How We Wasted $23,831 on our Boat! | Sailing Wisdom
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- Outfitting a sailboat to go cruising opens up a world of opportunities to waste your money. Herby and Maddie discuss their top 10 wasted purchases so that you can avoid them when you start outfitting your own cruising boat.
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What has been your biggest boat “purchase regret”?
Almost everything I bought used (to save money) except for obvious things with no moving parts like cleats etc..
Rigging Doctor just my boat so far lol
I was really worried that someone would answer that :(
So far I've only made one mistake by getting a 3/8 sized anchor chain not knowing that my windlass can only use 5/16. There goes $2000
Athanos Kerensky ouch!
By way of background, I sailed the west coast of Mexico for 8 winter seasons, averaging about 5 months each season, so I'll share my experiences/opinions on a few of the things mentioned.
Davits were so useful there for coastal cruising. Every night the dinghy was secured in the davits, safe from wandering away, the bottomed stayed clean, it didn't bump the hull in the night, and also, if the wind came up at night and I had to bail on an anchorage, I didn't have to deal with the dinghy, in the dark, nothing was getting sucked into the prop as I dealt with other stuff. When I sailed offshore for extended passages I either deflated it, or a few times, lashed it on deck... deflated was a lot easier and uncomplicated... nothing to snag.
My Raymarine Auto pilot, for me, worked flawlessly ( one of the few things that did) and used less than a couple amps an hour usually... it was the best crew I ever had, it never went to sleep on it's watch, had minimal appetite for energy and put in years of reliable service.
There was no resistance felt at the helm... unless it was engaged :^) If you feel increased friction on the helm after an install then I believe something is not right.. and that could explain a big power draw too? I would consider checking the auto pilot rudder arm that engages the rudder stock.. that it is all lined up correctly, and that the system moves freely. The actuator arm on your auto pilot drive should have very little to no resistance as well. Your electric auto pilot could also be a useful backup system to use if the Monitor fails for some reason.. frees up hands at the helm when you might need them.
Wind vanes are great for long offshore passages but that usually represents a very small percentage of time actually spent on the boat, at least in my world. Some wind vanes give you the redundancy of a 2nd rudder, which could be priceless. I would consider taking off the wind vane when not doing long passages and keeping your dinghy on davits when coastal...
Battens do allow for a better shaped main, and therefore better sailing performance, and I would not consider them to ever be a negative when thinking of a mainsail. Sometimes new technology doesn't work out as it's presented... Your laminated sail experience sounds terrible... bummer.. big time bummer... but I wouldn't throw out the battens with the bathwater.
Best ever investment.. Solar panels, solar panels... and more solar panels. Cruising for most people is about power management and solar gives and gives. Don't leave home w/o them.
Some form of self steering might be next on the list. I guess some form of dinghy is right up there too :^)
RD, I really enjoy your videos, lots of good stuff, you're out there, and deserve all the cred and props. I'm just sharing my experience and opinions and appreciate your input and initiation of these topics. Thanks. Enjoy and be safe.
Very good Points. Regarding Mainsails, I'm going with in mast Furling, and battens are a Sail life shortening nightmare, plus get in the way of reliable Furling and unfurling. Yes, traditional Main Sails are the best option, but due to disability, I've had to look at making things easier options., so in mast furling, and foresail Furling, are what will keep me in Sailboats. So I had a chat with a Sailmaker, who makes a lot of Battenless Furling Mains, as well as battened ones. They said there is not much loss of performance with a triradial Dacron Battenless Main, compared to a Cross Cut Dacron Main with Battens plus wear and tear and unreliability are significantly reduced. With a triradial Ocean spec Foresail, a size of 125% was recommended for ease of heavy weather Furling, with adequately specced, electric winches, and upgraded Halyards and Sheets to handlebincreased working loads comfortably. Not that expensive an upgrade, but another reliability mod, is to have all mast fittings and Cleats, if aluminium, replaced with 316 Stainless Steel ones. Quite Cheap really, forvthe extra reliability. For an I flatable tender, I'm starting to wonder about those simple tilt up transom Davits? Never used them personally, but we're not looking atva lot of weight - 41 kg for thev10ft hypalon air deck air keel I'm looking at, just pop the Outboard of the 6hp 25kg Outboard o to a secure bracket before tilting up the Dinghy? Best Wishes and Fair Winds. Bob 👍
Totally agree on the Raymarine Autopilot. Ihave the same, and it uses very little power. However, from the description, I think RD have something else, like with a chain system to the steering wheel, as opposed to direct connection to the rudder.
Either way, I agree, it should not be dragging the wheel. It never does for me, and it has been a life saver with single-handed sailing. I, too, only use the windvane on long passages.
My biggest monetary regret is buying a home and not a boat.
My biggest is buying a boat and not a home.
I have a home for sale if you have a boat for sale....lol. I laugh, but I'm serious.
The advantage to having a home is, you rent it and use the funds for cruising! Of course you have to buy a cheaper boat!
@@jacksbackable Presumably you mean if the mortgage is paid. Cause net profit in a single rental situation is generally not anywhere near enough to live any kind of life independently, including a minimalist lifestyle. But paying those mortgages off early and stacking 5-10 homes in your portfolio would be ideal!
Tom D. +1 I messed up and sold my rental property to buy a “real” home. At least I have the space to keep all the stuff I can’t afford anymore.
Thanks for your honesty. Us newbies appreciate it.
Our thoughts on your list after 10 years of building/sailing/cruising:
1. Electric autopilot, love ours, its old but goes through very little power, use it much more than our windvane because of the ease. If our below deck ever fails and is not repairable we would still replace it. If you have a wheel check out CPT, easy install.
2. Battenless main. Completely agree. We have the same on Prism, including a soft head, and a leechline that goes back to the tack.
3. Flexible solar panels, been there done that, agree unless you want to spend the $$$ for the top of the line but even then not worth it.
4. Lightwind main. I get it and have considered doing this as well to go along with our drifter but have yet to for the same reasons and we are currently mostly in the trades so not really needed.
5.Fishman anchor. Never bothered either
6. Davits. Agree, our first boat had them and we nearly ripped off the pushpit.
7. Gopro sessions. They where never that great nor where they supposed to compete with the hero. The simple controls are all we had on the original hero. They are really designed to do one thing, record. Dont try to mess with any settings in the field. As we would say "mash it and forget it".
8. Prop speed. We use bottom paint or zinc paint depending on what prop we are using. If it begins to need more we pull the prop in the water (we have a prop puller) clean a reapply.
9. Hand line. They work, but its call fishing, not catching.
10. Hard Dinghy. Ok this is the one I really dont agree with. All the things you bring up can be addressed with a well suited hard dinghy. We cruised 4 years with a Walker bay 8, loved it and just recently moved up to a fatty knees 8. What you guys dont mention is that with an inflatable you are pretty much reliant on using an engine if the wind is up. With a good hard dinghy you can row in pretty much any conditions in an anchorage. You cant pop them and when you do need an engine they motor great with a 2hp 18lb outboard. And if you want to cover some ground without the motor you can sail them quite well. Also a hard dinghy will last forever and can be easily repaired. I'm going to go out and say you just havent seen the light yet when it comes to this one.
