This is EXACTLY How Much We Spend to Cruise a Catamaran - [Sailing Life]

Can the average person afford to cruise a small boat? Everyone is talking about inflation, but is the cost of cruising going up? We take a close look at the numbers with our annual expenditures. We dive deep into everything from boat insurance to health insurance, provisioning, land travel, fuel expenses, etc.
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[@rustysteel8714]

Appreciate the HONESTY you two give to us viewers on the cruising life... so we dreamers at least have an idea of what it takes! Kudos Nick and Megan. 😉❤⛵

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks Russ, appreciate it. We try to keep it real.

[@daveamies5031]

Of course if you eat less taco's you costs might come down, but then again if your replacing taco's with caviar it might be quite a bit more 🤣

[@mathewdavis-adventuresandd6643]

My wife's eye glazed over for a bit. LOL. I found it necessary to remind her what our expenses are on land. Most people simply do not realize just how much money they spend when it's divided 300 different ways.

[@fastx1914]

So... In short. Big boat stocked with lots of coffee and tacos is going to be $$$$. Smaller boat with coffee and occasional tacos is $$$. Smaller boat/Monohull with some comfort and coffee is $$, and small boat, no water/fridge/ac and reusing the coffee bags multiple times is $. Got it. I have heard some countries in the pacific are requiring proof of funds in an account equal to the cost of you purchasing an airline ticket home because of issues with people coming over on nothing and trying to live for free in these areas. See anything like that at all down in your neck of the world?

[@TheOKellys]

lol, either way tacos are the answer. Re bond or a ticket out....yeh it's been that way in French Polynesia for as long as we can remember. BVI is like that if you fly in. no other country in the carib that i know of...

[@kirkb3473]

Thanks for the very detailed honest breakdown, this is really helpful to future cruisers like us! Do you have any land-based expenses still that are not included here like keeping a homebase or vehicle somewhere?

[@TheOKellys]

No, we are out of real estate at the moment….sadly….lol….so we don’t have any significant land base expenses. That my change.

[@kirkb3473]

@@TheOKellys So is keeping some sort of home base even it is very modest or you rent out something you’d suggest to future cruisers now that you’ve been doing it for 5 years, or is it more of a hassle than it would be worth?

[@JC-lk3oy]

@@kirkb3473 as someone considering selling their house and moving onto a Prout Snowgoose Elite, I definitely would love their input on this as well.

[@TheOKellys]

We had a rental, once. Once. It was a hassle. It can work out. You have to have someone managing the property for you. If you have a really strong equity position and a high rent area, that can work but otherwise there are other investment instruments that far outperform real estate. If we were going to have a small land base of some sort, which would be nice I suppose, we wouldn't rent it.

[@CliffCutts]

@@TheOKellys curious if there are other cruisers that put up their main house under Airbnb et al (with management), then use that to live on. In a big city that would seem like a fantastically viable way to afford being on the water. Most cities in the US allow you to short term your main residence.

[@bradcullinan1487]

I watched quite a few cruising channels. y'all are, hands down, my favorite. down to earth. realistic. but still positive and fun. thanks for everything you do!

[@shainester]

Again, some of the best content on sailing on this medium. You two just come across as a solid couple that can be trusted, and that’s not always the case with other channels. ❤️ it!!

[@TheOKellys]

So we got you fooled! Lol. Thank you for the nice comment.

[@karlbass7895]

As always.. great information for all the dreamers and planners out there (uh, yes, hello there). You take on a bunch of the maintenance and work that comes up and that definitely helps you control how deep your pockets need to be. I commend you on the proactive work to keep Clarity with a smile on her face. Stay safe!

[@TheOKellys]

Thanks Karl. She is faster when she smiles….lol

[@geofferyrobertson6608]

ALL boaties/yachties NEVER have Bum Guns in the toilet ... not only more hygienic but more space for storage .... cheap to do

[@patriot8087]

Thank You kindly for sharing this valuable information with us all. smooth sailing.

[@mmccartney6579]

You two have become my "way back" machine. Thank you again for helping to revive some very old memories of me and my wife doing what you two are now doing, about 55 years ago. Thank you again! Cheers! :)

[@TheOKellys]

55 years ago! Right on. Wow! Back with Hal Roth and the like? I bet you have great stories.

