Year to Date Cruising Costs and Buying a Bigger Boat

Remember we bought Hotspur cheap because of all her neglect and need for serious attention? Well, let’s take a look at how much we’ve spent for the cruising year of 2010 with the purchase of Hotspur and the selling of Windfall... and how far we’re into the red!

As of April 2010, our year-to-date expenses from December 2009 thru April 2010 bring us to $7,064.77. If you have followed our comparison of expenses this past week, you’ll be shaking your head wondering what I’m talking about. Our expenses clearly add up to more than that!!!

We purchased 41' Hotspur for $22,000. When we sold 35' Windfall, we came out $13,000 ahead. You’re probably shaking your head in disbelief and asking yourself what I’m smoking?

Keep in mind that Windfall is out there right now (as we speak!) cruising in crystal clear waters and we are STILL baking on the hard... sweating, working... (yesterday makes 4 weeks on the hard!!!). We have been making serious repairs to Hotspur here in Mazatlan for over 4 months... while living on the boat the entire time. THAT’s how we came out ahead on a bigger boat... initially!

Doesn’t look too terrible for five months, huh? That averages out to $1,412.95. That’s less than our $1,500 monthly budget... Woo-Hoo!

However, the month of May will be a ‘looking to kill the kitty’ month.* No, the little stray kitten we have aboard will not be sacrificed. We like her after all.* The kitty comment refers to our cruising kitty. We haven’t paid Total Yachtworks for the parts and labor they’ve done filling in the blisters, painting the bottom, building new shafts for both the drive and rudder, repairs to the rudder, replacement of through-hull valves, and prop mount fabrication... oh, and engine alignment. It could very well be $5,000! I shudder to think! If that’s the case, that will mean we will have already spent 71% of what we spent our entire cruising year last year... in just six months!!!

Really... where IS that little, green pukster icon???