Doing a search on Craig's List for a boat I didn't find I came across a 26-foot bilge-keeled Westerly (I'm pretty sure it's a Centaur) for $350 which, being an amazing price, seriously caught my attention... For anyone wanting to know the Westerly is in Annapolis.
I have no idea what sort of condition the boat is in but, at $350 it's a killer deal providing it is not underwater.
Of course, some will disagree with me and follow the "you get what you pay for" mindset and assume that a $350 boat could not possibly be worth salvaging and if you did it would cost a silly amount of money to put things right.
That said, there are any number of reasons a boat might be selling for so little that don't involve it being a bad boat...
I know if I happened to be in the vicinity I'd be visiting the boat with cash in hand as fast as my feet would carry me because great deals on boats only go to the fleet of foot.
Just saying.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Monday, December 28, 2015
Everywhere I look...
Just about everywhere I look there are opportunities to get afloat in good boats for not very much...
For instance, today over on Sailboat Listings there's an Alberg 35 project boat with an asking price of $900. While it needs a lot of sweat equity and some money/materials thrown at it, considering that the lead in the keel alone is worth about $5K, that spells a seriously good deal just about anyway you care to look at it.
Well, maybe I should say a good deal for someone who's smart and doesn't just throw money at a project...
Sorta/kinda on the same subject; you really should be watching the Sailing Uma series because they're fixing up a boat with minimal muss, fuss, and a lot of common sense. More importantly, they show just how even major project-killing repairs are really pretty simple and affordable if approached with the right (get out the grinder) attitude...
Definitely worth the time it takes to watch.
For instance, today over on Sailboat Listings there's an Alberg 35 project boat with an asking price of $900. While it needs a lot of sweat equity and some money/materials thrown at it, considering that the lead in the keel alone is worth about $5K, that spells a seriously good deal just about anyway you care to look at it.
Well, maybe I should say a good deal for someone who's smart and doesn't just throw money at a project...
Sorta/kinda on the same subject; you really should be watching the Sailing Uma series because they're fixing up a boat with minimal muss, fuss, and a lot of common sense. More importantly, they show just how even major project-killing repairs are really pretty simple and affordable if approached with the right (get out the grinder) attitude...
Definitely worth the time it takes to watch.
Friday, December 25, 2015
Saturday, December 19, 2015
about shallow draft...
Our CAL 34 has a draft of 4' 8" or thereabouts and a lot of folks might actually think of that as being "shoal draft"...
I don't.
Our last boat, Loose Moose 2, drew a kiss over one foot and the previous Loose Moose only drew one foot (as in 12 inches)...
So, from where I sit, I put real shoal draft as somewhere at three feet or less.
There's a lot to be said for having a real shoal draft boat... For one, providing it was designed by someone who knew what they were doing, it's as safe or safer than their non-shoal draft brethren.
Secondly, it allows you to sail in places that a lot of deeper draft boats find seriously problematic. Just for the record, I happen to find just about anything that lessens the number of problematic things in my life a goodly thing.
But the really wonderful thing for folks cruising on a budget is that it allows you to find spots to anchor or moor for free or cheap in or near places where it's problematic to find free or cheap anchorages or moorage. Throw in the fact that having a shoal draft boat (and some common sense) you can also avoid a lot of costs associated with haulouts and suchlike.
I won't even begin to get into the added bonus of regularly watching bareboats run aground as they try to anchor on top of you....
The downside of real shoal draft is very few production boats have it and, if you want it, you'll more than likely have to build it yourself.
I don't.
Our last boat, Loose Moose 2, drew a kiss over one foot and the previous Loose Moose only drew one foot (as in 12 inches)...
So, from where I sit, I put real shoal draft as somewhere at three feet or less.
There's a lot to be said for having a real shoal draft boat... For one, providing it was designed by someone who knew what they were doing, it's as safe or safer than their non-shoal draft brethren.
Secondly, it allows you to sail in places that a lot of deeper draft boats find seriously problematic. Just for the record, I happen to find just about anything that lessens the number of problematic things in my life a goodly thing.
But the really wonderful thing for folks cruising on a budget is that it allows you to find spots to anchor or moor for free or cheap in or near places where it's problematic to find free or cheap anchorages or moorage. Throw in the fact that having a shoal draft boat (and some common sense) you can also avoid a lot of costs associated with haulouts and suchlike.