[@orion_13]

7,000 deductible.. LOL I don't know if I have shared this with this channel. I have an autoimmune disorder called Stiff Man Syndrome. My immune system attacks my central nervous system. To keep it in check I take Hizentra. It is a subcutaneous infusion once a week. A month supply is over 35,000. I would max out your plan in 1 month with just that medication alone. So it doesn't take a heart attack or cancer to get into those amounts.

[@yevborod8979]

Good day. Would you be able to make video about boat insurance. Share your experience, "underwater" obstacles, tricks to lower payments, factors affecting premium, best companies for hope to be newbie soon sailors. I am sure you have enough experience to share with us in your unique style. Thank you in advance.

[@PaulAnthonyDuttonUk]

So 40 grand and a bit in real money. To be truthful, thought it would be more. It’s an expense that you could probably resolve with a live-aboard day job beyond u-tubing. Programmer or something. I might find it hard to keep out of those marinas though. Especially if the Apres ski is good..

[@mojoneko8303]

I got way behind on your videos working on some projects. Trying to catch up now. My question is are you able to write off any of the money you spend as business expense's since you run a KZbin channel? Good luck with the new boat. I haven't got to that video yet. 🙂 Thanks for the video. Sail On!

[@mitchellandrews1709]

And for Tacos. Elonda and I will make a Brisket and Egg taco that will do your t-shirt justice.😃

[@jpjernigan3]

I'm hoping you see this question.... I'm wondering what your Vaccine status is and if that has been an issue with the places you have visited. I'm looking to jump onto a boat and get started on a 3yr journey.

[@howelljo1098]

If only I could figure out how to purchase the boat, the rest of the expenses, even maintenance would be doable. Have you ever considered investing in solar cookers? With just the two of you, I bet you could cut your propane costs by 80+ percent.

[@MrBlockyTV]

How on earth are you spending 14000 $ a year on grocery shoping - i guess its more expensive in the Bahamas but i spend 1500$ on grocerys last year i cant see how it is even possible to spend this much like i wouldnt even know what to do with all that food. Edit: ok just for fun i just calculated what it would cost to go out every night of the year and i still would only get about half way to 14000$ - what on earth are you eating

[@stevenr8606]

👍 that's good for the life you both share. Now, on the food side. It would be cheaper if someone would catch a fish or two. 😉

[@simonf7367]

One question I never see anyone answer! Is it possible to take guests and charter them around and “work” to cover costs and make money while you sail? For those of us who can’t work remotely and would be leaving our job completely.

[@PaulBeauchemin]

Yea, you spend what you have. We we went full time RVing had a $4000 pension that was adequate. Now own an RV park and home and income is $10k and we spend it all

[@travisseals5629]

just curious. what do you do for income besides the KZbin videos and website. What did you do earlier in your cruising life for income?

[@OZ1DK]

Provisions (food) for 2 🤔 quite hige. Are the food more experience vs home on land ? ÷ even eating out and gas.

[@thecrazypinkcatlady]

Food on many island nations are heavily marked up due to importation costs. Kind of like how much more expensive it is in Hawaii vs. mainland US.

[@portfoliofotoz]

Commenting primarily to boost the algorithm. I'm just a weekend cruiser in the Chesapeake.

[@harryanderson5551]

I love a numbers girl.....or guy for that matter. Best is a values person!

[@edwardhart8449]

I circumnavigated on a 29 ft boat and spent about $6000 a year.

[@robertfontaine3650]

So basically completely unaffordable.

[@scottseaman6247]

Good info, we are with you on enjoying eating out, that and groceries are our second largest expense behind the house mortgage

[@BalanceHealthWellnessMusic]

Such an informative video. We hope to hit the water one day soon. Love the idea of the spending tracker. Any suggestions on tracker or do you just use excel?

[@TraneFrancks]

I think one thing I've learned from watching a number of these vids is that an older 30-36 foot monohull is likely to be my sweet spot. Smaller everything = cheaper everything. And I'm far more comfortable with the idea of doing all the maintenance on a small mono than I am a bigger cat. Just need the wife to get into that glamping mentality. ⛵️

[@TheOKellys]

Hey whatever works for ya. No right answer….however we have seen that when it comes to a resistant partner….glamping is a though sell.

