you guys are newbish and honest and transparent about the costs. That is the central pillar of your channel, so well done. You have magnetic personalities and charisma and that fills it out. I'm invested in your story and feel i can learn here! Well done carry on.
Great stuff guys! I was young before the internet. Having done this back then, knowing absolutely nothing about boats and sailing, would have been a daunting task! It's amazing what the internet enables people to do, in terms of seeking help and advice on how to do stuff. And in your case a bit of finance as well.
Thank you for opening your books and sharing your refit expenses. The fact that you prioritize needs and wants, shop around, provide your own labor, and all the while Learn is admirable. You provide a trail for others to follow. Good job.
I wish I had the opportunity to do this when I was younger but it is great to watch you two just going for it! There are so many sailing videos on RU-vid and I have watched many of them but your style and openness set you apart. Please tell us you're not going to be land lovers again and buy a house!!!!!! J/K.....Good luck and stay safe!
Im 53 now and I just bought my first sailing boot. Doing some refit & upgrade over winter here in Hamburg/Germany and next april Im off to fulfil my childhood dream sailing to New Zealand
My GF and i are currently in the pre stages of buying out own boat, (trawler) and are looking at everything we can find. we live around Vancouver B.C so we see tons. seeing this was a nice way to drag ourselves back to reality. thanks for the awesome tips.
I found your channel some days ago. I have several episodes to catch up with but I am really enjoying your approach. The deeper transparency is not usual and surely a differential you have. Keep it up! Stay safe and together.
Many many props to you guys for giving out all that information on your re-fit! I've been religiously following about 20 different sailing VLOG's (yeah I'm a lonely guy!!) and although I enjoy all of them, it's nice to be able to compare what you did and the costs to what I am trying to accomplish. So many thanks for that! By the way, you channel is by far one of my most favorite. Thanks and keep up the great work!
I hope you have Batten down and Abandon south Florida from pending Hurricane Irma! God bless and best wishes and prayers to all in the path of the Hurricanes.
Great to see a couple have an adventure while you both are still young. I found teaching jobs in far off countries that paid for my adventures. Hiked in mountains to Buddhist temples in Asia with girlfriends from that area. Drank coffee right off the burro in Guatemala watching the volcano smolder in the clouds. Many other things a person can't do from an office cubicle. I look forward to watching your videos. Money comes and goes, but youth is very temporary. No matter how difficult things become; when you look back in 20 years, you will be glad you chose to have an adventure. Best of luck my RU-vid friends.
I spent 25 years of my adult life living in California and I'm happy to say that's where I meet and married my wife. I know what most of you are thinking "California Sucks" but if it comes to a divorce everything is split 50/50. No one walks away with everything. My wife and I also have one bank account and all our money belongs to both of us. We do nothing without talking to the other when it comes to expenses. It's the best and only way I would ever get married to anyone which by the way I did when I was over my single life at age 38. Watching these two younger people getting started on their journey is awesome. Makes me wish I was young again. Thanks for Sharing your journey!
I really appreciate yall going into such detail about the financial aspects. Careful and correct financial planning is extremely crucial info to help make the dream a reality for younger folks with less expendable income and want to get on the boat while they are fit enough to enjoy it. So long story short you rock.
Great video guys. Brave of you to show your finances. Next I would expect all the haters to pick it apart. Ignore them. You guys do you. Cause you guys rock. Good job. I hope you survive the storms.
Grandpa's Farm Goes Sailing Thanks, Grandpa. Our boat is on the hard in Port Charlotte in a great place to weather the storm. We're as prepared as possible. Hoping for the best but expecting the worst.
