Someone who is not your friend...

Part of the problem of navigating life in a consumerist society is that, pretty much, everyone selling you something is only in it for the profit. That said, there's nothing wrong with making a profit because, by and large, profit within reason is a good thing.

Where it gets nuts is when profits exceed fair & reasonable, and start looking a whole lot like gouging or theft.

Here's an example I happened across yesterday while trying to buy some anti-fouling for my dinghy as there didn't seem to be what I wanted on island.

Pettit SR21 is a hard anti-fouling that makes sense for a hard dinghy as it has a thin film, it's easy/quick to apply, and it's hard so scrubbing is non-problematic. Normally it's a bit too expensive for my tastes as it retails for $69.99 a quart but West Marine currently has it on sale for $35.88 so I said to myself  "That's what I want".

Of course, as it turned out, WM won't ship it to me because I'm in a non-incorporated territory and it appears that the powers that be at WM don't realize we are part of the US of A. Perhaps we could have shipped it with our freight forwarder but as that adds another $20-$30 to the transaction it makes it more than what I want to spend.

And, yes, dear reader, I'm frugal/cheap.

Anyway, since I now had an overwhelming desire to put some SR21 on the bottom of my dinghy, I started looking further afield with no luck until I got to eBay...

eBay is a rather interesting place and I used to buy quite a bit of film stuff, marine gear, and musical instruments from eBay sellers but do it less these days as it seems to be mostly greed-head dealers selling stuff for more than it's worth.

But, as it happens, there was a guy selling SR21 and he'd even ship it to me. Sounds good until you do the math...

$139.88 + $19.99 = $159.87

That's for one quart of anti-fouling that is supposed to retail for $69.99 and it's as far from a fair or reasonable price as you can get without it becoming armed robbery.

Sadly, just about every time I've gone to eBay in the last couple of years this sort of thing appears to be the norm rather than the exception where boat stuff is concerned. 

It's important to remember that marine trades are seldom your friend and if you're lucky enough to have found one who is, cherish it like you would a Unicorn. Far too many people looking for boat gear consider that the prices are going to be better than some marine vendor like West Marine whose economic pressure on the industry and consumers is both controlling as well as dastardly. However, even they don't measure up to the ripoff artists who inhabit eBay. The bottom line is that eBay is not your friend and should be treated with suspicion and do your homework before going there in search of deals.

Just sayin'...

Why Mr Zip's your friend...

I've bought quite a lot of metal stock from Online Metals. Nothing big but over the years I've spent quite a lot of money with them on a variety of boat projects. 

Which is why yesterday, when I saw that I needed a couple of feet of 2" aluminum angle for a mast project. I got online, opened my account, and with credit card at the ready proceeded to buy the needful. They had what I wanted (two 12-inch pieces of said aluminum angle) that cost $23.54 which was a little bit high in my opinion. That said, the cost was not all that bad so I stuck it in the cart and prepared to close the deal.

The next thing I see is that they're charging me $163.00 to ship a pound of aluminum to me down here in America's paradise.

Seriously, WTF?

So, I called them and pointed out that in the past they'd sent small packages via USPS for a reasonable cost. I also mentioned that the two 12" pieces of aluminum would fit quite nicely in a flat rate box or envelope.

Nope they said, metal is heavy and we no longer ship anything via USPS and $165 was what I had to pay.

Which is wrong on a lot of levels but what bothers me the most is the lady on the phone assumed I was stupid enough to pay $163 to get something worth $23.50 which would be insane.

The really scary part is that I commonly see cruisers with blogs bitching that they had to pay silly money to get stuff shipped to them. The worst example was a guy complaining that he'd paid over $100 for two O-rings that would have cost a buck from a hardware store but since he bought them from a marine supplier for $21, he wound up with the most expensive O-rings the world has ever seen. So, yeah, I guess there are enough people out there willing to be fleeced that it is now SOP for companies to do this sort of fuckery.

I then spent five minutes online to find a metal company willing to send via USPS and came across Speedy Metals which sold me the same metal for $16 which was cheaper than their online price (I've made a note to call them in the future rather than buy online) and more importantly $7.50 less than Online Metals. The real savings, of course, is not having to pay that $163 UPS shipping charge.

