Hey Paul, Frank from "Gr'ah Sea Us", Ottawa. Good-to-know numbers and nice boating vacation! In summer 2023, I docked overnight at the same spot as you did on a lock at the Rideau: my souvenir there is that a new family of boater's electric cable was too short to reach shore power (rookie mistake they admitted); they had 5 young kids and it was very hot outside, so I approched them and I switched my longer one for his shorter one :) as I was closer to shore power than they were, until next morning. To thank me, they gave me a nice jar of homemade honey from their farm. But back to finances: The way I justify the boating expenses to myself is this: I save $8,000 a year from not smoking, plus another $1,500 from not drinking (ish), lol. Ok, fine, cross that one out. Plus, going away by car for 5 weeks renting hotel rooms would be about $5,500, plus restaurant food adds another $4,000, totaling ~$19,000, with gas for the car. So comparatively... spending on gas for boating, a marina slip, winter storage and some maintenance costs are less than that (on average and in my experiencee), not to mention the savings on inflation: it's how I can afford boating comfortably in my mind and I have the boat to show for when the time comes to sell it (as opposed to be stuck with only hotel and food receipts). There. We can all sleep better tonight, phew, right? Cheers Paul and to my boater friends!
Like I've often said, it's about the Smiles Per Gallon 😀 When are we going to see some of your cruising adventures on RUclips?? Always on the look for more boating content.
Exactly what we want to do. Run a Searay Sundancer 330. Love the Chanel. Costs are costs. Trip looks amazing and is something my wife and I are currently planning!! Great video
It would be a fun trip on your 330 (same model as our previous boat), but even better on a roomier 370 ;-) Check my channel for details on our current 'For Sale' video ruclips.net/video/3Gr--2Z7Uyw/видео.htmlsi=fU-X6t3Pst_Lqflz
Boating can be relatively expensive, but apart from a long voyage like this one was, it's still not much more than two weeks at a Disney resort - and I don't have to listen to 'It's A Small World' playing endlessly in the background 😂
So true! But if you consider that this was over a 5-1/2 week timeline, the daily expenditures weren't as bad as it might appear on the surface. Still less expensive than staying at a waterfront hotel 😉
Great explanations for the ones that still think boating is cheap! LOL... Extremely expensive in gas... Need to be prepared to spend a lot when boating is our vacation mode. But the memories it provides are PRICELESS!
Very true, but I did the math and figured out that marina dockage, storage and regular maintenance comes to more than what we ever spend in fuel - except that time we brought our new-to-us 400 Sedan Bridge from Michigan to Lake Simcoe, back in 2010. The way I see it, we go by Smiles per gallon when on the water 😀
Great video and explanation of costs. I would get asked the costs of owning a boat. My 280 was $5K not including a trip. I doubled my expectations with the boat we have now. The Rideau canal was ok. There is a lack of amenities such as towns, marinas. ice and ATM's. Locks at Jones Falls is a two hour traverse. Scenery to die for. redone woodies were a treat to see and there were lots of them. To us, the Trent System is the best then the Thousand Islands for boating. Great memories. One more thing. Just think of what a Caribbean cruise would cost
With marina fees, insurance, etc., we are 10 G's +++ before even turning over the engines each year. But we love it and live for the boating lifestyle, so all worth it. And I hear ya about the Jones Falls Lock. If you followed my 2022 Cruise series, you'd have seen that we only got to the bottom side of that lock and when I called the lock master, he told me roughly three hours before we would get to the top, as he had just started to lock up a load of boats. Given our timeline, we weren't able to wait - but there's always next time 😉
As a family we've diverted most of our annual vacation budget into boating and never regretted it. It's how we prefer to spend out time together as a family. No TV, no video games - just fresh air, beautiful sights and smells and an occasional card or board game. When you divide the total cost by the 38.5 days you were on the water that works out to $182 per night. Not bad for waterfront hotel ("boatel") accommodations and waterfront dining everyday! Annual operating and maintenance expenses push this daily operating expense higher depending on how much you use the boat but we think it's still a good value for such a relaxing and enjoyable experience that few people have an opportunity to enjoy in this one life we have to live. Within the next few weeks we'll be moving our 310 from a rack space marina to our new wet slip marina with "hotel" amenities and we're starting to plan our next big trip to the FL keys! Summer's just around the corner for you guys - hang in there.
