True cost of an ATLANTIC CIRCUIT

It's easy to dream about sailing the Atlantic, but actually doing it takes commitment and action. Justin Halewood explains how they did it, and what it cost

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We dreamt of sailing the Atlantic for years, but we finally decided to take the plunge and make it a reality with our young daughter.

'Procurement exercises' are a routine part of my job, so it was perhaps inevitable that I was focused on the financial side of our year away - I have the spreadsheets to prove it!

I spent far too much time thinking about money both before and during our partial Atlantic circuit (we made it to Florida before selling our boat Zoe) - and while everyone's budget will be different, I'd like to share some of our lessons below, alongside a few ideas for how to get the best bang for your buck during your own adventure.

A QUESTION OF PRIORITIES

The first one is about what the point of going is in the first place. Think less about costs and more about your experience - for many people an Atlantic circuit will be a once in a lifetime experience, so although you don't want the project to be financially ruinous, you also don't want to penny-pinch the fun out of your time afloat.

Examples of little luxuries we allowed ourselves included hiring cars to explore the places we landed, eating out and staying in marinas more often than many of our cruising friends (our daughter loved running up and down the pontoons making friends with other families). In our view, you can be in the middle of Caribbean paradise but if you're stuck eating old provisions, in a rolly anchorage and unable to tour the island, you probably won't be having fun. Better to ease the purse strings a little and capitalise on the opportunities your travel presents. To do this you'll need to either mentally accept the expense and draw down on your savings or generate income to offset costs.

FALSE ECONOMIES