Hi Ryan and Kelsey, good luck with the rest of your refit - we are rooting for you and we can't wait to see you guys start sailing and living the dream. You are doing a fantastic job, keep up the great work! Fair winds, Chris & Rossella 👍
i love how transparent you guys are. i know you put a lot of emphases on it, but money is always a thing people are self conscious on. and spending that much would be a gut punch. but cheaper than renting/ buying a home. lol you guys are just rad! if you ever make it to the west coast Washington state. ill fly you guys around and show you the sites! :)
We just came across your video and thought how funny that your story is ours, taking Way too long at the marina during refit, the Porta boat, the Torqeedo , the whole idea of stepping into someone else's lifestyle and making it your own. Hope to cross paths "down south" after this Hurricane season. Keep up the good work and fair winds
Awesome!! Smart move on the Porta-bote Torqeedo combo :) It has turned heads everytime we've used it. Probably because it looks so out of the ordinary, haha. Fair winds to you as well!
I love how you guys work as a team. You both seem to have this life thing sorted out. Thanks for the unique perspective on live aboard sailing and I hope your travels turn out to be every bit as amazing as you two are. - Goulash - an expat in South Korea. ^^
Hey guys, I love what you are doing the the financial transparency. I am in the very early stages of persuading this lifestyle and your information really helps. I am also hoping to be able to become a patreon soon to help out, as your information is helping me and I want to see you continue and succeed. Best of wishes and stay safe with the hurricanes.
I really enjoy the details you include and understand that you are also leveraging your channel to get the things you need. This whole RU-vid thing has opened up new ways of earning money and obviously it lends to the boating lifestyle! Good for you. I think your on the right track. By the way. I had a portabote and loved it. Also would love to go with a torqueedo on it so very interested in how well they match up!
Hey guys. Wasn't quite sure what to make of you two right off the bat but I think you could end up being one of the best sailing channels out there. You've not been around long and you're making great quality stuff. What's more you're including a lot of good info. Most channels you're just along for the ride but you guys are truly educating. You're also obviously taking this really seriously and being organized about it so I know it's only going to improve and you're already doing really well. Keep up the great work. Really good job.
Have watched a few of your videos and am impressed that you both have your heads on straight! And most of all are both as committed to this lifestyle as each other. Best of luck and I will keep watching for sure. Stay safe.
As a kid (19) so Young adult lmao) seeing this from AZ, I applaud you guys and think the financial transparency is awesome! this helps me put things into perspective for my ambitions to do the same thing and somewhat of a comparison to my sisters mobile home project lol. DONT let This old heads and Salty sailors get to ya and ill always be on deck with your project. Keep me posted and give me time, ill soon be a patron. MUCH LOVE!
Once again setting yourself apart from the pack. Thanks for the transparency, hope the weather found you prepared! I'm excited to see you enjoying the return on your investment.
The fact you shared your finances is amazing! also, shows how little I know lol. Gives me a scope of your project and if I ever do the same and buy a boat!
Ain't it exciting? We never had a dime to put into our boat. Lived aboard, sailed all over. But it is all the same. It is so exciting. You guys are cool. I like your financial transparency. You are pioneers, somewhat, of this. Good luck.
Hold UP! Getting rid of through hulls by changing to a composting head!? Episode on just the composting head please!! Also would love to see the refit costs, purchase price, and tax amortized out over a projected cruising time (3years?) and the variable cost over that. PS your level of honesty is a gem! Making fans for sure!!
Hey guys, love the channel. I'd recommend getting rid of the porta-boat. Not a cruisers dingy. I've had to replace all the seats with wood, and it leaks pretty bad. It only lasted about 6 months... Get a hard dingy (preferably with a sailing rig). This is the #1 thing I wish I had after 1 year of cruising. Impossible to buy outside of the US. Lmk if I can help. ;)
Abandon Comfort Sorry, no updates yet. We are in our home state of Oklahoma. Feel sick to my stomach worrying about her. Have some calls out with other boats in the yard and will pass on anything we hear.
