Bottom line: cruising can be done on pretty much any budget and on anyone's premises. The cost of cruising is the product of our choices, priorities, and pocket depth, but at the end of the day, we all get to enjoy the same sunsets :) I hope you found those videos insightful, and that we all meet at a marina or anchorage someday! /Sophie
The first year we owned Aquarius (an Amel Super Maramu 2000) we spent close to $50,000 US upgrading her. But, we have been cruising on about $1500 per month for maintenance the last year and 1/2. There are months that might be $6000, but not too many of them. The big expenses: Running Rigging $12K, Solar/Wind with Davits $12K, Batteries $3K to $8K (depends on what kind), Bottom Job $3.5K (Paint/Anti-foul)... But, I don't think that they will spend USD$55K to USD$60K each year moving forward to maintain a 2007 Amel54. There is a learning curve... Every mistake costs about $1000. Trying to take the ballooner down on Anchor, that cost me $1000. Leaving the Ballooner up in too much wind, another $1K. These are expensive mistakes that I hope to make once. But as you get to know your boat you will make fewer of these "mistakes". And thus your maintenance bill goes down. Fair Winds... Sailing Aquarius
@@SailingAquarius I hope you're right! Along that vein, yes, a lot of the maintenance costs were deferred maintenance issues that inevitably show up when a previous owner has left the boat sitting for a bit after deciding to sell. The genoa and staysail furlers alone were nearly 40% of the total maintenance cost - hopefully I don't have to replace those every year! I am going to keep the 50-55k expectation since 10% of purchase cost seems to be an oft-repeated number and hope to be pleasantly surprised. You are definitely right about the learning curve, though!
One thing I learned from watching another channel and this is for you and your friends boat insurance, double check with your broker they sometimes dont' tell you that coverage may only be when in harbor/marina may not be covered if not if not docked. : ) peace
SV Tengah yes Aquarius is right, you pay a lot of money riding the learning curve, and then it gets better. 10% is overestimated for higher end boats. For instance, travelift costs and antifoul paint costs depend on boat size, not boat price. And you can count on better specs for systems and build quality to save on maintenance costs (proportionally, of course).
Z and I have been sailing Aquarius for 2 years now, and just did the last 12 months of sailing budget. We spent an average of $4500 per month, including Maintenance, Food, Insurance, Spares, Marinas, Moorings, Light Bulbs, Engine Oil, Filters, etc. Basically everything to do with LIFE on Aquarius. This also includes all the Camera Equipment we bought! We have about $4K of camera equipment on board now. We do our budget monthly, pay most of our bills with credit cards, and then go over the statements and put the numbers into a spreadsheet. We are almost down the the penny with what we spend, including what we spend in cash. Like I said in an earlier post, the first year you can spend a $H!!!TL00D of cash. And some of the money spent your first year (or sometimes most of it) will be a complete MISTAKE.. Because you don't really know what cruising is, and you don't really know what you need cruising, until you have done it for a year or two and talked to countless sailers that have cruised for over 10 years. You may find you don't need much at all, or you may find you like all the bells and whistles. Cruising changes you! Back to the basics! Check us out our TH-cam channel at Sailing Aquarius... Best, and to sum it up... Just Do It! All budgets welcome! (OK there is a bottom line, of about $2000 per month all in... Maybe lower?)
Completely agree with Ken's numbers; they jive (are in line) with the numbers I have seen from other AMEL cruisers. Also agree with spending $H!!!TLOAD of cash the 1st year as well as making the "complete MISTAKEs" plural in my case as I made many unnecessary replacements hahahahahahaha as I just wanted the boat to be mechanically "perfect" to compensate for my cruising inadequacies; for example the new furlers - but once installed I realized what a tremendous improvement they were over the 2nd generation BAMAR; hence more safe. I am now really working towards the USD5K a month but having to put the boat for the whole cyclone season (otherwise you wouldn't get the berth) in the NOUMEA marina already shot a USD1500/mnth hole iso of being on my own mooring 500 meters away. But we were hit 2 weeks ago by cyclone OMA and the ketch anchored next to my mooring went on the rocks and sunk.
Hi Aquarius! How are you doing? We are contemplating upgradng from a 24 footer to something a little bigger.... like an Amel Super Maramu for example. Your budget indication is of much interest. Does your $4500/month spend include the purchase of your new sails for example? and amortisation of other big $$ equipment or is this the general running of the boat, mooring fees, food, haulouts/anitfouling etc.? Thx!