We'd love to see some videos from your trip to The Keys. It's been a while since we were down there and I just wanted to see if the Coronas are still being served ice cold 😉🍺🌴
I will be sure to take some videos and confirm the Corona's are served ice cold with fresh slice of lime! One of my favorite beers as well - particularly on hot summer days. I'm not an IPA guy but I recently found I really like Strong Bow English cider as well. It's a dry cider which makes a big difference (not a fan of sweet beer). Mark another day off the spring launch countdown calendar!
I was thinking ouch when I seen the total cost of that 5 week trip then I realized a 5 week trip for two people somewhere nice will cost that much and not have the awesome view you guys had. I know I'm patrial to that part of Ontario but it is so dang gorgeous along the Trent. Awesome Video and thanks for sharing this(Even though you really didn't have to.) ❤❤
Awesome video as always enjoy them. It's expensive to travel but looks beautiful where you traveled to. Boogaboo is ready for boating season can't wait to see where you traveled to this season especially with the kitty's!! 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
Glad it was helpful. I'd love to see more of your cruising adventures! Although fun to watch what you get up to at your home port marina, we've only come across one published cruise video from Jamm-in' (Kenny show in Chicago) and would be interested to see that beautiful vessel of yours heading to parts & ports unknown ;-) Time to put some serious running hours on those big boat 496's this season!
Great Vlog Paul, I think as you always say, if you are always worrying about fuel, this is not the hobby for you, or something like that. Like what is the alternative, buy a smaller boat you do not want and cruise for a half hour watching the guage or sit on it and not drive it. Look forward to your 24 trips.
Glad it was helpful! From the questions I get on the channel, I know that there are many folk who have no idea as to what to expect for costs of boating. In my mind, this was a reasonable dollar outlay, given how long we were away. And one would be hard pressed to experience the same views we enjoyed for that time 😀
I always felt that for 5K in fuel spread out over 5-6 weeks or even longer if you've on an enclosed lake, was a much better deal than 5K on a nice resort for 7 days in the winter of which 2 days are spent flying there and back. Considering how long that trip was, I figure all the expenses were pretty fair. You only left out one cost centre...LCBO! lol...Cheers Paul!
@@BoatingWithBoogaboo Here in BC the beer store is the liquor store! Totally forgot about the Beer Store! But then again, there are those vodka coolers on board...just sayin'. Cheers
Paul, super trip! I never thought about some of that stuff but it doesn't seem too crazy considering what you did. I would love to travel the Trent but not sure if we'll make it over that far. Our home port is basically Green Bay (we trailer) however, I do want to at least get to Georgian Bay someday. It looks so awesome!
Hi Paul, I will be traveling the Trent this Aug from Napanee and plan to go to Port Perry. Of course my fuel cost is $0 as I have an all solar electric catamaran. I am looking forward to getting back on the Trent.
Our big trip was three weeks and 500nm spending close to $800 CAD on fuel with four nights at a marina. Lauderdale, Frying Pan Island, Killbear and Killarney. Our trawler was slow but could go 15 days on 180 gals of diesel. That much said, I was happy as a clam at 7 knots with auto pilot but my wife would have happily paid for ten more knots at any given time. Mostly we anchored out as our boat was quite comfy all by itself. We had and used the satelite TV quite a lot - Jeopardy and The price is right wait for no woman! Our biggest cost was our home marina Wye Heritage. Expensive yes but we were treated like family there. If we ever get back into boating, that is where we would go.
Almost 90% savings on fuel over our gas guzzling big block engines, impressive. But that said, I know for a fact that Anchor Girl wouldn't be able to do 7 knots continuously. I've suggested a small trawler in the past, but that's a non starter 😅
wow good stats !simular numbers to my 98 370 dancer with 8.1s just a couple gallons more thirsty @500miles south Maryland to cape cod,mass with failing cool fuel 3 module !
