lifehack for budget bluewater boats for a family of 4

Sep 25, 2008
1,096
CS 30 Toronto
Huh? $10K in diesel fuel? That seems rather high. At $4 a gallon, that's about 2,500 gallons. Burning a gallon an hour at 5 knots gives you a range of about 12,500 miles. It is less than 2,000 miles from Montreal to Key West, Fl. That's about 400 hours at 5 knots, at 1 gph fuel cost will be about $1600 each way at $4 a gallon. A gallon a hour is a high burn rate, my boat burns about ¾ gallon an hour at 6 knots.
No stopping in between? No warming up and sit around just to charge the batteries?
My friend went on a Hunter Legend 37.5 a while back. Diesel costed >$10,000.
Sir you calculation is based on straight flight line. Don't you go exploring? Sailing/motoring is never a straight line. What's the hurry?

If the only issue is cost, take a flight. Only a few hundred bucks.
 

dLj

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Mar 23, 2017
3,373
Belliure 41 Sailing back to the Chesapeake
No stopping in between? No warming up and sit around just to charge the batteries?
My friend went on a Hunter Legend 37.5 a while back. Diesel costed >$10,000.
Sir you calculation is based on straight flight line. Don't you go exploring? Sailing/motoring is never a straight line. What's the hurry?

If the only issue is cost, take a flight. Only a few hundred bucks.
Time not a problem? Put up your sails.... Cuts way down on diesel fuel usage.

$10,000 buys over 2000 gallons of diesel. I'm familiar with the Hunter legends, they don't burn that much fuel just motoring... I think your friend must have been running a generator and complete climate control in the boat. I have to say, I don't think I've used 2000 gallons of diesel fuel in my sailboats, like ever. And I've done some decently long trips...

That's not a sailboat diesel budget. That's more like a powerboat diesel budget. I'm not saying your friend didn't use that on their trip. but honestly, I don't know how they could have used that much fuel for that trip. Unless, like I said, they were also running a generator and AC for weeks or something...

Gotta say, I'm with @dlochner on this one...

dj
 
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Oct 26, 2008
6,045
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
@Scott T-Bird Thanks for the lead to "The Escape Artists" YouTube channel. While their videography is a little raw, it was nice to see video of my sailing grounds on Lake Ontario.
They are back! What a coincidence ... they seemed to have disappeared for a year and a half. Suddenly they reappear with an episode that picks up right where they left off in Cape May, apparently completely unfazed by near disaster. The episode wasn't long on sailing interest. It featured Halloween in Cape May. But I'm hooked on their story and will be looking forward to its continuation. Only 69 views so far for their latest ... but I'll be watching!
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
No stopping in between? No warming up and sit around just to charge the batteries?
My friend went on a Hunter Legend 37.5 a while back. Diesel costed >$10,000.
Sir you calculation is based on straight flight line. Don't you go exploring? Sailing/motoring is never a straight line. What's the hurry?

If the only issue is cost, take a flight. Only a few hundred bucks.
Sorry the numbers just don't add up, unless as @dLj says your friend was running a generator a lot and diesel heat. Even if the distance is doubled each way to account for meanderings and the boat was never sailed, my figures suggest it would be $3200 each way. Still way under $10K.

From Montreal it will be necessary to motor to Albany NY through the canals and Lake Champlain. Once the mast is stepped in Albany, it is possible to sail the entire way to Norfolk, only motoring through the C&D canal and in and out of anchorages and marinas. That's about half the distance.

The bottom line, is the $10K number is suspect, if it is 10 K CND, it would would be $7K US, still quite a high number. Perhaps he is combing marina charges with fuel charges.
 
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Likes: Alan Gomes
Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
They are back! What a coincidence ... they seemed to have disappeared for a year and a half. Suddenly they reappear with an episode that picks up right where they left off in Cape May, apparently completely unfazed by near disaster. The episode wasn't long on sailing interest. It featured Halloween in Cape May. But I'm hooked on their story and will be looking forward to its continuation. Only 69 views so far for their latest ... but I'll be watching!
Great I'll have to check it out. They do have the Blair Witch quality to their videos. I just wish they would slow down the pan shots or get an image stabilizer. :)
 
Nov 24, 2015
84
Hunter 27 Middle River
The kindness, wisdom, intelligence and willingness to share of the posters on this forum is phenomenal.
For me the boat I was happiest owning is the one that didn't require anything more than a good bottom job when I bought it. Although I could afford to buy low and upgrade (did on multiple occasions), and love working on boats (and houses, cars, tractors, etc.), now I drive down to the marina and just go sailing. It took me a long time and the counseling of a wise slip neighbor to come to this point of view. Yes, it was more dollars upfront but the payoff in hours of sailing joy more than outweighed the cost.
 

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
I don't understand how folks with little or no marine boat building knowledge (that includes electricity {two voltages}, plumbing, etc.) think they can "fix up" an old boat and end up with a better boat for less money, with at least three years without sailing the boat. I've seen so many of these with people using 2x4s, non marine grade plywood, household electric wire (Romex single strand), etc, and they look and feel like they were home built sheds, rather than warm, comfortable homes to cruise around in.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
They have a dream, just a lack of Practical DNA in their genes. :facepalm: