Whether it’s building a boat, refitting a fixer-upper, or actually cruising, the bottom line is always going to be what you can or can’t afford. As much as we might prefer otherwise, the bottom line is always going to be with us. Living in a consumerist society is problematic where budgets are concerned. After all, …
So it’s 2023 and a new year. For some of us, it comes with some musing over the state of things. As far as sailing and cruising goes, my musings seemed to be along the lines of that Dickens quote and I spent a couple of hours thinking about the good/bad reality after the ball …
Sure, I know that there’s a helluva lot of peer pressure to adhere to consumerist dogma but, just for a moment think about what you can afford rather than what you think others will opine on what you need to spend to be accepted. I see a lot of folks selling the idea that “price …
One problem most all cruisers at any budget level find is that their first year of cruising costs a lot more than they expect to spend. Sadly, I speak from experience and in our first year of full time cruising; we spent money like the proverbial drunken sailors on steroids. It doesn’t make it any …
Budgets are just a tool for organizing and taking control of your spending. A very simple budget that works is the 50/30/20 budget. So simplistic that, you might be inclined to go with something more complicated. That said, give it a try and you’ll find it does the job just fine. It works like this. …
So, here’s the big question… What can you afford? It doesn’t really matter what you think it costs, what other people are spending, or the relative price of tea in China. It’s all about what you can afford in the long run. Let’s take a number out of a hat… $18,310. $18,310. is the current …
Now, a lot of folks will tell you it costs whatever you have, while others will say that it depends. The fact is that both answers really piss me off and it really bothers me to have to admit that they are correct in a kind of way. A lot of folks spend all they …
There’s a Beneteau 235 for sale here that caught my attention and got me thinking about what a great little cruising boat it would make. Now as far as French production boats go, I’ve never been a huge fan of the Beneteau boats preferring the Jeanneau designs back in the pre-conglomerate days. I expect …
So, here’s the ongoing question most of us are trying to deal with: what is the most needed attribute for successful, low-budget cruising or building/refitting a boat? Is it your sailing ability? The ability to make a perfect dovetail? Having the right gear? Enough money? Maybe the correct answer is none of the above, and …
“Ninety percent of everything is crap” -Theodore Sturgeon Back when I had the great good fortune to actually meet Theodore Sturgeon and get to talk with him on a semi-regular basis I considered Sturgeon’s Law to be somewhat cynical. Now, almost fifty years later I’ve come to the conclusion that Mr Sturgeon was actually …
