Well it depends on a lot of stuff. I sort of have this figure in my head of about $40,000 AUD a year. I know there are some purist cruisers out there who will say that’s a bit decadent but if we want to experience the places we visit other than the coastline we are going to have to occasionally use marinas, rent cars, eat out and stay in motels, all of which cost money.

A lot of cruisers opt not to take out insurance on there boats due to the expense and for go medical insurance. We have decided that we will insure the boat and ourselves. Cruising sailboats are complicated things (don’t let anyone tell you otherwise) unless you want to sail around the world hand steering on a motor less boat drinking warm beer (no fridge) with a bucket as a bilge pump no thanks. Cruising sailboats have radars, wind vanes, autopilots, gps, fridges, depth, speed and wind instruments, solar panels, wind turbines, pressurised water, batteries to run all the above, motors ....the list goes on, all of which are continually been challenged by the elements and the corrosive properties of salt water, all of which can and do break and weather you are going to fix them yourself or get someone else to do it its going to cost you money.

Oh yes and sails too, here’s what’s left of our inner foresail after our Pittwater to Nelson bay passage. Hate to think what this is going to cost to replace.