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Expenses of Cruising; Budget Examples

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by brian eiland, Aug 6, 2011.

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  1. brian eiland, Aug 6, 2011
    #1
    brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    ...happened across this well documented example of expenses associated with full-time live-aboard cruising by a couple who built their own vessel "Domino" down in South America, and are out there cruising full time...and keeping a very nice public log of the adventure.


    I'm more in line with Marty and Randal. We've only been cruising with our
    powercat for 18 months, mainly in Brazil, the Guyanas, Carribean, Cuba and
    East Coast. We anchor out 99.9% of the time. We did charter sailboats in
    Tahiti and are aware of the horrendous prices in French Polynesia.

    - Fuel: We move quite a bit, say 8,000 NM/year, that's roughly 8,000 gallons
    of diesel. We've averaged $3.15/gallon since our departure, which is cheap
    considering that you pay $4.50 in the US and something like $6 in Polynesia.
    So, for us, it's 25K/year in fuel, but I would double that for a year in
    the South Pacific. How many miles a year are you planning on?

    - Insurance: at the minimum, liability-only *Jackline* insurance can be as
    low as $1,000/year depending on cruising grounds and schedule.

    - Registration: do you have boat registration or agent/corporation fees?
    For us, add $500/year.

    - Maintenance: yep, we always need filters, parts, a shackle here, an anchor
    line there, an outboard oil change in the mix, an improvement that we feel
    needed ... it all adds up to some $500/month somehow. If you need parts
    shipped to you in the Pacific, FEDEX will deliver... at a premium fee. For
    labor, JP does everything himself.

    - Cruising fees: cruising the USA is the cheapest you'll find anywhere in
    the world. Most other countries charge cruising fees, anchoring fees,
    customs fees, port captain fees, insurance fees.... our 2 weeks in Cuba cost
    us $300 (entry and exit MUST be done at a marina = $$$) and 2 weeks in
    Mexico about the same, just in fees. Temporary import in Brazil cost us
    $300. In many countries you have to pay a fee even if you stay at anchor
    (Mexico, Europe) and some charge by square footage ("shadow over the water")
    (Spain, France). Except for Papeete where you'd have to pay at the town
    dock, anchoring out is usually free in Polynesia, but check on import and/or
    cruising fees. We budget $2,000/year for cruising fees and forced marinas.

    - Food: notoriously expensive in Polynesia, even local fruits and
    vegetables. We rarely eat out; we catch our own fish (but you have to
    account for cost of fishing gear and dinghy fuel), and eat local fruits and
    vegetables. Eating out is what kills the budget. Plan $100/week on the
    cheap, or 6K/year with holidays.

    - Alcohol: booze is never cheap and adds up to the budget. The less you
    drink, the longer you'll stretch your budget. OK, I'll give 2K/year for
    booze.

    - Medical: do you want insurance? Drugs in the South Pacific are expensive,
    even if medical care is reasonably priced. Plan at least $1K in your kitty.
    I busted my Achilles tendon in Paraguay and it only cost me about that much
    (surgery, hospital, crutches, rehab)... but that was cheap Paraguay. JP did
    fall in the boat and had to stitch himself back when in French Guayana, a
    cosmetic surgery that would have cost some 5K anywhere else! Stuff happens,
    be prepared.

    - Telecommunication: one of our biggest expenses is Internet access and
    telecom. We like to stay connected and traveling makes it a challenge. The
    I-pad, the Blackberry phone, the various computers.... in the US, we use the
    Virgin Mobile MiFi, our own hotspot good for 5 computers on board. We find
    that our hardware expense for telecom is about $1,000/year (lost, broken,
    outdated) and various services can add up to $200/month.

    - Weather and emergency: IRIDIUM is fantastic when out of the US and
    provides AMOSCONNECT email- We top it with $500/year. (we didn't install
    SSB)

    - Do you want to get home? Travel around the area you're cruising? Add air
    fees, car rentals, hotels... if you wish. We find that between JP flying
    home to France once a year and me going to California once a year, plus a
    little tourism here and there, even if using our free airline miles and low
    fares, we can spend 4 to 5K/year in travel expenses.

