liveaboard the actual cost?

[ukmctc]

I've read through many posts about living aboard and how cheap it is, but lets see if you can be honest and say what it costs now, not years ago!

I can honestly say it costs us annually the same as renting a one bed flat in Edinburgh. We work the winter and cruise the summer. We don't work in the same place each winter we stop and get a job when the money starts to run out where ever we are.

The cost of cruising for 6 months in comfort and allowing for all emergencies is £2000 PM, the winter berthing and working costs in comfort (for 6 months) is £550 PM.

The cruising part is eating out, sightseeing, marinas, fuel, touristy bits n bobs, breakdowns and emergencies.
Winter is also eating out, sightseeing, marinas, fuel, breakdowns and emergencies. buying a car cost of running it.

So seriously, what does it cost you?

 

[little_roundtop]

We don't keep detailed records, though I know that some do. We live on our private pensions and income from investments. Our combined yearly income is around 16000 pounds. We own our boat outright and that's all we own. We also have no debts, and for me that's the key because we are in complete control of our spending. We eat out quite often, we don't have to "watch the pennies" but neither do we waste money. We manage very well thank you.

We're not doing this because it's cheap, we're doing it because we like the lifestyle. Summer in Greece is glorious and winter is way better than in the UK. This is an easier, less pressurised life. We have more friends and a better social life now than ever before. And we have both never been happier. That's why we do it.

 

[NornaBiron]

For us the key is to have a strict budget. We live on my military pension, £9000 a year after tax. As soon as the money is paid into our account amounts are moved to other accounts to cover fuel, emergencies etc. We work in the summer, approximately €2000 between us and this covers the cost of our three yearly lift, update of equipment etc.

Although we don't eat out anywhere near as much as we did when we were in the UK earning lots of lovely money, we live incredibly well. Our food is better than we had before, well thought out, tasty and nutritious (I have lots of time to explore and experiment), we have all the wine and beer we could want and we have days out sight-seeing. We visit the UK every couple of years. We are very happy with our life and consider ourselves fortunate to be doing this at our ages (mid 40s).

We own our boat and carry out all maintenance ourselves. We anchor year round and if we want to move we try to use the engine as little as possible. We have a house in the UK which is rented, however we don't receive any income from it as it is still mortgaged.

Our motto is: 'as long as we can get through the month we can keep going indefinitely'

It really is possible to live this life on a small budget, you just have to be up for the challenge and a bit resourceful!

 

[Nostrodamus]

The reason you have searched and found no definitive answer is because there isn't one. As in life you tend to have a budget depending on your income and there is little alternative than to stick to it.
The size of the boat, the age, type of cruising, anchoring or marinas, eating out or on board, how many people aboard, where you are all effect the cost.
Ask the same question again in 10 years and you will get the same replies.
If our budget was smaller we would change other things accordingly. If it was bigger then we may do things differently.
That ball of string is still the same length.
Sorry not to be more constructive but it all depends.
You may do better putting up a pole of how much you spend a year but this will not show anything because everyones circumstances are different.
If you told us your intended budget for the year, how many,what boat you had, your inside leg measurment, and everything you intended to do over the next year we just might be able to say if it was possible or not

 

[mocruising]

I admit we only live onboard for four to five month's a year between April and October and visit occasionally in winter time. We had planned to retire last year but all that talk of pension woes we decided to work for another couple of years to top up, I am not 60 for another five years anyway.

Last year it cost us approximately 12 k Euro to keep the boat ( Insurance, fuel, berthing fees, maintenance, repairs) and another 6 k Euro spending money including flights. 2010 was 8% less and 2009 was much the same as 2010. The three years prior to that the costs were slightly higher than the 2011 year as we were in the Western Med.

 

[nauticalnomad]

I've read through many posts about living aboard and how cheap it is, but lets see if you can be honest and say what it costs now, not years ago!

I can honestly say it costs us annually the same as renting a one bed flat in Edinburgh. We work the winter and cruise the summer. We don't work in the same place each winter we stop and get a job when the money starts to run out where ever we are.

