Raising the funds

While you are leisurely training your sailing skills, you might want to start raising the funds for the real boat.

The budgets on the oceans vary greatly. Some cruisers are in their fifties, with money in the bank after a successful professional career. Others are plain millionaires with large Swans crewed by rosy cheeked youngsters in white, spotless outfits. A larger number yet are sail bums of all ages, getting by on means of diffuse origins.

A middle way to go, if you don´t want to wait until retirement but neither want to survive on a near starving minimum, is to get together the equivalent of around USD 60.000. That leaves 40.000 for the boat and the rest for the gear needed. To that, you´ll want some means on the road. Living on a boat can be done cheaply. The major costs will be harbor fees, paperwork, maintenance and replacing parts.
You could do pretty all right at around USD 1000 monthly, and it is not unusual for people to get by on less.

It is common to sell the boat once you´ve finished your trip and you should get around 70 percent back if you maintained it all right.

60.000 is a price for a small house. People usually sell their house, their car and other assets thus transforming the money into their boat. Others work two jobs for a few years or start a small business. And some just pick up any old boat for nothing, putting some years into fixing it up. 

Whatever you choose, it will probably mean a trade off of some kind. Whether that is exchanging labor, lifestyle, or possessions for the future freedom.

Funding while on the way can be acquired by writing articles for cruising magazines, although that is hard and uncertain. Easier is getting a temporary job in harbors or - even better - fixing other peoples boats. 

There is always a demand on mechanics, electricians, carpenters or just handymen willing to fix a problem fast when time is short before passages. Learn a trade, bring the tools, and put up signs on your boat or at the harbors as you come and go and you could do pretty well. Even such a trade as hair cutting will generate handy cash..