Cost for a Sail Around the World

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What does it cost to sail around the world? Here is our answer. Quite possibly the only accurate accounting of a trip like this on the net. We estimate that there is less than $10 missing from this page. (figures in USD)

2003 35′ Wildcat Catamaran (used) 157,000    
watermaker w/install 7,634    
ssb radio & modem w/install 6,550    
misc. boat bits 6,412    
rigging 4,042    
  sep 2003 oct 2003 nov 2003 dec 2003
communication 76.91 164.02 576.78 44.00
food 355.04 545.94 680.10 552.42
diesel 39.00 231.68 37.40 170.50
marina/mooring 1,229.82 1,489.75 584.09 495.50
boat supplies included above included above 568.99 2,044.85
other 551.17 939.31 390.75 607.88
  2,251.94 3,370.70 2,838.11 3,915.15
Nov: annual Sailmail fee $200; one-time FCC callsign registration
Dec: new house batteries
  jan 2004 feb 2004 mar 2004 apr 2004
communication 8.00 50.00 73.97 60.73
groceries 285.59 181.15 281.70 564.67
restaurants/bars 459.47 444.14 544.92 294.10
diesel 132.36 68.10 123.00 219.50
marina/mooring 270.00 30.00 0.00 86.50
boat supplies 123.10 82.35 323.04 2,466.34
other 452.66 177.45 564.45 1,599.42
  1,731.18 1,033.19 1,911.08 5,291.26
Apr: Panama Canal transit fees $600; Panama haulout and bottom painting
  may 2004 jun 2004 jul 2004 aug 2004
communication 44.11 37.05 63.11 92.45
groceries 57.46 298.09 350.77 186.28
restaurants/bars 219.09 238.56 395.01 600.60
diesel 100.51 43.00 299.20 44.10
marina/mooring 5.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
boat supplies 203.84 243.83 103.05 461.30
other 609.62 3,586.91 420.05 731.01
  1,239.63 4,447.44 1,631.19 2,115.74
May: surprise stop in Colombia refuel and custom fees
Jun: Galapagos tour $2786
  sep 2004 oct 2004 nov 2004 dec 2004
communication 82.53 60.43 278.35 33.72
groceries 324.72 267.68 255.19 0.00
restaurants/bars 441.00 380.15 728.11 662.81
diesel 98.02 203.57 0.00 0.00
marina/mooring 193.07 37.05 0.00 0.00
boat supplies 210.33 133.07 1,787.66 446.09
other 3,960.46 1,295.37 3,559.27 3,038.43
  5,310.13 2,377.32 6,608.58 4,181.05
Sep: includes flights home in Dec $3339
Oct: New Zealand car purchase
Nov: new window/seat covers $1130; annual Sailmail fee $250
Dec: back home in the U.S.
  jan 2005 feb 2005 mar 2005 apr 2005
communication 64.89 57.96 117.57 28.58
groceries 104.39 116.28 590.10 305.75
restaurants/bars 465.56 623.48 309.45 162.22
diesel 0.00 0.00 131.40 113.05
marina/mooring 0.00 217.51 307.77 72.42
boat supplies 316.46 367.06 1,265.35 63.50
other 2,251.57 3,241.12 1,918.75 411.12
  3,202.87 4,623.41 4,640.39 1,156.64
Jan: NZ road trips $901; Volvo mechanic (saildrives, maintenance) $660
Feb: NZ south island road trip $2113; does NOT include Boat Repair Costs
Mar: new watermaker pump; replacement camera
Apr: does NOT include new Volvo engine $5244
  may 2005 jun 2005 jul 2005 aug 2005
communication 93.48 74.31 86.64 99.60
groceries 374.32 276.31 416.37 473.86
restaurants/bars 771.04 247.13 329.35 244.53
diesel 320.76 0.00 214.55 300.31
marina/mooring 91.20 289.60 253.08 114.57
boat supplies 96.60 135.40 1,140.29 909.99
other 2,546.34 659.54 1,024.98 640.66
  4,293.74 1,682.29 3,465.26 2,783.52
May: includes Australia road trip $944; new surfboard
Jul: starboard engine part/mechanic $916
  sep 2005 oct 2005 nov 2005 dec 2005
communication 82.73 33.69 276.35 57.89
groceries 662.04 268.77 151.81 102.77
restaurants/bars 749.63 236.97 369.65 378.07
diesel 0.00 192.01 387.74 0.00
marina/mooring 598.35 233.27 237.36 159.36
boat supplies 930.13 0.99 200.85 279.56
other 2,115.96 933.18 995.79 1,297.44
  5,138.84 1,898.88 2,619.55 2,275.09
Sep: includes Uluru road trip $1304
Nov: annual Sailmail fee $250
  jan 2006 feb 2006 mar 2006 apr 2006
communication 70.51 5.48 21.04 29.56
groceries 102.00 125.79 292.65 53.53
restaurants/bars 304.83 194.66 356.63 243.53
diesel 324.24 179.79 194.59 280.00
marina/mooring 85.70 0.00 0.00 41.65
boat supplies 4.89 11.91 65.30 24.78
other 817.92 291.32 648.68 681.64
  1,710.09 808.95 1,578.89 1,354.69
  may 2006 jun 2006 jul 2006 aug 2006
communication 79.13 13.68 121.23 39.79
groceries 140.09 308.49 233.64 193.03
restaurants/bars 331.00 467.70 429.67 561.05
diesel 119.00 167.46 294.27 430.13
marina/mooring 274.33 333.35 535.13 450.89
boat supplies 640.61 66.63 1,112.20 50.00
other 1,344.13 2,090.87 1,380.53 1,131.95
  2,928.29 3,448.18 4,106.66 2,856.84
May: trip to Cairo and Luxor $875; new boat prop $566; Suez Canal fees/tips $530
Jun: Israel/Jordan road trip $1279
Jul: stolen cash/new camera $684; haulout/mechanic $1169; Istanbul trip $389
Aug: includes Italy trip $607
  sep 2006 oct 2006 nov 2006 dec 2006
communication 90.22 42.50 272.06 30.00
groceries 40.03 473.22 413.58 28.01
restaurants/bars 688.13 501.41 501.49 74.86
diesel 366.67 498.23 270.90 0.00
marina/mooring 538.42 1,461.86 938.56 317.52
boat supplies 25.00 177.92 437.41 0.00
other 2,561.02 858.02 1,214.21 204.79
  4,309.49 4,013.16 4,048.21 655.18
Sep: includes Italy trip $2,126
Nov: annual Sailmail fee $250; welder $230; two car rentals including fuel $346
  jan 2007 feb 2007 mar 2007 apr 2007
communication 45.86 4.97 59.00 21.57
groceries 278.86 307.99 143.16 322.10
restaurants/bars 632.06 495.17 750.36 460.15
diesel 427.54 91.01 61.00 249.01
marina/mooring 24.55 105.00 21.00 1,373.13
boat supplies 232.40 241.14 86.90 1,027.98
other 289.24 512.98 2,085.96 986.29
  1,930.51 1,758.26 3,207.38 4,440.23
Mar: Puerto Rico road trip $1186; Haiti trip $414
Apr: two week Florida car rental including fuel $370; $$ Florida marina
Total $136,434. Forty-four months, $3,100 per month.
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25 Comments on “Cost for a Sail Around the World”