Thanks for your thoughtful reply! Good to hear from you guys.
I love these video reviews from people who have actually used stuff and found it wanting. Also of course the videos about stuff that is worth having. There's so much jargon and marketing claims out there from businesses that turns out to be just words on the wind. You guys will save us guys a ton of money, thanks very much.
You are very welcome!
No one likes to admit mistakes but should cause we all love to learn how not to waste $$$$. Excellent Video Cheers
New yacht owner here. Thanks for saving us a bunch of money! Love your channel. Binge watching right now.
What a brilliant, informative video which I'm sure will save boat owners a ton of cash. Thanks for sharing your mistakes, painful though some of them turned out to be. Kudos.
That was really good. It definately gives one pause about the whole "more is better" philosophy. The latest is not always the greatest - and less is often, more. I may not have had those exact experiences, but plenty just like them. Thanks for that... your honesty is so helpful.
It's amusing to see the dichotomies of opinions like this. I often hear the comment, "We saved too much for too long to live like we're camping!" Usually in reference to saving any money on doo-dads and extras that make life more comfortable. Then the other side of the coin is, "Keep it simple, only spend on what you need. The more stuff that you have is just more stuff that will break."
I have both tiller pilot and wind vane. Each has its purpose. I hesitate to use the tiller pilot, but we did use it on one trip where we had numerous 10-hour days chugging away on diesel. Wind vanes are useless under power without sails.
I can't say I regret any of my boat purchases other than trying to replace an old electronics package with the same (old) vintage "to save money". In the end, I replaced the old tech 2 years later which is what I should have done at the beginning. My view is keep it simple, buy good quality instead of quantity, and buy based on your budget - not someone else's. Big Budget and lots of time? Buy everything you want. Small budget and no time? Buy quality, NEW, bare essentials - you don't want to spend your sailing time fixing stuff. Small budget, lots of time? Buy quality gear with the option of buying used (since you have time to maintain and fix it). There's no room for low-quality - either it breaks when you depend on it, or it breaks and you don't care which means you didn't need it in the first place.
So many choices to make for a cruising boat. This is a great video. We learn more from failures than successes, so thanks for sharing. Some of these "regrets" are things I've pondered, so you may have saved me a few bucks!
The best sailing channel. Love the detail
Thank you! All of the items you mentioned are fantasy and I just crossed them off my list😊. The hard dingy? Yup future yard ornament. All others I just could not afford or I am just too cheap. Greatly appreciated this video cheers
Glad we could save you from making our same costly mistakes!
I'm vary happy with my Raymarine Auto pilot. I installed it with help from my dad and ran it night and day for long trips south...plus love the radar and chart set up. It was great to spot the markers going in thick fog NFLand and also avoiding vessels that had no Ais.
My dodger works but it kind of sucks oh well...love our walker bay dingy ..
As someone who has a similar budget traveling the country on a lower paying job, this video is absolutely invaluable, cruising is one of the things i am saving up for and avoiding financial pitfalls is a must if i plan to realistically cruise in the next decade.
Thank you both very much!
You’re welcome! Stay tuned for the Best Purchases video!!
Here is how to rig a fisherman's anchor. You securely fasten the chain to the tee where the shank is welded to the arm and then secure the chain to the ring with 1/8" line. If the anchor gets stuck in the rocks the winch breaks the twine or you run the engine full speed to break the twine and release the anchor from the rocks.
Sorry to hear that you spent all that money on a fully battened Mylar mainsail for cruising. In the UK they seem to be mainly used by rich people for racing. I hope you got a good price for it. Great idea, though, to advise people on what not to buy. Very useful vid.
I’ve not watched your other videos but based on your comments here I’m thinking your opinions are based on a relatively small sample size. Let me provide some counter balance.
First regarding davits. I carry my inflatable on davits and love them. Granted I’ve yet to find the wave large enough to fill my tender with water but I doubt the weight of the water would cause any damage, certainly not the kind of damage you described. While maybe not the best idea I travel with the drain plug out so my dinghy will self drain. It’s easy enough to put back in when needed. The davits also allow me to raise the tender out of the water while at anchor so it is less prone to theft and will not be banging against the hull all night. All of that said my davits are designed to carry the anticipated load and my tender is very well secured while at sea.
I agree you can’t have a wind vane along with davits but my electronic auto helm works like a champ. It draws very little power, keeps the boat tracking along the course I want and the only noise it makes is a little squeak. Mildly annoying yes, but better than hand steering.
Lastly I can’t speak to the high tech fabric that caused you so much grief but my main is fully battened and can get caught on the lazy jacks when raising it, but it’s no big deal to raise the main carefully to avoid getting it hung up and I’ve never got them caught on a shroud. I can’t even see how that could happen, at least not on my boat.
So for those looking for guidance I’d suggest doing your own research, for your own type of sailing. In my limited experience I’ve found almost everything on my boat is a compromise. I like the convenience and security of the davits and my properly installed and calibrated auto helm performs perfectly and I take a little extra care when raising the main cuz I know where he battens might get hung up. I may sacrifice something for those conveniences but it works for me.
Poorly selected gear badly installed is a pain in the ass.
I've watched most of their videos...it seems they don't ask the right questions of the right people.
Now i have battons to. In the beginnig my sail got cought too. So now when raising the main i take down away the lazy jacks. And put them back after to lower the sail. No more problems...
charles harper It takes a brave couple to put themselves into a public forum like this and subject themselves to the often harsh critic that is sure to follow. FWIW I should have chosen my words more carefully. I could have made my points in a more friendly, diplomatic manner. Normally I try to avoid definitive statements. They are one of those emotional triggers that often evoke an automatic defensive response. That was not my intent. I applaud this couple for making a positive contribution to the conversation about sailing. At the end of the day we shared our opinions on some sailboat gear, no more, no less.
@@donb4386
Watch their videos from the start and explain why i'm wrong.
charles harper Regardless of right or wrong this conversation ha been a good one. I enjoy reading others opinions on sailing kit.
These videos are most helpful to newbies.
I’m so glad! We definitely put them out with newbies in mind :)
This is the type of information a sailing channel should have!!! Finally!!
👍
Arguably, most of your regrets were just a bad fit for your particular boat.
The laminated mainsail is a good option for faster hulls that can makes use of them. The tanbark sail is a better fit for yours.
Same goes for the autopilot.
Folding solar panels are a good fit for a smaller coastal boat, but not good for bluewater use.
The prop paint is another story. Maybe they meant the prop should be moving instead of just the boat? Still hard to justify if it did work.
