Really low cost cruising

We met some really inspirational people on some really inspiring boats while we have been in the South Pacific. There are significantly more young (20 / 30 something) cruisers in the Pacific than we ever encountered in the Caribbean. We have quite a large boat in comparison to some of our friends. 

One couple we met knew how to really keep the cruising budget to an absolute minimum. Here is a brief break down of their costs to go cruising. 

They bought a 26ft ocean going boat (there are quite a few out there) for less than $10,000 (I hope they don't mind me saying this) and spent another $3,000 on new sails a wind vane (Monitor) etc. The boat has no engine (not even an outboard engine) but it does have a pair of oars and rowlocks that they use to row their little vessel in and out of anchorages. There is no head on board but they do have a nifty 2 burner gas stove and oven (as they are great cooks). All the rigging is Amsteel (instead of wire and turnbuckles and other slightly more expensive and harder to repair stuff). There are minimal electronics onboard. Rechargeable batteries are used for the cabin lights and the hand held VHF radio and GPS etc. They have a solar panel and a golf cart battery to charge their laptop. Their navigation is done with a GPS (NOT a chart plotter) although they do have a tiny navigation programme on an iPhone that was given to them as a backup.

They are a remarkable pair and seem to live the pages of a Lin and Larry Pardey book.

All in, they have probably gone cruising (including crossing to Hawaii from Mexico and then into the South Pacific) for about $20,000. They don't eat out much (if at all). They make a lot of their own clothes (very well too) and make repairs to cruiser's canvas and sails with their handy sewing machine (god knows where it is stored). 

The point being, is that they are having just as much fun as everyone else and as my owl like father always says, "the view from their porthole is the same as the view from mine". Sure their passages are a little more wet, but they are out here doing it and not sitting at the yacht club bar adamant that next year will be the year they will have enough money to let loose the mooring lines. 

Moral of the story is that it can be done with what ever budget you have, you just have to make a few sacrifices!