Min Realistic expenditure?

[ongolo]

Re: East Africa

Hi Lemain,

I am going to find a few links you can follow.


http://www.seerose.cruiser.co.za/

There are other narratives there, concentrate on the indian ocean and east africa.

http://www.cruiser.co.za for more info and a message board. Also you can chat there at certain times.

I hope the places dont get overrun.

regards ongolo


<hr width=100% size=1>1000 dream about it, 100 talk about it, 10 start and 1 completes it

 

[Anonymous]

Re: East Africa

Thanks for those links. Would going via Suez and the Red Sea be a safe and enjoyable proposition?

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[AndrewB]

I'm not exactly last of the big spenders but when long-term cruising and living aboard our costs were much higher than normal to keep the boat running. Annual boat costs were £4,000: about 10% of the value of the yacht.

With 15,000 miles per year, no way would even the best sails last more than three years. That means about £800 per annum, on average. I do all small repairs, and we tried to economise by making our own sails from old sailcloth. Worked up to a point but eventually we wrote off the sewing machine: saving nil.

Worldwide boat insurance about £1,000 per annum (and cheap at the price): do you see that as a luxury, a social responsibility, or essential for peace of mind?

Marinas - yes you don't HAVE to use them but there are times when mains power is needed for repairs or you want to leave the boat in a not so good area - about £700 per annum. That includes about 30 days plus one lift out for a few days somewhere, for antifouling - another £100.

Breakages - I have 10 major items of support equipment e.g. radar, liferaft, autopilot and they last an average of maybe 10 years. That's one a year, lets say about £500 on average.

Standing rigging is replaced ever 10 years, in rotation, lets say £150 per year. Running rigging, more like 5 years, that's getting on for £100 a year.

Four large deep-cycle batteries, each lasts about 4 years, thats around £100 per annum.

Engine - oldish, needs the occasional new injector, control cable, cutlass bearing, new filters etc - say £100 per year. Plus I admit I need help fixing it occasionally, another £100. Fuel costs - about 500 litres per annum, let's say about £200.

Let's see, that leaves about £150. Of course, being steel, we repaint the yacht regularly every so often: we've replaced all the portlights and hatches, re-upholstered the berths, re-done the headlinings, renewed steering cables, and VERY occasionally bought something new that is not a replacement. A certain amount of gear goes walkies. Should easily swallow £150 per annum.

SWMBO keeps detailed accounts but I'm too frightened to look at what it REALLY costs. Plus she makes an allowance for hull, spars and engine depreciation ..... arrrrggggggh I feel one of my attacks coming on.

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[GAJ]

My wife and I have cruised Ionian Greece, Sicily, Sardinia and Menorca during the last 2 years and our budget for living expenses has fallen well within that figure. We eat out 2 or 3 times a week, stay in marinas when we have to and enjoy a drink or two...........

We have two friends, one man on his own ( with 37ft motor sailer) and a couple (with 35 ft sloop), both of whom have a £10k budget and live well in Greece.

The Eastern Med is cheaper than the Western and there is more room, go and enjoy the life but be prepared for the unexpected replacement of gear, the more you use the boat the quicker it wears out! Our replacements this year included upholstery, mainsail, autopilot and anchor chain which put a large dent in the funds!

I have a Perkins 4108 and suggest that you buy a couple of boxes of oil and fuel filters from the local motor factors, they cost very little in comparison with the chandlery prices, oil too if you have the room. Engine oil in Italy is at around £35.00 per 5 litres!

Enjoy the sunshine and the adventure, sit and watch the sun go down with a beer in your hand, the beer tastes the same and the sunset looks just as good no matter what the boat or bank balance is. A few quid, good health and a good boat are all thats needed.

If you plan to go to East Med if you email me and I can let you have what info I have on free anchorages etc. I also have this years actual cruising costs if it would help.

By the way there is work out there for one who can fettle bits of wood!

Regards Graham



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[roly_voya]

Loads of good comments and I am still stuck in the UK so can't comment but I do remember reading and estimate that whatever you spend on land you will need about 2/3 of it to live on board in other words for the same person in the same place boats are cheaper places to live than houses! This makes sense to me. If you asked 10 people living on the bank what it cost them to live they would basically tell you what they earn... but poverty's more fun afloat.

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[Victorious]

Thanks Gaj..
I have emailed you but not sure if it worked...
Email me at victorious@victorious.co.uk with your email address?



<hr width=100% size=1>www.victorious.co.uk

 

[Stingo]

The correct address is <font color=blue><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.stingo.co.uk>http://www.stingo.co.uk - now cruising nowhere near you</font color=blue>

 

[boatmike]

This is just a thought but if you already have the boat and it's paid for why not advertise for someone to go with you to share expenses? Lot's of people do.... You don't make it clear if you already have a partner or not but if you do you could host another couple on a 40ft boat perhaps? If you are single handing there is even more motivation to find company. Personally I don't like being alone all the time as I talk to myself, and as I talk utter crap most of the time anyway it gets boring! While there are perfectly good people out there who do sail single handed it's nice to have someone to talk to now and again at least to stop you from going bananas! It seems to me that if you consider your budget to be about half of what you need to live comfortably (?) it would be better to share than be scraping the bottom of the barrel all the time. Why not advertise on the basis of shared expenses to the tune of £400 per month say? There are quite a lot of people who would think that a bargain for a relaxed laid back life on a well found 40ft boat in the eastern med for the summer months at least. Look what some people pay to charter!


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