@@BoatingWithBoogaboo one motor had sucked in saltwater at around 900 hours so they upgraded to 8.1s but a more complicated fuel system than 7.4 as im learning but a few neibors have 380 dancers with 8.1s a great help !
If I did the math correctly, that's $7,000 for a 5 week trip of fuel and marinas which obviously doesn't include food or any maintenance expenses resulting from those miles. So another way to look at it is $200 a night. Boating is obviously expensive but for those of us fortunate enough to do it, we couldn't imagine spending that $7k in a better way. Cheers!
I have a slip tank I use to fuel my boat, I am on the North Channel. Marinas sure have the advantage on us, charging well over $2 a liter. We do go on a two week cruise and are subjected to the marinas, but my slip tank sure helps the pocket book.
Sounds like a good idea, but that wouldn't be practical for us and the type of cruising we do. Yes, most marinas jamb boaters for fuel, but happily our new-to-us marina offers gas at a very competitive rate. Plus, we get a credit for every litre of fuel we buy,which is applied to our slip fees. That's a bonus, for sure.
@@wlarrry legal way to carry fuel to a piece of equipment or vehicle. Basically a fuel tank you put in the back of your pick up or trailer. They come with either a hand operated or 12v electric pump. I burn between 300 -400 liters on any given weekend so it saves me money, I am very fortunate to be able to dock where I can access my boat.
@joedirt9600 Ah OK, I have a pontoon boat and I was looking at some Canadian Tire gadgets that do something similar, but in the end it was too much hassle so I just fill up at the local Marina.
We spend $2K easy for a two week vacation on the boat and our boat does not use as much fuel as yours. ( best two weeks of the year) Its the cost of enjoying the boat. Still what would a two week flyaway vacation cost for two? Thanks for sharing your costs.
Yup, we live for our time in the boat, with our summer getaways making the hard work in the rest of the year worth it! Looking forward to being able to get away a little more than we did in '23...
I agree. Sounds like a lot, but keep in mind the time we were away and the distance covered, I'd say a bargain. Besides, one would be hard pressed to experience the areas we did on this voyage 😀
That's great economy, but you're unable to see the beauty of the TSW or Rideau Canal - unless you take your mast down. Oh well, to each his own. I'm grateful that we were able to experience this voyage, even if it did cost a small fortune in fuel 😅
What does your fuel cost per gallon? I know you typicaly use liters. Fuel is less epensive in the US. The price we pay for having the time of our life!!
Hahaha. How much is a liter? I will perform my own arithmetic. Lol. My marina has fuel at cost, I pay 87 cents a liter. Outisde my marina it is about $1.18 per liter @@BoatingWithBoogaboo
Our last visit to Florida was just over seven weeks, traveling from PCB to Clearwater to Fort Meyers to Fort Lauderdale before heading northward to the Daytona area, with a few overnights in between. All stays at hotels, so this cruise was, although not cheap, more manageable. But no palm trees 🌴😎
Hey Paul, Frank from "Gr'ah Sea Us", Ottawa. Good-to-know numbers and nice boating vacation! In summer 2023, I docked overnight at the same spot as you did on a lock at the Rideau: my souvenir there is that a new family of boater's electric cable was too short to reach shore power (rookie mistake they admitted); they had 5 young kids and it was very hot outside, so I approched them and I switched my longer one for his shorter one :) as I was closer to shore power than they were, until next morning. To thank me, they gave me a nice jar of homemade honey from their farm. But back to finances: The way I justify the boating expenses to myself is this: I save $8,000 a year from not smoking, plus another $1,500 from not drinking (ish), lol. Ok, fine, cross that one out. Plus, going away by car for 5 weeks renting hotel rooms would be about $5,500, plus restaurant food adds another $4,000, totaling ~$19,000, with gas for the car. So comparatively... spending on gas for boating, a marina slip, winter storage and some maintenance costs are less than that (on average and in my experiencee), not to mention the savings on inflation: it's how I can afford boating comfortably in my mind and I have the boat to show for when the time comes to sell it (as opposed to be stuck with only hotel and food receipts). There. We can all sleep better tonight, phew, right? Cheers Paul and to my boater friends!
Like I've often said, it's about the Smiles Per Gallon 😀
When are we going to see some of your cruising adventures on RUclips?? Always on the look for more boating content.