    - Yearly haulout: last year in Trinidad, bottom paint+labor and minor
    things: 10K; planned haulout and paint for this year: ditto.

    Total: 65K after taxes.... Remember that we are full-time cruisers and we
    move an average of 1,000 NM/month.

    That's for us, DOMINO.
    JP & Marie Dufour

    http://dominocatamaran.blogspot.com

    Attached Files:

  2. Capt J, Aug 6, 2011
    #2
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    That's not yachting, it's camping. I'd shoot myself if I had to anchor out 99.9% of the time and catch my own food and eat fish every single day as well as everywhere I went was totally based on cost.
  3. brian eiland, Aug 6, 2011
    #3
    brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Not everyone in this world has a sugerdaddy to pay for all those 'Yachting' bills.
  4. Capt J, Aug 6, 2011
    #4
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I agree, but I'd rather cruise comfortably, even if it were a smaller area, or smaller boat.
  5. brian eiland, Aug 6, 2011
    #5
    brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    And these folks are MOVING (exploring),.... not sitting at a dock.
  6. Capt Bill11, Aug 6, 2011
    #6
    Capt Bill11

    Capt Bill11 Senior Member

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    It's neither yachting or camping, it's cruising. And in high style compared to most.

    $65,000 a year!? Most cruisers would kill for that kind of budget I would guess.
  7. dominomarie, Aug 6, 2011
    #7
    dominomarie

    dominomarie Guest

    camping out

    Holy cow, Brian! Such a stir! Well, I invite anyone of you to check one of my fine meals on board! Every cruiser makes choices that suit their lifestyles.
    Fuel: we choose to cruise at 10 to 20 knots, depending on whether we want to fish or not (we happen to love landing big fish!), so we burn an average of 1gal/mile. Does any other passagemaking powercat out-there cruise at that speed? Not even the 80' PELICANO manages 15 knots. That's speed-camping to me.
    Marinas: We can't stand marinas (the noise, the pollution, the contiguity with people we don't really want to be packed with...) and would rather be on our own anchor(s).
    Food & restaurants: I happen to be a dietitian and a first class cook and have the luxury of a splendid galley. JP, a physician, is very selective with his diet. Most restaurant food makes us sick. Forget hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and other greasy foods. Restaurants overcook their fish and destroy their vegetables. Deserts are usually fat-laden and unpalatable. Guess what? We eat on board by choice.
    Catch of the day: Indeed, we like catching our fish and eating it too. By choice: lobster and conch in the Carribean, mahi-mahi, wahoo and tuna in the Gulf Stream, crabs in the Chesapeake and here in Long Island Sound: oysters and clams. Nothing makes us happier (and healthier) than a 4-hour dive through the coral reefs of Cuba, the Ragged Islands or the Yucatan. The physical exertion is what we like; the food is a bonus!

    Yep, we're campers and loving it! And we love our big bad powercat who can cross the Atlantic at 20 knots, the Pacific at 12 knots or go half-way around the world at 8 knots. Call her a luxury Winnabago!
    dominomarie
  8. vlafrank, Aug 6, 2011
    #8
    vlafrank

    vlafrank Senior Member

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    You tell 'em, Marie! and Vive La France!:)
  9. K1W1, Aug 6, 2011
    #9
    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Well written, make the most of it while you can and welcome to YF
  10. tirekicker11, Aug 7, 2011
    #10
    tirekicker11

    tirekicker11 Senior Member

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    Could you provide us with your 2012 itinerary. Will you passing by SE Asia anytime soon? I'd like the Mahi Mahi as sushimi fresh as can be with some wasabi and kikkoman sauce.:)
  11. dominomarie, Aug 7, 2011
    #11
    dominomarie

    dominomarie Guest

    Choices

    Capt J raises a good point, though. Matching the cruising budget, the boat's purchase price, and one's preferences (ambitions?) to one's resources is essential. We've seen too many people buy too big a boat and not being able to maintain it. Similarly, we've seen many cruisers buy too small a boat and being stuck in an area too small for their ambitions or the number of guests they accept on board.
    It took us 20 years to plan the boat, plan the budget and make it happen. Call us "patient cruisers."
    As for our cruising plans for the coming year? From New York back to Miami, the Yucatan, Central America and Panama. SE Asia must wait!
  12. dominomarie, Aug 7, 2011
    #12
    dominomarie