What a great series! The Amel is stunning. One thing that struck me though at the end of the video was that ALL the voyagers get to see the same beautiful sunrises and sunsets no matter what boat brought them there. It was the journey they all shared. Sophie you are great. GOD bless, JC
Thanks for the informative and honest video. These costs are toward the top of the range. And if you can afford it, great! My wife and I cruised an older but excellent cruising boat ( Cal 46) We had the usual full time cruising amenities. But no washer! An advantage of buying an older quality boat is that is came with a lot of amenities that I otherwise would not go out and buy. Electric winches, water maker, diesel generator. All old and not working, but after a year at anchor in the Baja and still enjoyed cruising the area. Fixed everything (sometimes with the help of Mexican ingenuity). We almost never took a dock. Just invested in good ground tackle and a good dingy. (Both very important if you want to avoid marinas and be more independent.). We bought the boat for 74k and put another 10k into her. We comfortably lived on about 30k per year for everything,: food, medical, insurance, boat maintenance and lots of SCUBA diving (carried all of our own dive gear and tank compressor.)The boat was paid for. We met people cruising for much less. It can be done. The cheapest I came Accross was a single retiree living on a total of 11k a yr. Yes he was struggling.
Nowadays you can buy an decent Amel Super Maramu (52 feet) with exactly the same performance and almost the same comfort for 250.000,- €. In more then 50 years of sailing I sailed a lot of different ships. Not one of them came even close to the Amels. I am feeling very sad and sorry about the very new Amels which certainly are leaving the tracks of Henri Amel. They are sacrificing the very best ideas ever came true on sailing boats to modern design, what is a pity for sure. If you like to spend much less money, look out for older or smaller models like Santorin, Mango, Maramu or even Sharki. All of them still are perfect boats to sail around the world. You always can trust your life to an Amel Ship. And you always can sail them singlehandet if this will be necessary and you will always find Amel-Service around the world. There are so many sailingboats - Amels ever have been SAILINGSHIPS.
@@cinemapigeon4898 They left the rules behind, which Henry Amel once foundet. They are (beautiful) showboats for (high standard) holliday sailing. Serious Lifaboard-Sailers do need other boats. Boats like Supermaramus and the old 54 are theyr first choice. It is a pitty when designers make the rules, instead of engeniers and sailors.
@@Bauchfalte I'm only in the "dream stage" of sailing, but being retired, single and in pretty good shape physically, I'm gathering info and appreciate your comments of experience. I like equipment and gear and tools and fixing things so the ketch rigging has caught my attention. These Amel boats are looking very attractive for live-aboard use! How old - what years - should I be looking at to avoid the quality problems you have highlighted? (Also, if you have opinions re "best" all round Amel model/s, I'd very much appreciate your opinion on that as well.
@@Bauchfalte your opinions on this topic is really just a confession of character. You have given absolutely no reason of substance for your views, other than you dislike the design change after 20+ years of a boat with a few tweaks. There are enough Amels that look like the ones you like. The FACTS are that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the new Amel and the way they are heading.
Sophie thank you so much for this fabulous mini-series. The honesty and open hearted discussion are invaluable to those of us hoping to follow our dreams..A brilliant insight!
Mie, the woman featured in this video, is actually Danish. Not that there is any real difference, but if you know what to listen for, you can distinguish the different accents quite clearly. If you are in doubt in real life, just ask what they have connected to their anchor. If they have Shane holding their anchor, they are Swedish. Of course, Scandinavians (and the Dutch) do not necessarily have a Scandinavian (Dutch) accent. Most do, but a significant percentage speak English with a British or American accent.
A clothes washer and dryer, a dish washer, induction heating plate and three AC units. All high current draw items supported by 1,000 watt solar panels feeding lithium batteries. AMAZING!! All the comforts of home......it sounds perfect.
Thanks, that was the intent/hope. We didn't quite meet the goal of being "generator-free" but on anchorage, without running AC, we run the generator every 3-4 days for about 30-45 minutes. We could probably go longer without running the generator, but don't like to take the lithium batteries below 35%. If we need to make water, an hour of generator usage will provide enough power to fill up the 900 liter tank. Solar provides enough power for everything else.