[@claussvensson7834]

Seems high. I am cruising in Turkey at the moment and during 2021 spent roughly 30.000 US$, including a annual contract in a first class Marina, eating most of my meals in restaurants, annual drydocking etc. Bahamas seems to be expensive. but it sure looks nice.

[@requin13]

for diesel or gas price in bahamas, don't ever come to europe, you passed out 🙄🙄

[@ImTheDudeMan471]

Tumbnail at first glance: Wife is expensive.

[@mattpainter2903]

well i just did my last year expensive and within 2 minutes i realized i spent way more than your boat life and i didnt do shit!

[@leonply]

Wonderful video, as always! The Seattle Boat Show is starting! I'll be dashing up to Seattle on Monday (where it's COLDER than Portland!), to begin looking at anchors, running gear and a lot of other things you've mentioned in your videos. Can't thank you enough for the incredible inspiration. Enjoy the delicious tacos in the gorgeous and warm weather!

[@TheOKellys]

Thank you Leon! Enjoy the show!

[@barelyafloatwithsteve3975]

Just get out on the water regardless of budget is great advice ... If I wait until I can afford it, it will never happen. Hope all is well, Stay Safe ‼️⚓⚓⚓

[@triciak2457]

Thx! Very helpful. Can you pls share more details about who you use for your catastrophic healthcare policy? Researching options.

[@TheOKellys]

Happy to help - send a note to info at symbol sailclarity.com

[@fred6319]

why don't you use your washing machine all the time?

[@tylerhadidon4029]

Hey Megan! I'm curious. How do you track all of your expenses? Just a spreadsheet? I know there is a ton of apps out there, but they are either clunky, don't feel right, or you need an internet connection (which is a problem on a boat :p).

[@TheOKellys]

Hi Tyler! I pull reports/CSV from my bank and credit card statements into a spreadsheet on a quarterly basis. Works well for me. Good luck!

[@unrealparagon]

Another useful and informative video. Thank you. Random question, is insurance a necessity like car insurance or a cya expense?

[@TheOKellys]

Well, full hull insurance for us is CYA for sure. But really, all you need is liability and spill response insurance.

[@JessicaRoeVideos]

Loved this behind the scenes info! Are you going to next explain how you make your income while at sea? Now THAT I’m dying to learn!

[@jimbobschell]

Great video per usual. I assume that this annual tally is "well" within your means. However, have you considered ways in which you could reduce your annual expenses? If you look hard at your 2021 expenses and were determined to cut 10% without compromising safety what would you do?

[@FCALVSports]

Can’t wait till Starlink is available. Data cost will go down.

[@popsoldboats3406]

Nick you are a lucky man. Megan keeps getting prettier every year. However you Nick seem to never change.. makes me wonder. I think 62k would keep me alive for 5 years maybe more. But I am a cheap old man.

[@TheOKellys]

You are too kind. And I am extremely lucky. I never forget it

[@Ron-zr6se]

Nice breakdown on your expenses. It really boils down to the life style you want and the amount of expenses that you can afford for the size of boat that you have. I wanted to stay with the sailing yachts but the admiral nixed that. Cannot have an unhappy admiral.

[@jamesfvandeventerjr9012]

You're 3 biggest cost are the boat to keep her ship shape and beautiful next would be insurance on the boat and your selves and food everything seems pretty straightforward i see one place you could save a little but Nicks in a fishing slump😂😂 but Mary Dirk Diggler ke7o

[@TheOKellys]

Hahahahaha. That’s funny. We keep tryin. But not getting anything but sargasso weed! Lol

[@doroteamunoz978]

Guys it’s me again this is my 2nd comment on this vlog made a mistake the question was where did you get you’re baseball (cap ) with the u.s sign on it. It is so nice it looks good on you 2. We want to have it too. Thx. Pls advice.

[@TheOKellys]

Check out ullmansailsgear dot com. If you chat with anyone, tell them we sent ya!

[@christopherdobrosky8030]

Does the expenses count what things that you received for free (sponsored) parts/equipment?