That being said, "learning to sail" isn't just about handling your boat just like "learning to hike" isn't just about how to put one foot in front of the other. It's also about the lessons we learn along the way.
Thanks for the video!
I agree. Some of the things in this video would greatly benefit different sailboats or sailors. All we can share is our personal experiences and hope to spark a conversation! :)
Battenless main would be my choice for cruising.
Autopilot can be adjusted in order to have more or less response. Yes, use a lot of power but help a lot when is well adjusted.
Seems like they got an overly fancy version. I have a tiller pilot that costs $200 and steers to the compass. LOVE my tillerpilot, though granted i do have a smaller boat.
I prefer the wind vane but one can adjust the sensitivity on most autopilots. That will reduce the electrical usage to an extent. Many people have a hard time with this though. The natural tendency is to want to see the autopilot make an adjustment right away and find it hard to wait a minute or two for it to correct the course. They are most handy when the wind dies and one is motoring.
@@PanzerDave oh wind vane is also a great tool, but a bit involved for my trailer-sailor :P
Loved the regrets! Thanks for sharing...I have a few things on my list that I need to scratch off ⛵👍🙆♂️
I think I agree with nearly everything you've said with the possible exception of the hard dingy. I have a Portland Pudgy which I keep on the foredeck (the davits I also ditched.)
Yes I have to hoist it aboard and launch it with the main halyard, but that's where it belongs anyway. It also doubles as a lifeboat which doesn't have to be inflated. The best part is that it requires no outboard motor but rows beautifully. Nobody wants to steal it because it's heavy and motorless.
I've owned at least a half dozen inflatables and they've all made their way into the trash.
My autohelm also stopped working but my (very old) Sayes Rig, wind vane steering, refuses to quit. It works even with the engine running at low RPM's and just the staysail set.
Prop paint is also only good for people who let their engine sit for months. As soon as you start the engine, all the paint comes off PDQ. You're absolutely right, a little anti-fouling paint is as good as anything "high-tech."
And high tech sails are only for guys who change sails like racecar drivers change tires.
The Portland Pudgy is an awesome dinghy! I wanted one but it was out of our budget so we had a series of other dinghies. Now we have disposable cheap inflatable dinghies that last maybe 2 years.
They really do belong on the foredeck!
What a fabulously useful video, and I haven't even got a boat (yet)...you two are a peach and a pearl and passing on this sort of info is invaluable....many thanks.
So glad you found it useful!!
Great video guys. That was a sweet list of things to avoid. We have noticed the flexible solar are quite flimsy as well. Dont fully agree about the davits but we have lost a bad set with a wave as you described. But still think they are worth it for calm non offshore passages. Although if we ever wanted a wind vane we would have to get ride of them. We have noticed our autopilot loves to oversteer as well but its a small unite for lighter winds mounted on the wheel.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video!
If you dont like the performance of propspeed, your best option is to leave the prop bare.
Sealing a metal propeller in a cuprous oxide bottom paint can create issues with dissimilar metals and cost you the entire prop.
The metal of the propeller is isolated from the paint by the prop speed. Ironically, it works really well as a primer for ablative paint!
@@RiggingDoctor Egg whites, 4 coats on a clean prop.
facebook.com/erik.hardtle/posts/2871156046229783
4-stroke outboard motor, electric start only. I have never rowed so much in bad weather as that summer. When a multimeter and a spare starting battery is higher on the checklist than petrol something is wrong. The positive from this is that I'm planing on making a gaffrig for the boat during the winter.
Thanks for sharing, sorry the motor wouldn’t work when you needed it most
I usually single hand sail and use my Raymarine autopilot all the time. It is great, I can't imagine sailing without it. You bought wrong brand or type. I've had problems such as bad connectors, accidently cut cables which caused other problems like blown fuses and failed to use loctite on tillar arm bolts. Payed about $2500. Not shilling for Raymarine, they have terrible customer service at times.
It’s biggest issue was the power consumption. We simply couldn’t afford to have it on with the amount of amps it was guzzling!
Next Wednesday we will put out a video of 10 bests and there we talk about our other autopilot :)
We were given a Raymarine for work we had done in WPB and I was still fitting it as we sailed past Peanut Island. It connected to the GPS. We stopped doing that when we found out people coming the other way were doing the same and we nearly collided. You have to do a route slightly off the way points. I didn't notice a large draw. We could disengage the drive when needed.
Your power consumption problem again sounds like install/settings issue(s). If it wasn’t over-steering and hunting constantly, your energy use would drop considerably.
I also have a raymarine auto pilot. I single hand a lot. I can sail without it but why. It makes putting up and taking down sails so easy.
Which brand of autopilot did you buy?
Summary of #1 and #2 : stay away from fancy, high tech equipment and stick with simple, "tried and true" equipment !
Yep, a good radio, and a better sea tow package.
Thank you, this type of video save your viewers actual $$$ just found your channel, this is the first vid, will catch up thx
You’re very welcome! We figure: if you can learn from our mistakes, they won’t have to be repeated!
Thank you for that it was hilarious although in a sad way it's a fool who doesn't learn from others mistakes so once again much obliged
Gosh... thank you so much for this....👍👍
Thanks for your insights. The biggest mistake purchase has to be to buy any boat followed by buying the wrong boat. Been there got the T shirt and still went in 2017 to buy another boat. They say boats are like standing under a cold shower tearing up large notes like $100 if its a smaller boat and more for larger boats . I prefer small old boats less than 25 feet but could only get a 1970 era 27 foot cheap this time . As a project boat doing it up to sail away from Ireland ,2020.The boat before was 34 foot cat which cost too much in marina costs so had to sell up so was the wrong boat . Before that had 20 to 25 footers and stayed in budget and cheap enough to park them and fly home to get work to continue the journey .Also smaller boat if weather is bad on the anchor just get ashore and stay there until storm is over and if the boat breaks the anchor and is lost not so much money lost .I prefer to try to sail alone but always so far on big jumps ended up with crew .I prefer to crew on my cousins boat 37 foot cat as he paid the bills but after a decade of that he died from cancer at 53 so was forced to buy the 27 footer in 2017: Cruising boats don't need half the equipment of race boats but nice if you can get it free or cheap second hand . I avoid too much investment in electrical stuff and normally prefer oil lamps and gas cooking. However this time prices of solar panels at ~$1 a watt makes getting 4 of the 100 watt hard type panels ( about 400 ,watts total ) and 4 of the 6 volt golf cart 220 amp batteries at ,$200 a pop or $800 total in Expensive ireland is maybe a possibility . Either that or its going to be a 100 amp AGM and one of the 100 watt panels and normal car battery to start the 10 HP SAAB inboard . That is enough power to use the simplex piston type direct to tiller electronic self steering solutions which wit KISS keep it simple stupid works most the time . There is one eastern Europe guy every year he buys a ,20 to 25 foot boat in Holland in the start for the summer tweaks it a bit hardly buys any extra equipment and then sails into the north a!Atlantic for the summer . Then he returns to Holland after a few months .Then he sells the boat and repeats the solution the next year . No destination problems just sail around the north Atlantic . That guy might be onto something few if any marina costs and sail in the warmer times in the region where winds are often strong so less risk of no wind . I do respect the owners of big boats for their choices but as I get older my preference is smaller cheaper and even to bring a tent and camp out when I arrive the new location as much cheaper than owning a much bigger boat .As I get older smaller sails make life much more easy. For younger folk with energy and also some with a family then bigger boats can make more sense. I might even in 2025 look to get 21 foot type boat to join in the Mini Sat race across the Atlantic . Some 100 boats all limited to max size of 21 feet race across the Atlantic as single handed sailors . Most boats are not going to win they just do it for the entertainment factor as the race machine that win cost over $ 60,000 plus The rest of the fleet are often just homebuilt wooden crafts along for the joy ride. Lots of choice's
We bought flexible solar panels (2 x 150W) and mounted them on a rigid board on a solar arch. We went for flexible because they weighed 3kg each instead of 20kg as for solid panels.