Jennifer Ridenour we'll keep your IP in our prayers as well. Thanks so much for any info you can provide. We only spent about 5 hours in the yard before heading off on our roadtrip so didn't have time to really meet anyone living in the yard. Feel free to email us at AbandonComfort@yahoo.com if that's easier for you once you hear anything.
Hi - just saw your video - we also have a HR 352 - wonderful boat - we love it. I hope you are in a safe area right now! Good luck for your sailing adventures - maybe we will meet in the Caribbean :-)
i like the angle for sure. financially planning the sailboat lifestyle. lots of people would really go for this approach because money or running out of it is the limiting factor. it certainly held my interest. Hope you saved that heater if you wind up in the baltic though. be well.
thank you for the financial info on this and the other video. Ever since I was little I never got why people are so up tight about sharing this info. The most important part of doing anything in life and everyone keeps it a secret.
Matt Pelz Exactly! If our goal is to truly inspire and give viewers an actionable plan for how to convert dreams into reality, money needs to be discussed openly and freely. We don't get why others don't do the same if their end goal is to truly inspire others.
Just read thru some of the comments. Seem you guys are already getting the haters and trolls. You know your not a success until they show up so consider it a badge of honor. Like you and any sane person I agree that this planet is changing ergo the term Climate change. Storms are getting worse, Droughts are more frequent. Living here in Alaska I can see from my own eyes all the glaciers melting away. So ignore those that choose to support apathy. Be honest and true to yourself.
Carl Brooke - Sailor, Diver, RU-vidr, Fisherman. The planet has always changed. 4.5 billion years ago there wasnt any oxygen. Anyway, we enjoy the videos. Admire you guys for trying something as challenging as sailing. I hope you take a man over board course!
Wonderful! When i grew up we sailed the Swedsh archipelago every summer. We did see many H Rs. Lovley boats. Sure hope you can sail over the pond and visit the Baltic sea. I can give you lots of great spots around the Swedish archipelago.
Abandon Comfort I just want to know where you got one for $460! Here in Australia, they're ~ $3K new and I don't think I've ever seen one come up second hand.
Thank you for you transparency, very refreshing. But..... you forgot to add the savings from hauling that "comfy" mattress on board (c: enjoy your channel. thanks for the post, continues to inspire me
This is so great, cheers for showing us what the costs are. I am really keen to buy a boat and do what you are doing but the cost scared me. I would love to know what the cost is when you are out on the water, fuel, food etc and how long before you need to repair stuff, sails etc. Keep up[ the great vlog.
Great videos, looks like you guys are having fun doing this! Wish you the best of luck. Maybe seeing things, but in the last video, the luff of your head sail looked like it was coming apart from the head stay and bolt cable a few feet from the tack. Maybe it was designed that way, but if not that could make for a bad day. Stay safe out there!
Well, you two beat me by going with an electric powered dingy....good thinking! The only second choice for me was a diesel burning outboard engine. You make thoughtful choices so you should be very happy with your completed sailing vessel.
Abandon Comfort I look forward to how this works for you! And what about the old batteries in the electric world what happens to them? Can't wait for your pup to make it to the videos! ☺
I hope you two make it through the storm safely and of course no damage to Abandon Comfort! On your repair estimate, I would double or even triple your estimate line for Paint & Epoxy. I had the same ball park figure for a 22 ft Catalina that I restored and ended buying a total 4 gallons of epoxy resin, but thats also because I did a full bottom peel and blister repair. Paint was $500 alone. Don't cheap out, buy quality brand resin and paint products, but do shop around!
We put about $2k in materials to re-paint our bottom from basically the gelcoat back up. That's for a 35-foot full-keel boat. We had to fill about a million tiny open blisters. We opted not to go with a full peel, and instead drilled out each cavity until we got back to good glass and filled with epoxy. Then went with 6 coats of Interlux 2000 and 2 to 2-1/2 coats of Pettit Ultima SR-60. While I was at it I painted a 5" boot stripe above the waterline to help with keeping it foul-free. Paint is expensive and this was all with a very high-level WestMarine Pro discount. I did all the work myself except for the stripping, which I paid the yard to do. I didn't have the time or the equipment to do that right and the yard did not allow outside contractors so it wasn't cheap either.