@@SVTengah You guys have an awesome boat. We have friends on Ultimo, one of the last Amel 54's built. Ultimo and Aquarius are in New Zealand now. As I wrote above, I don't think your Maintenance bill will be as high moving forward. We are taking good care of Aquarius on about $1500 per month, and I believe Ultimo might be spending a little more, but not much. Ultimo is in PERFECT condition. Hope to see Tengah out here in the Pacific, or maybe the Indian Ocean! Fair Winds.
Sailing Aquarius Around The World I think Ken (AQUARIUS) is right. I also spent an exorbitant amount of money my first year of ownership of AMELIT (2009 A54). Had professionals do every major replacement (furlers, FURUNO, engine, tri-color etc.) while watching them & learning. From what I have learned from the budgets of other AMEL owners (like Judy & Bill ROUSE, Zivile & Ken etc.) it can be done much cheaper. 2019 will tell. Hope to see you in the South Pacific.
This couple certainly can afford all the modern features and seem to maintain well those in this beautiful Amel. Keeping up w/ maintenance of all those push-button gadgets takes a good amount of money. I love it! :-)
Great boat! The 54 is an expensive boat to buy and to bring into condition. There are known problems with the furlers and the the Volvo that can easily add $60+K. to the purchase price but then you have a boat that is close to a perfect cruiser for two as can be. The twin sails up front help the 54 go upwind a bit better than the Super Maramu (Delos) and she's a bit wider in the back end to give more comfortable accommodation. It might not seem like it is much bigger than a 53' Super Maramu but the interior volume is quite a bit larger. Scott & Mie have done an awesome job of keeping Tengah in tip top condition. Fair winds!
Steve Burton, do you have an Amel 54? You stated some of the exact reasons why our costs were so high, although we only replaced some items on the Volvo rather than the whole engine. As others have stated, these repairs aren't annual. That said, I replaced the fresh waterpump 6 months ago and now it's got an internal short. Another 500 euros! If anyone is considering both the Super Maramu and the newer 54, Steve pointed out exactly why we chose the 54. We've measured 10-15 degrees difference in upwind performance at the limit when we use the staysail vs. not. And the interior volume difference was striking, given the 54 is only a foot longer than the SM. That said, the SM is less complicated (read: easier/cheaper to maintain) and there are a LOT more of them, so you'll have a lot of help from other owners when something goes wrong. We are quite happy with our choice, though.
@@SVTengah Hi Scott/Mei, no, not yet although I've been a long time lurker and am in the market for a good Redline Super Maramu 2000. I quite like the 54 and given a bigger budget, I'd definitely go that way but my circumstances are that I will have to hang on to the house in addition to owning a (to me at least) super yacht that I will only sail 6 months a year so a good Super Maramu 2K is at the top of my price range. I've talked to lots of owners of both as well as the usual Amel guru's so am quite aware of the pro's and cons of each. The 54 owners that I've talked to have all faced your repairs which is unfortunate but I'm glad to hear you were able to repair the Volvo rather than do a replacement. Like, I said, you have a beautiful boat and you both seem to take really good care of her. Fair winds!
I personally love the Amels, I have been researching yachts for months and the center cockpit and safety of the Amels is outstanding in my opinion, thank you all.
She is a beautiful boat for sure there is no denying that. I wish we had more video of her cabinets and such. thank you so much for sharing your home with us. : ) peace
Thanks for doing this series. Loved that you explored the budget and costs for different boats and different budgets. We are in the planning stages for setting off and love these type of videos. You do a nice job on all your videos but I particularly enjoyed this set of them. Good luck and stay safe! Ciao
Good man for appreciating that center cockpits are the only relatively safe cockpit available for these types of sailing vessels. However... doesn't mean much if your bolt on keel falls off or that alleged blue water rigging snaps.
Thankyou for the video. It does show very well the different costs of sailing offshore. Amel 54 The ultimate. We can't afford it at this point, but our Roberts centre cockpit 44 ketch will take us everywhere the Amel can go. Maintenance costs once it is done up should be $5,000 NZD per year for up to 10 years, (plus any nasty surprises) then she'll require more money again. So .... One can cruise on any budget. Some of the "fun" is casting off into the unknown not knowing how the entire venture will be funded. Opportunities to generate funds will come along ...
When asked what else he wanted on board. I really thought he was going to say a tool shed and work shop! 😁 After seeing all the required maintenance & upkeep, he's going to need it!! 😎👍
$55k in maintenance a year is a deal breaker for most folks. Wow great vid. My dream boat would be a new Amel 50 but I think I would need to sell it in two years to avoid the upkeep expenses...
