This summer go on a cruise spending 30 euros a day

Lavagna, Macinaggio, Porto Vecchio, Lavezzi, La Maddalena, Caprera, Porto Ottiolu, Villasimius, Marettimo, Favignana, Levanzo, Trapani, Zingaro Reserve, Isola delle Femmine, Alicudi, Filicudi, Panarea, Stromboli, Procida, Positano, Ponza, Ventotene, Giglio, Elba, Capraia, Lavagna. A crew of friendly friends, an owned sailboat between 30 and 35 feet and perhaps the tour of the Tyrrhenian Sea spending an average of 30 euros per day in the middle of summer. As Frederick in Frankenstein Junior would say, “IT CAN BE DONE!” With good organization and a lot of willingness to sail. A low-cost cruise is the right solution to enjoy your vacation without giving up anything. By sailing boat, it is possible to travel the length and breadth of the Tyrrhenian Sea while spending an incomparably lower amount of money than moving by any other means of transportation and enjoying exclusive situations and landscapes.

THE SECRET INGREDIENTS FOR A LOW-COST RECIPE
The secret ingredients for this low-cost recipe are: a carefully thought-out galley, an itinerary designed so that relaxing moments and challenging sailing can coexist, a diverse crew with plenty of drive, and careful preparation of the boat to prevent unexpected expenses during the trip. With these details carefully taken care of, the cruise can really be the ideal vacation for those on a budget: 30 euros per person per day is enough to cover the expenses for the galley (about 15 euros per day for three meals), fuel (about 5 euros per person per day to cover 5 hours of motoring) and, should one wish, a night in port (10 euros per person).

COMPLETE BOAT CHECK MEANS SAVINGS
Prevention is better than cure. Careful boat maintenance is the first rule to avoid spending unnecessary money. Before setting out, it is important to check the condition of the equipment on board, take action where necessary, and obtain some spare parts that might be useful when sailing. Indeed, it often happens that you break something and lose entire vacation days searching for replacement parts, which, once found, tend to cost twice as much as they would in non-tourist locations. To avoid these unpleasant mishaps before leaving the moorings, it is a good idea to always check the condition of the shrouds, mooring lines, carabiners, shackles, VHF, sheets and halyards, navigation and anchor lights (remember to always have spare fuses and bulbs on board), safety equipment, engine and sails, as well as check for fins and mask to check anchorages, two extra jerry cans for diesel fuel, life line, batteries and “head” flashlights for night sailing, medicine and sunscreen, marine soap, “hard” crockery to save on plastic, and a thermos flask to always be stocked with hot tea or coffee when sailing at night.

THE GALLEY: WATCH OUT FOR THE FIRST EXPENSE
The organization of the galley is probably the most important time in vacation budget management. Let’s start with the first shopping trip, which is the most delicate circumstance in which we often get carried away and overbuy. It is important, if you reach the boat by car, to make the first “spending spree” in town where you can surely save some money. The number one rule is to buy in large quantities only products that will last smoothly out of the refrigerator for 20 days and allow self-sufficiency in meals for the days when you sail without stopping in port: therefore pasta, tomato sauce, tuna, anchovies, salt oil, vinegar, coffee, sugar, water, wine beers (which should never be lacking for aperitifs at sunset), to give you just a few tips. it is important not to overdo it so as not to run the risk of throwing away some of the groceries, and to make the most of the travel stops to buy fresh, local produce. Going down to the harbor and strolling through markets and small stores in search of local delicacies is one of the best ways to get to know the locality in which you have just landed and discover its culinary and other secrets. Before setting out on a cruise, we recommend that you take a trip to a fishing store: by explaining to the shopkeeper the route you intend to take and the average speed at which you will be sailing (6-7 kn) you can be directed on the type of bait to buy and the fish you should expect to encounter.

The main thing is to have a rod and trolling reel on board, and there will be no shortage of surprises. Once the fish has taken the bait, it is important to clean it right away and put it chilled in the special freezer bags, not before tasting a preview of the raw fish with a little lemon. If the quantity is then too much to keep fresh on board, then the opportunity might be good to make it a gift to some nearby boat or to use it as a “bargaining chip” for a restaurant dinner!

THE IMPORTANCE OF AN ENTERPRISING CREW

It is not necessary for everyone on board to be an experienced sailor; two who can handle the boat independently are sufficient (so that they can take turns going quietly to sleep) while the others will be asked to contribute in different ways according to their inclinations. Needless to stress the importance of having someone on the crew who loves to cook and especially enjoys doing it, because eating well is one of the pleasures of boating. On the other hand, as far as daily travel arrangements are concerned, it is essential to better organize the miles to be covered by making use of available tools such as weather and navigation sites and apps for tablets and smartphones. For the weather, it is useful to compare different sources: for the Mediterranean we point out Meteomar www.meteoam.it, Lamma www.lamma.rete.toscana.it and the PocketGrib application that, by zooming in on the navigation area of interest, allows for real-time weather with the possibility of monitoring, through an interactive simulation, the evolution of the wind and any disturbances over the next three hours. In the latter case, as in the case you choose to subscribe to a professional site such as Meteomed (www.meteomed.it), you will have to take into account the cost of the subscription. Needless to hide the fact that the low cost of a vacation such as the one we have described here is due to the fact that the boat is owned and not rented. If you are not lucky enough to know a boat owner kind enough to host you, you have to calculate an extra daily fee for boat rental, which you can find from 40 euros per person per day.