Cost of cruising 1960 v 2015

[{151760}]

I've been re-reading the Hiscocks' "Beyond the West Horizon". In an appendix, Eric notes the annual all-in cost for their three-year circumnavigation as £700. Can anyone say what this is in today's money?

 

[Mistroma]

Somewhere around £13,250 based on RPI.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

It depends on what you base the comparison, but if you use median income then £700 in 1960 would be equivalent to something like £27000, say, today. Roughly. Off the top of my head.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

Somewhere around £13,250 based on RPI.

I don't think RPI works well as a comparator because of the changes in what's included.

 

[{151760}]

Thanks, that's interesting. Somewhere between 13250 and 27000 isn't too dissimilar to today. The Hiscocks seem to have been quite frugal, and mooring charges seemed non-existent then.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

Thanks, that's interesting. Somewhere between 13250 and 27000 isn't too dissimilar to today. The Hiscocks seem to have been quite frugal, and mooring charges seemed non-existent then.

And of course they didn't have to keep paying people to fix their broken electronics.

 

[Skylark]

And of course they didn't have to keep paying people to fix their broken electronics.

But typewriter ribbons were quite expensive.
I read one of his books, written around the mid 1950s, and it seemed that there was some form of hospitality welcoming committee waiting for them at every new anchorage. I'm surprised that he spent a 1d.
Great read, by the way.

 

[seadog30]

Hi

In 1960 £700 would have been a good annual salary !, I recall (just) starting work in 1966 and thinking that if I could get to £1,000 pa I would be made. In 1960 a new Austin mini was less than £500 and you could even buy a country (i.e. not London) cottage for £700.

So an annual £700 cost was more than the average employee could dream of.

The good old days ??

 

[LONG_KEELER]

And of course they didn't have to keep paying people to fix their broken electronics.

Navigation must have been a real trial at times. But the satisfaction of a successful landfall must have been stupendous .

Interesting the comparisons with money over time.

As an aside, have been reading a book about the relationship with productivity gains over long periods of time ,and the gains in leisure that we thought would be made available to us, but have never materialized .

It is estimated that if Americans in 1997 enjoyed the same standard of living in 1948, they could take 6 months off every year. Even 3 months would have been nice and no electrickory .

 

[Mistroma]

I don't think RPI works well as a comparator because of the changes in what's included.

True, but I happened to have the figures in front of me for something else and I thought it would be a good starting point. I'm not certain that median income works perfectly either but certainly better than RPI. Even so, living standards have risen and that might push the figure down if we assume cruisers are simpler souls existing on bread and wine (well wine anyway).

So somewhere nearer £20k might be getting close but that's a pure guess. Perhaps someone else has more detailed information but I expect OP might be happy with a range from £20k - £28k.

 

[{151760}]

Eric was clearly an ace navigator. His landfall after the Atlantic crossing is a single buoy, 10 miles off British Guiana, as it was then.

I didn't make £1000 a year until 1973.
According to the book, they financed the trip by doing four years of slideshows of their previous trip to Sailing Clubs, WIs etc. if that was their only income, they did very well. I guess there were book royalties as well.

 

[Mistroma]

Hi

In 1960 £700 would have been a good annual salary !, I recall (just) starting work in 1966 and thinking that if I could get to £1,000 pa I would be made. In 1960 a new Austin mini was less than £500 and you could even buy a country (i.e. not London) cottage for £700.

So an annual £700 cost was more than the average employee could dream of.

The good old days ??

Same here, I remember thinking in 1968 that I'd be incredibly well off if I reached the giddy heights of £1,000.

 

[{151760}]

True, but I happened to have the figures in front of me for something else and I thought it would be a good starting point. I'm not certain that median income works perfectly either but certainly better than RPI. Even so, living standards have risen and that might push the figure down if we assume cruisers are simpler souls existing on bread and wine (well wine anyway).

So somewhere nearer £20k might be getting close but that's a pure guess. Perhaps someone else has more detailed information but I expect OP might be happy with a range from £20k - £28k.

I'd be ecstatic if I could spend £20k a year on cruising!

 

[{151760}]

True, but I happened to have the figures in front of me for something else and I thought it would be a good starting point. I'm not certain that median income works perfectly either but certainly better than RPI. Even so, living standards have risen and that might push the figure down if we assume cruisers are simpler souls existing on bread and wine (well wine anyway).

So somewhere nearer £20k might be getting close but that's a pure guess. Perhaps someone else has more detailed information but I expect OP might be happy with a range from £20k - £28k.

I'd be ecstatic if I could spend £20k on cruising!

 

[JumbleDuck]

In 1960 £700 would have been a good annual salary !

My parents bought their house in 1960, on my father's teaching salary of £400 p.a.

 

[Momac]

Much as said above. ...... Apparently the average household income in 1961 was £960 and £31500 in 2012, according to the office of national statistics.
On this basis £700 in 1960 is equivalent now to about £23,000 .


http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/house...y-taxes-and-benefits-on-household-income.html


.

.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Floating gently back down to reality the £23,000 that is being mentioned works out at just over £63 daily. Does sensible cruising on a sailing yacht for two persons really need to cost that much?

 

[William_H]

Just cogitating on costs for boat ownership and cruising. I would think that cost of moorings either at home or abroad when cruising would be a major cost now compared with 1960.
I know my mooring costs were free until 15 odd years ago and have been rising ever sence.
On the other hand fibreglass hull ali spars and synthetic sails should give a lot cheaper long term costs for boat maintenance.
Food should remain somewhat similar in cost given infaltion.
Then finally there is the cost of those emergency inexpected things. medical or boat repairs probably more expensive beyond inflation. So I dunno. I feel like any decision to circumnavigate the world should involve other concerns as well as cost. Like is it what you will enjoy. good luck olewill

 

[{151760}]

Floating gently back down to reality the £23,000 that is being mentioned works out at just over £63 daily. Does sensible cruising on a sailing yacht for two persons really need to cost that much?

The sum mentioned in the book is for all costs, which includes two refits during the three-year cruise. They also have a couple of bouts of illness which may have been expensive. I don't suppose there was travel insurance available then.
If you allow £20 per day for mooring fees today, that leaves £43 for food, entertainment and boat bits. We certainly spend less than that, but it's not an outrageous sum, surely?

 

[Mataji]

I wonder what it would have cost to buy the boat in those days.

I bought my 1st house in 1978 for £10,000, a new 3 bedroom semi near Manchester. What did, say, a Westerley Centaur cost new in 1978?