The cost of cruising for 6 months in comfort and allowing for all emergencies is £2000 PM, the winter berthing and working costs in comfort (for 6 months) is £550 PM.

The cruising part is eating out, sightseeing, marinas, fuel, touristy bits n bobs, breakdowns and emergencies.
Winter is also eating out, sightseeing, marinas, fuel, breakdowns and emergencies. buying a car cost of running it.

So seriously, what does it cost you?

It cost roughly 220 a month for a 43ft boat if you find a decent marina depending where you are,
Probably cost you 250-280 even 300 now.
But i think thats cheap.
electricity for me was 20 pounds a 1/4. Say 100 gbp a year even 150 a year is cheap
water is free
your own private toilets cleaned for you. (free)
Foods what ever it costs you to eat, (????)
Thats about it.
No council tax.....
No fixed address.....
No TV license so theres a saving but i dont own a tv- (it pollutes the mind)
If you do own a tv which everyone else on boats do, well the no fixed address set up = no tv license.

If you pick your marina right to which i had a dog with me at the time,
i was paying up until 2 years ago 2500gbp a year moorings,
adjacent to acres and acres of fields the dog would run wild chasing dear
Theres not too many waterfront estates you could rent for 220 a month with a personal cleaner for your ensuite with unlimited hot water, a private bar and chef if you decide you want them to cook for you all this right near your 43ft long waterfront penthouse.
along with Your own management staff to collect your post and security patrols on site through the night.
I dont think id have it any other way.
Its pretty much totally private and serene throughout the week and on weekends all your mates would visit

 

[AndrewB]

We had a long thread on overall costs three months ago (here). As I was out of touch then, I'll contribute now.

For SWMBO and I, over the last 7 years it averages £23,000 a year (SWMBO was a book-keeper in a former life). But it varies a great deal. It is very much less in years when we are crossing oceans, but more in those years spent mostly visiting places. It used to be rather more when we were liveaboards in England.

We believe ourselves to be at the lower end of the budget for couples of our (mature) age engaged in long-distance cruising. But we do meet youngsters doing it on a far less and having a good time. Often though that is only for a year or two before returning to put some more money together, whereas we keep going.

Returning home once a year is our single largest expenditure. These trips tend to become tours of all our friends and relatives scattered around England, so its not just the flights, but car rental, hotels, celebrations, etc. Plus the boat has to be left in a marina while we are away.

 

[youen]

How long is your boat

 

[NornaBiron]

How long is your boat

who are you asking?

 

[Nostrodamus]

.

For SWMBO and I, over the last 7 years it averages £23,000 a year

We believe ourselves to be at the lower end of the budget for couples of our (mature) age engaged in long-distance cruising. .

You jest.... I think most of us are living in a completely different world to you two !!!!!!!

 

[Wansworth]

How do you live on 9000 pounds ayear,thats abot 75 euros a month?

 

[jordanbasset]

How do you live on 9000 pounds ayear,thats abot 75 euros a month?

750 euros a month

 

[Wansworth]

750 euros a month

yer well maths was never my strong subject!!!

 

[saltylegs]

More like 860 yo yo's a month at current rate

 

[youen]

I am asking to Andrew

 

[tonybannister]

And plus the 2000 from earnings. Yes we could live on that. Mind you I would rather have the £23,000 but of course a great deal of that is spent on travel home from Oz. Ours is nearer the £16000 stated. But we have a 30 foot boat and that makes an enormous difference to the expenditure. We seem to have to go back to the UK more now and Turkey being a long way that is expensive. Our spending pattern changes each year as prices alter but our total retirement income does not change so we have to act accordingly. When we arrived in Turkey 6 years ago an annual contract at Yacht Marine was £700 PA and we used to eat out more then. Now our annual contract is nearer £1600 and we eat out less. If it goes up again we will have to go back to winters only in marinas.

 

[AndrewB]

I am asking to Andrew

38ft.

