tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post3778398595193946285..comments2023-12-30T01:25:41.427-04:00Comments on Things we did today...: How Much DOES Cruising Cost?Tammy Swarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06779759048984133676noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-42808734926966518812015-01-08T14:23:27.264-04:002015-01-08T14:23:27.264-04:00Oh you're welcome Tom, glad to have readers fo...Oh you're welcome Tom, glad to have readers for the stuff... I'm hoping that we can do better on next year's expenses but it already looks like we won't... Boats just want you to be poor! The more stuff you have, the more stuff you get to fix in strange places... Welcome to Cruising! We are glad to help.Tammy Swarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06779759048984133676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-34486867496239903892015-01-02T18:28:19.444-04:002015-01-02T18:28:19.444-04:00Just a quick "thanks" for the post. The...Just a quick "thanks" for the post. The cost of cruising is difficult to estimate and this really helps. And... its current. Some of the other ones I have seen are a bit dated. <br /><br />I plan to be in the Bahamas in 2016. Maybe we'll catch up for '5 o'clock" somewhere.<br /><br />TomTomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05255656436133583011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-53553378303739196142014-12-26T11:37:48.900-04:002014-12-26T11:37:48.900-04:00Hey thanks for your reading and commenting! I'...Hey thanks for your reading and commenting! I'm adding your blog to my list to follow and look forward to hearing your story. Boat bits do add up when every time you go to West Marine (which is often) you walk out with a bag full of $50 to $300 worth of tidbits. <br /><br />Sounds like you are on your way to getting there. It seems like a long time from there to here, but time goes fast when you've got a plan and are ticking things off. Get the biggies off the list while you still have jobs! <br /><br />We knew that our previous boat would be too small (for me) but lots of people cruise on smaller boats and with far fewer expenses than we do. You have to know yourselves and what is important to the both of you. We do love our boat though and admit that our last boat would not have provided the life we live and enjoy. But it could have been done (not really).... <br /><br />Thanks for hanging out! Reading blog posts by successful cruisers is what got me here! I hope we can do the same for you!Tammy Swarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06779759048984133676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-47906541462449092652014-12-26T10:54:48.611-04:002014-12-26T10:54:48.611-04:00Hi Tammy, Great post. This kind of information is ...Hi Tammy, Great post. This kind of information is great for newbie’s like us. Deb and I have been it the planning stages for 3 years. We have a three stage plan.<br />Stage one” 2 year goal”: was to leave the land-lock City of Metro Atlanta Ga and move to the coast, Buy a boat and learn how to sail. Put 1,000 miles under the keel. READ READ READ. This Stage is successfully completed! Except for the sailed miles we only sailed 450 miles due to haulout and bottom work that would be required.<br />Stage two:” 5 year goal” was to spend three years learning how to sail real good and refit the boat for coastal cruising. Spend weekend’s gunk-holing and doing some chartering in the BVI. Most importantly we will sail. Our goal was 1,500 miles per year. This was not met on it a lot harder to untie the lines than imagined. There is all sorts of reasons no to go sailing for the day or the weekend. Next we will discern if the boat we have will be big enough to suit us. It’s a 1981 C&C30 MK1. Length 30 Beam 10 draws 5 feet. A 30 footer is a small boat yet she is heavy and very capable and stable. She is time tested and one just like her has even been across the Atlantic. However the space is very small? I want my wife to be happy. READ READ READ.<br />Stage 3: Quit our corporate jobs and do internet work where we can run web sites from a good “port wi-Fi” from the boat. We will begin to move on the boat and store or sell the furniture. We will rent the house out. My daughter and son-inlaw live close and will drop in on problems and check on the property for us while we are away. Our hope is to do a 5 to 7 year cruise depending on health and wealth. <br />We are both 51 this year and hope to untie the lines in the fall 2018 or Spring 2019. The boat is paid for I have spent 3 years working on her getting her back up to snuff; however she is still needing a few thousand dollars in up- grades. Here are the 4 big ticket items still needed: Hot water, Solar panels, SSb for weather fax and radar, new dinghy. <br />Hearing your story gives me hope. You had over 16 thousand just in the boat bits. I only spent $2,500 for the boat and 8,000 for the up fit, with another 5 thousand to go. I should do well. As long as the boat don’t prove too small for her? Thanks again so much for your post . Good luck of your adventure. Life is Good.