[@liamhainsworth9620]

Where can I learn to sail a catamaran? I’ve never sailed before; and want to learn, before I make a lifestyle change! Do you offer private week long sailing lessons?

[@TheOKellys]

Send a note to [e-mail]

[@geoffwood472]

Great video! Really appreciate the insight you’ve given.

[@timsullivan1531]

Good job. Hardly anyone does this with that much empirical information.

[@johnphillips8088]

I guess you could say taco 🌮 to steak 🥩 Lol, thanks for sharing mate

[@TheOKellys]

Lol!

[@ThoughtfulWander]

I don't know but every time i watch one of your videos i suddenly have a bad hankering for tacos!! What is with that?? 😂🤣👍👍🌮🌮

[@TheOKellys]

Stop….you’re making me hungry…. Lol

[@ThoughtfulWander]

@@TheOKellys Ahh so it happens to you too! 👍👍🌮🌮🤣😂

[@kathrynlockwood1180]

How do taxes work if you are cruising internationally and have passive investment income? Do you have to pay US federal taxes? Do you have to pay state taxes to the state you have your drivers license in even if you don't own a residence in any state?

[@TheOKellys]

We aren’t tax professionals, but as a US citizen, you will owe US taxes for any earned income, state and federal.

[@SuperCatbert]

can you tell me how much your boat was? Cheers

[@mariosampaio108]

one great way to lower any sailors budget is to sail longer and stay inshore less

[@mitchellandrews1709]

Our Boat is Cajun M E Crazy. Look for us

[@markporter8947]

Thanks for the detailed breakdown. The one that surprised me was provisions with how expensive food in the Bahamas can be.

[@LisaShankk]

New sub binge watching and of course liking every video.

[@TheOKellys]

Thank you

[@DavidYoel13]

Amazing video BUT How can you afford all these expenses? KZbin? I don’t think so Could you please give a little inside of what’s your background?

[@TheOKellys]

All of these expenses were before we ever got serious about making videos. Where did we get the money to spend on boats? Hard work (very hard work), conservative spending, and diversified investments. Also, we don't have kids. So, no magic involved.

[@DavidYoel13]

@@TheOKellys thanks for answering I was not implying anything with my question. I was just wondering what was your profession before sailing the world.. Not knowing the future back then, how did you make a budget? Did you have a big savings or some big investment incomes? I’ve been planning to live like this for ever but I’m starting to loose hope Thanks again Hope to see your next video soon

[@TheOKellys]

@@DavidYoel13 I (Nick) am a meteorologist. Megan was in HR and marketing at various tech companies. We don't come from money. As you aspire to this lifestyle, I will tell you two inescapable truths: you can sail away on $10k or $2m and reach the same anchorages. The second truth is that adventure starts when your plans turn to sh*t. If you don't want adventure, don't sail away on a little boat. And they are all little on the ocean. Good luck.

[@stephen2346]

What I'd like to know is the cost of meds in the Caribbean. Meds like blood pressure, insulin. No one talking about it

[@TheOKellys]

Would if we could but we don’t know… Maybe someone else on here does.

[@leonply]

If you're American, you can generally obtain the "Three months' of medications (Atorvastatins, Insulin, Elequis, etc) for the price of two" through your insurance company (with or without co-pay), and have it shipped to the closest port. The shipping can run up a bit, but you'll have your meds and peace of mind. From what some Canadian friends have told me, who winter down in San Felipe, Baja California, it runs about US $45 to ship down their meds, if they've run out during the trip. I hope that this helps.

[@roydenvickers]

Where can one get this "I LOVE TACOS" shirt?

[@TheOKellys]

Porque No Taquería in Portland. Our brother in law’s place. You can order online I believe.

[@graeme-sailingskeptic]

😎Thought I needed to wear the sunnies to comment! Though some of the clips in this made me think I needed to be more like this 🥸!😝 Seriously, great information and thanks for the honesty and openness.

[@AiyoHuy]

Can you share which health insurance company you guys used?

[@TheOKellys]

send me a note on sailclarity.com - contact page

[@svslipaway3534]

Comment for the algorithm!

[@frankbrancato3997]

Hope you eyes are back to normal

[@PapaDougsAdventures01]

You guys are expensive.