I won't even begin to get into the added bonus of regularly watching bareboats run aground as they try to anchor on top of you....
The downside of real shoal draft is very few production boats have it and, if you want it, you'll more than likely have to build it yourself.
 |
| Tad Roberts 28 foot Future Cruiser with eighteen inch draft |
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
A little needful reading for you...
Here's something you really, really need to read.
Really.
Oh yeah, here's a boat you might want to peruse by Gary Underwood...
But more about Shoehorn later.
Really.
Oh yeah, here's a boat you might want to peruse by Gary Underwood...
But more about Shoehorn later.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
on the $1200 stainless steel pulpit thang...
The other day I was watching the "Maritime Lemonade Stand" which is a video series of a guy who plans to sail around the world and support himself selling lemonade...
It's entertaining. Seriously, the guy is funny and brings a whole new take to the dynamic and, as such, it's well worth watching.
It's also quite instructive in the how not to rehab an old boat so, by all means, watch it because it is funny but do try and ignore or learn from the whole throwing money at everything and spending $40K to fix up a boat that, even in pristine shape, should only cost about $15K.
Case in point; he spent $1200 or so to have a new pulpit built.
Very few boats actually need pulpits of any sort...
Well, unless you plan to harpoon swordfish on a regular basis...
My personal preference is to simply have the lifelines dead end at u-bolts on the deck at a 45 degree angle from the foremost stanchion. Works finestkind, strengthens the lifelines, and doesn't cost nearly anything.
It's entertaining. Seriously, the guy is funny and brings a whole new take to the dynamic and, as such, it's well worth watching.
It's also quite instructive in the how not to rehab an old boat so, by all means, watch it because it is funny but do try and ignore or learn from the whole throwing money at everything and spending $40K to fix up a boat that, even in pristine shape, should only cost about $15K.
Case in point; he spent $1200 or so to have a new pulpit built.
Very few boats actually need pulpits of any sort...
Well, unless you plan to harpoon swordfish on a regular basis...
My personal preference is to simply have the lifelines dead end at u-bolts on the deck at a 45 degree angle from the foremost stanchion. Works finestkind, strengthens the lifelines, and doesn't cost nearly anything.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
A voyage of note...
...on a 7.7 meter (25 foot) sailboat.
Small works.
More information about the voyage can be found here.
Friday, December 11, 2015
a VolksCruiser...
All this talk about money and budget, while needful, is just a way to focus your attention on why a VolksCruiser has to have certain qualities to do its job. Getting you where you want to go, keeping you safe, and being a comfortable home in the process while not costing more than you can afford is no easy task. Some might even say an impossible one...
That said, I've never been real fond of the word i-m-p-o-s-s-i-b-l-e...
Let's take a look at some needful attributes.
That said, I've never been real fond of the word i-m-p-o-s-s-i-b-l-e...
Let's take a look at some needful attributes.
A VolksCruiser has to be seaworthy
Hardly a foreign concept where boats are concerned but you'd be surprised how many people equate seaworthiness with what you pay for stuff when they should be looking at the boat rather than the price tag.
A VolksCruiser needs to be big enough but not too big
It's a fact of life that a smaller boat is less expensive to buy, operate, and maintain which is important. Lots of people have circumnavigated quite comfortably/safely in small boats.
A VolksCruiser is simple
Simple, by its very nature, is dependable, affordable, and (since it's simple) should be fixable by a normal person. Sadly, simple is not a word you find very often around boats and marine gear these days, as simple is generally counterproductive to making profits which is something you need to keep in mind at all times.
A VolksCruiser has minimal less-than-needful parts
Actually that statement should really be applied to any cruising boat... If stuff does not earn its keep it really does not belong on any boat. Which does not mean you can't have stuff aboard that pays its way by making your life better (books and musical instruments spring to mind) but, needful stuff is needful and you really do know the difference.
So, here's the thing...
Simple really is simple.
Of course, the human condition does like to complicate even the most simple things and, in today's climate of idiotic consumerism, it's akin to heresy to follow a path of simplicity, logic, and common sense. Which means you might piss some people off so don't be surprised with a few negative comments or irksome behaviour as it's just part of the gig. You can always take comfort in the fact that you, unlike some, don't happen to have your head up your ass...
More on VolksCruiser design and shoal draft soonish.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Something to aspire to in the budget department...
