Offshore Cruising
We are frequently asked how much it costs to go cruising. The answer is that it costs whatever you’re willing to spend.
It’s fair to say that if you eat out five times a week ashore in the US, or bring home pizza or Chinese daily, you’re not going to become a self-sufficient and imaginative chef the minute you go cruising. Likewise, if your home ashore looks like it was just struck by a hurricane, your boat is likely to take on the same aspect. For the average middle-class, middle-aged couple used to a moderate level of comfort, the cost of cruising will be not that much different from the cost of life ashore.
Some aspects of long-range cruising are cheaper than life ashore, some are more costly. Boat insurance for doublehanded offshore cruising costs about 50% more than similar coverage for coastal sailing. Hauling out might at first seem cheaper in a foreign port, but flying a new set of fuel injectors and an injection pump into Panama may set you back the full difference and then some.
Marina space is almost always cheaper once you leave US waters. Two nights in an expensive Ft. Lauderdale marina can cost more than a week in Singapore’s upscale Raffles Marina. (Raffles featured air-conditioned marble bathrooms and fitness center, a nice swimming pool, and a free fancy Chinese dinner weekly for cruisers.)
And the list goes on and on. Can you do without some of the stuff on your list? Sure. Even so, it’s probably going to cost more than you think it will.
For more tips and details on cruising offshore, purchase Beth Leonards book The Voyagers Handbook today!