Hahaha, yes it sure is Paul, I totally relate, and $1,200 at the pump means more Smiles ahead 😄
Exactly what we want to do. Run a Searay Sundancer 330. Love the Chanel.
Costs are costs. Trip looks amazing and is something my wife and I are currently planning!!
Great video
It would be a fun trip on your 330 (same model as our previous boat), but even better on a roomier 370 ;-) Check my channel for details on our current 'For Sale' video ruclips.net/video/3Gr--2Z7Uyw/видео.htmlsi=fU-X6t3Pst_Lqflz
Thanks Paul. Costs of boating is always a question we get as well. Interesting to see the breakdown. Looked like a great trip.
Boating can be relatively expensive, but apart from a long voyage like this one was, it's still not much more than two weeks at a Disney resort - and I don't have to listen to 'It's A Small World' playing endlessly in the background 😂
Great video Paul! It may have cost thousands of dollars but the experience and memories are priceless!
So true! But if you consider that this was over a 5-1/2 week timeline, the daily expenditures weren't as bad as it might appear on the surface. Still less expensive than staying at a waterfront hotel 😉
And a lot more fun.@@BoatingWithBoogaboo
Great explanations for the ones that still think boating is cheap! LOL... Extremely expensive in gas... Need to be prepared to spend a lot when boating is our vacation mode. But the memories it provides are PRICELESS!
Very true, but I did the math and figured out that marina dockage, storage and regular maintenance comes to more than what we ever spend in fuel - except that time we brought our new-to-us 400 Sedan Bridge from Michigan to Lake Simcoe, back in 2010.
The way I see it, we go by Smiles per gallon when on the water 😀
@@BoatingWithBoogaboo smiles per gallon, I like that!!
Great video and explanation of costs. I would get asked the costs of owning a boat. My 280 was $5K not including a trip. I doubled my expectations with the boat we have now. The Rideau canal was ok. There is a lack of amenities such as towns, marinas. ice and ATM's. Locks at Jones Falls is a two hour traverse. Scenery to die for. redone woodies were a treat to see and there were lots of them. To us, the Trent System is the best then the Thousand Islands for boating. Great memories. One more thing. Just think of what a Caribbean cruise would cost
With marina fees, insurance, etc., we are 10 G's +++ before even turning over the engines each year. But we love it and live for the boating lifestyle, so all worth it.
And I hear ya about the Jones Falls Lock. If you followed my 2022 Cruise series, you'd have seen that we only got to the bottom side of that lock and when I called the lock master, he told me roughly three hours before we would get to the top, as he had just started to lock up a load of boats. Given our timeline, we weren't able to wait - but there's always next time 😉
As a family we've diverted most of our annual vacation budget into boating and never regretted it. It's how we prefer to spend out time together as a family. No TV, no video games - just fresh air, beautiful sights and smells and an occasional card or board game. When you divide the total cost by the 38.5 days you were on the water that works out to $182 per night. Not bad for waterfront hotel ("boatel") accommodations and waterfront dining everyday! Annual operating and maintenance expenses push this daily operating expense higher depending on how much you use the boat but we think it's still a good value for such a relaxing and enjoyable experience that few people have an opportunity to enjoy in this one life we have to live. Within the next few weeks we'll be moving our 310 from a rack space marina to our new wet slip marina with "hotel" amenities and we're starting to plan our next big trip to the FL keys! Summer's just around the corner for you guys - hang in there.
We'd love to see some videos from your trip to The Keys. It's been a while since we were down there and I just wanted to see if the Coronas are still being served ice cold 😉🍺🌴
I will be sure to take some videos and confirm the Corona's are served ice cold with fresh slice of lime! One of my favorite beers as well - particularly on hot summer days. I'm not an IPA guy but I recently found I really like Strong Bow English cider as well. It's a dry cider which makes a big difference (not a fan of sweet beer). Mark another day off the spring launch countdown calendar!
I was thinking ouch when I seen the total cost of that 5 week trip then I realized a 5 week trip for two people somewhere nice will cost that much and not have the awesome view you guys had. I know I'm patrial to that part of Ontario but it is so dang gorgeous along the Trent.
