At this time last year, a friend of a friend was getting ready to sail around the world. He’s not the first person I’ve known to make this kind of trip. While it’s not my particular fantasy, many people find the notion romantic, magical, and exciting. Of course, if you’re going to take this from fantasy to reality, then you need to think more practically about it all. For example, what are the sailing costs involved? Can you sail around the world on a budget?
Sailing Costs: Before The Trip
Before you even begin your trip, you’ll have to incur some costs. The biggest, of course, is the boat itself. If you don’t already own a boat, then you need to make a big purchase. And if you do already own one, then you might want to invest in maintenance to make sure that it’s ready for a trip around the world.
The good part about this is that if you’re serious about sailing around the world, then you can probably plan to cut a bunch of expenses as well. For example, you can move out of your home. If you’re a homeowner, then you might rent it out. Perhaps you’ll downsize and sell a bunch of your things. All of this can set you off on a good financial foot before sailing around the world.
How Much Does It Cost To Sail Around the World?
Ultimately, sailing around the world is much like living your life anywhere else. In other words, your budget is up to you and your situation. You can do it really cheap. Alternatively, you can incur a lot of sailing costs. It depends on your knowledge of the sea and your boat, the lifestyle you wish to have while traveling, and your “plan B” for if things go wrong.
Common Sailing Costs
Some of the most common sailing costs that you’ll need to budget for include:
- Fuel for the boat
- Food for the humans
- Pet food and supplies if you’re bringing pets with you
- Boat maintenance and repairs
- Insurance for the boat
- Cruising fees, which vary by location
- Communication costs (Internet, for example)
- Miscellaneous purchases at destinations
Some of these things have more or less fixed rates. However, you can budget accordingly for many of them. For example, if you want to keep costs low, then look at ways to lower your food budget.
You also need to consider all the other expenses you already have from monthly expenses at home to yearly costs like prescription sunglasses.
Additionally, do your research in advance. Some places cost a lot less than others for traveling by boat. You might want to avoid very expensive areas where the cruising fees, mooring costs, and fuel are high.
Average Cost to Sail Around the World
Once you’ve paid off the cost of your boat, how much does it truly cost to sail around the world? Although sailing costs vary, a good guesstimate is about $8000 – $9000 per year. Life of Sailing says you can do it at about $8700 for the year. Sail With the Flo spends a little over $8500 per person per year.
That said, you should definitely have emergency savings for any situations that might arise. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we just don’t know what might happen tomorrow. The entire world can change in the blink of an eye. If you need to abandon your boat and get home quickly, spend some time moored and working in a new area, or otherwise adapt, it’s helpful to have the money in the bank to do so.
Where would you start if you were going to sail around the world?
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Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer who loves to live a balanced life. She appreciates a good work-life balance. She enjoys balance in her relationships and has worked hard to learn how to balance her finances to allow for a balanced life overall. Although she’s only blonde some of the time, she’s always striving for total balance. She’s excited to share what she’s learned with you and to discover more together along the way.