Year: 2009

So many people over the years have asked me to keep track of my finances so they could get an idea of what I’m really spending while I cruise. The thing is I just can’t do it. I’m no good at saving receipts and sitting down to do the math. Sam on the other hand is. I’ve asked her to start keeping a log of our expenses so we could share it with you guys. I used to be able to cruise on about $250.00 a month. Splendid is inherently more expensive to run and maintain then Namaste. For example Splendid’s motor drinks a gallon of diesel an hour as opposed to ½ gallon an hour in Namaste. Splendid is also much larger so all parts are more expensive. Not to mention there are an additional two people on board now. On the plus side we have more room to provision better. We have room to make wine in ample quantities and carry more tools which makes us more self sufficient and cost effective. 

Sam has informed me that we spent $170.00 last week which I think is atrocious. We did buy some long term provisions ($50.00) and about another $40.00 of it went into the diesel generator that I’m trying to get going. The diesel generator is only 4.5 horse and drinks about 1/8 of a gallon an hour and will either be a generator, watermaker, or hooked up to a hi-output alternator.

I also need to build our solar food dryer which will cost about $100.00. As you know we don’t have refrigeration. We have a huge system that leaked out all the gas, it just needs fixing. We haven’t fixed it because we need to run the main motor for about an hour a day ( 1 gallon of diesel) to freeze the holding plates and Sam and I don’t want to burn the fossil fuel.  What we want to buy is an Engel (http://www.engel-usa.com/mt17.htm ). I have a deal with them and can get one for cost for advertising so as soon as we can afford it we will get it. An Engel is the most efficient system you can buy and we can easily power it with our solar panels. It’s just the right size to preserve some fresh fish and keep some cool water cool for hot days. When we cross the Pacific or Atlantic I’ll have the big refrigeration system going so we could freeze 6 months of fresh meat, ice cream, or whatever.

A big key to the “healthy food system” is the solar dryer. Dried food is much healthier than canned food and retains its natural vitamins and nutrients. We plan on drying fish, vegetables, and fruit in large amounts. We are thinking of getting one of those vacuum sealers to preserve the dried food longer however Sam hates the idea of the extra plastic though, we’ll see.

Our goal is to cruise on $350.00 to $450.00 a month. The thing is we’ll have to spend some more money ( Engel, solar dryer, more solar panels, and a wind generator) to get there.

My buddy David and web-guru will be putting up an expense page so you guys can see what we are actually spending in a spread sheet form. Sam will also have her own log soon so she’ll be writing a bunch. 

Cheers everyone. 

Live free, sail far, and live slowly. 

– Alex