I am going to guess that $55K is because they are paying pros to do everything. Doing it yourself maintenance shouldn't be that much. SV Delos is on a Amel Super Maramu which is only slightly smaller and older and their estimate was $9,400 per year however they do essentially everything DIY other than stuff that can't be done like haulouts, sand blasting, crane rental, etc.
Great interview on one of top-5 blue water boats. Talk about loaded! Of interest and deserving of more mention is the two easy chairs in this salon, that would be an essential must-have for me during a long voyage. With arm-rests of course! That's one thing a lot of cruisers don't have. Hallberg-Rassey offers this option as well. *That helm to port is a pilot house design. Impressive stern powered entry gantry, wow. Walk the plank!
Pretty darn Awesome. Amel Ketch seems to be the best for a world cruise. Although a 7 ft draft is a little bit of a bummer for the shallows. Yes, I bet it's a full-time job to maintain a boat like that. Good work if you can get it. What a life!
I Love the Amel's, fell in love with Delos's Amel and have been eyeing one for myself. This version, is really nice. Master suite is very nice. Forward cabin layout I like, maybe even better then Delos. I hope to own one, one day.
Thank you for sharing this vid. Excellent content and great insights. I can see the boat is in pristine condition and very well maintained. 55k however seems very high...I imagine the initial upgrades and fixes were all in here? My guess would be that as you sail the globe these costs will even out a little. Would be great to catch up in a year or so and see where you are on expenses. Wish you all fair winds and best of luck with this beautiful blue water cruiser! Thanks again for sharing...very helpful.
Sophie can you please find and interview a catamaran and trimaran couple, excellent work super informative and helpful. You ask better questions then the media these days. Also thanks to all the participants that made their time and vessel available
@@RyanSophieSailing see if you can do Riley and Elayna from sailing la vagabonde they have been sailing for sometime and have a good idea about what things cost.
Thanks, enjoyed all three videos very much. A lot of very good information. I really liked the three boat prospective, I'm trying to get back into sailing after 20 year away from it. (Raised two kids.) You made some very good points and gave me some things to think about as I look for my next boat.
i own a 2006 amel 54 for 14 years now and dont belive ever spent mor tha 35000 a year on maintenance . average 6 months of sailing per year and probably average of 20000 euro per year.
Nice video and I really like this boat. Looking at a used 2006 Amel 54 now. Only thing I wish it was not that deep draft. That was a broad Danglish accent hahaha. I think what they are missing are a few backup systems like Wind Vane to take less stress on the Autopilot and ennergy consumption from the batteries. I would probably also install a amatuer radio / HF. I think the maintenence and service cost they are talking about is mostly having proffesionals doing it. If one is a handy DIY person that cost can come down significantly. Also Marina fees, well, they are in the Med. If they would have been in Scandinavia they could buy a annual spot for less than €1000 in Sweden. There are also Nature marinas which are completly free. WI is going to be cheaper then the Med apart from a few luxury places. Rest of Caribbean is fairly low cost like Cuba, Jamaica, Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia. Insurance, different countries have different prices. I dont know what country they are flagging but Sweden has some very good insurance prices even for go-anyware-insurance. Great video. Keep it up.
Nice going with the music pairing . Lounge music and wood motif makes one yearn for scotch on the rocks and a dimly lighted room , which you showed here , Super good , Love your assistent
Expenses: Maintenance on a boat isn't cheap, I'll grant you that. But on the other hand you don't have to pay crippling (Swedish) income taxes, VAT on god knows what, levies, etc.
Great boat. Only to hear that everything breaks down so often with Amel... I thought they were well built boats... One thing for sure, these folks have a feeling for good quality and high price/performance. Good choice for the washing machine brand. I have a Beko running flawless for the last 15 years. But how did they manage to get it in the boat? The entrance is not that wide?
I love the amels, but was disappointed by the new Amel 50 having recently delivered one. The tinted windscreen is impossible to see through at night and the rig felt unbalanced. Needs a mizzen mast. The magic school bus didnt point well at all. Overall beautiful construction and craftsmanship but lackluster sailing performance.