Our autopilot is electric and is stupid. You set a compass heading and she steers it. If there are rocks ahead she will steer you straight into them, but she did not cost anywhere near 10K..
What I am saying here is that these things can work just fine, but it depends on the set up of your boat.
Great idea with the solar panels! You’ve got a very good point.
Cheers to sharing. I appreciate you guys.
Thanks!
In cruising, simple and low tech is the best.
Agreed!
I agree except propellers. The folding props are high tech but I prefer those. Roller furling and snap on hmm boy that’s tough.
@@tomharrell1954 those are great till the prop fails to open or the furler refuses to open or close. Hence, simple may be inconvient but it is reliable.
It was gonna be awesome, they said...I feel your pain and appreciate the honesty! Fair winds you guys!
🤑
One of the reasons for not using standard bottom paint on your propeller is the copper in the paint starts causing electrolysis in your propeller. Propeller specific antifouling is what to paint it with.
Hmmm very good point!
Thankfully I have prop speed isolating the two.
Yes, I painted regular bottom paint over slippery prop speed. The result after crossing the Atlantic: the bottom paint was still on the prop because the prop speed wasn’t all that slippery 🤣
Its not going to do it overnight but something to be aware of
Same issue that happens with aluminum hulls and copper paint.
I know what I’ll be doing next haul out!!
Doesn't happen with bronze, or stainless props, they are more noble than copper.
@@capnbilll2913 actually it does i have first hand experience. We painted a near new propeller with standard antifouling. After two years when we hauled out little pink specs have formed all over the prop. That copper going back to base metal. When i say near new the prop was installed new in 2011 by the previous owner. Props arnt made from silicon bronze but manganese bronze or something similar that isnt as noble.
This video hooked me. I would like a fully battened main... but I don’t cruise trades. I’m down in the 40s. But it wouldn’t be a laminated sail. I’m surprised about your comments on electronic auto pilot. That can wait clearly. All the breakages of windvanes means they make me nervous too..... might have to have both😁.
The others are spot on, and very helpful. I plan on having davits... easy to launch and retrieve with kids etc. but will have a high pressure roll up, rather than RIB to make stowage for passage easier.
Very interested in your solar panel experience, not what I expected at all!
Can’t wait to see more.
Folding fisherman/admiralty anchor is a great spare, but can easily trip themselves with change of wind or tide direction! Inflatable dinghy with a hard bottom is really hard to beat as a tender, both because they are so stable and friendly when along side! The hard bottom means that they’ll plane easily and take some punishment on the shore!
We really like ribs, but they are beyond our budget.
Agreed!
I agree on the below deck autopilot for your specific application with a larger boat auto is a good thing for long passages but only to supplement the steering when under power the windvane is a far better choice i have an old RVG windvane and love it but it works a trim tab on an auxiliary rudder for redundancy
Thank for the money saving tips.
Great video 👍
On my 37 foot Crealock cutter, I had installed (did some work myself) an Raymarine Autohelm for under $3000. It worked perfect. I interfaced it to my GPS and it worked perfectly. It did not interface with any other instruments. My household batteries could support it and everything else but the radar. If I ran the radar, I would have to recharge the batteries with the engine every ~8 hours or so. Many cruisers use davits, but an arch which supports solar panels and a dinghy lift appears to be best as long as it is constricted so that you can hoist the dinghy very high. For any significant passage, using the spinnaker halyard with the MOB tackle attached is the best way to hoist the dinghy onto the foredeck ir on the forward cabin top. Did it all the time with an Avon RIB. A very few of your problems seem to stem from a lack of experience. I had a Dacron main with full battens and lazy jacks. Zero problems and it was great for motorsailing adding at least one knot and stability when there was no wind. Your journeys far exceed mine, but you still might want to study some of these things before you jump in. I cannot begin to list my financial mistakes!
Our big expensive mistakes were early on when we owned the boat 7 years ago.
It seems that Raymarine is the way to go with autopilot and not with Garmin.
Now we know what works for us and what doesn’t so we haven’t made any awful purchases this year! 🤣
Hopefully others can learn from our mistakes so they aren’t repeated.
@@RiggingDoctor I know nothing about the new Raymarine or Garmin offerings. Add B&G to that. Garmn purchased another company's autopilot years ago and now market fully integrated systems. Heck, they make popular "glass cockpits" for airplanes! As you point out, now everything is integrated on a bus. I favor simplicity and redundancy. KISS. Your Monitor self-steering is an excellent solution under sail. I used to set a course, and then trim the sails to that course. That was good enough for me. BTW, I would never tow a dinghy again unless I had two separate lines on it. Once I used a floating line that was difficult to cleat and slippery. At some point, a companion boat informed my that my dinghy was adrift. He waited to tell me because we were having a friendly race to a port. I went back and found it and then rigged a drifter and overtook him and beat him to port
As far as electronics go, I'd walk the docks and ask people how they liked their brand of whatever. I am prejudiced in favor of Furuno radars. You will see rich people with integrated Raymarine or Garmin system with a separate Furuno radar mounted. Nice if you can afford it. Lastly, radar has saved my butt several times. It provides "ground truth." In addition, it can see rainstorms - another butt saver. You cannot mount it high enough to make a significant difference, but ~8 to 10 feet above deck is fine.
guys, thank you for sharing your experience; I hope it helps a lot of people. A thought for the future; if you have an urge to buy something, do some research first. UA-cam is great for doing research. people do reviews of all kinds of things here. You would certainly find out that anchoring in rocks is not a good idea. Not all electric autopilots are bad; I bought a 40 year old boat last year, with a 40 years old simple Autohelm autopilot, no network, no fancy displays, just a belt driven motor with a control box. Sailed from Norway to Portugal, over 2000nm. Yes, it is noisy, no, it does not use a lot of electricity, it is super accurate, it worked all the time, with a few moments when the weather was too bad and he was struggling. I strongly recommend a simple autopilot. Very good on approaches, where a vane self steering is too cumbersome because of frequent course changes, or the is not enough wind. Buy a used belt driven Autohelm 3000. Do not buy the versions that have no belt and have a tiny motor built into the steering wheel ring; these are not very good.