I'll just mention that FedEx and UPS are not only stupid expensive for getting stuff down here but they are, more often than not, slower than the USPS as well.

Mr Zip rocks!

Anyway, since I'm not insane and can do basic math I won't ever use Online Metals ever again.

Need I say more?

a plastic water bottle and a boat...

The other day I found myself listening to someone going on about their stainless steel bespoke water bottle as a must have for the cruising sailor. I was not impressed.

The argument that an expensive water bottle is good for the environment is somewhat dubious in that its fabrication requires energy which is, more often not, provided by fossil fuels so not exactly as green as we'd like. Worse in fact, because do you really think someone who requires a designer water bottle is going to drink water from the tap?

Some years ago at a charter yacht show the organizers provided show attendees with "green" reusable plastic water bottles because there had been some complaints about using single serve water bottles. Of course, I found the fact that they were filling the reusable water bottles from single use disposable water bottles sorta/kinda defeated the whole purpose of the exercise.

I'll add another point regarding the bespoke designer stainless steel water bottles and say that the person hyping them had an affiliate link so was making money on any that were sold. It's just another link in the chain selling you stuff you don't need for a profit.

My choice of water bottle is reused soft drink bottles. I've mostly kicked my soft drink habit but still, from time to time, have a bottle of ginger ale. Being loathe to throw plastic away to go into landfill for like forever, I'll save it and reuse it as a water bottle. Aboard "So It Goes" we keep a dozen or so water bottle of this ilk and they're a much more green solution then that bespoke designer stainless steel water bottle.

They're also, for all practical purposes... free.

Which, sorta/kinda brings me around to an interesting but somewhat stupid sailboat design you might want to check out. It's the Sterne 25 and it's built of eco-friendly materials like bamboo, basalt, jute, linen, and plant sourced resins all of which I think is a goodly thing.

It's a cool boat for sure and as a test bed for greener materials it certainly makes sense. The downside, for me at least, is that in a world with thousands and thousands of excellent already built sailboats going for near giveaway prices,

 why are we still building new boats?

That CAL 27 or Chrysler 26 (for example) going for cheap are most certainly a greener solution than most eco-friendly designs coming down the pike with the added advantage of being a whole lot more affordable. 

One issue with greenish materials is they've recently become a hip commodity and as a result materials known for being readily available and cheap are, all of a sudden, all kinds of expensive and difficult to get. For the last few months I've been trying to find a good source for jute (AKA burlap) to use for a dinghy build I wanted to do. The idea of replacing fiberglass with burlap was very attractive until it became hip and now is selling for more than fiberglass. Made worse by the fact that I'd need to buy a bolt of cloth rather than a few meters. The sad fact is that building green has been co-opted by consumerism and folks wanting to make a profit don't give a shit about the environment.

The real bedrock way to be green in this messy world is to use less rather than more and whenever possible, reuse, repair, and recycle.

That might make a great t-shirt as well...

about toilets or something similar...

 The other day I noticed that the going rate for a popular faux composting toilet was a kiss over a thousand dollars and my initial reaction was...

"Are we really that stupid?"

Apparently so it would seem if people are willing to spend $1000 for what amounts to a bucket, a jug, and a toilet seat packaged together. As the saying goes; "There's one born every minute.

The scary part, for me at least, is that the so-called composting toilet is about $400 more than what I consider the gold standard of MSDs the LAVAC. I'll go on record if I had to have a marine toilet aboard a boat of mine the only toilet I'd ever consider is the LAVAC. Need I say more?

That said, in my estimation, the only marine head that actually makes sense is the misnamed composting toilet. Misnamed because they really don't actually compost waste but simply hold the contents in a sort of stasis until it can be taken away or dumped overboard where legal.

Which is not to say that they don't work very well as we can attest to having pooped regularly into one for over a decade without ever having any negative issues at all. The fact that our toilet is the DIY variety and only cost about $100 says a lot about how DIY is often the best way to go and often better then the manufactured variety.

