Cost of Cruising 2015

56 Responses

1. 

   Russ Murphy May 7, 2015 at 10:59 am

   From Pentwater MI, you are living right and on a budget!!!

2. 

   Livia May 7, 2015 at 3:35 pm

   Just added this to my cost of cruising list. Great data, thanks!

   http://thegiddyupplan.blogspot.com/2011/04/cost-of-cruising.html

3. 

   Parrot May 8, 2015 at 9:15 am

   I don’t see customs charges on here anywhere?

4. 

   JessicaAuthor May 8, 2015 at 9:31 am

   Those get placed in ‘Other’. St Martin was about $17 to check in. For the BVI’s we paid $15 to check in and $0.75 to check out.

5. 

   anne May 21, 2015 at 12:07 pm

   Crazy question. How do people like yourself meet singles with cruising interests? I am bored with an 18 ft Sea Ray. I wish to see the Islands with fun adventurous friends.

6. 

   JessicaAuthor May 21, 2015 at 2:23 pm

   Anne, I wish I knew so I could tell you! I guess I’ll give the same advice that I gave to another guy looking for a fun adventurous partner to go cruising with…maybe hang out at some hostels in Central/South America and find someone who’s interested in starting a new kind of adventure. 🙂

7. 

   Tracie Boyd June 3, 2015 at 6:21 pm

   Wow Im sure this has been asked before but what are you eating for it to be so low? I think I need to change our diets. Lol

   Thanks for sharing

   The Southern Gypsy
   http://sailingsagasea.blogspot.mx/?m=1

8. 

   JessicaAuthor June 3, 2015 at 9:36 pm

   It’s the alcohol budget! Matt is pretty much a non drinker and I keep it low key (most of the time), so our grocery bills are never very high. Plus we eat lots of cereal and sandwiches. 🙂

9. 

   Mike June 24, 2015 at 10:42 am

   I am thoroughly impressed! Kudos to you two! I recently came across a news article about your travels, which led me to your blog. I’ve been sitting here at work reading it and taking it all in. That is simply awesome in my book.

   I had planned to travel when I retire from the military which will be soon, very soon indeed. But, I never thought about sailing to the various locations like you two have done. I am now intrigued and very much interested. I grew up on boats as a teenager in North Mrytle Beach, SC. Your average monthly budget seems to be well under $2K. With my retirement and me selling everything, I am certain I can manage at $2500 a month; less than $2k a month is even better.

   Thanks for sharing…you have inspired me!

   Mike

10. 

    James June 24, 2015 at 12:16 pm

    I just want to thank you both. You are living the dream of myself as well as so many others, and this blog provides a forum for us to live vicariously through your adventures! My neighbor has a Pacific Seacraft (32, I believe) that we have gone out on a few times. But, that is about the extent of my sailing knowledge and experience. But checking in on you guys keeps me optimistic and hopeful that one day my wife and I will be able to do the same thing. Enjoy!!!

11. 

    Ashley June 24, 2015 at 4:09 pm

    I am seriously considering this lifestyle. Enjoy life while it’s still yours! Okay, I might need to start planning this… 1st things 1st, money & a boat!

12. 

    KK June 24, 2015 at 7:47 pm

    Hi, very interesting adventure you guys going into. Do you use any software alike to maintain daily expenses? I am using goodbudget.com . It helps. Good luck to you, and may God bless you protect you.

13. 

    JessicaAuthor June 24, 2015 at 9:48 pm

    @ KK – Currently I just use a spreadsheet I put together myself in Excel, but I should look in to more options!

14. 

    Brian June 24, 2015 at 10:18 pm

    Quick question for you. I don’t see health insurance on your list of costs. Also, you didn’t list a satalite phone, common amongst trans ocean sailors. Do you have neither of these? Lastly, it would be very helpful to break down your budget in greater detail. Lastly, can you break down your initial start up costs, and financial baseline, i.e. what you started with, what your drawdown rate is, how long you can travel with what you started with, etc. that would be VERY helpful to your followers like myself. Check out the travel blog Go Curry Cracker, they actually show their tax returns and provide financial tips on how to get from the couch to traveling. Thanks, love your blog!

15. 

    JessicaAuthor June 25, 2015 at 11:44 am

    Brian, we do not have health insurance which is why you have not found it on the breakdown at all, and I think the satellite phone was listed in our initial start up costs, a page I had taken down for a bit but have been meaning to put back up. I would like to eventually get the cost into more of a detailed breakdown but hadn’t been sure before on how to list all categories of spending as it’s not as coming for people doing what we’re doing to list their monthly/yearly costs. Thanks for the referral to Go Curry Cracker, I’ll have to take a look at them.