I wish I had done that kind of research. I bought it in 2012 before I watched UA-cam and went off the recommendations from other people in the marina (who all had trawlers).
I actually removed an Autohelm 3000 to put this in 🤦♂️
I sure was young and dumb!
I have a Raymarine Evolution with mechanical linear drive (36feet 10ton steel sailboat), you cannot hear it from the cockpit, it handles all weather and do not use a lot of power. I use it 90% of the time on all my sailing. It connects to remote, my old autohelm wind, depth, course, speed and to a plotter. It took probably 5 minutes to get it all working after install. I can even steer from my Galaxy phone with Raycontrol. There is absolutely no added force needed to steer the boat either.
It costs about 5000$ and I would rather lay dead in a ditch, as someone just said, then swap it for a wind vane. :)
That system is what I imagined and hoped for when I bought the autopilot! I payed extra for the remote and the wind gauge, then swapped it out for a wind steering system.
I guess it’s all about what you get used to because I feel the same way as you, but in the other direction! 🤣
@@RiggingDoctor So...
1. It takes 0,1 second to set an accurate course.
2. It will maintain that course AND line for 400hours without any solar charging or running the engine and forever with sun.
3. It does not require any tweaking what so ever.
4. It does not care about the wind direction (if I don't want it to)
5. If I want I can let it steer through 200 waypoints with an accuracy of 2 meters, including narrow channels (20 meter width and lot's of turns), however I don't trust it that much but have tested several times.
6. I can steer from anywhere including remote control
How does your wind vane keep up? Is it fun to let it steer in harbours around other boats while setting sails or fixing things on deck? :D
That’s how we use it. We set the wind angle we want and then go forward to work the sails. I pull a little control line to turn the airblade to the wind angle I want and it keeps us there.
It does take longer than 0.1s since sometimes you have to spin it pretty far if you are jibing, but it’s not so bad. With it set, we don’t worry about accidental jibes while we are forward because it holds us to the wind.
Once you get used to it, setting the windvane becomes as second nature as setting the sails.
Johnny Andersson Agree but if it fails on a long trip you’re in trouble. I use an ST2000 90% of the time with a windvane as a backup. If you don’t do more than 24 hour trips an auto helm is sufficient in my experience as the windvane can get very annoying in light and changing winds.
@@johnnyandersson5622
Too many people don't tune their pilot properly during setup, then bitch and whine about it.
Buy the pilot and the course plotter from the same dealer and make sure that they work well together before you buy them.
When done properly, Iron Mike is the best shipmate you can have.
Lessons learned. Thanks for the info.
You have so much more patience than I.
I have read EVERY comment on this film, and I appreciate what you've done, and the courage that you showed by putting it out. Whether I agree with you or not in every instance, you are providing your experience, and those people who comment about their conclusions based on their experience are doing exactly the same thing, and all the information is just more information that can be used by still others to help them make a decision. To those jerks (and yes, they are jerks), who want to look down their "highly experienced" noses, and tell the world to disregard what you say because you have only been a practitioner of living in your boat for a few years, I say, if you just want to denigrate a young couple trying to help others to avoid screwing-up where they did, and can't provide any information from your own (presumably) deep well of experience, you should just crawl back into your bitter, nasty shell, and wait until next Halloween to come out.
Thanks for this comment. I’m really glad you’re gaining from our uninformed mistakes exactly how we were hoping you would!
Great info. We have a leaking sink hose. $70 to get a new one but very hard to install. Then we found out about a basin wrench. So that's next.
Strange how experiences differ. I absolutely love flexible solar panels. Of course you shouldn’t walk on them.. Hang your spares on the sea fence, one on each side or use carabiners to change the sides according to the sun. This is what I do and one 100W panel powers my electrical tiller pilot all day long, provided that it is partially sunny. Works great for 3 months and 3000 miles now.
Thanks for the input!
Thanks for making this video it will help those who know nothing ,like me .
Glad it could help :)
Got swamped and sunk = problem solved. I have a house, always something to fix , very expensive, always something to do in the yard ,plus tax and insurance. Boating is a great way to go. Stuff we need and need to fix a part of life. Nice young couple, ya'll learned from regrets at 60 I learned a lot from this video. Sail on enjoy!!!!!
What about your 10 BEST purchases? Would be a great companion video.
Already filmed and coming out next week same time!
@@RiggingDoctor great. I bet your Monitor is close to #1.
@ Rigging Dr. you can call Mike at Scanmar, they make the monitor vanes. Give them the serial number and they can tell u everything about it. They’re wicked nice there
I know it’s a few years old.
But as someone planning to spend my life cruising it was really interesting and helpful.
We’re glad we could help you avoid wasting cruising funds on needless items that way you can cruise with more of your saved money :)
@@RiggingDoctor which is very very much on my mind… I started looked at 200k cats… which I could ‘just’ afford. But the more I have looked the more I am leaning towards a late 80s centre cockpit mono… at a max of 50k… leaving the rest to cover a good few years sailing. When I first looked I just thought you buy a boat and that’s it… I had never realized the costs… my previous boats all being day boats. Love your channel.
Your very very smart to continue using paper charts , traditional navigation methods, sextant, etc. Also very smart to use trysail, staysail on inner forestay with running backstays to keep the loads low and centered on the mast in questionable weather conditions. Electronics are nice but as Don Street says “electricity and seawater together make green gunge.
I couldn't disagree more. Paper charts and celestial navigation are dangerous, particularly if used infrequently or for emergencies. Far too easy to make catastrophic mistakes and much harder to share the navigation skills with other crew, for when the navigator is incapacitated or unavailable. Much safer to have electronic navigation aids and a well thought out set of electronic backups.
www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/u-s-navy-resumes-celestial-navigation-training-04042016/
@@firebir11 How many 'modern security threats' are you likely to encounter while cruising?
Biggest regret... using a camping toilet (not composting, just a seat with a tank below it) onboard. Can't use it when the boat is heeling over too much. Can't use it when the boat is bouncing over waves too much.
Second biggest regret: Selling the boat.
Aww 😢
I reckon a collapsible dinghy that can be taken apart for stowage would be a good option for a tender - something like the passage makers - stitch and glue one together yourself in a week.
After reading the comments I decided to add my story.... I live in the Puget Sound area so boats are everywhere. But I wanted a home with heat, a roof, and carpet and that homie stuff.