[@NJ-Cathie]

I love TACOS 🌮 too!!!

[@TheOKellys]

Then I like YOU!

[@RebootTheCatamaran]

On our 250k cat we've been right around 10% of the purchase price every year, according to our spreadsheets. It's a 2009. We anticipate this year and next year we will go above that as we've retired and are ramping up our cruising lifestyle

[@TheOKellys]

yep, seems like no matter how you dice it, it's around 10% if you include insurance.

[@TheOKellys]

congrats on the retirement!

[@RebootTheCatamaran]

@@TheOKellys Thanks! It may be a sabbatical if it gets too expensive, ha ha.

[@mikewalker1081]

Hi Nick, long time subscriber and watcher of your vids. I was reading through your blurbs beneath your vid intro and saw the title "Life on the Margin" as such, I took a gander and noticed it pertained to trading stocks and options. I myself trade a lot, primarily options and most recently options on futures, and scalping and swinging the e-mini. Wife and I both depend on internet to make a living and at one time considered buying a cat, but we felt without a consistent and reliable internet, trading and her 3-D computer graphic work would be a real challenge unless we sat stationary at a marina during the week and sailed the weekends, which defeats the whole purpose. Do you actively trade in this lifestyle of yours? Is consistent and reliable internet an issue? Thanks for your insight, Cheers.

[@TheOKellys]

I don’t trade as much as when we wrote Live on the Margin, but not because of internet connection. I simply don’t have the time to do the videos/social media and trade the way I’d need to to make the returns I could with options, scalping, etc. So we are long a select group which has beat the market for the last few years. But there is no doubt I could make a lot more money if we gave up making videos.

[@mikewalker1081]

@@TheOKellys Thx for the quick reply! 🙂

[@kjelpeterson5236]

Thanks for sharing such a great view into your cruising costs. Everyone is always curious about this topic but at the same time this is very personal information so major respect for putting yourselves out there.

[@TheOKellys]

Our pleasure!

[@spatialinterpretations449]

I think more expensive then travelling the country in a caravan, I am comparing cost for camper van and road base travel compared to sailing,?? sailing more upfront cost but I think cheaper..

[@TheOKellys]

Not in our experience. We have also had three land rigs. Boating more expensive

[@spatialinterpretations449]

@@TheOKellys Thanks for the response. You are prob right. butttt... Perhaps you need to catch more fish. Take a trip to Great barrier reef in northern Oz. With solar you it will be a blast.

[@salihbozdag8301]

Is it for 4 years or yearly 60k$?

[@gregberning6721]

Thanks guys. Great information.

[@sartwelljl]

Great information... Question - regarding boat expenses. For example you mentioned the water maker at $1,000, and I suppose the chain was a hefty cost. That water maker unit will last a number of years, right - and so will the chain. we hope.. hehe.. I remember the episode on your bum chain, but normally good chain will last a number of years? So is it an accurate measure of yearly boat cost to charge all the cost of an item in the year you placed the item on the boat? I know from your channel and others that you have expenses almost every year on one thing or another. So if you were to spread out the cost of the water maker or chain over 3-5 years - you'd most likely have something you replaced a few years ago that would negate differing the cost of an item over future years?

[@TheOKellys]

That’s just the pump head for the watermaker. Yes, we spread out costs….try to do only one big thing per year.

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

Boats require nearly constant maintenance of one system or another. Think of a tiny house plus a car that will corrode due to the salt water if not maintained. That's soft of what a boat is.

[@harryanderson5551]

Your costs are very reasonable/inexpensive. Boat Insurance at 2.4% of boat value is great. Health care very cheap. Data normal for anyone with Internet & phones but no TV. Boat Expense at 7% of value normal if you are keeping it up to get a good resale. Provisioning normal for you diet demands and shopping area. Only cost I was surprised about was Fuel of $2058 although that includes propane and dinghy fuel and its a big boat with two engines. What is your mpg?

[@bobhamilton298]

You mentioned you used miles for airline flying. How did you accumulate those miles?

[@TheOKellys]

Probably from spending so much on the boat! lol think we also had to pay a little to buy miles.

[@bobhamilton298]

@@TheOKellys Are they from spending on your credit card?