I am constantly surprised by how cheap some people claim to live. It may be manageable when you are in your 20's and 30's, but at our age it would be most uncomfortable. And what is the point of visiting interesting countries if you spend all your time stuck penniless in a remote anchorage, being regarded by locals as the maritime equivalent of trailer-trash?

But we are frugal by many standards. We spend much more time out at sea (where you can't spend anything) than the average liveaboard here. We eat out maybe twice a month. We hardly ever use marinas. The boat is very simply equipped, without autopilot, chart-plotter, freezer, water-maker, SSB, integrated instruments etc etc. Because the boat is old and battered, I do not worship at the shrine of "Maintaining the Second-hand Value", which pushes maintenance costs through the roof. I do almost all the maintenance, to a rough and ready standard.

If you subtract our visits home, our annual average cost would be more like £18,000. But these visits are important to us.

----------------------------------------------------------

Incidentally we spent only £12,000 per annum in our first two years of cruising (over 15 years ago now), which led us subsequently to seriously underestimate the long-term costs. This was because we travelled more and socialised less at first, we started with a boat all freshly kitted out and needing no maintenance for the first two years, and we did not feel the need to return home.

 

[Conachair]

If you subtract our visits home, our annual average cost would be more like £18,000. But these visits are important to us.

That still works out nearly £350 per week. Is a lot of that marina fees? Can't see how you would manage to spend anywhere near that in an anchorage.

 

[maby]

We had a long thread on overall costs three months ago (here). As I was out of touch then, I'll contribute now.

For SWMBO and I, over the last 7 years it averages £23,000 a year (SWMBO was a book-keeper in a former life). But it varies a great deal. It is very much less in years when we are crossing oceans, but more in those years spent mostly visiting places. It used to be rather more when we were liveaboards in England.

We believe ourselves to be at the lower end of the budget for couples of our (mature) age engaged in long-distance cruising. But we do meet youngsters doing it on a far less and having a good time. Often though that is only for a year or two before returning to put some more money together, whereas we keep going.

Returning home once a year is our single largest expenditure. These trips tend to become tours of all our friends and relatives scattered around England, so its not just the flights, but car rental, hotels, celebrations, etc. Plus the boat has to be left in a marina while we are away.

You jest.... I think most of us are living in a completely different world to you two !!!!!!!

Again, I think there are two fairly distinct liveaboard groups. One is the dedicated, minimalistic, semi-nomadic liveaboard (this is not intended to be insulting) who live a low-cost existence moving around, possibly cruising the world, often living at anchor or on trot buoys. The other group are those who simply treat their boat as a small house and live the same lifestyle that they would if they were in a house.

My wife and I are half-time liveaboards - we have a new boat in a high-end marina and treat it as a flat. I'm sure we spend at least £23,000 per year - but a lot of that is not specifically spent on the boat and its upkeep. I guess that the running costs of the boat including marina, insurance, fuel, maintenance etc. is something in the region of £4000 per year. If we had not bought the boat, the money we paid for it might give us another £2000-£3000 per annum in interest - so that probably makes our effective liveaboard costs somewhere between £6000 and £7000 per year. The rest of our annual expenditure would be pretty much the same - we would still need to eat, run two cars and buy computers and clothes. I assume the same is broadly true for AndrewB - it would be quite difficult to run up bills of £23,000 per year purely on the extra costs of living aboard as opposed to living broadly the same lifestyle shore-bound...

 

[ukmctc]

£12000, 15 years ago would be equivalent of £25000 a year now, but still £1200 a year is excellent now.

Costs in 2012 look tobe about the same, our estimate is around £10,000 again this year.

Not being retired yet, still working 6 months during winter to pay for our lifestyle, I didn't really want lifestyles but costs. If you have been doing it for a couple of years or more or recently started living aboard then you'll be able to work out or remember what its cost.

We have a Moody 33 MK1 so fees are cheap, average £18 a night in marinas (season) cheaper in winter for berths.

Our winter costs last year 2011 £900 (marina) winter leccy and gas £300, eating in/eating out, travel, mobile phone and internet, boat up keep £5000. summer costs £3500.

So for year 2011/12 (April to April) in total £9700.