So I purchased a fixer upper since I have the skills to do the remodel work. After the purchase I did all the repairs out of pocket. So in the end I have a 2500 sq ft home with 3 bedrooms, dining room, living room, kitchen, 2 1/2 baths, and a 12'x20' enclosed back porch with a view of the Olympic Mountains.... My monthly mortgage payment $ 420.00 a month. Taxes and insurance another $325.00 a month... So $745 dollars a month for my home leaves me plenty of cash to save up for First Class Vacations every year. I fly first class, stay in 5 star hotels all around the world.... I just don't have to sail to get there and I am not limited to seaside attractions. LIVE is what you make it....
I forgot to say I also know how to sail on most vessels. So in my town there is always someone seeking a few crew members to come out for a day or two.... I pay my way, chip in for fuel, bring my own gear as needed. BUT when we port I help hose off the vessel (if they even bother) and go home with no worries about THE BOAT.... Live as I said is what you make it....
Steve Mazz that sounds like a good idea to get experience sailing.
The scenery is so beautiful and stunning.Very enjoyable! Reminds me of my trips where I take the good music like the Guns N Roses, Imagine Draongs or the Delta Parole and then enjoy the powerful feeling of the sea. ¡vamos!
I don't want to be rude but, hey, an autopilot is not a chocolate bar! You have do your homework (read user manual , recommendations and so on) and finally decide about the purchase. Regarding the price, a lot of sailors use pyPilot or tinypilot which "brain" is a cheap raspberry. You can build it yourself for less than 200$ or buy a ready build one like Pelagic. Or better ask this autopilot software creator Sean d'Epagnier. In my country we inherited a saying from the old time when pepper was very expensive: "If you have (a lot of) money you'll pour pepper in porridge too.
Excellent information. Helped me cross off at least a couple of things on my wishlist!
Glad to help!!
Get a eyelet at the center.of lady mildred with a thin line and a stopper knot on it. Make the line long enough to reach.the deck. When the.time comes to strike the sail.release the halyard and pull on that line, you depower the boat.because you make the "bag" disappear.
I love that idea! We will give it a try.
What we have done is run a downhaul from the head of the sail back to the stern. When we strike the sail, I pull back as Maddie lowers the halyard. This keeps it off the spreaders by it isn’t pretty. Your method sounds much more doable!
such a funny vid, can't stop larfing here...HNY guys take care
Hand held digital depth sounders for scouting anchorage spots from the dinghy. The lead line lasts forever but it took two dead hand held sounders to appreciate my 30 year old lead line.
We almost bought that device! I wanted it but Maddie insisted that we keep with our lead line as well.
Now I’m glad she said no on that one!
Good content, so far have not made any of your mistakes ... so consider myself lucky. The Raymarine autopilot was toast when I bot my boat but we knew it wasn't getting replaced because of all the groaning and noise it made even in standby. Went with a new but old school design CPT autopilot and wow this thing is nice. Accurate, quiet and sips energy.
I’m glad you have managed to avoid these expensive pitfalls!
If it’s a Raymarine autopilot...you can adjust it to not be so sensitive. Glad you have the Monitor though...we definitely consider our Monitor to be our MVP ;)
Let’s see our biggest waste of money. Well, one must have a stove/oven, so we got a Seaward Princess model because our old 35+ year old one was looking pretty bad and parts were breaking faster than we could find new ones. But this seaward replacement is HORRIBLE. We just live with it. It rusted worse than the 35 year old one in 6 months. The back burner is irreparable, the oven doesn’t stay lit until the 3rd try. And their customer service was last to none. That was probably the biggest mistake we ever made. But it was expensive and not in the budget (yet) to get a new one. -Rebecca on Sv Brick House
Thanks for sharing! It’s a shame when a “new” version of your old favorite will never last to become your “old favorite”
I thought my biggest regret, was not buying a boat big enough for are demands, but as it turns out, the boat we bought was molded for our lifestyle, she's a 2005 Dana 24, best damn boat we have ever owned, we are not full time sailors, usually 6 months out of the year, we sail from Key West, which is home base for the boat and go to the Bahamas every year, farthest we have gone is St. Croix , this boat sails so good ,very blue water capable, the only changes or add ons we did was new sails, purchase a Rainman reverse osmosis watermaker, upgraded the autopilot and instrument cluster, 400 watts of solar, 2000 watt Missouri Wind turbine and had satellite internet and tv installed, we also purchased a Honda 2000 watt generator to run a small 5000 btu air conditioner and the microwave.......
That boat has some creature comforts! I hope We can meet up when we make our way back to Florida :)
I have raymarine wheel pilot and works quite well doesn't use much power and does not over correct when stet up right and you use good sail trim. i have hydraulic steering so in my case it requires very light forces to turn my wheel. a quick search reveals that a RM wheel pilot is about $1200.00 US at that price you can afford to have spares and you will need them if your crossing oceans for several years.
When I bought my unit (sure sounds like I should have gone with Raymarine) my boat was too big for a wheel pilot system, so I had to go with a “below the deck” setup. I really like the simplicity of a wheel pilot!
This was one of your very best informative videos, and I'm sure there's a lot of people out there who are saying , gosh ! if only he posted this video 3 months ago ! LMAO Thanks for sharing your "Wisdom" Cheers
So glad you were able to benefit from it!!
Hi thanks for making this video. Sorry that you've had to go through the pain, but I'm glad I now don't have to!
Glad to help!!
DUDE,...if you caught 2 fish in 2 years. thats not the hand lines fault. there is some user error/lure selection hard at work there.
Oh, I’m very aware at how much I suck at fishing 🎣! 🤣🤣
Every port, I ask the locals for recommendations on lures and such. Hopefully one day we can catch something!
I agree. On my last 3 day voyage we hooked 1 x marlin and 2 tuna on a handline.
Wow!!
A round tail dinghy to replace our old transom dinghy. Both were the same size and yes the round tail folds up small, but boy is it unstable compared to the transom dinghy. So we patched up the transom dinghy and put it back on the boat. The round tail is now sat in the garden and no one wants to buy it.
Then there was a magma BBQ, that wouldn't stay lit even with lighter fuel poured on it. That will be going on e bay in the Spring.
Finally a 140% genoa. Good quality cloth but it is too big. In light winds the cloth is too heavy to fly properly and when its really blowing its rolled up so looses its sail shape with a huge great round area in the luff. Next one will be in the 110 to 120 range.
Thanks for sharing!
I have a round magma "marine kettle" grill that grills perfectly hanging of the stern pulpit in 15 knot winds. I am always amazed how well it works. I guess I got a good one.
Very informative. Thank you so much
You both are lovely people and I wish every thing great in cruising and stay safe.🥰🙄
Awe thank you!!
I think you just saved me some money great video, I also think that the ten best would be a great accompanying video!
Glad to help! And stay tuned for it next Wednesday 🤗
I personally have had good experiences with prop speed, but that was on power boats that are probably only used once or twice a week for a few hours. Also heard good things about the flexible solar panels. Interesting to hear what you had to say on them.
Thanks for the info about prop speed!
10K on a sail??? 10 K on an auto pilot,,,
wow,, I have a 36 trawler,,, and never ever spent that kind of cash, granted I do not cruise every day, but really??