[@TheOKellys]

Yes, we run most expenses through the card to get the miles

[@thomasbrasse3145]

I could leave today, except from the kids and Wife.... Ha! Money isn't the only limiting factor.

[@thomasstuder1624]

Maybe you can shed some light into the 10% rule of thumb. When it is said that maintenance costs 10% of the purchase price annually, how does that change over time? I would expect a new boat to have less maintenance needs than an old one, yet old ones are bought second hand and the new owners still seem to apply the 10% rule of their purchase price, which is lower than the original price of the boat. So it seems the rule of thumb expects maintenance cost to go down over time. How does this counterintuitive concept work?

[@TheOKellys]

Well, first of all I hate rules. Second, typically 10% per year includes insurance. Third, yeh this is a really loose guide at best. Depends on so many things including the quality of the boat. Also greatly depends on geography and how much DIY is involved. Also depends on materials used….I know a guy who spent as much on repairing a single carbon spreader on his mast as we spent on haulouts for two years. So….. a lot of variables. I do think that 10% per year whether used or set aside for future big ticket expenses like sails, engines, rigging and upgrades is a good ballpark for a 5-7 year old boat that still has some life left in the engines, rig, and sails. Upgrades are another super mushy variable that can put an easy +/- 5% into the equation. Typically, what you see are new boats that see an initial fitout but then often not enough money spent over the first five years. Then maybe a second owner does a refit. The combination of the money and time spent gives you the variable in value and the cost of maintenance for the third owner. When people are “surprised” about the 10% rule, it’s typically because they aren’t aware of how much more it costs to work on boats to begin with. Blow one saildrive on a 300k boat and you’ve spent at minimum 5% of the value of the boat to replace it.

[@thomasstuder1624]

@@TheOKellys thanks, that is helpful.

[@Sabhail_ar_Alba]

Too expensive for most.

[@chriscarney204]

Save money by eating more Tacos.

[@TheOKellys]

Tacos good for everything

[@silverfoxes65]

We live in a nice, but modest home that is paid for and live a relatively frugal lifestyle. It costs us about $50,000 per year to live, so for $18,000 more to live the lifestyle you guys do seems like a bargain. Now, we do have much better and cheaper insurance, thank you Medicare. Even when we were full-timing in our motorhome we required $38,000 per year and that was 15 years ago and that was before medical insurance went through the roof.

[@R.E.HILL_]

Including the boat depreciation...?

[@TheOKellys]

Our boat has appreciated

[@BreakingWavesNews]

No hat Nick! But get why your wearing it. Makes that boat fly so much better. But wonderful break down and as usual clarifying everyone is different. I think the insurance cost made me choke a bit. I'm around 3 k a year for my small catamaran. Makes me reconsider a lot when Annette wants to get something bigger. Like you said that 23ft boat was doing just fine out there". Great episode guys.

[@Parr4theCourse]

Thanks for sharing!!!!

[@Peter_Herrman]

Hmmm, $60k was my going in budget. Considering all our other expenses we'll have, I'm going to have to bump that up a bit! Or just eat rice and beans...

[@Prototheria]

There's an old adage in racing that applies here... "Racing is no more expensive now than it was 50 years ago... it'll still take everything you got."

[@donmcneal233]

Hey kids..., thanks for the honesty per the expenditures. I thought maybe just a little bit more, say..., $75, - $80,'ish. But you guys do make it look smartly practicable, no (excessive) frills & easy. Thanks & fair winds...

[@cathielem2023]

Health insurance is crazy. Thank God I’m 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦. Thanks for sharing! VERY INTERESTING

[@djopdam199]

Thnx for that...btw I probably would be on the $8000 side. But I'm just starting, thnx to you guys im gonna learn how to sail. Just walked up to a guy who was doing boat work at our local marina and said : will you teach me how sail in exchange I help you with your boat. He said yes his name is Pieter. Thnx Pieter and thnx you guys

[@orion_13]

A really simple and stupid question this couch sailor has always wanted to know. IF you anchor off shore and never go on land do you have to check into that country? Does it depend on the country or is there a standard every country agrees upon?

[@TheOKellys]

You usually have to check in as territorial waters count.