Awesome Video and thanks for sharing this(Even though you really didn't have to.) ❤❤
Correct, a trip where a hotel or flight is included would end up being a lot more. And as you say, the scenery is unmatched in this area 😀
Awesome video as always enjoy them. It's expensive to travel but looks beautiful where you traveled to. Boogaboo is ready for boating season can't wait to see where you traveled to this season especially with the kitty's!! 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
It really is!
Great information! We are planning a summer trip in the future to tour the Great Lakes and Trent Severn. This gives us a good base for cost estimates.
Glad it was helpful. I'd love to see more of your cruising adventures!
Although fun to watch what you get up to at your home port marina, we've only come across one published cruise video from Jamm-in' (Kenny show in Chicago) and would be interested to see that beautiful vessel of yours heading to parts & ports unknown ;-) Time to put some serious running hours on those big boat 496's this season!
Great Vlog Paul, I think as you always say, if you are always worrying about fuel, this is not the hobby for you, or something like that. Like what is the alternative, buy a smaller boat you do not want and cruise for a half hour watching the guage or sit on it and not drive it. Look forward to your 24 trips.
Agreed. And also agree that we, too, are looking forward to the '24 boating season!
Thanks for posting those numbers most helpful for those planning or just dreaming about boating travel.
Glad it was helpful! From the questions I get on the channel, I know that there are many folk who have no idea as to what to expect for costs of boating. In my mind, this was a reasonable dollar outlay, given how long we were away. And one would be hard pressed to experience the same views we enjoyed for that time 😀
I always felt that for 5K in fuel spread out over 5-6 weeks or even longer if you've on an enclosed lake, was a much better deal than 5K on a nice resort for 7 days in the winter of which 2 days are spent flying there and back. Considering how long that trip was, I figure all the expenses were pretty fair. You only left out one cost centre...LCBO! lol...Cheers Paul!
LCBO, not so much. The Beer Store, on the other hand 🤐🤫
@@BoatingWithBoogaboo Here in BC the beer store is the liquor store! Totally forgot about the Beer Store! But then again, there are those vodka coolers on board...just sayin'. Cheers
@markburley4901 Those ones + the 🍷 are Anchor Girl's poison 😅
Paul, super trip! I never thought about some of that stuff but it doesn't seem too crazy considering what you did. I would love to travel the Trent but not sure if we'll make it over that far. Our home port is basically Green Bay (we trailer) however, I do want to at least get to Georgian Bay someday. It looks so awesome!
Do you ever get up to Sturgeon Bay, where Chad keeps his boat?
Hi Paul, I will be traveling the Trent this Aug from Napanee and plan to go to Port Perry. Of course my fuel cost is $0 as I have an all solar electric catamaran. I am looking forward to getting back on the Trent.
Sounds like you have a fair way to travel. Hopefully the sun will be shining on your craft to keep the power flowing. It's all uphill from Napanee 😉
Our big trip was three weeks and 500nm spending close to $800 CAD on fuel with four nights at a marina. Lauderdale, Frying Pan Island, Killbear and Killarney. Our trawler was slow but could go 15 days on 180 gals of diesel. That much said, I was happy as a clam at 7 knots with auto pilot but my wife would have happily paid for ten more knots at any given time. Mostly we anchored out as our boat was quite comfy all by itself. We had and used the satelite TV quite a lot - Jeopardy and The price is right wait for no woman! Our biggest cost was our home marina Wye Heritage. Expensive yes but we were treated like family there. If we ever get back into boating, that is where we would go.
Almost 90% savings on fuel over our gas guzzling big block engines, impressive. But that said, I know for a fact that Anchor Girl wouldn't be able to do 7 knots continuously. I've suggested a small trawler in the past, but that's a non starter 😅
Helpful for those planning
That's what I was hoping for.
wow good stats !simular numbers to my 98 370 dancer with 8.1s just a couple gallons more thirsty @500miles south Maryland to cape cod,mass with failing cool fuel 3 module !
A '98 with 8.1's sounds like a complete repower at some point. Salt water issues in the initial powerplants??