How did they come to name the boat 'Tengah'? Money in Kazakhstan is called 'Tenga'. After seeing their expenses, I can see a possible connection! 😉 I have to admit, I was getting serious envy through the first half of this episode. Seeing the costs took care of that! But that was the point of the series! Different boats have different costs. The only bad boat is one that you can't afford to maintain. And Tengah is a STUNNING boat!! 🧡😎👍😍
David W haha, that’s a fun fact 😀 Tengah is named after an island on the Malaysian East Coast where Scott and his family arrived on as refugees after escaping post-war Vietnam more than 3 decades ago. The name therefore represents a significant milestone in Scott’s family’s journy to a better life.
Très bonne série Sophie and what a great boat too. Not cheap to maintain though. Do they have their own channel? I saw a few GoPro around. Merci and best from HKG 🇭🇰
Yes, check our profile. We are trying to catch up on videos, but as Sophie said, we have been inundated with boat work. But it's slowing down, so expect more videos soon!
Sophie hi. Out of the bavaria 57 2018 you reviewed and this amel 54. If money wasn't a problem. Which boat you would buy to do what you do guys? I am in negotiations to buy a sailboat. Loved the amel 54. It feel safer and a tank. The Bavaria 57 feel like ikea furniture and less massive. Am I right?
Beau bateau de grande renommée - mais ... Madame voudrait changer les rideaux et les coussins. Ce que femme veut ... 😍. A chacun son budget, l'essentiel étant d'être heureux sur son bateau quelque soit sa taille. ⛱ Merci Sophie&Ryan pour cette initiative inattendue. Les propriétaires ont accepté le jeu des post-it . Bravo.
A bit strange: as the owners say the boat is built as a tank, but everything seems to break down… we did a one year sailing trip with our beneteau oceanis and spent about 2000€ on maintenance in the whole year… and no, when we returned from the trip we did not need to invest tons of money in past due maintenance. For me this seems like a big no on Amel yachts ? Maybe too complex systems ??
55k is to pay professionals to do most of the work. If you are capable and willing to do a lot of work you can easily cut that number in half, or less.
They didn't mention if the 50K annual cost on maintenance includes the cost of their own 30-40 hour week labor (which they mentioned how much of their own time they spend)..If it doesn't then that's a lot of cash to spend while also working full time on the boat.
Totally enjoyed the videos. And, miss Sophie, You asked all the important questions....of, course. :-) . I would also like to know if any of the interviewees also hold down jobs or have an online business to support the lifestyle? Thank you.
those maintenance prices will come down! like he said, He purchased the boat used! so the previous owner probably didnt do any replacements and much upgrades in the last 10 years! so of course buying a boat with ambition to sail it around the world! crossing oceans! you want something SAFE! reliable! and piece of mind! so he obviously spent money on upgrades! and thats where he is getting that figure of 50K , and rightly so! its more of an investment than an expense anyways! it will come down every year!
my one legged buddy has been sailing a '45 ketch (pearson?) around the world since 2007 on about $20k a year he gets from the army, and I know for a fact he spends half that on alcohol.
When he says he spent less on the boat compared to the Stockholm apartment I think he forgot about the general maintenance part (55k a year) as that adds up with the other costs to a total of roughly 6500 a month, which is a lot. Just saying :-) The maintenance of an average apartment is at least 5 times less so it would be wrong not to include these costs. Nothing wrong with enjoying the boat though, it is gorgeous.
Hi tip001, I should have been more specific. Stockholm is a pretty expensive city to live in and when you count the $10USD beers, $150USD mid range meal for two, etc the total cost of living on a boat is less. So I should have said the total cost of living. Here on anchorage, the most expensive thing we can buy is fish from the local fishermen. :)
Very nice video. And a really, really nice boat. I strongly suspect that your little helper had something to do with the quality of this video! Maybe he was whispering in your ear? :)
Good informative vid, I was surprised with the high running costs, especially the cost of maintenance, why do you need a crew, many people sail single handed.