[@orion_13]

@@TheOKellys Thanks! I knew most countries claim 200 nautical miles out but I never knew if you anchored on some island with no people on it how you had to handle it. I believe the 200 nm thing is economic zones??

[@ashleykerlin]

I'd love to see an episode on what you do to make fresh provisions last. I see some people with fruit in hanging slings. Do you chop and freeze vegetables? What are your secrets for provisioning a passage or a long stay away from amenities?

[@LoriLivers]

I WISH I could get on the $5-10k budget!! Thank you for sharing 🙂

[@rayslaughter7213]

Good video, thanks for sharing

[@SticksAandstonesBozo]

Your view on this is refreshing to hear because it’s a fact. You could do it almost nothing if you had to. People do. I wouldn’t want to of course. But some people act like the way they do it the only way. Which like you said just isn’t the case.

[@lowellmccormick6991]

The bigger the boat and the more systems onboard, the higher the expenses. At one end is Sam Holmes sailing a 22 foot Ranger from Los Angeles to Hawaii and sailing around Hawaii with a gimbled sterno for a galley and a bucket for a head. At the other end is Delos, who is continuously upgrading. You almost have to do a 20 year cycle to get a good yearly average. Over that time, multiple upgrades and refits would be averaged in.

[@tomriley5790]

I don't think Delos has upgraded much - apart from their internet that they got for free, most of their stuff is fixing things that have broken.

[@TheOKellys]

yep, ya spends what ya got for sure

[@lowellmccormick6991]

@@tomriley5790 There is a pretty long list of upgrades on Delos starting with their excellent dingy (sponsored). They've replaced their rigging themselves ($10.000+/_), electronics at least once, upgraded their solar system (the Victron 3K inverter in Madagascar was paid for with cash), installed a new 8K generator (sponsored) in South Africa, new air conditioning unit(s), new washing machine, new sails, bottom jobs, stills (2nd one sponsored), cameras, drones & laptops. Those are the items off the top of my head. Granted, Brian does a lot of the work himself and saves lots of money but the average cruiser won't have the sponsorships and maybe not have the ability to fix things themselves. I think Brian mentioned during one of his talks that his yearly costs were about 10-15% of the value of the boat. That was years ago. More systems, more money.

[@tomriley5790]

@@lowellmccormick6991 Most of that isn't upgrades - it's requried maintenace or to replace stuff breaking. Dinghy - necessary (old one would have fallen apart by now probably), Electronics - you can count that as an upgrade - previously it was a Pc screen with I suspect a program Brian had written, they never went into the original but yep B&G helped them. New Generator - upgrade, I don't recall them replacing the AC so not sure if it was an upgrade or the old system falling apart. Washing machine was to replace the old one that had failled. Sails, bottom jobs are all necessary boat maintenace, Sam has to do this too. The most major upgrade I can recall is their internet connection and solar. Cameras drones laptops are all part of being a youtube chanel at sea - technologgy moves on salt water kills electronics and drones crash - more systems more money yes but that's reflected in necesary maintance of those systems rather than upgrades. E

[@LoanwordEggcorn]

@@tomriley5790 Agree a majority of those are maintenance items and not upgrades. And 10-15% per year in maintenance costs is in line with what others have mentioned for full time cruisers. That said, it helps that Delos can do most of the work themselves. That seems to be nearly a requirement for successful cruising, for example when you physically can't pay someone else to fix it because you're in the middle of the ocean, and/or to make it relatively affordable. So it kind of self-selects for people who can do much of the work themselves, or are wealthy enough to pay others to do it in port. Probably most are a balance between those.

[@chrisbaylis4700]

You two are great.

[@TheOKellys]

You are!

[@Mars21681]

really appreciate this one! we're doing the calculations as we work towards early retirement. factoring in how far your pension will take you is certainly more involved when you have unknown variables to consider.

[@tomkiefer2386]

Possibly the best cost breakdown I have ever seen!

[@TheSteelTech]

Quick Question. You said mooring fees for the cat you said it 1.5-2 times that of a monohull. Is that for a similar length mono or for maybe an monohull that is adjusted to have similar capacity (ie...a 40-45 ft cat vs a 50ish foot monohull)?