So yeah, about that two pennies a mile maintenance/operating costs...
Let's say you're a person of VolksCruiserish leaning and you want to sail around the world on a budget of, shall we say $750 a month of which $200 is set aside for maintenance/operating costs which, from my experience, is a reasonable amount providing you do your own work and don't have any budgetary black holes on your boat.
Since we're conjuring this all up we'll also say you do your circumnavigation in five-years and you actually sail around 30,000 miles in the process.
That gives us something like 40 cents a mile and, since I'm not exactly known as an overly optimistic person, I'd round that up to a half dollar a mile. Which is less than most would consider prudent but a lot more than I'd like to spend...
So, the question is, how do we get that number down to a more manageable level?
Time to put on your cunning plan hat.
Let's say you're a person of VolksCruiserish leaning and you want to sail around the world on a budget of, shall we say $750 a month of which $200 is set aside for maintenance/operating costs which, from my experience, is a reasonable amount providing you do your own work and don't have any budgetary black holes on your boat.
Since we're conjuring this all up we'll also say you do your circumnavigation in five-years and you actually sail around 30,000 miles in the process.
That gives us something like 40 cents a mile and, since I'm not exactly known as an overly optimistic person, I'd round that up to a half dollar a mile. Which is less than most would consider prudent but a lot more than I'd like to spend...
So, the question is, how do we get that number down to a more manageable level?
Time to put on your cunning plan hat.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
In which we pay homage to a big influence...
Maybe you're old enough to remember this...
Then again, maybe not.
That said, it is worth watching if only to focus your mind on the importance of vehicle choice where budgetary concerns are an important part of the mix. The VW was all about being able to drive on a sustainably small budget... It didn't cost a lot, didn't use much fuel, was easy to maintain, and got you where you wanted to go in a reliable manner.
Boat designers and builders could learn a whole lot from checking out old VW print and video ads on a lot of levels... Since I don't expect them to anytime soon, if you want a sustainable budget cruising sailboat you're just going to have to sort it out yourself and, hopefully just maybe, we'll be able to lend a hand from time to time and help you join the ranks of the two-pennies-a-mile cruising club.
Then again, maybe not.
That said, it is worth watching if only to focus your mind on the importance of vehicle choice where budgetary concerns are an important part of the mix. The VW was all about being able to drive on a sustainably small budget... It didn't cost a lot, didn't use much fuel, was easy to maintain, and got you where you wanted to go in a reliable manner.
Boat designers and builders could learn a whole lot from checking out old VW print and video ads on a lot of levels... Since I don't expect them to anytime soon, if you want a sustainable budget cruising sailboat you're just going to have to sort it out yourself and, hopefully just maybe, we'll be able to lend a hand from time to time and help you join the ranks of the two-pennies-a-mile cruising club.
Friday, December 4, 2015
On how three-months do not a budget make...
This morning a reader sent me a link to a website he said proves that the $500 a month budget is impossible. It's actually a pretty good blog so you might actually want to check it out and bookmark it.
Anyway, the short story is that in their first few months of cruising they've spent more than they cared to (an average of $2930.33) but they're aware their spending is more than they'd like and are putting the brakes on. Which, considering they have a reasonable sized boat (31-feet), should not be all that problematic as long as they can get out of "vacation-mode".
The thing about budgets is that they work on averaging and in the fullness of time things do average out. Everybody spends money like a drunken sailor their first year of cruising, it's just a normal part of the learning process. It takes time to sort out just what works for you, find that groove where you have all your shit in order, and your need/want radar is fully operational.
I'd say the folks on SV Smitty are way ahead of the curve and, I expect, that a year from now their budget will reflect something they are a lot more comfortable with.
Anyway, the short story is that in their first few months of cruising they've spent more than they cared to (an average of $2930.33) but they're aware their spending is more than they'd like and are putting the brakes on. Which, considering they have a reasonable sized boat (31-feet), should not be all that problematic as long as they can get out of "vacation-mode".
The thing about budgets is that they work on averaging and in the fullness of time things do average out. Everybody spends money like a drunken sailor their first year of cruising, it's just a normal part of the learning process. It takes time to sort out just what works for you, find that groove where you have all your shit in order, and your need/want radar is fully operational.
