Trident
Well-known member
There are three types of live aboard as far as I have seen - those with plenty of funds (normally retired with good pensions) who can choose to live as they want - some eat out every meal, some only stay in marinas regardless of cost and pay others to do whatever work is needed on their boat. All that is fine and it seems in the Med at least that they are in the majority now. At the other end of the scale are those I'm anchored with in San Antoni now - its early in the season so I am one of only two cruising boats here as far as I can see, the rest are long term liveaboards who are on older boats all year round, very few are seaworthy, they are anchored (or mostly tied to the summer time only mooring blocks) all year, haul water from the free taps on shore, wash on deck with a bucket of water and live for almost nothing but not in a way I would choose. In the middle are those like me who can afford marinas (at least out of high season) and choose to anchor so that we save money but also because we like it. We eat out when we want to and cook aboard lots because we like that too. We maintain everything ourselves because it is pretty stupid not to know how to do everything on board ourselves - one day that knowledge and the practice may save our lives. The only jobs I pay others for are those I either don't have the tools for (and said tools would cost more than paying someone) or can't find out how to do any other way than pay someone and watch and learn (and after several years there are few if any of such jobs left). If we had to, we could pay to be in even Palma marinas in high summer or the Costa Smeralda - but we would only do so in case of the direst danger or emergency because we can think of much better things to spend £150 a night on.
We have a washing machine on board, a water maker, plenty of solar, tv, playstation (not for me I might add), lap tops, internet all time, radiator heating when needed, lots of fans to cool when too hot, two fridges, etc etc
In other words we live very well and very normally without resorting to cold beans and stealing water from neighbours - and we spend an average of £500 a month or less. Now this may go up this year as the Euro has dropped 12% this year so our costs should go up by that (we get paid in pounds and spend in Euro). There are some very good tips on the cruisers forum .com in a thread called living on $500 a month. However, whilst we started out being very frugal because we though things might be costly, we have progressively got more relaxed because we have found we consistently have spare money each month - in fact our savings have almost doubled over 3 years of cruising.
So despite being very happy at anchor right now we will pop in to a marina next week for my wife's birthday so she can have long long showers (we shower with hot water - solar made or in winter diesel made - on board but its only a 20L tank and so not quite what the longer haired lady's would really like) - but hey its only €20 a night in April with the big 20% Cruising Association discount they give. Over the winter we pay €8 a day to be in a marina - and a really nice one - for our 35 foot catamaran and for 7 months of summer we pay nothing unless we choose too - despite the nay sayers, we've now had 3 full seasons cruising the Atlantic coast and Med and not HAD to find a marina because of safety issues more than once - even in the western Med with some sensible planning you can anchor comfortably 95% of the time and safely 99.9% of the time so just go for it and enjoy.
My only corollary to this is if you have a wife on board - and no sexism here I hope - do be considerate to their sensibilities - for example, my wife, whilst an excellent sailor, state dot feel nervous of the unsettled weather that came in last September - there was nothing dangerous and no need to worry really but days of obviously wrong forecasts unsettled her and she said she'd rather head to our winter marina early - the beginning of October rather than the end - so we did, costing an extra €250 for the season but saving a lot of worry and nervousness on her part which is priceless. In other words don't let a few pounds here or there spoil you experience - after all you are doing this for fun.
We have a washing machine on board, a water maker, plenty of solar, tv, playstation (not for me I might add), lap tops, internet all time, radiator heating when needed, lots of fans to cool when too hot, two fridges, etc etc
In other words we live very well and very normally without resorting to cold beans and stealing water from neighbours - and we spend an average of £500 a month or less. Now this may go up this year as the Euro has dropped 12% this year so our costs should go up by that (we get paid in pounds and spend in Euro). There are some very good tips on the cruisers forum .com in a thread called living on $500 a month. However, whilst we started out being very frugal because we though things might be costly, we have progressively got more relaxed because we have found we consistently have spare money each month - in fact our savings have almost doubled over 3 years of cruising.
So despite being very happy at anchor right now we will pop in to a marina next week for my wife's birthday so she can have long long showers (we shower with hot water - solar made or in winter diesel made - on board but its only a 20L tank and so not quite what the longer haired lady's would really like) - but hey its only €20 a night in April with the big 20% Cruising Association discount they give. Over the winter we pay €8 a day to be in a marina - and a really nice one - for our 35 foot catamaran and for 7 months of summer we pay nothing unless we choose too - despite the nay sayers, we've now had 3 full seasons cruising the Atlantic coast and Med and not HAD to find a marina because of safety issues more than once - even in the western Med with some sensible planning you can anchor comfortably 95% of the time and safely 99.9% of the time so just go for it and enjoy.
My only corollary to this is if you have a wife on board - and no sexism here I hope - do be considerate to their sensibilities - for example, my wife, whilst an excellent sailor, state dot feel nervous of the unsettled weather that came in last September - there was nothing dangerous and no need to worry really but days of obviously wrong forecasts unsettled her and she said she'd rather head to our winter marina early - the beginning of October rather than the end - so we did, costing an extra €250 for the season but saving a lot of worry and nervousness on her part which is priceless. In other words don't let a few pounds here or there spoil you experience - after all you are doing this for fun.
