Distant Shores Q&A Cost of Cruising June 13/20
Distant Shores TV
Join award-winning documentary filmmakers Paul and Sheryl Shard as they manage their first hybrid-powered aluminum flagship, Distant Shores IV, in Bermuda in 2026.
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A monthly live Q&A with Paul and Sheryl Shard, longtime cruising sailors, sailing authors and the producers of the Distant Shores sailing adventure TV series. This month’s topic is the “Cost of Cruising”.
00:00 – Welcomes and hellos.
01:11 – Are you in an area that has opened up for boating?
02:22 – Update on Distant Shores III and our plans to return to Panama.
02:47 – Introduction on today’s topic, “Cost of Cruising”.
03:36 – Blogs we’ve written on “Cost of Cruising”.
03:34 – Factors that affect the costs of cruising – size and age of boat, skills, cruising style, etc.
04:21 – Costs to consider if you own an older or previously-owned boat.
05:13 – Costs related to size and complexity of a boat – repairs, dockage, increases on multihull, etc.
07:17 – Find owners of boats similar in size to your boat, e.g. @SailingUma 35′ boat
07:50 – Biggest wildcard that affects the cost of cruising is maintenance. DIY saves money.
09:15 – If hire someone to do maintenance or repair, watch and learn so you can DIY next time.
09:35 – If need repairs done when cruising be sure to ask other cruisers for recommendations.
10:30 – Check that the boat yard you haul out at will let you do your own work. What restrictions?
11:08 – Discussion on bottom paint including the long lasting Coppercoat bottom paint that we use.
14:30 – Our strategy for budgeting for cruising.
17:40 – Importance of checking manuals for maintenance schedules, learn spares you’ll need.
18:00 – Ken asks what a maintenance budget for a used 36 foot sailboat would be.
21:03 – Create a “slush fund” for emergencies. e.g. $15,000 US.
22:00 – New season of Distant Shores episodes coming to AWE TV and soon to Vimeo on Demand.
23:35 – Greg mentions factors that affect maintenance such as teak decks vs fibreglass decks.
24:40 – Staying in marinas increases your budget a lot.
25:25 – Setting a budget gives you something to start from, you adjust as you go.
27:15 – Plan to spend more in your early days of cruising as you build confidence.
28:18 – Discussion on having a satellite phone, internet access and communications while cruising.
32:30 – Starlink system, @SpaceX, living on a sailboat compared to International Space Station 🙂
33:31 – Zeke asks how much “you-get-what-you-pay-for” applies to boat buying.
35:00 – Zeke asks how much does the hull material of a boat influence the cost of cruising.
36:52 – Having a survey done: what affects cost – location, experience, specialty, recommendations.
38:52 – Health coverage while cruising.
41:06 – Kirsten asks about fuel costs and power usage.
43:40 – Discussion on @Integrel Solutions generator replacement system
46:08 – Alex has just bought a Southerly 42 and asks about how to beach it.
47:20 – Robert asks if a 6.5 foot draft would be a problem cruising the Bahamas.
49:50 – Allen asks about Yacht Insurance. Are their restrictions due to weather, geopolitical regions?
55:56 – Can you cruise without insurance? Importance of Third Party Insurance.
57:20 – Watermaker – is it worth buying one?
59:05 – Are you too old to go cruising? How YouTube is skewing the perception of age of cruisers.
1:01:40 – Andrew asks if some places charge you to anchor?
1:02:20 – Check out https://www.noonsite.com/ for costs and information on cruising any country.
1:04:50 – How Sheryl sprained her ankle in the Bahamas.
1:05:40 – Check out our recent video, “Rough Water! Sailing Offshore Bahamas to Panama”.
1:06:23 – END
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