A few readers have written asking about what I think makes a boat a VolksCruiser which, I'll admit, is bit hard to answer in one quick sentence.
Part of it is, of course, affordability. Talking about what's affordable all depends on who you're talking to. I know someone who thinks his $500K cat is a bargain and someone else who sees a $5K old Columbia 26 as being too expensive for his budget. That said, I'll go out on a limb and suggest that it is somewhere in the realm where a blue collar worker, someone who works in a service industry, or other lesser paid job can sort out something seaworthy in a timely manner. A good number to play with is 25% of your gross income... I was always told that you should budget 25% for your housing so for someone making $15 an hour that would come to $7,800.
These days you can buy a lot of boat for $7,800 or less...
Another aspect of the whole VolksCruiser ethos is you have to realize it is a non-consumerist boat. This means that systems are all based on a pretty strict and somewhat Zen approach to the need/want decision making process. Less is more will very much be your mantra. Lucky for us that it's relatively easy to outfit a boat very well for less these days...
For instance, you may want a Panbo induced bespoke navigation system but you only really need something to tell you where you are...
Fact is, the cheap stuff will get you to Tahiti just like the much more expensive system and when (not if) it breaks down you don't have to sell a kidney to replace or get it fixed.
The VolksCruiser does not do well with expensive systems... You don't really need a motor but not having some form of motive power can be problematic so a good compromise is using your dinghy as a yawl boat. You'd be surprised just how easily a 30-something foot boat can be pushed around with a 3-5HP outboard on a dinghy lashed to your aft quarter. Not having an inboard motor also makes the boat sail better/faster and opens up a lot of stowage space.
The real question to ask yourself is whether a higher price for boat/gear/etc is really worth the added cash to acquire it. When in doubt, remember that math is very much your friend...