My dad once gave me some great advice a very long time ago regarding interpersonal relationships which also applies to basic toilet design...

"You never want to stir that shit up"

A pithy quote that cries out to be emblazoned on a quality t-shirt if there ever was one.

Since we're speaking of toilets on boats, I'd be remiss, not to mention that the current Latitude 38 has a marine toilet survival guide of sorts that is well worth reading.

 

and in the "hardly surprising" department...

I'll be honest and admit that I really hate being surprised, especially where boats are concerned. Maybe it's that I grew up on horror films where surprises were always sort of horrific. On the other hand, it just might be most of my surprises have been of the negative sort so color me somewhat gun shy where surprises are concerned.

The funny thing is that, reading other boat folks blogs and suchlike i see that they also talk about surprises on boats and it's never ever a happy occurrence. More often than not it's a problem and unbidden problems are going to be expensive.

It's just the nature of boats and cruising.

For instance if I sail off to some place new and don't check about the rules, costs, and politics of visiting there I'll find that there is going to be a surprise of some sort just waiting to happen. Or, if I jump into a project without some due diligence beforehand there will be some consternation in the mix to bite me on the ass.

Lucky for us we have the internet which makes it pretty easy to do some homework to find out what to expect whether you're cruising or taking on a boat build or refit.

Nothing keeps surprises at bay as well as a bit of homework and due diligence.

Need to know what food costs in St Thomas, Hawaii, or Guam?  Go to Costuless online and see what your grocery bill should cost. Pretty much anywhere you go in the world will have chain stores with online shopping so you can get an idea of what you'd have to pay for groceries. More importantly, it gives you a base line so that you'll know when some stores are on the high side.

Same goes for projects. I always check to make sure that what I'll need is actually available to finish a project as having a half completed project can ruin your day/week/month/year. Nearly as important is knowing what things you need for the project should cost. I've noticed that a lot of boat blogs and YouTube channels tend to share affiliate links for gear and materials that are on the high end of what they should cost so before you start buying epoxy and suchlike from Amazon it might be a good idea to do some cost comparisons before you buy stuff.

Seriously when that $300 dinghy project winds up taking two years and costing you $1200 you really can't blame it on a surprise.  The same goes when arriving on some island with wall to wall Megayachts expecting to find stateside bargains as high prices tend to go with the neighborhood.   

Sadly, these days, common sense is often in short supply but it's a learnable tool that will go a long way to extend your budget as well as improving your quality of life.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

 

$0.29 a day...

What with the push for induction stoves for boats, the current news that gas stoves may be less than healthy, and the fact that I'd love to lessen the amount of fossil fuels aboard. So, hardly surprising I've found myself thinking about the various alternatives to propane lately.

The main issue with going electric is that , for someone who cooks a lot, the energy budget for induction is pretty hefty requiring a bigger battery bank and more solar panels than I have room for aboard "So It Goes". Sure I could add a genset but then I'd still be burning fossil fuels. By my calculations I'd really need to move up to a bigger boat if going with more solar. Something of a conundrum is it not?

Propane biggest selling point is that it's cheap. Our current cost per day for propane is $0.29 a day and we cook a lot. That's a whole lot less than alcohol, kerosene, or any sort of electric system that's available when all things are considered.

Granted propane gets a bad reputation regarding hassle factor and availability but sense we get between 75 to 90 days from a 20 pound tank (and we have two) so we can go close to six months with out having to refill. Off hand I can say that we've never been more that three months away from a place where we can top off our propane bottles.

I'm still open-minded but I'll have to see some serious improvements in electric before I jettison the propane in favor of some other source of cooking.

the best of times, the worst of times...

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 dropped at midnight.

On the positive side...

• The cost of a good condition, under 36-foot, blue water capable boats have come down and are now very affordable.
• The cost of needful gear has become more affordable.
• Systems that were once considered too complicated or unaffordable for many are now within most cruiser's means.
• Needful information is readily available and no one has to reinvent the wheel. That said, finding good information should include a buyer beware warning.
  
• The current state of computer-based communication systems means you can almost always be connected to the world.

On the negative side...

