Cost of Cruising Cats

/ Ben Starling

 

How much to keep the Captain on board in the style to which he aspires?


Lin Pardey says in Cost Conscious Cruiser that ‘a couple setting out should project a yearly cruising budget of about 1/3 of one person’s income’. Can I therefore estimate the Captain’s sea-based costs to be 1/3 of what he costs on land?

I’m thinking ‘no’. 

But his land costs are not that bad. He is a young and healthy cat.

Looking at the owner comments over at Sailnet and Cruisers Forum, best wisdom mentions the following cost categories: food, water, kitty litter and tray, vet fees, safety equipment*, and customs/import permit/vaccination fees for country entry requirements. 

Rough Back of the Envelope Calculation 

Food 
I don’t foresee a happy future if I were to cut back on Captain Cat’s food supply. Ditto the water and kitty litter. (You got that right, mate.)

But there should be many opportunities to fish in the great watery supermarkets of the sea when living aboard. That should provide some savings. (Ahhh, I can taste the mahi mahi now… makes my tail curl just thinking of it. And if you stay in my good books, I may even share).


Safety
Cat safety equipment items* are a one-off investment and not too pricey. 
  • harness $7 (petco.com), £7 (petplanet.co.uk)
  • hanging 5-step rope ladder $35 (West Marine), £20 (Force 4)
  • boat hook $20 (West Marine), £21 (Force 4)
  • scoop net $20 (doheny.com), £9 (fishing4fun.co.uk) + handle
  • pet first aid kit 
  • netting along life lines  
  • snap-on net cover for the companionway
Fun and Grooming
  • toys
  • catnip
  • carpet shampoo
  • nail clippers

Vet and Entry fees

Costs here of course depend entirely on the country/ies visited and how many visited. From the info at noonsite.com on importing pets into countries, it looks like the required rabies shots, other vaccines, import checks and permits will eventually add up…

Conclusion
The one-off cat safety equipment amounts are pretty nominal – and most of the equipment is needed for humans too. Any gains on food savings, however, will probably be way offset by customs/cat import/vaccination entry fees.

Overall, I predict a slight increase for the on-the-water cat budget. But probably worth it. (Probably?? You bet yer deck boots it’s gonna be worth it!)


Are there any other significant costs of keeping a feline safe and happy on board? (Yeah. You forgot the cost of my water toys: sea kayak, fishing tackle, pool noodles…) 
   


Guest post by


–The Can Opener

(supervised by Captain Cat)

* The forums mention that cats do not take well to lifejackets. Something about their balance being thrown off when their shoulders are covered and they get unsteady/woozy. We’ll give the jackets a shot anyway, just to be sure. (Oh no we won’t.) 

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