  1. Hi, this is really valuable information and thank you for sharing. I suppose you should really factor in the depreciation of the boat as well. Do you know how much the boat depreciated? I think the U.S. dollar is also generally weaker now than it was back when you circumnavigated, but this gives a very useful idea of costs.
    Regards,
    Ben Coles

  2. We payed $157k for the boat in 2003 and sold it in 2007 for $140k. Essentially four years of ownership, and 35,000 miles, for $17k in depreciation—or another $350 per month.

  3. I always wondered how much $ a family needs for a full year at sea
    Thanks guys for precise calculation

  4. Thanks for sharing your costs – very cool to see everything it might take to do this. Except after reading your blog I would NOT buy a wildcat. What are you sailing in now? Still a catamaran? Any reviews?

  5. This page is awesome! What a resource for those of us that would love to do this one day and were wondering about costs!

    Thank you so much for the information, and for the whole website… I have spent the last week or so reading your adventure from the beginning till this point… I have to admit, I am a little sad it is over! BUT, there is obviously much more to read from this point on.

    God bless you and yours, safe travels, and THANKS again! 🙂

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      1. I LOVE this answer!! Love the blog too. Told my husband, “If that’s what having kids looks like, I might change my mind about the no kids thing”.

  7. I just read your article in this month’s Sail and it lead me to your website. This is far and away the most straight to the point breakdown of what it cots to go cruising and I’m really enjoying it, thank you. My girlfriend and I talk often about setting out on a similar journey, and your story is inspiring to us. We own a 35′ sailboat boat here in Chicago that we race and cruise Lake Michigan on and are experienced sailors. We have good jobs in finance (as it seems you did as well), but are still probably 3 – 5 years from having the money we need to do this. We are still young (under 30), but also feel that there is no reason you can only retire ‘once’ in your life. My question for you is, having setout with little experience, if you had 3 -5 years to prepare for your journey, what would you focus on to make it go more smoothly. We are good sailors and do a lot of our own work on our boat here in the long winter season, but I think knowledge of boat maintenance and systems is what intimidates me most about a trip like this – it feels to me like the area where we have the most to learn, but I’d be interested to hear where (if anywhere) you felt underprepared after setting out on your trip. Thank you.

  8. Hi Pat & Ali,

    Just a note of thanks for this wonderful and hilarious blog I read about Sri Lanka, and thank you for visiting my island. Most of all, thank you for your wonderful comments about us.

    Much as changed from the experience you encountered in your last blog, and the good news – for the better. Much better. We got more fast food restaurants!

    Hope you visit again and do send me a note or two if you do.

    With best wishes to both of you and the kids,

    Shiv.

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  10. Dear Pat and Ali… I’ve returned from spending 10 days in Fiji with my daughter. We stayed with our friends who have been sailing for the last 14 months with their children (9 and 14). Russell and Greer are my inspiration for an exit strategy and they led me to your blog. Thank you….

  11. Hi Pat and Family,

    All I can say is “Awesome”.

    I have seen your YouTube videos before but this is the first time to your web page.

    You are truly living your life to the fullest. Well done.

  12. Pat,
    I just finished your circumnavigate book about 10min ago. It was great. I have had “the Dream” for awhile now and have been working on convincing the wife. Nick O’kelly’s book has helped so far. Your cost data is extremely helpful with our plans to help determine what will be required to make it happen. Hopefully, these astronomical boat prices come down before we have to buy. Do you have books you recommend for maintenance knowledge?

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