Hi guys, very useful and interesting information.
The spinnaker cloth main....ehh who talked you into that?
The full batten Mylar main, interesting about the taffata cover fibers.....
If it had been built with reef points it might have worked but it also needed to be left up and used continuously. Raising , lowering and treating it like a cruising sail does not work well. I remove my racing Mylar mainsail at the end of the day and carefully roll it .The battens actually also help stop the sail 'flapping' which is death to a Mylar sail.....
Auto pilots are a huge problem and show the limitations of you non-hybrid electric yacht. I wonder if simple tiller type autohelm on the weather vane could be a low power solution ' doubt it.
Biggest regret...... buying a boat that needs more work than I thought and had time or enthusiasm for! Fortunatly the initial outlay was low ish ......
Cheers Warren.
I know people who hate their RIB's. They are always patching them. It just seems like nothing ever works correctly in the saltwater environment. Bottom paint is the same way, as well as varnish. Its all crap !!!!. If I was crossing ocean's, a windvane would be my choice, and a dinghy flipped upside down on the deck. However, coastal cruising or island hopping in the Bahamas, at davit system may work well. If you listen to lots of "sailors" they say they motor sail between islands anyway. Guess they need an electric autopilot for that. I guess it depends on how you want to cruise. I've been catching fish for years with my rod and reels. No hand lines for me. I just cant imagine reeling in a 25 lb tuna by hand. Thanks for your input. Your opinion is important.
I wish we would have had that problem of bringing in a big fish! It worked well for the two small fish we caught but we are really excited to have a rod now :)
Sv delos has an aluminum dinghy with foam bumpers. Works great for many years now.
How to become a millionaire sailing a boat?. Start off as a billionaire!
🤣🤣 very well put!
This is the same as owning a horse. The definition of a horse is a "Bill Waiting to Happen", this definition apples to boats as well.
I have a raymarine evo autopilot going into my nmea 2000 system it took 3 days to set it up changing wires to inputs now it works brilliant it settles down after awhile learning the role of the sea and not correcting just for waves. It knows when your rolling off a big wave and corrects to allow the boat the roll down the side rather than falling off the top it then corrects back on to the course set. It follows a wind angle at the push of a button it follows a charred route from the plotters at the push of a button,
Wish ours was like that! We have fallen in love with our windvane because that’s how it steers. That made us fall out of love completely with our electric autopilot!
I love my auto helm . No idea what monster you got that sucks so much power , I went with an octopus drive on a simrad system and one solar panel keeps it going 24/7 if I wish . Sails to the chart plotter , the compass and the wind .Wind one is great when being lazy with the kite up - it keeps it full with the wind oscillations .
We have the Garmin GHP12
Hi guys,
Great “Wisdom!” I’m 73 yo & bought an Albin Balland 30. An old elec auto pilot. It doesn’t work well & is noisy. I disconnected it & was thinking about an upgrade. No more, thanks for the advice! I subscribed and I am following your adventures.
Jim Grigsby
Virginia Beach
Mindi’s sound of the auto pilot made me lol
The electric autopilot was the biggest waste of money and the Monitor windvane was the best money we ever spent!
A dinghy on a Davit needs to be properly secured so it doesn’t move (or bang around) we secure ours with 4” truck straps underneath crossing in an “x” pattern and winched tight. Tip the side closest to the stern slightly down so you expose the bottom of the dinghy to a wave as opposed to making a scoop water collector. Also remove the drain plug so water drains out. Davits can be a real asset when used to secure a dinghy correctly.
Great video. It's in my Saved list. GoPro Sessions. It's not just UA-camrs. I had an early GoPro for a couple of days. 45 minutes sitting at my desk with the instructions - I couldn't get it to work. Did I feel stupid and incompetent? No because I'm older and I've done all sorts of mechanical, computer, writing...photography (I was a pro for years). Devices like the Sessions are blockages, nothing happens until these devices which occasional do work are replaced. Instead for 1/4 the price I bought a Kodak Sport. One button. I got two blue whales heading right for my kayak, then passing by 15 feet away. Nothing complicated would've worked.
The Hand Reel. Basic idea is okay, but they never improved it, then improved it again, etc... So cheap plastic breaking down from oxidation and light (I don't even need to see it to know). I wanted a reel like that for kite flying, except I wasn't going to fly kites with it. I saw a reel in China that a guy had. They don't sell them here. There are plenty of alpha-versions here that are crap. I finally made one out of plywood. When you can cobble something together that works better than what's being offered for sale?... you learn a couple of things. 1. That thing you can imagine? Someone is making and selling something close enough to it to get your money, whether it actually works is not even in the equation. and 2. Selling is more important than working. This creates a dead end. (I like cheap hot air pop corn poppers. No one makes a great one because the 'it's okay' ones sell for less than $20. People like me wouldn't hesitate spending $60 for a great one. Great solutions at reasonable prices are invisible. Some do.
Fiberglass itch. 1. Vacuum the area 2. Hot shower than a cold rinse.
Put this stuff into well written Amazon Reviews.
Oh my gosh, that was so funny! Sail for a while to decide what you really need, and talk to other sailors with more experience before making a major investment!
That’s the lesson we learned!
My biggest regret was buying one of those expensive Stainless Steel really solid well made Al hohol Stoves. I gotbthrough what was supposed to be 6 months of fuel for the thing, in about 5 weeks, and the thing was a total pita to use. I have used solid Dinghies as Tenders, they generally came with the Boat, though got a couple cheap from Boat Jumbles, last was an 8ft I got for 10 pounds, for my Father's Boat. I'm going for a 10ft hypalon Dinghy with an air deck, and inflatable keel for my Next Boat's Tender, with a 6hp outboard on the back, with a UV protective cover, for when it is secured to the boat while at anchor, and likely to be in daily use. It weighs 41 kg, the Outboard weighs 25 kg, and the Dinghy rolls up for pretty convenient storage. Yes an Alu rib would be better, but then we get into expensive add on Da its to complicate the Strong rear Cockpit Atainless Arch for 3x 310 watts Rigid Monocrystalline Solar Panels plus Wind Gen. Flexible Panels can work well on Bimini Cockpit Covers, but you're lucky to get 2 years out of the Chinese ones, and Msybe 5 years out if the best. Not good value. Instead, I'm going to optimise the alternators on the inboard Diesel, upgraded to the 57hp Yanmar, with a Bruntons Autoprop, at first to test the new 150 amp smart regulator, and getting the optional 2nd alternator as well. If 300 amp total is not satisfactory, Balmar upgrades first, see how they go, and maybe get a pair of Balmar XT 170 amp ones instead. the propspeed ? Try Cheap Cold Zinc Galvanising Paint instead, Sime Boaters have been using it successfully for years. There are many brands that do 96% Non Toxic Zinc, in a Silicone medium, A Tin with 1kg Zinc in it, that never needs stirring, and which will keep for years, costs about 24 pounds here in the UK, brush or roller it on, about 1mm a coat, 3 coats does about 18 months antifoul protection, Plus, gives extra Anode Protection. Easy to reapply on haulout, plusca good chance it can keep that expensive Galvanised Anchor in pristine condition? As it wears down, just slap some more on. I won't need a Go Pro, have a nice proper camera, with a selection of lenses, and likely won't bother with Social Media videos myself. I did have a nice Nikon Compact Waterproof Camera that did 1080p video, which was brilliant value, plusvwas the only thing to survive the sinking of my last Boat after it was attacked. It wasn't very expensive either. PS. No Electric Propulsion for me, the energy density is totally inadequate. There was just enough power in my inboard Diesel engine, to Save my life when attacked by Wreckers, so please exercise extreme Caution ? Best Wishes and Fair Winds. Bob. 👍
Thanks for the insight! Lots of good info here!!
