Outfitting a cruising yacht can be expensive! Especially if you fall down the rabbit hole of buying all the latest and greatest gizmos and gadgets.
In this video, we discuss the Top 10 buying regrets that we have had after having owned Wisdom for 7 years and outfitted her for blue water ocean passages. The goal is for you to learn from our mistakes so that you can be spared the expense that came with this lesson.
There are two ways to go cruising, and both involve money. The most popular idea is to work your whole life and then retire to a Cruising Life! Most cruisers we meet did it this way and also have health problems associated with old age.
The other option is to go while you are young and work along the way, transforming the Cruising Life into your way of life. Cruising turns from a vacation into a job, but a really fun job!
Along this path, you can do it by working regular jobs in the places you sail to, or create a mobile job that lets you work from anywhere.
We have gone with the “mobile career” route to find our cruising and it has opened up a whole new world of opportunity to us.
There are many things you can do for money, and none of them pay very well which is why it is best to diversify and have a large number of revenue streams.
We have:
Websites
Paintings
Rigging
I started my Rigging business with the goal of being able to find our voyage. I figured that we will arrive in places where other sailboats are and stuff on sailboats is always breaking; which means there is always work to be done!
This career choice has saved us more money than it has earned us as I do all the work on my own boat but most cruisers first go to a marina yard for repairs. Work permits are difficult to come by in some countries which makes advertising your trade impossible.
Rigging jobs have earned us a few hundred dollars here and there, but not enough to consistently count on as an income source.
Maddie is an artist and paints portraits on a commission basis. This works very well in the boat because the paintings are already sold before she starts painting. As soon as she is finished, we mail it to the new owner which means we don’t have to carry around a bunch of paintings in the boat.
Paintings earn a fair income, but the timing is inconsistent. Around the holidays, Maddie is swamped with work, then we will go several months without a single commission, then a flood of work comes into her email inbox.
As with all the other income sources, this one is very inconsistent and can’t really be counted on as a guaranteed meal earner.
Everyone shops on Amazon, and when someone buys something through one of our referral links, we get a small commission. A finders fee, if you would. Some months we make $100, some months only $5.
We consider this “free money” because it took no work to make it. We just show links in the description of our videos and if someone is interested, they can click on the link to buy it. Over time, the revenue adds up and is quite nice, but also not consistent.
We sell shirts through Teespring. All we have to do is design a shirt and create it on the webpage. Teespring then displays it on our store and handles all the rest. They are in charge of printing, shipping, and returns. We simply get paid a percentage of the sales. This takes a bit of work at first to design the shirts, but after that: Free Money!
Having a website can help earn some extra money. Ads can be displayed on a website to then generate ad revenue. This is a small source of income for us, but it is consistent! The bigger your site, the more you can expect to earn, and expect to earn it every month.
I currently have two websites:
RiggingDoctor is a bit bigger and earns about $30 per month while AdventuresOnBoats earns about $0.30 per month. Not really something you can live off of!
Once your website is big enough, you will get contacted by other companies who wish to advertise on your page in a rather sneaky fashion. They will pay to be one of your posts, posted under your name, as if it were your content. They also pay more than an entire months revenue for that one single post! This isn’t a consistent source of revenue as the paid posts are infrequent, but it is a nice boost to the Cruising Fund when it happens!
In the world of social media, YouTube is a great way to earn an income and exposure. YouTube will pay you a consistent pay check as long as you post consistently! This one really is able to find a voyage, as long as you are good and interesting. We started our YouTube Channel as a vlog for ourselves in the future but quickly grew! Now we consider it our job and work really hard at making videos and tending to the site.
YouTube is also a great platform for presenting links to all your other revenue streams which makes them possible.
Lastly, YouTube funnels into the next big revenue stream.
Patreon is a platform where people can support creators. In our case, they help support our creation of videos.
Making a video is simple, pull out your phone and record something. This works but not very well. To make it better, you need better camera gear, then editing software! All these things cost money and Patreon can help you afford them.