16. 

    Chris Nijhuis June 25, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    Hi there Matt and Jessica.
    Leaving home from family and friends is when you decided to go on a seajourney.
    For how man yard is Your planning.
    I remember a young coupe who travelled by car around the world and meanwhile there were 3, i think, kids born. Funny.
    I wish you a good and save journey.
    Greetings from the Netherlands, Chris

17. 

    Steve Peacock June 25, 2015 at 7:59 pm

    i ran across a story about your adventure this afternoon. I too was in the automobile for 38 years. Was the General Manager of multiple dealership most of that time until I stopped working in 2009. I was fortunate to have traveled to many wonderful places all over the world where many were remote and adventurous. I find your blog fascinating as it gives a great insight that many people will never get. Travel, live your life, enjoy your life and experience it. I wish you both the best and looking forward to reading more. God bless and safe travel.

18. 

    Marco June 26, 2015 at 7:15 am

    Hi Matt & Jessica, I write you from Milan (Italy). Your sailing boat is very beautiful and your journey is fabulous.
    Furthermore you have a nice cat. My wife and me love so much cats, sea and sailing boat then we admire your adventure. We think it’s no easy dump everything and go away by the sea! Congratulations on your adventure and about your suggestions. We hope to continue to the best of your trip. Caresses to your cat! (What’s its name?)
    Thanks for letting us dream. 🙂
    Our best wishes and best regards.
    Good wind for ever and ever.
    Ciaoooooo!
    Marco e Gabriella

19. 

    Ruby June 27, 2015 at 7:45 am

    I too lived in Michigan Petoskey area. I think it is awesome to see young folks taking an adventure ~ good for you two. Were do you hail port now? We have a 38ft Hunter Cherubini in Green Cove Springs FL> ETA on our adventure~ 6 years and counting down…LOL Retirement.
    Best Wishes.
    Ruby

20. 

    Great Couple June 27, 2015 at 8:00 am

    Dear Matt and Jessica,
    this was and still is my dream: unfortunately I havent the courage to start like you.
    your experience is fantastic and will remain forever in your mind.
    come in Europe (Mediterrean sea ) there are 1000 beautiful and interesting location to visit.
    Maurizio

21. 

    Tony June 27, 2015 at 8:06 am

    Très intéressant de vous lire ! Did you learn other languages while sailing ?

22. 

    Cory June 27, 2015 at 2:03 pm

    So jealous of your life. Was hoping it would be us when we retired. Maybe not cruise the world but surely travel the Great Loop and more, staying longer in places that interested us. Then, even before retirement, arthritis started claiming the abilities of both of us. Not just enough to make things uncomfortable but eventually robbing us of the ability to climb ladders, work in the bilge, manipulate a screwdriver. All things of absolute necessity to keep the boat afloat without massive amounts of assistance and money.

    My saddest day came two years after retirement when we sold our baby. Gone were the nights rocking to sleep with the soft lapping sounds on the hull, waking to the sound of birds and views of a gorgeous sunrise while wrapped in a quilt to ward off the chill, sitting on the bridge with a cocktail and staring off to the horizon while dreaming of a new adventure in the next port. Not only could we not sail the world. We couldn’t even manage to stay at the dock.

    Today, three years later, I miss what we could have been doing right now. I live vicariously through people like you, reading every blog, every ship’s log entry, to experience the thrills, the scares, the triumphs and the peace that you enjoy. Instead of outfitting the boat for the next voyage, I’m finding new ways to transport wheelchairs and rollators so that we may DRIVE to our next adventure. We haven’t lost the spirit or desire to travel and explore. We have just had to be more realistic in how we are going to get there. And if these adventures keep us close to the water, maybe we haven’t lost ALL of what we had hoped for.

    So please keep sailing until YOU decide you’ve done all you wanted, been everywhere you’ve dreamed, experiencing all there is to experience.

    And don’t stop writing, sharing. We’ll be right there with you. Thank you.

23. 

    JessicaAuthor June 27, 2015 at 10:24 pm

    Tony, I have learned enough Spanish to get by, but I wouldn’t say I’m fluent.

24. 

    Jacquie June 29, 2015 at 10:37 pm

    Love your passion to live life to the fullest, wish I did not get sea sick, I love swimming and the water, but the ferries or small boat’s on a lake will do me in for the day. I will live thru your blogs. Enjoy

25. 

