May 2021 Cruising Prep Expenses

Yep, we’re still on the hard. 2 weeks left, remember, 2 weeks. I’ve said a couple of times before that my arbitrary “line” for swapping from “cruising prep” to “cruising” is when we splash Calypso; even though our plan calls for an almost-immediate haul again, those expenses will be chalked up under cruising expenses. After all, hauling out for maintenance will be a relatively regular occurrence.

For those of you new here, we’re in the process of an almost total refit of our beloved 28’ Bristol Channel Cutter, Calypso. We’ve had her for close to 30 years so feel pretty confident that we’re making changes based on experience and a very solid foundation in knowing our boat and how we like to live and cruise on her. It’s not easy to find information about what it might cost to get a boat ready for extensive cruising; not that our choices would be the same for anyone else, but the specifics and especially the HOUR figure might help you realize the scope of DIY work

So. May. We “lost” almost a week when we drove to Vermont at the end of the month. I also had an unexpected trip with Bee from Vermont to Charlottesville and back the last 2 days of May and first 2 days of June, adding gas and “dining out” costs. What did we spend, and how much time did it take?

Grand Total Boat Money for May, 2021: $1809.21

Boat projects: (consumables for general boat work): $246.27

paint
fasteners
battery cables

Boat gear: (more durable pieces of kit): $1562.94

SOLD the old Monitor (gain of $400)
stanchions
staylok fittings
wire for bowsprit/boomkin stays
mainsail refit with new mast slides
canvas for new mainsail cover/new dinghy cover
reusable grocery bags
drill bit
washers (why these aren’t in the “projects” list I have no idea)

And then there’s all the rest of what it costs as we get ready to roll

Miscellaneous: $2724.86

yacht club dues, boat insurance, yard storage ($244.42)
storage unit ($65)
groceries/booze ($1834.75) (MAJOR stock up for us and for Bee - first time in a store since December)
cell phone ($221.18) (annual for my Mint plan; regular Jeremy Google Fi)
gasoline for the van ($183.94)
car parts (tire fix ) ($30.04)
health insurance for the family ($81.29)
mailing ($3.83)
take out/drive thru, Charlottesville trip with Bee ($60.41)

And now for the really fun part, the part that people don’t pay enough attention to when thinking about working on a boat. We are pretty firm believers in the DIY aspect. For one, HELLO BUDGET. For another, though, doing our own work means we’re intimately familiar with every aspect of the boat. If something goes wrong, we’ll know just what happened.