Poll of how you split living costs when guests arrive

[Oscarpop]

As per my previous post, I am going to try and add a poll to this thread , about how you split costs when you have guests.

There seem to be different schools of thought, and unless I poll it, it won't settle the "discussion" with swmbo .

 

[tcm]

The answer is - It Depends

- It depends if they're staying a night or two, or a week or two. For the former, I'd expect guests to pay for a meal out perhaps once or twice, perhaps bring drinks if it's that sort of (warm weather) holiday.

- it depends on if they're skint, or well off relative to your own resources.

- it depends on if "they want to have a sailing adventure" or if they're just coming to see you and hang out a bit. Visiting other ports that you wouldn't otherwise visit on this sort of gig means they oughta split those costs. Whereas mooring fees when the boat would be there anyway, not appropriate.

- it depends on if the visit is reciprocal - do you stay at their place from time to time? Or are you actually providing them with an activity holiday and hence free accommodation?

- it depends on whether your visitors are actually crew, standing watches and so on., for a passage where you (i'm guessing) need to get the boat from one place to another. In this case, unless you are a commercial vessel, you should be charging just your costs and in my book that means the marginal costs - i.e. the extra cost of them coming along - which means a share of food and not much else. This also nicely drags them into er I mean gets them involved in the running of the boat - it's not "your" food any longer - they pay half the food bill, have a hand in choosing it, and should have a good hand in cooking/washing up for example. But again, if utterly skint ... not so relevant.

- it depends on whether they're fabulous seafaring types and you're gonna learn loads from them - essentially getting free tuition. Ask yourself if you need two bodies or if you wouldn't go unless someone with those skills came along. For early transats I paid more food and flights and had experienced (some very experienced) crew ... but for later ones we shared food costs, they paid their flights and for some people I could almost charge crew except not a commercial vessel.

I DON"T think you share marina and boat costs that you would be incurring anyway. Unless you're hellish skint, and they're doing the Bank Of Dad thing. So even then - It still depends...

Sharing cooking gas um.... I hadn't thought of that one. If you're hellish skint or even merely "on a tight budget" (and even raising the gas question makes it sounds possible) then get all these things clear before people come, for goodness sakes.

 

[dslittle]

As above - it depends...

However t is strange how friends who used to come for dinner and maybe stay the night now stay for the weekend (or NINE days on one occasion!!!).

 

[tcm]

As above - it depends...

However t is strange how friends who used to come for dinner and maybe stay the night now stay for the weekend (or NINE days on one occasion!!!).

It's a compliment if they come again! But it's not a good sign if you aren't looking forward to it, maybe?


So.... One other thing: both you and the guests have to "step up" to being guests and hosts.

Guests have to step up cos it's it's your tiny high-maintenance/high cost home and they have to recognise the limited space (go off and give you a break for a few hours each day, perhaps) or the sheer hard work (pitch in with cooking, cleaning, fixing, painting) or recognise the actual dosh needed to be afloat in or even on the same planet as paradise.

You have to step up to include others in the boating life. So when another couple came on the boat we go for a trip, i just take the boat out of the marina and give them the wheel (if they want it) for example.

 

[Sybarite]

As per my previous post, I am going to try and add a poll to this thread , about how you split costs when you have guests.

There seem to be different schools of thought, and unless I poll it, it won't settle the "discussion" with swmbo .

You should perhaps add fuel costs.

I feel that if people are obliged to contribute - and we are talking about say colleagues or people who are not family and best friends - they appreciate the holiday more and even participate in the running of the boat. They only contribute to out-of-Pocket expenses along the way, not to the fixed costs of the boat.

It's not an invariable rule though. I took an immigrant family on a short cruise as they had no means to pay any form of a holiday. Their appreciation was more than enough for me and much more rewarding than some who seem bored by the whole thing.

 

[SamanthaTabs]

Definitely depends on who they are, how long they're staying and agree also that it depends on their financial situation.
For the two week stays I've usually suggested a weekly donation to food costs. Anyone with special requirements I ask them to either bring what they need or go to the supermarket and pick it up, normally this would be if they have children. Easier to get them to browse the cereal aisles etc than me get it wrong!
We've also had guests who said they'd like a night or two in a marina, seeing as that's a treat for us too we split the cost. Always make it clear that we prefer to eat at home but happy to drop them ashore if they want an evening alone, purely selfish reasons of course as I reclaim my sofa spot for a few hours :encouragement:
Generally speaking guests will offer to take us out for a meal as a thank you and rarely do people arrive without a small bag of goodies.