    Travis June 29, 2015 at 10:43 pm

    Hey very nice website. My fiance and I will be cruising here in about 2.5 years (I’ve got to finish college first -and I’m getting the GI Bill so I’m not incurring student debt). I was wondering two big things; first how much savings did you guys start out with? We were thinking of trying to get somewhere in the vacinity of 50-60k$. Also do you guys have any kind of risidual income? Or a way of making money while cruising? This is our biggest obstacle because we want to cruise for a very very long time and we believe that the 50-60$k will get us about 5 years of sailing. So we are looking for a way to make money from home. Everyone’s situation is different, but if you could give us some perspective that would be great!

    Thanks again for any insight!:)

26. 

    JB June 30, 2015 at 8:47 am

    Great to see you now seem to have a handle on expenses. Maybe it might be time to go see the world? Other than the one crossing to Portugal you seem to be wasting a lot of time in stinky Florida 🙂

27. 

    Bart Divanov June 30, 2015 at 6:24 pm

    Hi Jessica,

    Would it be possible to specify how many days you were at see and how many days you stayed at the marina for each month? For example, for February, the marina/dockage fee was zero – does this mean you were at sea or the dock was free?

    Thanks you!

    Bart

28. 

    JessicaAuthor June 30, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    Bart, I’ll try to start integrating that. February was a combination of anchoring and passages which is why we did not have any fees for marina/dockage.

29. 

    JessicaAuthor June 30, 2015 at 8:25 pm

    JB, we can never seem to get out of here, the universe keeps bringing us back!! One of our future goals is to go a full year without spending time in FL, haha. Just to see if we can do it.

30. 

    JessicaAuthor June 30, 2015 at 8:28 pm

    Travis, I’m so happy to hear that you’ll be out cruising shortly as well. While we like to keep our initial savings when we left to ourselves, we had planned on spending approximately $20,000/year. Luckily we’ve been lower than that most of the time which is helping to us extend the amount of time we’re able to cruise. It varies from person to person on what you’ll spend while out there, but we try to keep our costs low by anchoring as much as possible, rarely going out to bars or restaurants, and searching for good deals while grocery shopping. Things like picking pork over chicken because maybe it is cheaper in that location. Best wishes and fair winds!

31. 

    Bart Divanov July 6, 2015 at 11:24 am

    Jessica, when you anchor, how far do you stay from the land? Do you go on the land, if so, how? I see in some months you have insurance, and in some months – not. Why is that? Do they allow insurance for certain months only?

    Also how secure the places you visited? Are you afraid of robbers or other unwelcome guests?
    Thanks!

32. 

    Jaroslav July 7, 2015 at 5:28 am

    Hi Matt & Jessica. Imagine, on the server seznam.cz in the Czech Republic
    was an article about you last week, about buying your boat, preparing, cruise and all costs.
    Greetings from the Czech Rep to Indiantown, FL and wish good voyage!
    Jaroslav

33. 

    Ruth July 9, 2015 at 12:48 am

    Hi, Jessica,
    I came across an article about what you are doing. I think it is fantastic. I’ve always admired the adventurerers, people like yourselves who have sold everything in order to sail around the world. Last Nov. I sold my house and 90% of what I own and moved into an apartment in order to be freer to do some of my own “adventuring.” One of my lifelong desires is to learn to sail, and….to meet (an older) someone who also wants to sail. Ha!…. Maybe you know how I can do this (the meeting someone part 😊). I look forward to seeing you on the Today Show tomorrow, July 9.
    Ruth

34. 

    Carol July 9, 2015 at 8:19 pm

    Saw your story this morning and can’t believe the timing. Putting the finishing touches on my house before it goes on the market on the 18th. Divorced, last kid just graduated, money in the bank. It’s time for me. Who knows what is in store???? So excited that I can hardly sleep! Starting a whole new life at 50!!!

35. 

    Bart Divanov July 12, 2015 at 11:57 am

    Hey Carol, same here, let’s travel together! 😉

36. 

    Roxanne August 3, 2015 at 1:46 pm

    Where would you suggest looking for a boat to buy? We are looking for something that is not crazy expensive but that also doesn’t need to be torn apart and re-done………. if thats even a thing lol

37. 

    mickey wood August 8, 2015 at 11:30 am

    Wow! Ran across your article and looked up your blog and it is inspiring. I am planning to buy a boat in 2018 and so very much want to start in the Americas. It is wonderful to read abut your adventure.

38. 

    JessicaAuthor August 8, 2015 at 4:31 pm

    Roxanne, where are you looking to buy? If it’s in the US we’ve found that Yacht World online is a good place to search and gives lots of information, but we’ve found a lot of people list their boat on Craig’s List as well. You should be able to find decently cheap boats that don’t need a complete overhaul, but maybe a few months of work.

39. 

    JessicaAuthor August 8, 2015 at 4:33 pm

    Mickey, congratulations on your plan to cruise! If you come to South Florida there are tons of boats for sale and it’s a great spot to start cruising since you have the Eastern Seaboard and the Bahamas right at your fingertips.

