A common question from wanna-be cruisers is “how much does it cost to cruise?” Besides the flippant (and unfortunately a little bit true) answer of “as much as you have”, there’s the unspoken question of “how much does it cost to get READY to cruise?”

That’s what this series is hoping to shed some light on.

There’s the money part, which is easy enough to delineate. It’s also just as easy to dismiss, sometimes. Items like paint and sandpaper get lost in the noise against new sails and solar panels; that noise adds up to a really deafening chorus when you track it. It all still counts.

There’s also the time part. Working on a boat takes time. Each project you tackle winds up spawning a few more, yes, but it’s also that nothing on a boat is symmetrical or square. There’s the need for a lot of thinking time to plan moves, work out the chess moves of what ifs so you’re not redoing or undoing work you just did to get the next thing done. Doing the work yourself may take more of this time while it saves money. The balance can be a challenge. For us, both our budget and our own inclination and skills put us firmly on the DIY side of the equation; later this year, time will become a looming factor and we’ll have to hire some (very specifically chosen) tasks out.

Someone recently said something about choosing (and buying) their boat all over again with the massive refit they’re undertaking. I like that way of thinking about it.

GRAND MONEY TOTAL: $2279.71

Boat project total in February $689.09 (consumables that aren’t spares)

• plywood

• 5200

• fasteners

• chip brushes and paint

• fiberglass and epoxy

Boat gear total in February $546.21 (boat parts or reusable items or spares)

• water pump, impeller, exhaust fitting, alternator regulator for engine

• knee pads and face mask

• VHF antenna

• Victron dongle

• fastener box

Associated boat expenses $388.30 (dock, insurance, taxes, storage)

Miscellaneous $656.11 (gas, groceries, housing costs at the boat)

The hours. In the 20 days of February that we were actually down at the boat, we put in 156 hours of labor. We work after work hours during the week and really pour it on on the weekends.

• painting

• templating

• cutting plywood

• fitting and shaping and fiberglassing

• mocking up ladder position

• demolition

We fully expect the boat project and boat gear columns to go up. Associated expenses are mostly fixed, with a lump sum for taxes due in December if I remember right. Who knows what insurance will be when we get a renewal (hopefully we get a renewal) in May. Miscellaneous will be high again in March (more housing at the River expenses) and then will likely drop as the people who are letting us be in their house will need it again for sailing season.