I bought a "turn key" boat this spring. People have been asking me how I like her. I love her, but complain that every time I touch the boat it costs me a hundred dollars. "So?" they say, "It's a new-to-you boat, it's to be expected." "Yeah, but I touched the boat 50 times in the first month alone," I reply. Stay safe with Irma.
The inreach or Iridium will be easier to use than HF radio/Pactor, but expensive in the operating costs. Make sure to get an external antenna that has clear line of sight to the sky (satellites) Without it you will have slow or no service.
Hi guys, I`m abou to buy an abandoned steel sailboat in Caribbean, she has been on the water for at least 3/4 years. I dont know what to expect. I would like to know what was your final numbers for the refitting. As I know this boat it doesnt have so many things to do, but at least I will have to do electricity, check toilets, engines, bateries, solar panels, rigging and sails. If you have any video talking about your final numbers I will be happy to watch it. Nice to see all the numbers! Cheers! Max.
Hey Guys. Our composting head is for sale. Just needs a new fan and gasket but otherwise perfect. Its a natures head. New price $960. How about $500? We are in Fort Myers up the river down town. Two liquid tanks included.
I can't remember; are you rigged as a sloop or a cutter? ⛵ Definitely appreciate your commitment to transparency. Retiring student loan debt is the greatest feeling in the world. 😊
Although, it's nice that you want to share the costs of living aboard, there's one problem, I think. Have you accounted for the full price cost of items donated or discounted by sponsors? Presumably, most cruisers won't have sponsorships, and need a realistic full cost version of the ledger.
Hey guys, I really like what you guys are doing. I know you know it, but I need to say, please sail as much as possible before you untie for good. Even experianced sailors run into serious trouble. Pactice, pactice, practice!!! Fair winds
To increase your battery capacity, use 6 volt golf cart batteries run in series, I used 8 6 volt batteries in series, 1 4D, 1 8D, and a separate 12V starting battery for my GenSet and a separate 12V battery for the main engine. I had 2 solar panels and a wind generator, all in, I had over 1000 amp hour battery bank, and it cost about $600. Just want to share with you guys! keep it up
What are you doing about 'standing rigging' ? I saw a recent video and 'HWWT' was told by their rigger that the latest USCG regs recommended just 1-cycle (6yrs continuous use in salt water) or 2-cycles (12yrs continuous use in freshwater) prior to replacement of chainplates and standing rigging. 'Prism' even went to C954 Aluminum Bronze exterior-mounted chainplates (200% stronger than 316SS) for extra 'cruising' safety...
just found this channel a few weeks ago. cool concept and good content! next expense should be a new camera though, you guys have a noticeable dead pixel almost center frame... yes I am nit picking sorry! keep the episodes coming!
Hope this vid is seriously delayed & you're not in the Caribbean during Irma. Thought a recent vid said it was June or July but may have misheard ... Stay safe. X
I think they are in central Florida - East Coat - maybe I'm off. Tampa may be "safe" depending on the storm track. I would guess they are prepping for the storm, which may go straight up the FL peninsula. Irma is a monster storm and likely bigger than the whole state. Take care - stay safe!
Hi for your water maker and electrical there is a couple been cruising for decades SAILING EMERALD STEAL he has a great water maker diy video $900+- it makes a 1,000 day of water they also have a good video on solar wind battery charging system the dialed it in just right their batteries last 7+years and they don't use a charge controller. Really handy to watch . I enjoy your videos. I am learning from your successes and mistakes.
It perfectly makes sense what you are doing and spending. It is also misleading. You can do it for so much less if you have less to spend. A water tight boat is required, the rest is a question of how much comfort you are willing to abandon.
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