The question of "how much does it cost to go cruising" is a common one. It takes what you have. Just as we all live in houses and drive cars that reflect both our income and choice of lifestyle, so too does cruising. There is no answer to that question. If you want to go cruising, you'll go, on whatever budget you happen to have. Several cruisers have passed on this: that cruising averages ten percent of the value of your boat per year. So if you have a $150,000 boat you'll spend about $15,000 a year while cruising. Of course you can't scale that down too far below $100,000. You can cruise quite comfortably on a $30,000 boat but you probably won't be able to live on $3,000 a year. I've also heard more than once that you spend more the first year out than you do the next three, and I can believe it.

Before you sign the papers on that new-to-you-but-needs-work 40 footer, read on:

Just for fun I made a couple of lists of all the cars I COULD have had, or still could, for what we've got in the boat.  Kind of eye-opening!!!!

(Of course, this assumes that G would LET me, as we can't live in a Diablo....)

2007 Aston Martin Vantage and a 427 Cobra Replica: 

001
 

003

Or a 1968 Mustang fastback, a blown T-bucket, a '57 retractable, and a street rod:

004

006

008

009

Or, for some Italian flair, a Diablo and a matching Prowler:

011

012

I assume someday we'll quit cruising and move back on land.  When we do, maybe G will let me pick one from this list!!!