• One of the main reasons boat prices have fallen is that we have a "Too many boats and not enough places to put them" situation so moorage and marinas have become unaffordable. A related issue is that this is causing a lot of anti-cruiser attitude on municipal and state levels.
  
• While needful gear may be cheaper, the marine industry exerts incredible pressure to get the newest, most expensive thing/flavor of the month.
• Sadly, the "You get what you pay for" mindset is counter productive to affordable cruising and really does not make any sense but considered gospel by far too many.
  
• YouTube influencers, while helpful from time to time, are mostly pimping on one level or another. Any information from most of these sources should be considered suspect and taken with a grain of salt.
• The current state of computer-based communication systems means you can almost always be connected to the world.

Actually, those lists could be a lot longer but I suspect you get the general drift. So, how do we deal with the best/worst conundrum?

For starters, VolksCruising only works if you're actually cruising. Your mantra should be "Keep on Trucking" as any nomadic society knows that being welcomed always comes with a time stamp and it's best to leave Dodge before the welcome expires. Which is a roundabout way of saying if you're going to cruise you best be on your way.

Since there are so many inexpensive sailboats in good shape, the desire to buy a fixer-upper should be suppressed. Why spend a year or three fixing a boat when you can just buy one and get gone? Sure, I know you want to tweak the boat to your needs but a major refit is seldom a good financial investment and, if you think it's required, you should be looking for another boat.

Same goes for the need some have of wanting to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. For a special few it might work but in 99% of the cases I've seen, you just wind up with a very, very expensive sow's ear.

As far as stuff goes for cruising, less is more as the old adage says. I could go into deep detail but do I really have to? 

Overall the best/worst scenario comes out as pretty positive for someone wanting to cruise on a VolksCruiserish budget. Of course, you'll need to do some critical thinking, jump through a bunch of hoops, and make some of those negatives work for you rather than against but the overall math says it's going to be a good year to get going.

Here's hoping we all have a happy new year.

Something I found very interesting...

 

Everyone is on a budget...

 I'll say that again...

Everyone is on a budget.

That guy in the beat up old Morgan Out Island, that attractive couple on the million-dollar condomaran, and the owner of the 180-foot megayacht coming through the Simpson Bay bridge, all share a common link that they're all on a budget.

Want to know something interesting? I'd bet serious money that each of those examples is not just on a budget but they are all over-extended and spending more than is sustainable with their current financial situation. 

It's just the nature of the beast in that we all want that little bit more than we can afford.

Don't think so?

Let's take a look at that guy on the Morgan 41 Out Island. He's a single guy on a finite income with some savings, a moderate retirement income and social security. He chose the 41-footer because he felt he needed the space but sometimes regrets that he did not buy a 33-footer for a lot less as the repairs and fitting out cost him a considerable chunk of his savings. He knows he should really do a haulout and antifoul but the cost of most boatyards are now beyond what he can afford. As an aside, most of the extra space that was so important has never actually been used.

The attractive couple on the condomaran made the decision that they really deserved the best of everything. Their choice of boat was akin to branding and would show everyone that they were well off and a leader of trends. Admittedly they were surprised at the costs involved turning their already expensive cat into a work of art and fashion statement. Luckily, they found that they could do mundane tasks on their boat and film them, setting up an income stream that both helped pay their bills and scratched their desire to be the center of attention. The problem came when they found that no one was really interested in watching them cruise but their main appeal was that people enjoyed watching them spend money on expensive gear/improvements. While it still brings in money, they are now dependent on companies giving them gear to install and begging for funds from followers. Their current plans are to buy an even bigger boat to refit, along with another boob job to better illustrate the best way to outfit a condomaran.

As far as the owner of the megayacht goes, he needs to charter his yacht more than he uses it just to cover the upkeep. A situation he feels is beneath him. Now that his bank accounts have been frozen and he's had to sell a Picasso drawing to fill up on fuel so he can get his boat to a country without extradition treaties, his boat is slipping into stealth mode to avoid being locked to a dock.

Meanwhile, there are those folks just about everywhere with affordable boats living within their means quite successfully because they were honest about what they could afford and worked up a budget that reflected it.