We don't necessarily need crew. The boat can be sailed by two or even one, no problem. But crew, generally friends or family, do add positively to our experience. :)
Taking Friends and new friends with you when you sail is what makes all that upkeep and maintenance expense worth it. Sometimes you will sail alone together, but sailing is a great social experience … so don’t miss that part of it either ⛵️
Bottom line: cruising can be done on pretty much any budget and on anyone's premises. The cost of cruising is the product of our choices, priorities, and pocket depth, but at the end of the day, we all get to enjoy the same sunsets :) I hope you found those videos insightful, and that we all meet at a marina or anchorage someday! /Sophie
The first year we owned Aquarius (an Amel Super Maramu 2000) we spent close to $50,000 US upgrading her. But, we have been cruising on about $1500 per month for maintenance the last year and 1/2. There are months that might be $6000, but not too many of them. The big expenses: Running Rigging $12K, Solar/Wind with Davits $12K, Batteries $3K to $8K (depends on what kind), Bottom Job $3.5K (Paint/Anti-foul)... But, I don't think that they will spend USD$55K to USD$60K each year moving forward to maintain a 2007 Amel54. There is a learning curve... Every mistake costs about $1000. Trying to take the ballooner down on Anchor, that cost me $1000. Leaving the Ballooner up in too much wind, another $1K. These are expensive mistakes that I hope to make once. But as you get to know your boat you will make fewer of these "mistakes". And thus your maintenance bill goes down. Fair Winds... Sailing Aquarius
@@SailingAquarius I hope you're right!
Along that vein, yes, a lot of the maintenance costs were deferred maintenance issues that inevitably show up when a previous owner has left the boat sitting for a bit after deciding to sell. The genoa and staysail furlers alone were nearly 40% of the total maintenance cost - hopefully I don't have to replace those every year! I am going to keep the 50-55k expectation since 10% of purchase cost seems to be an oft-repeated number and hope to be pleasantly surprised.
You are definitely right about the learning curve, though!
One thing I learned from watching another channel and this is for you and your friends boat insurance, double check with your broker they sometimes dont' tell you that coverage may only be when in harbor/marina may not be covered if not if not docked. : ) peace
SV Tengah yes Aquarius is right, you pay a lot of money riding the learning curve, and then it gets better. 10% is overestimated for higher end boats. For instance, travelift costs and antifoul paint costs depend on boat size, not boat price. And you can count on better specs for systems and build quality to save on maintenance costs (proportionally, of course).
srq lisao
I'd like to thank Sophie, Marky and SV Tengah for being so open about their boats. Really appreciated the miniseries. Best wishes in your adventures.
Z and I have been sailing Aquarius for 2 years now, and just did the last 12 months of sailing budget. We spent an average of $4500 per month, including Maintenance, Food, Insurance, Spares, Marinas, Moorings, Light Bulbs, Engine Oil, Filters, etc. Basically everything to do with LIFE on Aquarius. This also includes all the Camera Equipment we bought! We have about $4K of camera equipment on board now. We do our budget monthly, pay most of our bills with credit cards, and then go over the statements and put the numbers into a spreadsheet. We are almost down the the penny with what we spend, including what we spend in cash. Like I said in an earlier post, the first year you can spend a $H!!!TL00D of cash. And some of the money spent your first year (or sometimes most of it) will be a complete MISTAKE.. Because you don't really know what cruising is, and you don't really know what you need cruising, until you have done it for a year or two and talked to countless sailers that have cruised for over 10 years. You may find you don't need much at all, or you may find you like all the bells and whistles. Cruising changes you! Back to the basics! Check us out our TH-cam channel at Sailing Aquarius... Best, and to sum it up... Just Do It! All budgets welcome! (OK there is a bottom line, of about $2000 per month all in... Maybe lower?)
Completely agree with Ken's numbers; they jive (are in line) with the numbers I have seen from other AMEL cruisers. Also agree with spending $H!!!TLOAD of cash the 1st year as well as making the "complete MISTAKEs" plural in my case as I made many unnecessary replacements hahahahahahaha as I just wanted the boat to be mechanically "perfect" to compensate for my cruising inadequacies; for example the new furlers - but once installed I realized what a tremendous improvement they were over the 2nd generation BAMAR; hence more safe. I am now really working towards the USD5K a month but having to put the boat for the whole cyclone season (otherwise you wouldn't get the berth) in the NOUMEA marina already shot a USD1500/mnth hole iso of being on my own mooring 500 meters away. But we were hit 2 weeks ago by cyclone OMA and the ketch anchored next to my mooring went on the rocks and sunk.
Hi Aquarius! How are you doing? We are contemplating upgradng from a 24 footer to something a little bigger.... like an Amel Super Maramu for example. Your budget indication is of much interest. Does your $4500/month spend include the purchase of your new sails for example? and amortisation of other big $$ equipment or is this the general running of the boat, mooring fees, food, haulouts/anitfouling etc.? Thx!