I'd say the folks on SV Smitty are way ahead of the curve and, I expect, that a year from now their budget will reflect something they are a lot more comfortable with.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Spelling out the important stuff and more about the $500-a-month cruising budget...
The joys of a full mailbox! Apparently the $500 a month cruising budget really gets folks all kind of excited....
So, here's the thing whether you have a CAL 20, a Catalina 36, or insert whatever your VolksCruiser of choice happens to be, cruising on $500 a month in a sustainable fashion is going to be really problematic and beyond most people's abilities.
The question is, why are we bothering to talk about a $500 a month budget anyway?
Well, for one, $500 is a nice round number that people can get their head around, secondly since I first started cruising back in the 1970's (jeez that just made me feel ancient) there has always been the perennial question of whether you can cruise on $500 a month topic/argument buzzing away in the background, and lastly, because people still keep asking whether or not they can cruise on $500 a month or not so it's a good place to start...
Oh yeah, I also admit to the fact that the very idea of a $500 a month cruising budget really, really makes a certain kind of person foam at the mouth and just generally messes with their head so I sorta/kinda enjoy the resulting carnage. Call it a guilty pleasure.
The other thing we need to talk about is the difference between living aboard a boat and cruising aboard a boat. You can be a cheapseats live aboard or a cheapseats cruiser but the two are poles apart and completely different animals. For instance, one email in my box this morning complained that the $500 budget was impossible because, where he lives (on a boat I surmise), he regularly spends more than $300 a month on car related expenses (gas/parking/insurance/etc) which is not the sort of expense issues a cruiser has to deal with at all.
Cruising on any budget is generally based on a nomadic mindset following the path of least resistance and advantage. Let me repeat that...
As a rule we tend to prefer to sail to locations that are in a favorable direction (wind and tide being our friend), have a favorable climate (no heating bills!), and, most of us, more often than not, to places where our money goes further. For a cheapseats cruiser, the nomadic mindset needs to be highly attuned to the level of a Jedi Master but they're not really doing anything all that different than other cruisers. Maybe just a bit more intense on the details because they can't afford to slip over to the dark side of unsustainable spending.
Which is why we're talking budgets and as the $500 a month budget is so difficult to attain in a sustainable manner it is also a great teaching tool to see where the money goes and why...
More soon come about how the VolksCruiser factors in to the mix.
So, here's the thing whether you have a CAL 20, a Catalina 36, or insert whatever your VolksCruiser of choice happens to be, cruising on $500 a month in a sustainable fashion is going to be really problematic and beyond most people's abilities.
The question is, why are we bothering to talk about a $500 a month budget anyway?
Well, for one, $500 is a nice round number that people can get their head around, secondly since I first started cruising back in the 1970's (jeez that just made me feel ancient) there has always been the perennial question of whether you can cruise on $500 a month topic/argument buzzing away in the background, and lastly, because people still keep asking whether or not they can cruise on $500 a month or not so it's a good place to start...
Oh yeah, I also admit to the fact that the very idea of a $500 a month cruising budget really, really makes a certain kind of person foam at the mouth and just generally messes with their head so I sorta/kinda enjoy the resulting carnage. Call it a guilty pleasure.
The other thing we need to talk about is the difference between living aboard a boat and cruising aboard a boat. You can be a cheapseats live aboard or a cheapseats cruiser but the two are poles apart and completely different animals. For instance, one email in my box this morning complained that the $500 budget was impossible because, where he lives (on a boat I surmise), he regularly spends more than $300 a month on car related expenses (gas/parking/insurance/etc) which is not the sort of expense issues a cruiser has to deal with at all.
Cruising on any budget is generally based on a nomadic mindset following the path of least resistance and advantage. Let me repeat that...
a nomadic mindset following the path of least resistance and advantage
As a rule we tend to prefer to sail to locations that are in a favorable direction (wind and tide being our friend), have a favorable climate (no heating bills!), and, most of us, more often than not, to places where our money goes further. For a cheapseats cruiser, the nomadic mindset needs to be highly attuned to the level of a Jedi Master but they're not really doing anything all that different than other cruisers. Maybe just a bit more intense on the details because they can't afford to slip over to the dark side of unsustainable spending.
Which is why we're talking budgets and as the $500 a month budget is so difficult to attain in a sustainable manner it is also a great teaching tool to see where the money goes and why...
More soon come about how the VolksCruiser factors in to the mix.