40. 

    Susanne August 13, 2015 at 10:11 am

    Dear Jessica,
    it feels so great to read your adventure!
    How much sailing experience did you have before going on your world trip? I would sure be a little scared starting to cross a real ocean.
    Best, Susanne

41. 

    JessicaAuthor August 13, 2015 at 10:40 am

    Hi Susanne! We had 4 years practice of sailing on Lake Michigan before we left. Then it was small hops down the East Coast and in the Bahamas. We did a few 200-400 mile trips in the Caribbean before leaving on our ocean crossing.

42. 

    Sam September 1, 2015 at 8:55 am

    You two must be seeing quite the sights. I don’t know if this has been asked already but what about when you two need to earn a little money? I’ve seen stories about adventurers (hitchhikers, really) who have to take on rather dirty cleaning work to earn up enough money to move on. What do you guys do?

43. 

    JessicaAuthor September 1, 2015 at 9:35 pm

    Sam, so far we have not had to stop to earn money. We saved up enough before we left to last us 4-5 years, but since we try to live so cheaply (anchoring instead of going to a marina and making meals on the boat instead of going out to eat), we’re hoping to extend that money another few years.

44. 

    Bruce September 23, 2015 at 6:25 pm

    Dear Jessica,
    My wife and I are working on our retirement plans which are one to two years away. Because we are working on them now in a sense we are already retiring. My dream, which my wife currently does not fully embrace but does to a degree, is to do what you and your husband are doing. We have not put off this dream though as we have had a full life working at interesting jobs, owning our own business, and raising three lovely daughters. No regrets. Currently we are shopping for an appropriate vessel which is capable of being lived aboard and taking us anywhere in the world we’d like to in the event my wife decides that she is game. Being in our sixties we are looking at vessels in the 40-45 foot size range which are ready to go. I want to spend little or no time restoring. Researching types, sizes, capacities, and conditions is extremely interesting to me. If we were younger I think we’d find ourselves in a boat similar to the one you two chose. I have enjoyed your posts where maintainence work is being done by you two as I am handy both with wood, electrical, and mechanical systems. When I see you doing that type of work I feel like it would be heavenly for me.

    The financial tracking is extremely interesting. To see both the trends and where the greatest outlays are is informative. It is interesting to note that while you are at sea expenses seem quite small. The hammer seems to drop whenever you are in port for a month or more. Figuring out how we manage that issue will be an intersting dance. It you have suggestions in the future I’d be most interested to see posts on that subject. Lacking health insurance for us would be a no starter. One of the signs of aging is you develop close personal relationships with your healthcare provider. I don’t think I could name my doctor before I turned 45. So, we’ll have expenses you don’t though I have a suspicion that if you are in some underdeveloped country and need help an insurance card won’t be of much use. Perhaps that is your theory. I’d be interested to know your thoughts on this matter.

    I’ve bookmarked your website and will continue to follow for as long as you keep at it. Your choices make me smile. I hope some day to take that smile and beam it out to sea from the cockpit of my own little ship.

45. 

    Kevin Raymond September 25, 2015 at 5:51 pm

    I have enjoyed reading your blog and felt like sharing some encouragement and empathy. I built our family boat here in Florida, and seeing your project pictures reminds me of the heat, the never ending sweat and the heat! For me, it was definitely worth the effort. I am sure it will be for you two also, but it may not feel like it right now. Also, it used to amaze me how much I could get done in the Florida winter. Drier, cooler days still light enough, long enough. Your “Wow, look how much we have accomplished!” time is right around the corner. Fair Winds!

46. 

    JessicaAuthor September 27, 2015 at 9:06 am

    Kevin, you are so incredibly right about the heat here in the summer! Everyone told us how bad it was but we didn’t realize it until August was upon us and we were getting nothing done. Things have started to cool down just enough that we’re starting to tell a difference, but we’re really looking forward to late fall and winter. I can’t wait to whip out a bunch of projects without sweating to death. Thanks for the encouragement! 🙂

47. 

    Gunther May 25, 2016 at 11:38 am

    Wer are you now?

48. 

    JessicaAuthor May 26, 2016 at 9:53 pm

    We are in Indiantown, Florida, rebuilding a boat.

49. 

    Natalia June 18, 2016 at 12:36 am

    Hello, are you still in Florida? If yes me and my husband would like to take a couple of sailing lessons. Please let me know

50. 

    JessicaAuthor June 18, 2016 at 8:27 pm

    Yes, we are still in Florida, but at the moment we are renovating a boat that is not ready for the water. 🙁