If, like me, you have been watching YouTubers like the Wynn’s, the Zatara family and Nahoa (to name a few of my favorites) live aboard their sailing catamarans, going to fantastic destinations and living what appears to be a pretty-sweet lifestyle, and wonder if you too could do it too, well read on because I have done the research for you.
How Much Does It Cost To Live On a Catamaran Full Time? Living full time on a catamaran will cost between $2,000 per month and $5,000 per month for a family of four and a little less for a couple with no children, plus the cost to maintain your boat which on average costs between 5% and 10% of the cost of the boat but also varies depending on the age and condition and size of the boat. There are many variables which is why there is such a big range including your personal lifestyle, the region you are in, time spent in a marina VS time spent out at anchor, alcohol consumption, hobbies and how often you travel around (and how much time you will spend motoring).
How Does Your Current Lifestyle Compare to Average?
Think of it this way. How much does the it cost for the average person to live on land? Well, just like my answer above it can vary in many of the same ways as for those choosing to live full time on a catamaran. Think about your land loving lifestyle and how you compare to average, then plug yourself into the cost range given above. If you are not about sacrificing anything, then you will be on the high end of the scale.
For example, if you must drink Starbucks Coffee, can’t live without a certain type of wine or beer and are willing to pay a big premium for brand names from home, then you are certainly going to be on the high side, and it may cost you more to live full time on a catamaran than living on land. If, however, you don’t mind eating the fish that you catch and eating rice and beans (or whatever local cuisine is available where you are traveling, then you may be on the lighter side of the chart. In any event, think about what it costs you for food now and that amount probably won’t change by very much, unless you are in a far away location and are paying a premium to get your local brands.
Where Are You Going?
The costs will vary by location. If you are going to travel around the world, then you can do some research by region to see what things costs and try to provision accordingly. For those starting out in the United States, stock up on as much food items as possible because, generally speaking, things are cheap there. Many cruisers start out in Florida, then sail over the Bahamas and down to the Caribbean. Everything costs more on an island because everything needs to be shipped in so plan accordingly. That includes drinking water. Stocking up on water in the main land will save you lot’s of money.
Know Your Region
If you are traveling to Central America, most costs are much lower than in the South Pacific. The Mediterranean is also quite expensive. If you are going to spend six months cruising around the Med or the South Pacific, you need to plan on an extra 50% in costs over many destinations in the western hemisphere (with the exception of the Galapagos Islands that is).
Is Your Catamaran Equipped for Boondocking (yes I know that is an RV term)?
RV’ers use the term, “boondocking” to define camping without electricity, water or sewer. Catamaran owners call this living at anchor. Both basically mean living off the grid. In order to live off the grid, you need to be able to have enough water, have enough electricity and have tanks large enough to hold your sewage until you are able to properly dump it. So, is the catamaran you are planning to live on able to live off the grid? Do you have enough solar power to supply your lifestyle? Are your batteries sufficient to store the power that you need? How often do you need to run your generator? Running a generator can burn a lot of fuel and be quite expensive.
Can You Live Without Air-conditioning?
Do you need air-conditioning (if your cat is equipped with AC)? This can be a big consideration if you are voyaging through the tropics where many days are hot and humid. Can you live on fans alone? Does your Cat have proper ventilation? Wind scoops keep the rain out and allow fresh air to circulate through your sleeping quarters, but is that adequate for you?
Does Your Boat Have A Water Maker?
Does your cat have a water maker? If not, how long can you go on a tank of water? If you are planning on avoiding the marinas whenever possible, you may want to consider spending $8,000 to $10,000 on a water maker. Keep in mind that a water maker uses a pump to force water through a series of filters. It requires electricity to run. Will your water maker run off of your solar of do you need to run the generator to make water. Do you have a way to capture the rain water to fill your fresh water tanks? Some boats come with a trough system that allows them to capture the rain water and divert it. Other cruisers have devised their own systems to capture the rain water.
How Long Can You Live Aboard Without Dumping Your Sewage Tank?
Another consideration is sewage. The ocean is huge and when out sailing or on a crossing, far away from land, it is acceptable to dump your sewage. In many locations where you are closer in to an island or mainland you are not allowed to dump. You certainly don’t want to dump while you are at anchor as you and others will be diving around the boats, plus the locals don’t want your sewage washing up on their beaches. So how long can you go without filling the tank?
You May Want to Consider a Composting Toilet
A composting toilet can often go much longer without needing to be dumped and could be something to consider installing in your catamaran if it isn’t already equipped. There may be a little bit of a learning curve for this one, but many sailors who have them say they are surprised at how they have gotten used to them and they actually have less odor than the electric toilets.
How Often Do You Spend Time in a Marina?
The time spent in a marina VS the time spent anchoring will vary from cruiser to cruiser. Everyone’s comfort zones are different. Certainly, the more time out at anchor, the more money you will save. Some cruisers go for 10 days at anchor, then 2 days in the marina. This allows for filling the fresh water tanks, getting the black water tanks pumped out, connecting to shore power to charge the batteries, run the air-conditioning and do laundry. Most marinas have laundry facilities so that you don’t have to wash your clothes onboard in a bucket.