@@BoatingWithBoogaboo one motor had sucked in saltwater at around 900 hours so they upgraded to 8.1s but a more complicated fuel system than 7.4 as im learning but a few neibors have 380 dancers with 8.1s a great help !
If I did the math correctly, that's $7,000 for a 5 week trip of fuel and marinas which obviously doesn't include food or any maintenance expenses resulting from those miles. So another way to look at it is $200 a night. Boating is obviously expensive but for those of us fortunate enough to do it, we couldn't imagine spending that $7k in a better way. Cheers!
I wholeheartedly agree! Nothing can beat the scenery, freedom and lifetime of memories from our boating lifestyle. Money well invested.
I have a slip tank I use to fuel my boat, I am on the North Channel. Marinas sure have the advantage on us, charging well over $2 a liter. We do go on a two week cruise and are subjected to the marinas, but my slip tank sure helps the pocket book.
Sounds like a good idea, but that wouldn't be practical for us and the type of cruising we do. Yes, most marinas jamb boaters for fuel, but happily our new-to-us marina offers gas at a very competitive rate. Plus, we get a credit for every litre of fuel we buy,which is applied to our slip fees. That's a bonus, for sure.
Slip tank? Don't make me look it up lol
@@wlarrry legal way to carry fuel to a piece of equipment or vehicle. Basically a fuel tank you put in the back of your pick up or trailer. They come with either a hand operated or 12v electric pump. I burn between 300 -400 liters on any given weekend so it saves me money, I am very fortunate to be able to dock where I can access my boat.
@joedirt9600 Ah OK, I have a pontoon boat and I was looking at some Canadian Tire gadgets that do something similar, but in the end it was too much hassle so I just fill up at the local Marina.
Nicely done! It's worth every penny!!
That's the reason I go to work - to pay for my boating habit 😉
@@BoatingWithBoogaboo yes sir. Right there with ya.
Thanks for sharing that gorgeous scenery and cost breakdown. BTW - what engines do you have? Thx!
All specs are in the description of my videos. . .
Perfect - thanks
We spend $2K easy for a two week vacation on the boat and our boat does not use as much fuel as yours. ( best two weeks of the year) Its the cost of enjoying the boat. Still what would a two week flyaway vacation cost for two? Thanks for sharing your costs.
Yup, we live for our time in the boat, with our summer getaways making the hard work in the rest of the year worth it! Looking forward to being able to get away a little more than we did in '23...
That is a very reasonable cost to do what you did.
I agree. Sounds like a lot, but keep in mind the time we were away and the distance covered, I'd say a bargain. Besides, one would be hard pressed to experience the areas we did on this voyage 😀
Compare an 4*+ AI in Jamaica (my fav) and you are looking at 6k and up, for one week. @@BoatingWithBoogaboo
How many hours did you put on the motors on that trip?
We put 86 hours of run time on the main engines during that trip. We also put 30 hours on the Westerbeke genny.
I'm glad I have a sailboat. In 5 years I've probably spent $300 on diesel.
That's great economy, but you're unable to see the beauty of the TSW or Rideau Canal - unless you take your mast down.
Oh well, to each his own. I'm grateful that we were able to experience this voyage, even if it did cost a small fortune in fuel 😅
What does your fuel cost per gallon? I know you typicaly use liters. Fuel is less epensive in the US. The price we pay for having the time of our life!!
Gallon? What's a gallon?? 🤣
Hahaha. How much is a liter? I will perform my own arithmetic. Lol. My marina has fuel at cost, I pay 87 cents a liter. Outisde my marina it is about $1.18 per liter @@BoatingWithBoogaboo
Sounds good, but now you gotta do the currency conversion 😉💲 🇺🇲🇨🇦💲
For that cost of fuel, I can spend 12 weeks in Mexico for the winter!
So could we!
Spend 5 weeks in Florida it will be 5 times that without the beautiful fresh water.
Our last visit to Florida was just over seven weeks, traveling from PCB to Clearwater to Fort Meyers to Fort Lauderdale before heading northward to the Daytona area, with a few overnights in between. All stays at hotels, so this cruise was, although not cheap, more manageable. But no palm trees 🌴😎
Money well spent…..
Absolutely! 😁