Can it be done?

I don't know if this is still valid, but my wife and I (UK citizens, sailing out of Hawaii) are two weeks from heading off on a circumnavigation. We have (after asking the same question here!) budgeted for $1000/person/month, with a sizeable "would rather not spend it if we can help it" reserve.

We are sailing in the Pacific and Indian Oceans and Red and Mediteranean seas, mixing pricey places (Polynesia, Oz, The Med) with less pricey ones (PNG, Madagascar, Tanzania). We are planning to avoid marinas and living off the land/sea as much as poss.

We have allowed ourselves two years' worth of money on a trip approximately 18 months long. We have also invested heavily in medical insurance for outside Europe and have brought a LOT of tradeable goods for barter in the more remote places.

My guess is that N America is out of the question on your budget, but that leaves an awful lot of paradise that you could afford!

See you out there chap.

Ben

[David Shipton]

Dave

Get hold of a copy of "Voyaging on a Small Budget" by Annie Hill.

In there she explains how her and her husband cruise on a miniscule budget and have done so for many years. Some of their practices aren't for me - their diet is mostly vegetarian - but you can pick up lots of good ideas to cut down on financial outgoings. They are living proof that you don't need to be Donald Trump to have a good life style while crusing.

I cruised the Caribbean for about three years on a smaller budget than you intend to and loved it. You just have to tailor your lifestyle accordingly and as you say not have cocktails with your evening steak, at least not often. However, you can drink rum punch with chicken or fresh fish at a fraction of the cost. You learn from other yachties where places are cheap for stocking up on various items and when you get there you fill up for the months ahead. I used to go down to Venezuela several times a year and fill the boat with good food and rum at a fraction of the cost of the islands in the West Indies. I presume that there may be a security issue now but I bet there are lots of other long term cruisers who can tell you where the cheaper places are.

As has been pointed out the key is to begin your cruise with your boat in A1 condition and to do maintenance often. The old adage of "a stitch in time saves nine" is nowhere more apt than on a boat.

A good solid anchor and lots and lots of chain will save you hundreds of dollars a month too. The only time I went into a marina I was bitten to bits by mozzies so that proved to me that anchoring was much better - cooler and much safer from a security angle too.

See if you can pick up a copy of Annie Hill's book second hand from Amazon and it will prove to you that you don't need as much money as you might think. I found that my biggest outgoing was on "happy hours" swapping yarns and swinging the lamp at the end of a pleasant day with like minded yachties in some beach bar with your boat at anchor a few yards off the shoreline.

If your nursing course is only two years it might be wise to wait that long as you will have a marketable skill which is sorely lacking in many places on the cruising route. You can even let other yachties know that you are a nurse and you will have instant customers!!

Anyway, whichever decision you make as long as you have the boat and you are not dropping to pieces yourself then your dream is there waiting for you whether its now or in a couple of years time

Good luck with it and fair winds

David

[openseas1960]

For all who have commented I thank you. My home is on the market and I have started looking at boats in sincerity. The E32 didn't pan out as her owner wanted to take her out on one last race and did a bit of damage to her. In talking to a broker friend of mine, he is suggesting a Pearson or Morgan 32 or 34 would be a better built boat for my purposes. So the search is on in earnest and with the proceeds from the sale of the house etc... I CAN DO THIS. My past experiences where on a little Catalina 22 which we owned for a few years and day sailed with some long weekends along the West coast of Florida.

David

[Gallivanters]

<font face="Arial"></font id="Arial">Dave,

There's a well kept Pearson 32 with a FOR SALE sign on it just down the dock from me. The sign has been there for the last three years. The owner has moved to Paris to open a bistro. It's a nice looking boat and he's very motivated...

Contact me at s/vGallivanter@yahoo.com if you'd like me to hook you up.

Kirk

[openseas1960]

Kirk, check your email. I am interested.

David