    dominomarie Guest

    Sashimi

    Tiretricker, is that a Warham design you sail? SE Asia will have to wait some time. After Panama in Feb.2012, we'll bum around the Pacific side of Central America and Mexico for a while. Ultimate destination: South pacific. QUestion is, will we visit the kids in California first or will we make a beeline for the Galapagos and Marquesas? Time to think about it.
  13. Capt J, Aug 7, 2011
    #13
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Yes, the 43' Lagoon will cruise at 20 knots. I know at 17 knots with the smaller motors 300hp volvo's, they burn 1.5 gpm. Obviously at 10 knots much less.

    You can also very successfully fish at 20 knots if you're dragging the right lures that will also run right at those speeds.
  14. dominomarie, Aug 7, 2011
    #14
    dominomarie

    dominomarie Guest

    Passagemaker

    Yes,, Capt.J, the Lagoon can do this, but does she really qualify as a "passagemaker"" What is the Lagoon's 43 range? Can she cross the Atlantic at 20 knots? DOMINO burns 1.2 gpm at 20 knots, BTW. He he, never tried trolling at 20 knots, but very successful with Wahoo at 11 knots! :cool:
  15. tirekicker11, Aug 7, 2011
    #15
    tirekicker11

    tirekicker11 Senior Member

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    It's a Wharram in my avatar that I (un)fortunately don't own. I've cruised extensively on low budget and this Wharram would be my boat of choice for the future.

    Have you ever made a financial comparison between a power and a sail cat? at how many miles a year would a sailing cat prove more economical?
  16. Time, Aug 8, 2011
    #16
    Time

    Time New Member

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    by the time you factored in Safe UV exposure times for cruising sails, replacement of those sails... in the long term I would be surprised if the 1g/nm boat wasn't cheaper.
  17. W. Arthur, Aug 8, 2011
    #17
    W. Arthur

    W. Arthur New Member

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    You two are simply too Cool!! I love your style! We plan upon selling my biz that what you now do is similar to our future... Get It On! Life is too LONG to waste ANY time. We wish you the super BEST! - W.
  18. dominomarie, Aug 8, 2011
    #18
    dominomarie

    dominomarie Guest

    Sail vs. motor


    Sails and rigging are undoubtedly an expense to factor in. Most of the cruisers I've met admit that the spend any time between 50% and 80% motoring, after all. Except for long crossing where sailing definitely has the advantage (yes, I do love sailing too and wish we could put a kite on DOMINO), I would think that motor/fuel/maintenance expenses are significant even for sailors.
    What really saves us money compared to most sailors is our ability to remain at anchor. No need to go to marinas for water: our HRO makes 60 GPH; A/C? We hardly ever use it, but if need be we have 2x12,000 BTU units powered by our 12 KW genset (We have just past 100 hours of genset for the last 19 months)... Pump-out? we can stay 6 weeks on our black water tank and 3 weeks on our grey water tank...
    I think that more than sail vs/ power cruising, it's the cruising style that defines the budget. Miles per year? Marinas? Restaurants? Booze and bars? Side-trips? and how ship-shape do you want to keep your boat? The cost of fuel may not be that different between the 2 categories. At least, that's what I've observed with full-time and seasonal cruisers.
    One more consideration: if you keep a home in addition to your boat because you need a foot on the ground, that's also an expense to be counted. We have no other home than our passagemaking cat. After all, she's not THAT expensive.
  19. dominomarie, Aug 8, 2011
    #19
    dominomarie

    dominomarie Guest

    @Tirekicker... good cat... we've seen several of these in Brazil, they sail very well indeed. Their deck configuration is a bit odd and it's not easy to go from one hull to the other during bad weather. The ones we've seen had been home-built, which is pretty simple to do. Cruise on!
  20. dominomarie, Aug 8, 2011
    #20
    dominomarie

    dominomarie Guest

    Help

    How do I create an avatar on this site? Help!:rolleyes:
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