That’s a lot cheaper than 55k just in maintenance, Amel may work for me after all lol
What a great series! The Amel is stunning. One thing that struck me though at the end of the video was that ALL the voyagers get to see the same beautiful sunrises and sunsets no matter what boat brought them there. It was the journey they all shared. Sophie you are great. GOD bless, JC
Thanks for the informative and honest video. These costs are toward the top of the range. And if you can afford it, great!
My wife and I cruised an older but excellent cruising boat ( Cal 46) We had the usual full time cruising amenities. But no washer! An advantage of buying an older quality boat is that is came with a lot of amenities that I otherwise would not go out and buy. Electric winches, water maker, diesel generator. All old and not working, but after a year at anchor in the Baja and still enjoyed cruising the area. Fixed everything (sometimes with the help of Mexican ingenuity). We almost never took a dock. Just invested in good ground tackle and a good dingy. (Both very important if you want to avoid marinas and be more independent.). We bought the boat for 74k and put another 10k into her. We comfortably lived on about 30k per year for everything,: food, medical, insurance, boat maintenance and lots of SCUBA diving (carried all of our own dive gear and tank compressor.)The boat was paid for. We met people cruising for much less. It can be done. The cheapest I came Accross was a single retiree living on a total of 11k a yr. Yes he was struggling.
Thanks for publishing these. Sophie, you are a natural behind the camera!
I really like the layout of their amel
Nowadays you can buy an decent Amel Super Maramu (52 feet) with exactly the same performance and almost the same comfort for 250.000,- €.
In more then 50 years of sailing I sailed a lot of different ships. Not one of them came even close to the Amels. I am feeling very sad and sorry about the very new Amels which certainly are leaving the tracks of Henri Amel. They are sacrificing the very best ideas ever came true on sailing boats to modern design, what is a pity for sure.
If you like to spend much less money, look out for older or smaller models like Santorin, Mango, Maramu or even Sharki. All of them still are perfect boats to sail around the world. You always can trust your life to an Amel Ship. And you always can sail them singlehandet if this will be necessary and you will always find Amel-Service around the world. There are so many sailingboats - Amels ever have been SAILINGSHIPS.
The Amel 50 and 60 are spectacular, what are your problems with them?
@@cinemapigeon4898 They left the rules behind, which Henry Amel once foundet.
They are (beautiful) showboats for (high standard) holliday sailing. Serious Lifaboard-Sailers do need other boats. Boats like Supermaramus and the old 54 are theyr first choice.
It is a pitty when designers make the rules,
instead of engeniers and sailors.
@@Bauchfalte I mean, if the new Amel 60 was given to me for free, I certainly wouldn't complain.
@@Bauchfalte I'm only in the "dream stage" of sailing, but being retired, single and in pretty good shape physically, I'm gathering info and appreciate your comments of experience. I like equipment and gear and tools and fixing things so the ketch rigging has caught my attention. These Amel boats are looking very attractive for live-aboard use!
How old - what years - should I be looking at to avoid the quality problems you have highlighted? (Also, if you have opinions re "best" all round Amel model/s, I'd very much appreciate your opinion on that as well.
@@Bauchfalte your opinions on this topic is really just a confession of character. You have given absolutely no reason of substance for your views, other than you dislike the design change after 20+ years of a boat with a few tweaks. There are enough Amels that look like the ones you like. The FACTS are that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the new Amel and the way they are heading.
Sophie thank you so much for this fabulous mini-series. The honesty and open hearted discussion are invaluable to those of us hoping to follow our dreams..A brilliant insight!
I see a pattern, buy an Amel find a pretty Swedish lady. Worked for Brian on Delos,.. seems to have worked here too.
she knows how the boat works ....? or is it a boat? he knows there's a center cockpit !!
Mie, the woman featured in this video, is actually Danish. Not that there is any real difference, but if you know what to listen for, you can distinguish the different accents quite clearly.
If you are in doubt in real life, just ask what they have connected to their anchor. If they have Shane holding their anchor, they are Swedish.
Of course, Scandinavians (and the Dutch) do not necessarily have a Scandinavian (Dutch) accent. Most do, but a significant percentage speak English with a British or American accent.
13:54
I can recall Brian on SV Delos saying of their Super Maramu "you will break before the boat does"
A clothes washer and dryer, a dish washer, induction heating plate and three AC units. All high current draw items supported by 1,000 watt solar panels feeding lithium batteries. AMAZING!! All the comforts of home......it sounds perfect.