Marina Fees
Marina fees vary by location and marina. Catamarans will pay more than monohulls in most marinas by about 50%. Expect to pay between $1.25 per ft to 3.00 per ft per night. For example, Shelter Bay Marina in Panama charges between $1.25 per ft and $2.00 per ft depending on size (the bigger, the more $$ per ft) for stays of 6 nights or less. The price per ft drops for longer stays. You can see that there is a cost to staying in marinas that must be taken into account when preparing your budget. For some catamarans not fully equipped to live off the grid, this is a necessity and a required fee to consider and to add to the budget. For others, it may be well worth the money to plug in, clean up, clean out and get recharged. During inclement weather or a tropical depression, you may be forced into a marina for shelter until it passes. Of course, avoiding those areas during high risk times of hurricanes, tropical cyclones and tropical weather may be a good idea if you want to save money by not being in a marina.
Motoring VS Sailing
Sailboats have a distinct advantage over power boats in that they have the option to motor or sail (or motor sail). Understanding the weather patterns and currents will help you to budget on the amount of motoring you may be forced to do. If you are traveling along the Mexican coast in the Pacific, there are times where the wind just won’t be in your favor. Knowing this up front will allow you to plan extra fuel in your budget. Being patient and not being in a hurry and not having a deadline to be at a certain location may allow more sailing time and less motoring (and less money out of your budget). Once again, plan ahead and factor in times when you will be forced to motor.
Dining Out VS Eating on Board
Another way to save is to eat on board your vessel and avoid eating out. Part of cruising, however, is to explore not only the seas, beaches and coast line, but to explore new lands and local cultures. That may mean a conservable time spent on land. Of course, you can pack food to bring with you when on a hike, but you may want to budget in restaurant visits. When in the Med for example, the food and cultures are a big part of the reason many go there. I can say that when I go to the Bahamas, I enjoy eating the Conch. One way to save would be to dive for conch and prepare it yourself. A best of both worlds. For some, however, dining out is an opportunity to get off the boat for a while, enjoy the local culture and is an opportunity to socialize and meet new people and strike up new conversations.
Alcohol
Drinking and cruising often go hand in hand but not for all cruisers. For those on a budget, this is one area that your can really save. Either don’t drink or find out what the locals drink and follow suit. Budweiser may be an expensive import, but the local pilsner may be quite cheap. In other locations, a good rum may cost less than a pilsner (beer). And of course, buying drinks in a bar or restaurant will be much more costly than buying at the store and drinking on your boat. Some restaurants even allow you to BYOB especially if they don’t serve alcohol – check ahead. Plan your drinking budget according to your lifestyle.
Hobbies
What do you plan to do on your free time? That is, when you are not sailing, not repairing the boat, and not cleaning the boat. Yes, you will have a lot of time working on your boat. So what do you plan on doing in your free time? Scuba diving, snorkeling, free diving, touring, hiking, exploring, paddle boarding, surfing, fishing, jewelry making, reading, writing, kite boarding, drinking (we already covered that one in the last paragraph), etc. You get the idea. Think about what you are going to do with your free time and determine a cost. If you need to get off the boat to keep your sanity, then make sure you have budgeted for on shore time.
Touring and Rental Vehicles
Touring is listed under hobbies, but touring may be considered a special item. If you know you will be visiting an area where there are wonderful on shore excursions, make sure you have budgeted enough so that you can actually afford to get off the boat. You don’t want to sail to Greece, then not be able to see Athens and the Parthenon. On the other hand, if you are spending a great deal of time in Guatemala and decide to take a break and travel to the mountains to escape the heat, then budgeting for a rental car and hotel or Air BNB would be helpful. Think ahead and know that you will most likely not spend all of your time on the boat and you will be much happier.
Repairs and Maintenance
This is a big category and most likely one of the areas where you spend most of your money. Catamarans take a great deal of abuse – especially when you are moving around a lot and doing crossings. The more you sail and move around, the more it will cost in boat maintenance. If you have a newer boat, perhaps you will be able to budget less (assuming that you have already tricked out the boat). If you have an older boat, it is logical that you will be spending more on maintenance and repairs. Make sure to budget up to 10% of the cost of the boat per year for maintenance. If you are lucky, you will have money left over to roll into next year’s budget.
Related Topics
How much does a Catamaran Cost?
The cost of a sailing catamaran will be greatly influenced by size of boat, age of boat, condition of boat and type of catamaran. For example, a 2014 42 Ft Lagoon may be listed for sale for $425,000. The same Lagoon catamaran may be listed for $350,000 for a 2008 year model and it may need some work. You need to also take into consideration the electronics, dinghy, sails and condition of sails, etc. Boats for sale in the Caribbean cost on average about ten to fifteen percent less than similar boats in the US.
What Kind of Financing is Available for Purchasing a Catamaran?
You can finance a catamaran just like you can finance your home or car. Interest rates vary and qualifications are different from company to company. One example is when purchasing a catamaran that is less than five years old. With a FICO score of 680 plus, you need a healthy down payment of 20% and can get a loan with an interest rate of around 5%. This is only one example, but the programs are similar to conforming rates for purchasing a home. Keep in mind that rates change often and there are lenders that specialize in marine type loans that may be better suited for giving a loan for your catamaran at a good rate. Ask your broker to refer a reputable marine lender.