
It really is a 'length of string' question. We could have saved money if we had wanted to by anchoring/staying on buoys. We could have spent more money eating out. We could have used more fuel going when there was no wind/it was in the wrong direction - luckily with the luxury of time we could pick our weather windows.
Everyone does it differently, until you go you won't know what is best for you...

 

[davethedog]

Thanks for that and that is a very sensible reply and as said we will have 2 decent (not extravagant) pensions coming in and also if the house is rented out that income too. We plan to take our time and enjoy it as so many people seem to just rush to get there and get it done. if it takes us 5 years so be it, if it takes us 10 years then so be it. Only tie we have to the Uk is elderly relatives hence why we don't want to go further than the med at that stage.

 

[Tranona]

Cheers for the replies and only thinking if med insurance as what may happen after BREXIT.

Almost certain there will be reciprocal arrangements along the lines of EHIC. This has been a consistent message (probably the only one) from government. However there is a greater likelihood that free movement as it currently exists for cruising yachts (and people) may be more restricted. This is an unknown and nothing we can do about it as individuals - although one hopes our representatives will guard our interests. So little one can do to prepare but deal with it if and when it happens.

 

[GrahamM376]

Great idea , we known a few that sold up everything just to find this way of life isn't for them .

We've met them as well as others who have been hit by serious (in a couple of cases terminal) health issues. No house in UK, no longer in health system, no points for council house and a boat which is now worth peanuts for quick sale.

 

[GHA]

Thanks for that and that is a very sensible reply and as said we will have 2 decent (not extravagant) pensions coming in and also if the house is rented out that income too. We plan to take our time and enjoy it as so many people seem to just rush to get there and get it done. if it takes us 5 years so be it, if it takes us 10 years then so be it. Only tie we have to the Uk is elderly relatives hence why we don't want to go further than the med at that stage.

Go slow is good
And 2k probably isn't far off if you aren't too extravagant with eating out all the time & hire cars & especially marinas. A quick look at expense IQ on android shows I've lived solo without much in the way of conscious budgeting on £13.5K this past 12 months drifting around the Algarve, that includes some flights and time in a boatyard/lift in. Not much eating out but a good few nights of sundowner beers Eating out with the locals can be almost as cheap as cooking onboard in a lot of places anyway, no need to go posh for fine food .
Possibly the first couple years might be a bit more as you get into the swing of doing your own maintenance and the thousand and one tiny upgrades to make the boat better as a full time home.

 

[Flica]

I've already covered this in detail on the CA website.
Stripping out maintenance costs and airfares, my monthly costs in Greek waters since April this year, has worked out @ €961/month. Mainly on the hook but includes 15 nights in port and a month in a marina when I flew home.
Single-handed, 31' long boat.
My impression is that Greece is about 60% of the costs of Mediterranean Spain and France and 50% of those in Italy or Croatia. However I've been in Greek waters for the last 7 years, so my impressions are outdated.
The biggest threat to any budgeting is, IMHO, the decline in the £/€ exchange rate as the Brits continue to commit suicide with the blunt, rusty, table knife of Brexit. I've seen it as low as €1.04 and as high as €1.42 to the £.
The need for major maintenance mounts and usually comes as a shock in one year - replacement forestay, as an emergency, when it broke in a F5 in the middle of Kisparissa Bay. New standing rigging, 8 months later, repairs to electronics, Icom 505 VHF, control head on an obsolescent ST 4000, replacement of a Vetus single-lever control and all cables. Those have amounted to another €5000 over the last 12 months.
Though you should be able to do all your maintenance tasks yourself, those for electronics, rigging etc do need specialists.
Fortunately, in Greece, there are many of them and their prices are about 60% of the UK, the quality of their work frequently higher than the UK.

 

[ndc333]

> Cheers for the replies and only thinking if med insurance as what may happen after BREXIT.
but surely if your full time cruising, you could time your travels to become resident in an EU state, thereby being entitled to the EHIC equivalent of that country?

 

[GrahamM376]

> Cheers for the replies and only thinking if med insurance as what may happen after BREXIT.
but surely if your full time cruising, you could time your travels to become resident in an EU state, thereby being entitled to the EHIC equivalent of that country?

That's one way of solving the problem, I have permanent residence in another EC state and should be able to get an EHIC issued there. However, care needed as becoming resident in some countries could have tax implications and officialdom needs a wide berth.

 

[blampied]

Just returned after three and a half years living in the Med (France, Spain, Gib, Italy)
2 of us in 10 meter single engine motor boat, marinas most nights, eating out several times a week (more often in Spain as cheeper their) including fuel:- 2.5k per month
Marinas are expensive on day rate, but a lot less, quite reasonable if you book in for a month

 

[davethedog]

Did anyone encounter any residency problems?

 

[Tranona]

Did anyone encounter any residency problems?

If you are both EU residents you can move freely, although if you stay more than 6 months in any one state you may have to become resident. Not all stats make an issue of it, but Spain is very particular perhaps because of the large number of mpeople moving there from other parts of the EU, mainly retirement. Many were caught out when the rules became established about 5 years ago, but the procedure is well established and the ways of avoiding it if you are a traveller very straightforward.

Of course this may all be changed in 2-5 years time for UK citizens.