With Patreon, we have been able to upgrade our cameras, but a drone, and upgrade our editing software. There is also money leftover after these purchases to live off of so that you can continue to travel and create content for your patrons.
Patreon and Youtube are our biggest sources of income, and they make all the smaller sources possible by giving us a platform to display them from.
By working as we sail, we are able to sail farther without needing to stop and work a regular job along the way. This has let us venture off into the ocean and arrive in new lands without having to worry about where the next meal will come from.
Several people love the water, but in different ways. Others prefer to swim, while others prefer to fish. Still others are fascinated with boats and the art of floating on water. Regardless of whether you are a boating enthusiast or a beginner considering a new adventure, here are some guidelines on how to pick the right equipment for your boat.
The motor is the primary equipment that your boat needs because it is the gear that produces ample power to move you in the direction you prefer. Hence, in choosing a motor, consider the following factors.
Size and Weight. The motor size and weight is normally dictated by its horsepower. Using a big motor that produces more than enough horsepower for your boat may cause your boat to tip over. Thus, it is better to use a small motor that offers sufficient horsepower to help you maneuver.
Shaft Length. The shaft length of the motor should match the height of the back end of your boat, from top to bottom. This shaft length is necessary to keep the boat stable, especially when in motion. A shaft length that has a big offset to this height may cause unnecessary flux even when your boat is stationary.
Features. In choosing the perfect motor for your boat, consider features such as electric start, power tilt, or power thrust. Electric start makes it effortless to start up your boat regardless of the environmental conditions. Power tilt and power thrust features also provide the same convenience.
Air compressors for boats are designed to withstand wet environments. Furthermore, air compressors provide additional power to the boat’s motor. By picking an air compressor for your boat, think through the following factors.
Size and Weight. In the same manner as in choosing the right motor for your boat, factor in the size and weight of the air compressor. Lightweight compressors that come in small dimensions are perfect for boats compared to the big and bulky alternative that are more appropriate for big ships.
Portability. High-pressure air compressors that are portable prove to be more beneficial especially if you frequently use your boat. Nevertheless, the portability feature may not come in as a priority if you only use your boat a couple of times in a year.
Sound. For sure you would not want to be disturbed by a noisy air compressor in the midst of your tranquility. The quietest air compressors have decibel levels ranging from 60 to 75. Nonetheless, anything below the 80 decibel level is considered as quiet. Additionally, air compressor motors with lubricated parts are comparatively quieter. Smaller air compressors usually have lubricated parts. Large air compressors that are quiet are known to have a belt-driven motor.
While there are several activities that you can do on the water, boating is undeniably a different, but filling hobby. However, boating is a hobby that entails ample knowledge of boats and skills in maintaining its equipment. Nevertheless, whether you are an avid boater or a beginner in this hobby, having the right gear for your boat is compulsory.
My parents have returned to the states bringing out mini vacation to an end. Now we are working hard getting the boat ready to keep sailing on into the Mediterranean Sea!
In the world of advanced chemical compounds, it seems that the best solution to a simple problem like galvanic corrosion would be a synthetic concoction. The truth is, all modern chemicals are compared to the best solution to the problem: lanolin.
Lanolin, sold as Lanocote, is removed from sheep’s wool. The lanolin is separated from the wool and bottled up into small jars. This agent is natural and safe to use without gloves, and will not react with your skin!
It works great at keeping water out and dissimilar metals separated which then prevents any galvanic issues.
I personally use this anytime I have bronze and stainless steel touching, and an extra thick layer anytime I am mixing stainless fasteners with aluminum fittings. If you don’t use lanolin, or one of the other more expensive materials, you will quickly see bubbles form in the aluminum adjacent to the stainless steel fastener.
Lanolin is easy to use and good to keep in the boat. Best of all, it lasts a long time. I have been dipping into my same pot for the past 5 years and it is still full enough that I don’t need to think about buying more of it anytime soon!