<br />http://eastcostlady.blogspot.com/2014_03_09_archive.html<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06776044794133023424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-41023219815171123982014-12-18T06:11:02.295-04:002014-12-18T06:11:02.295-04:00That sounds too much like my old JOB!!! I don'...That sounds too much like my old JOB!!! I don't think I need that much accuracy... But it does speak to the perfectionist side of me that I am trying to squelch! Oh, and paying attention doesn't seem to help... the boat wants what it wants!Tammy Swarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06779759048984133676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-87950330431621343552014-12-17T05:49:29.469-04:002014-12-17T05:49:29.469-04:00Cruising life is fun, but it's also a lot of w...Cruising life is fun, but it's also a lot of work. Bruce and I committed to this many years ago and began working towards it financially. We paid off all of our debt and stopped buying things that did not further this dream. <br /><br />We put a lot of our income into getting the boat and making it ready while I still worked. We were also saving during that time. After we made the final decision to go, we even stopped all Christmas spending! That was a MAJOR deal for our family and shows how determined and committed we were.<br /><br />Once I stopped working, of course my own income stopped. I am not of official retirement age, but Bruce is. We live on his retirement. I'm sure that doesn't help you much if you're looking for a way to get here, but there are plenty of people out here working still while cruising or cruising part time. I'm not sure I would have the self discipline to make that work. <br /><br />Good luck Lisa and THANK YOU for reading our blog and for your comment! Tammy Swarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06779759048984133676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-52291367927319210912014-12-16T13:37:23.187-04:002014-12-16T13:37:23.187-04:00Hi! Sounds like cruising is so much fun! Thank you...Hi! Sounds like cruising is so much fun! Thank you for sharing your numbers. I'm would like to move to a traveling lifestyle when boys graduate from school. May I ask how you create income for yourselves as you travel? Love your blog thanks again for sharing! Take care Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09549417778154102445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-87535327285270874922014-12-12T14:05:12.728-04:002014-12-12T14:05:12.728-04:00Thanks for posting! I use Quickbooks to capture re...Thanks for posting! I use Quickbooks to capture receipts with my phone and split the bill into several categories so I have better accuracy. $65 on Amazon. so far I'm liking the software cause I can see my rentals, investments and breakdown of expenses better. I'm sure next year will be much better especially since you are paying attention!The Green Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04191942538972478206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-23456093636225301462014-12-09T06:33:46.081-04:002014-12-09T06:33:46.081-04:00I just wish there was a better way to allocate the...I just wish there was a better way to allocate the grocery store items without spending my entire life doing that! It would be fund to know how much the cats cost us in total. Most of their supplies are bought at the grocery store and included in that bill. Thanks for posting... and for reading!Tammy Swarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06779759048984133676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-41911252686079488112014-12-09T06:32:38.909-04:002014-12-09T06:32:38.909-04:00Ahh another one's caught the Cruising Bug! Co...Ahh another one's caught the Cruising Bug! Come on in... the water is fine! Thanks for posting Barb!Tammy Swarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06779759048984133676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-19907082057307678532014-12-09T06:31:40.783-04:002014-12-09T06:31:40.783-04:00There are so many variables, ways we could cut bac...There are so many variables, ways we could cut back... This first year we had no idea what to expect. I'm hoping that we can use this to do some things differently. Thanks for hanging out and for your comment!Tammy Swarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06779759048984133676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-76175938395586358592014-12-09T06:30:26.744-04:002014-12-09T06:30:26.744-04:00They aren't perfect but I'm Cruising... I ...They aren't perfect but I'm Cruising... I shouldn't be spending my days crunching numbers anymore! Thanks for reading the blog and for posting a comment!<br />Tammy Swarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06779759048984133676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-38928828341980773502014-12-08T18:55:43.032-04:002014-12-08T18:55:43.032-04:00Great post! It is always useful to see where the f...Great post! It is always useful to see where the funds go to.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10654290512610728603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-39665772552101774692014-12-08T16:18:54.689-04:002014-12-08T16:18:54.689-04:00Thanks for sharing Tammy! See you in 2016 in the ...Thanks for sharing Tammy! See you in 2016 in the Bahamas !!Admiral Barbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10521660519550787568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-73017820337671962122014-12-08T12:27:23.200-04:002014-12-08T12:27:23.200-04:00Thanks for sharing! It is so helpful to be able to...Thanks for sharing! It is so helpful to be able to see what it actually costs people to go cruising!The Cynical Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11047491682363507834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5377250274517734866.post-85731751411877414812014-12-08T12:05:56.263-04:002014-12-08T12:05:56.263-04:00Thank you for posting actual numbers! We have all...Thank you for posting actual numbers! We have all heard and said the whole "Everything you have" answer repeatedly but rarely does someone actually give us their numbers. Vickeynoreply@blogger.com