Life On Sail

    Budget overview: It was one of our lowest spending months. But still more than we would have wanted because of unexpected event.  We had our dinghy stolen, no extra costs yet, it will incur next month.  It it is our last month before crossing to the French border.  We spent a total of  1711  euros, which is one of our lowest spending during this gap year.  February spending details: We had to stay in ports more than we would have wanted to. Unfortunately, in Italy, the low season price is as expensive as the high season in France.  Also sailing in winter is rough, either too much wind therefore we had to shelter, or not enough, we used the engine far more than we would have wanted. So we had to fill up the tanks twice this month! And last but not least, our autopilot hydraulic pump broke down, we had to get spare parts delivered quickly. It did entail extra costs.  February vs Budget:   We only have 1700 euros left to spend for ...

  Budget overview: HAPPY NEWY YEAR! ALL THE BEST TO OUR READERS! Last month of the year, and it's the holidays season, and usually for us, it's the season we usually spend the most. Not necessarily on gifts. But mostly on traveling. We usually try to spend either Xmas or the NY in another country.  Well this year is no different. We flew our son to gather up for the end of the year celebrations.  And of course, we went above our usual spending.  This month, we spent 4206 euros .  December spending details: First half of December, we spent as usual, maybe a bit extra on the Sailing Vignette and diesel as we didn't get much wind in Greece. Also it got colder, so we did have to use a bit of extra diesel to heat up ourselves at night.  But then the holidays preparations started and we probably spent 2400 euros on these holidays, as we spent 10 nights in hotels, in different locations, from Athens, to Santorini, and went to some day excursions in Meteora. My mo...

   Budget overview:  We spent  2072  euros this November. That's our lowest spending so far! We paid for all the most expensive maintenance and repair work. And we were in countries where there were not so many marinas (Croatia, Montenegro, Albania), so less spending.  The biggest unexpected spending was that fine that we got from fishing without license in Croatia.  We didn't know and got caught.  There were also extra sailing vignettes to be paid for sailing Montenegro and agent fees for the border crossing administrative process in Albania.  Overal this month helped balance out all the previous overspending so that we land back on a healthier budget for the 3 last months left of our gap year.  November spending details :  We spent  173 euros  on a fine for fishing without permit in Croatia.  60 euros for an agent after entering Albania.   The rest of the spending is the usual food and marinas.  Very...

  September 2025 overview: We are now entering the "low season" so ports should be cheaper.  We did more mooring. We are slowly catching up with the right pace.  However, our friend came over to visit for 5 days and we did go inland for couple of days, which means extra spending.  But overall we spent the lowest of all months so far since our departure.  Total spending reached €2776 for the month. September 2025 in details: This month's highlights: -  Finally got my new Camera. It's not in this budget, I got it from a separate account + it's my bday gift.  -We bought parts to fix the 2 toilets. And other things were broken on the boat. So still a lot of maintenance and repairs to be done.  -Our friend came to visit for 5 days and we visited inland, renting a car.  -Last but not least, the spinnaker tore off! So that will be a big repair to plan for.   July 2025 vs Budget With 7 months into our sabbatical, we’ve spent a bit more than 86% ...

June 2025 overview June is our 2nd biggest spending! So many things happened, we had a streak of bad luck, losing our battery, holes in our dinghy, having to cut the anchor, losing our shower bag into the water etc...  Total spending reached  €8010  for the month. June 2025 details This month's highlights - Standing rigging: We had to pay the balance of the standing rigging repairs before we did the passage from Hyeres to Calvi in Corsica.  - We started our Starlink subscription this month! But found out we didn't pay for the offshore option.  -We rented a car while waiting for our parents to come and stay with us for 1 week. We had a blast traveling to mainland Corsica vs only staying close to the coast.  June 2025 vs Budget With five months into our sabbatical,  we’ve spent 78% of our total budget,  leaving  €22700  for the remaining seven-eight months.   Repairs and Maintenance Budget:   -  Original allocatio...

April 2025 overview April marked our third-highest spending month so far, largely due to ongoing boat renovations. Purchasing equipment for the boat remains our biggest expense, as we continue to make upgrades here and there. Adding to the costs, it was also Easter holiday month, which brought plenty of family fun! Our son and his family joined us, leading to lots of outings and extra spending. In total, we spent €4,863 this month. Looking ahead, we expect equipment costs to gradually decrease over the coming months as the boat gets closer to its final shape.   April 2025 details Equipment purchases still account for a significant portion of our budget, but we’re also spending more time at marinas than originally planned. Honestly, I don’t mind too much—there’s something comforting about the convenience and community of marina life!  April 2025 vs Budget With 67% of our €20,000 budget already spent, we’ve shelled out €10,953 so far, primarily on equipment (€7,325) and repairs....

March 2025 overview This month marks our second-biggest spending period.   We purchased the boat at the end of February, and now March has been dedicated to refitting and renovation.                                    March 2025 details We bought a lot of consumables for the renovation, and more importantly, we needed a ton of equipment to upgrade the boat: a heater, wastewater tank, charging ports, an electric outboard engine, and more.   The list is long! March 2025 vs budget: We spent 10,000 euros this month.   Of that, 8,600 euros went toward refitting work just for March. In total so far, we’ve spent 9,100 euros on the refit out of our 20,000-euro budget. We still have some work ahead:   - The teak isn’t fully saturated yet and needs new joints (rough estimate: 250 euros) .    - We need to pay for porthole replacements (estimated: 650 euros) ....

February 2025 overview This month had our biggest spending yet—we bought the boat!! Woo-hoo! We got it for 50,000 euros, which is 20,000–30,000 euros below market price because it needs a ton of renovation. Total spending for February comes to 53,000 euros. February 2025 details The main expenses were the boat, the trip to Croatia, and the tools we started buying to renovate it. The rest of the spending will hit in March when we leave the dry dock—we’ll need to pay for the stay plus all the consumables we bought to fix the boat. February 2025 vs budget :  The biggest expense is done: we’ve acquired the boat. Originally, we planned to buy it for 65,000 euros and spend 5,000 euros equipping it (plus 3,000 euros extra for miscellaneous equipment). Now, it looks like equipping it will cost around 20,000 euros—especially later if we tackle the transatlantic crossing. Year-to-date (YTD), we’ve used up 52% of our budget. Let’s see how long we can stretch the rest of the money!  

Finding our Dream Vessel For those of us enchanted by the idea of owning a sailboat, the journey of finding the right one might feel like a treasure hunt. Here's a detailed guide on how to navigate the waters of sailboat acquisition, ensuring you find a vessel that matches your dreams and your practical needs. Take it with a grain of salt as it is the first time for us too! Understanding Your Sailing Dreams Before diving into the market, define what you want your sailing life to look like: - Purpose : Are you looking for a weekend cruiser, a long-distance voyager, or a boat for day sailing? Your intended use will dictate size, design, and features. For us, it's all about living aboard for as long as our budget will let us. Cruising the shoreline from wherever we buy the boat, and making at least one transatlantic sail.  So it has to be a boat above 38ft (ideally 40ft) and equipped for offshore sailing.  - Experience Level : Your sailing skills should influence your choice. A n...