 

[sailaboutvic]

WHO ARE THE 38.9% you pay for every thing ?
May We come and stay please ?

 

[JumbleDuck]

I have friends coming sailing in a couple of weekends. I wouldn't dream of charging them, just as I wouldn't dream of inviting people to the house for a weekend and then giving them a bill. In either case an offer of a pub meal will be gratefully received, if the occasion arises, but I would not engineer the occasion. Charging people to visit seems spectacularly ill-mannered to me.

For longer term crewing it's a wee bit different, and depends on the situation. I have one regular crew who is a skint recent graduate - in that case I pay. I have another regular crew who is signficantly richer than I am and who generally arrives with a supermarket shop. Even in that case I would never, ever ask.

 

[EU_Cruiser]

Any costs we would normally incur we keep for ourselves so diesel, marina fees, electricity, etc., we pay. All other costs are shared in the same way as we share any costs when overlanding with friends. But if we invite someone to a meal, we obviously don't expect them to pay for their fare.

 

[jimbaerselman]

Depends.

But, most important, they must know when they're invited so there are no surprises.

Our standard for mates or family for a week or so (whom we often visit for a week at a time in their homes over winter) is that kitty pays for food and drink, whether we're with them, or they're with us.

If I need crew for a positioning trip (a couple of 72 hour trips or so, wife not available - or didn't like the forecast!) then I pay for everything on board, since the poor crew has to suffer my cooking.

Sometimes we have mates who want to do a specific trip, with an itinerary, comfort, convenience and night life in mind. I enjoy those trips, but they pay for Palma, San Antonio and Ibiza mooring fees. Pre-warned, of course. Nice to see the highlife from time to time. Same for car hire to see the big trips we've already been to.

Fuel and gas are arbitrary, small numbers compared to others (unless you're in a Mobo) so we never bother.

Weekends, it's nice to see them! No charge.

 

[Mr Cassandra]

I had a good friend as a guest once, took him around the Aegean for 15 days when we arrived back in Poros ,I was in the shower when the water man turned up asking for 5 euro. Bill called to me saying someone was there ,when I came out of the shower I asked had he paid the money. his answer was No!!!

NEVER again

 

[duncan99210]

Given we keep the boat in Greece, visitors generally tend to stay for a week or more. The kitty system is implemented from the start, so we all know where we stand. It pays for everything including drinks in bars and meals out. Simple, straight forward and well understood by all.

 

[pelissima]

Coowner with wife come on board and for 3 or 4 days we all consume what is available on board.
Then they ask to install a common wallet!!! Ha!

 

[Sybarite]

Coowner with wife come on board and for 3 or 4 days we all consume what is available on board.
Then they ask to install a common wallet!!! Ha!

I used to organize weekend charters among work colleagues and some of our professional contacts. The first time several said they were coming but were no-shows on the day, leaving the others (mainly myself) to pick up a larger share than anticipated.

Thereafter I would only book the boat when I had cash in hand which was non refundable. It was manly day sailing and so consumeables were not a great issue.

Talking about payments, on the Sunday after one Cherbourg dinner, I met TOME who was on his way to the Harbour office because some indelicate members had not paid their share (IIRC relating to wine). I offered to share the cost with him but he absolutely refused. Sadly he died a few months later.

 

[GrahamM376]

Depends. If friends come for a day sail and eat/drink on board, that's our cost as it would be at home. If they come for a week, all spending shared except fuel as we would be out and about anyway. Biggest cost is because most want to be in marinas to stroll around towns, whereas we normally anchor.

 

[Beyondhelp]

I had a good friend as a guest once, took him around the Aegean for 15 days when we arrived back in Poros ,I was in the shower when the water man turned up asking for 5 euro. Bill called to me saying someone was there ,when I came out of the shower I asked had he paid the money. his answer was No!!!

NEVER again

And that was a good friend!! Hate to think what one of your not so good friends would do!

Its not really money and I really can't compare to the real boats owned here, but what winds me up is when a friend bugs me to go out on the boat for a day and then they cannot detach themselves from their phone/facebook....

I think I find that worse than offering (or not) to contribute to any costs...

 

[Oscarpop]

So in summary, it seems as if the leng of time guests spend depends on the costs. I totally agree with this.

It also seems that 30 ish % of you charge for mooring fees.

Seems like swmbo wins the day with her PoV . Ah well at least it's an honest way to decide