Blue water: What does it cost to sail around the world? The biggest items per month

"How did you finance it?" and "How much does it cost per month?" are among the most common questions asked by long-distance and round-the-world sailors. No wonder, since the dream of great freedom for most people depends on how big the cushion in their bank account is - or rather, how big it should be for the round-the-world voyage.

Three long-distance crews had their monthly accounts scrutinised so that the average largest cost items per month could be determined. It became clear that as different as the budgets of the three crews are, the expenditure items and their weighting are very similar.

Each crew has its own way of keeping accounts. The sailors of the Hanseat 42 "Atanga", for example, only list the insurance for their boat under "Insurance", but not their health insurance. Instead, Johannes and Cati Erdmann ("Maverick too") list restaurant visits and excursions/flights home under "Miscellaneous".

However, the biggest cost drivers are the same for all of them: expenses for catering and ship maintenance. Laundry and clearance fees have the least impact on the long voyage budget.

The "Miscellaneous" section shows that even when travelling the world, small animals make a mess. Here, the crews include everything that doesn't fit into other categories: Clothes, candles, fishing hooks, club fees, new guitar strings or a visit to the hairdresser.

All costs are average values from several years of travelling. This includes months in which the crews are significantly over budget, for example due to expensive purchases such as a new engine or sails, as well as times when they cross an ocean or live at anchor - and spend correspondingly little.

These three crews had a look at the monthly accounts:

SY "Blue Felix"

Sabine, 33, and Sven Seren, 48, sailed their Catalac 10M catamaran (built 1987) to the Caribbean for four years until the birth of their daughter. Their expenses: approx. 1500 euros/month.

www.blue-felix.de

SY "Atanga"

Sabine, 53, and Joachim Willner, 56, have been sailing around the world in their Hanseat 42 (built in 1989) for four years. They live off their savings and spend around 2500 euros per month.

www.atanga.de

SY "Maverick Too"

Cati, 31, and Johannes Erdmann, 32, have been sailing the Atlantic for almost two years in their Contest 33 (built in 1972). Their average from 20 months: around 2100 euros per month.

www.zu-zweit-auf-see.de

Further sources of information:

• Information about blue water sailing and the costs of sailing around the world can also be found on the Website of Bobby Schenk.
• Jonathan and Claudia report on the Costs on a 35-foot steel yacht.
• The detailed accounts of a three-year Mediterranean voyage on a Hallberg Rassy 352 can be found here
• Martin Finkbeiner reveals how he plans to realise a trip around the world on a tight budget from summer 2018 in his blog. It is to be the 33-year-old's second trip around the world - why he is now undertaking it with a much smaller boat than his first long voyage is explained in the blue water special in YACHT 6-2018, which can still be ordered here.