Cutting the Cost of Cruising

You won’t spend much more cruising than staying at home.

By Annie Westlund

We all know small boats cost less to own and operate. Their cruising costs are lower too. But, you ask, how much does it cost to go cruising for a month or more—a season or longer? Here are some of the related expenses from ten years of seasonal cruising experience. I normally stay out for at least two months at a time. Some years it has been as much as five months. I’ve kept track of costs over these years and have some idea of what they will be for my type of cruising. Exact dollar amounts are not applicable but ideas are.

Readers, first some information for you to base your comparisons on: I mostly cruise in a wilderness area of northern Lake Huron in Ontario, the North Channel. I have also spent time in the Chesapeake Bay, mostly on the eastern shore of Maryland. I travel solo. My boat is a Slipper 17, 1984, with a cabin and a four-horse, four-stroke motor. I used to have a West Wight Potter 15 with a two-horse, four-stroke. I’ve now had five seasons on each boat. I towed the Potter with a 1998 Isuzu Rodeo and the Slipper with my 2005 Dodge Dakota club cab 4 x 4 with the larger eight-cylinder engine. In the Isuzu I got about 22 miles per gallon towing the 500-pound Potter, plus the weight of the trailer, estimated at about 300. With the Dakota, I get 20 mpg towing the Slipper which weighs in at just over 2000 pounds, and a trailer weighing about 900 pounds. Plus I have gear in the truck just as I usually did in the Isuzu, not to mention gear in the boats.