Sailing around the world on a budget

capnsensible

Well-known member
Joined
15 Mar 2007
Messages
47,171
Location
Atlantic
Visit site
I don't there is anything noble about being comfortable with less than others would be. Pers9nal choice.

But as the thread is after all, about budget cruising, those who have done it don't appear to have complaints.
 

Sea Change

Well-known member
Joined
13 Feb 2014
Messages
1,142
Visit site
By the way, going 'a couple of weeks at a time without reprovisioning' sounds extremely limiting. Especially as it's going to take more than two weeks to cross an ocean.

We bought six months worth of food in Martinique to avoid the higher prices in the Grenadines and Grenada. The majority of that was dry and bulk goods like UHT, pasta etc, but we also crammed the freezer full of things like chorizo which we use a lot, and it's very hard to find in some of the islands.

That one stock-up probably paid for the freezer.
 

doug748

Well-known member
Joined
1 Oct 2002
Messages
13,441
Location
UK. South West.
Visit site
Sometimes the Forum gives the impression that comfort is more important than the sailing. Camping is great, it's even more comfortable in a caravan, but you eventually might conclude you have left the essence behind.

However I do have an extremely comfortable boat so I can't talk much, though I have never had a fridge. With a 10 watt panel plus engine charging we can now effectively, totally forget about electrical consumption, which is a greater comfort to me than the fridge.


.
 

lustyd

Well-known member
Joined
27 Jul 2010
Messages
12,777
Visit site
you eventually might conclude you have left the essence behind
The essence to me is the sailing and travel, I don’t need to get scurvy to enjoy that and since many of the comforts discussed here are incrementally almost nothing on the budget then I don’t see why I’d choose not to have them. If a fridge was £20k then absolutely I’d put the effort in, but it’s not. I’d imagine a good deal more people have quit their dream due to going without.
 

Sea Change

Well-known member
Joined
13 Feb 2014
Messages
1,142
Visit site
I'd be interested to see how many of the people posting on this thread are actively out there cruising right now. As opposed to dreaming about it or reminiscing about a trip they did thirty years ago.

And then ask how many of those currently active cruisers have a fridge, etc.
 

billskip

Well-known member
Joined
6 Sep 2001
Messages
11,122
Visit site
I'd be interested to see how many of the people posting on this thread are actively out there cruising right now. As opposed to dreaming about it or reminiscing about a trip they did thirty years ago.

And then ask how many of those currently active cruisers have a fridge, etc.
There's a few no doubt, me for one, sold up due to health, so for me it's not a "hasbeen" or "wannabe" however if I get another boat it would have to be motor as being a rag man again I think will not be possible, but never say never.

There are more doom and gloom posters on other threads taking the edge off the dreams with all their scaremongering about lots of other things.
 

Stemar

Well-known member
Joined
12 Sep 2001
Messages
24,257
Location
Home - Southampton, Boat - Gosport
Visit site
I'd be interested to see how many of the people posting on this thread are actively out there cruising right now. As opposed to dreaming about it or reminiscing about a trip they did thirty years ago.

And then ask how many of those currently active cruisers have a fridge, etc.
Full disclosure - I'm sitting in a warm room at home. My idea of a daring blue water cruise is leaving the Solent for Weymouth.

I dreamt of crossing oceans, but knew full well those dreams were about as likely to happen as my dreams of winning the lottery. Even less likely now, because I do occasionally buy a ticket

Yes, we do have a fridge. We didn't, but I weakened, and would now be is serious trouble if I even suggested being without. The Admiral would not be amused.
 

lustyd

Well-known member
Joined
27 Jul 2010
Messages
12,777
Visit site
Full disclosure I’m on a warm boat (the butter has melted but we’re certainly not ready to turn right, as that would take us to Southampton) and just cooked two fresh loaves of bread to eat with the blue Brie and vintage cheddar we have in the fridge, probably with a cold glass of rosé. We’re leaving end of March once we get the house on the market after finishing a few boat jobs which needed a house (new sprayhood 😱)
 

John_Silver

Well-known member
Joined
19 Mar 2004
Messages
964
Location
St Mary's Island
allatseawithstargazer.blogspot.com
Stargazer (31') cruises full time, April-October. I winter ashore, in a nice cosy house. Both have a fridge. Our cruising is along the Atlantic coasts of the UK, Ireland, France and Spain. Mainly day hops, with the odd 24-36 hour crossing thrown in. Neither freezer nor watermaker therefore required. 180 watts of (deployable at anchor) solar keeps us self sufficient for power - so long as the sun shines. Electric pilot (EV100) only . No Starlink (mobile signal almost universal in French and Spanish anchorages. Less so in those of the UK and Ireland).
 
Last edited:

veshengro

Well-known member
Joined
23 Jan 2023
Messages
1,349
Visit site
Happy ashore now since 2018 after 23 years live aboard and 17 years continuous voyages to Med and Caribbean. Now own a small 20 foot lift keeler to play coastal rock dodging with and no desire to go South of the Lizard ever again. Never did have a 'fridge. :giggle:
 

IanCC

Active member
Joined
14 Oct 2019
Messages
636
Visit site
Problem is that "basic" and budget" change over time. In the 60/70s basic may have been an old converted fishing boat or a pre war "pocket" cruiser and a Nic 32, Rival 32, GH31 etc would have been the height of luxury. Now those luxury boats are firmly in the basic and low budget camp. The point about the fridge is that even the most basic can afford a portable freezer and the solar panel to keep it running.
We live in different worlds.
 

ridgy

Well-known member
Joined
26 Jan 2003
Messages
1,516
Location
North West
Visit site
Not world girdling but I have a share in a boat in Greece that doesn't have a fridge. Well it does but it only works when the engine is running which is much the same thing.

Two of the syndicate member have been so for 20 years and they don't seem to mind but honestly it's ridiculous. Absurd. Bonkers.
Anyway, following a robust conversation at the AGM a 150w solar panel is incoming. Even just being able to use it during daylight will be a tremendous improvement.
 

John_Silver

Well-known member
Joined
19 Mar 2004
Messages
964
Location
St Mary's Island
allatseawithstargazer.blogspot.com
Not world girdling but I have a share in a boat in Greece that doesn't have a fridge. Well it does but it only works when the engine is running which is much the same thing.

Two of the syndicate member have been so for 20 years and they don't seem to mind but honestly it's ridiculous. Absurd. Bonkers.
Anyway, following a robust conversation at the AGM a 150w solar panel is incoming. Even just being able to use it during daylight will be a tremendous improvement.

No expert....but our 180w of solar, in northern european summer, has the batteries charged by lunchtime, on a sunny day. Tea time, if overcast (nada, if it’s raining or about to)……So, in full Greek summer conditions, 150w and a MPPT controller (ours is Victron) should give you 24x7 fridge running. And more besides.
 
Last edited:

newtothis

Well-known member
Joined
28 May 2012
Messages
1,534
Visit site
All this talk of fridges suggests none of you are doing proper hairshirt sailing. There's a picture of Skip Novak's yacht with a sheep carcass hung on the solar arch because the outside air temperature was colder than the fridge.
 
Top