Electric is definitely a conscious choice. We don’t go into places where we would need lots of power to save our keel. This leads to long dinghy rides at times since we anchor pretty far out!
Wow, very interesing! Thanks for posting this! I wonder - if you turn this around - what has been the 10 most successful investments of gadgets or equipment you put on your boat? Not thinking about the boat itself or safety equipment, but things you find rewarding?
Stay tuned for this Wednesday 😉
@@RiggingDoctor Lol... nice! I will! :)
@@RiggingDoctor Almost Wednesday ... :)
So very surprised to hear about Propspeed not being the best thing since sliced cheese! We love it!!! Things grow but easily easily wipe away, for years! -Rebecca on SV Brick House
Thank you for using cheese as your example. Cheese is the best.
Simple is always better 😁😁
I loved your video even though I don’t have a boat or have plans to get one. It was probably cathartic to get all that off your chests. I think the Rock Anchor was my favorite mistake, but listen, sometimes we just have to experience things first hand. I will keep watching and good luck to you two.
Thank you for enjoying the adventure with us!
Hey guys, thanks for this video. Extremely informative. I have been watching all sorts of sailing videos for years and recently decided to sell my house and buy my boat. These last few months I have been doing heavy heavy research and watching videos about 8 hours a day while I'm fixing up the house and getting it ready for market. This video is exactly what people like me are looking for. we thank you for making it and for once I subscribed to a channel. Also I heard you guys mention your budget is 500 a month. That's impressive. Could you possibly do a video on a breakdown how to budget properly for sailboat liveaboards? Everything I've watched is extremely vague and people mention what their budget is for their boat, however they don't break down the details properly and address them to other boats for comparison. A video like this on how to calculate your future boat budget would exceed the sailing UA-cam scene I feel. I see everyone living comfortably from 500-5k a month and just dont know where I would place my safe zone to budget properly. Being that the boat is going to be my full time home and have the ability to travel full time I'm looking in the range of a 38-46ft boats so it more comfortable for me. I'm currently looking at a Morgan 461 and its top on my list that fits my individual needs and wants although no boat is perfect. I dont want to put my financials out there, but let's say someone is retired or on salary, UA-cam.. whatever their source of income making $3000 a month. Wanting to set aside for their future they put $1k a month into savings leaving them $2k for a monthly budget. How does the breakdown vary from boat to boat in cost. From maintenance to provisioning and even boat/marina fees. I know this would be a semi longer video, but myself along with many others would watch it till the end. Most of us are here for knowledge and stay when we see it. I know people say get the smallest boat you feel comfortable with, but I want to know what's the best option for budgeting with space aswell. Between scuba compressor, kayaks and surfboards and dingys, boats will fill up fast. My overall goal is to be on a boat and enjoy living my life. But I see many people go out and buy something they cant afford because they didnt budget properly and end up stuck with a depreciating boat they cant afford to fix so it sits in a marina costing more money and becomes a nightmare. So my main questing is.. what should we budget for to avoid a nightmare? Thanks guys. Looking forward to watching more and hopefully meeting up one day
That is an excellent topic and we will surely make a video on it!
We are full time cruisers (three years), now in Mexico. It is boat maintenance & repairs that invariably break the bank, not living expenses. The secret to cruising on a budget is to buy a smaller boat and acquire lots of maintenance/repair skills. Even doing most projects ourselves you stil cannot avoid buying materials + equipment. We are cruising in a CAL34 that we paid $20,000 for but have probably invested a further $50,000 into her. Had we been cruising in a 46 ft, we could easily have spent 2 or 3x that. The further we travel from the US, the more self sufficient cruisers are, generally in smaller boats.
Stephen Burnage very true, we bought our boat for $20k and then put another $80k into it to bring it up to blue water standards. Now we live on a really cheap budget and avoid buying anything expensive or prone to breaking.
I’m still compiling data for the video, but I’m doing it based on three different hypothetical boats and the cost to go cruising on them with different setups.
Thanks for the idea!
@@RiggingDoctor Yep, once you find yourself miles from SeaTow and/or other cruisers, you really do have to be self sufficient. You also think a lot about preventative maintenance. On the Pacific coast, a lot of boats make it to La Paz, Mexico but no further. The small percentage that get this far down are a different (and impressive) crowd, with some amazing stories. One changed a cylinder head gasket at sea - another rebuilt his gearbox offshore. That is not for everyone.
I use my auto pilot to change sail or use the head. I will leave it on on long hauls but be closely monitoring it. It does freak out occasionally but I just shut it down and take the helm.
you caught only 2 fish in 2 years is not the fault of the hand reel but because there are fewer fish in the sea. The fish are dying out.
Sad but true
And I thought I was a failure catching only 2 fish in 1 month... 😂
@@MattBargain Really you should not be trying to catch them at all. They are diminishing at record speed. Now is the time to leave them to their self's and pray they don't all die.
Gary mate, I don’t think that makes a difference. You wouldn’t be able to imagine just how many trawler fleets I had to dodge at night, especially in France and Portugal. Those are the ones extinguishing fish. I look differently at the seafood in supermarkets now...
@@MattBargain Could it be that every one has that same attitude. I understand maybe that's why they are dying our or diapering.
Great vid. Really surprised to hear that you guys had purchased a laminate main and such an elaborate auto pilot knowing how you guys cruise. I pray that I don't have the same issue with my auto pilot but we shall see.
Cheers Arch
Both were purchased 5 years before we went cruising when Herby had just bought the boat. Since then, we have discovered our philosophy :)
We were thinking about flex panels for our electric boat....no so much now. It is a little Cape Dory 30 and we wanted something that would not ruin her good looks. We have an electric motor like yours, cept smaller, we also have the honda generator we have not tired run and gen. Do you have an idea what may be causing the problem? Ours is pretty simple, no solar or wind generator.
Nice video I lost track when you were on land. Glad you are back in the water. Everyone has made mistakes....some admit them some don't and some folks think they never have but we all know they have. Dee and Deb