Isn’t it perfect?! 😃 I love it! /Sophie
Thanks, that was the intent/hope. We didn't quite meet the goal of being "generator-free" but on anchorage, without running AC, we run the generator every 3-4 days for about 30-45 minutes. We could probably go longer without running the generator, but don't like to take the lithium batteries below 35%.
If we need to make water, an hour of generator usage will provide enough power to fill up the 900 liter tank. Solar provides enough power for everything else.
The maintenance and repair cost sounds daunting. Wow.
@@SVTengah You guys have an awesome boat. We have friends on Ultimo, one of the last Amel 54's built. Ultimo and Aquarius are in New Zealand now. As I wrote above, I don't think your Maintenance bill will be as high moving forward. We are taking good care of Aquarius on about $1500 per month, and I believe Ultimo might be spending a little more, but not much. Ultimo is in PERFECT condition. Hope to see Tengah out here in the Pacific, or maybe the Indian Ocean! Fair Winds.
Sailing Aquarius Around The World I think Ken (AQUARIUS) is right. I also spent an exorbitant amount of money my first year of ownership of AMELIT (2009 A54). Had professionals do every major replacement (furlers, FURUNO, engine, tri-color etc.) while watching them & learning. From what I have learned from the budgets of other AMEL owners (like Judy & Bill ROUSE, Zivile & Ken etc.) it can be done much cheaper. 2019 will tell. Hope to see you in the South Pacific.
These videos are great and very informative. Charmingly done, and all people involved seem like you could easily spend an ocean passage with them ☀️
This couple certainly can afford all the modern features and seem to maintain well those in this beautiful Amel. Keeping up w/ maintenance of all those push-button gadgets takes a good amount of money. I love it! :-)
Great 3 part series. This is exactly what I was wondering. Perfect!
Great boat! The 54 is an expensive boat to buy and to bring into condition. There are known problems with the furlers and the the Volvo that can easily add $60+K. to the purchase price but then you have a boat that is close to a perfect cruiser for two as can be. The twin sails up front help the 54 go upwind a bit better than the Super Maramu (Delos) and she's a bit wider in the back end to give more comfortable accommodation. It might not seem like it is much bigger than a 53' Super Maramu but the interior volume is quite a bit larger. Scott & Mie have done an awesome job of keeping Tengah in tip top condition. Fair winds!
Steve Burton, do you have an Amel 54? You stated some of the exact reasons why our costs were so high, although we only replaced some items on the Volvo rather than the whole engine. As others have stated, these repairs aren't annual. That said, I replaced the fresh waterpump 6 months ago and now it's got an internal short. Another 500 euros!
If anyone is considering both the Super Maramu and the newer 54, Steve pointed out exactly why we chose the 54. We've measured 10-15 degrees difference in upwind performance at the limit when we use the staysail vs. not. And the interior volume difference was striking, given the 54 is only a foot longer than the SM.
That said, the SM is less complicated (read: easier/cheaper to maintain) and there are a LOT more of them, so you'll have a lot of help from other owners when something goes wrong. We are quite happy with our choice, though.
@@SVTengah Hi Scott/Mei, no, not yet although I've been a long time lurker and am in the market for a good Redline Super Maramu 2000. I quite like the 54 and given a bigger budget, I'd definitely go that way but my circumstances are that I will have to hang on to the house in addition to owning a (to me at least) super yacht that I will only sail 6 months a year so a good Super Maramu 2K is at the top of my price range. I've talked to lots of owners of both as well as the usual Amel guru's so am quite aware of the pro's and cons of each. The 54 owners that I've talked to have all faced your repairs which is unfortunate but I'm glad to hear you were able to repair the Volvo rather than do a replacement. Like, I said, you have a beautiful boat and you both seem to take really good care of her. Fair winds!
I personally love the Amels, I have been researching yachts for months and the center cockpit and safety of the Amels is outstanding in my opinion, thank you all.
This series was INCREDIBLY valuable to me!!! Thanks so much for including a low-end budget, similar to my boat!!!
Awesome!! So glad it helped :)
She is a beautiful boat for sure there is no denying that. I wish we had more video of her cabinets and such. thank you so much for sharing your home with us. : ) peace
Thanks for doing this series. Loved that you explored the budget and costs for different boats and different budgets. We are in the planning stages for setting off and love these type of videos. You do a nice job on all your videos but I particularly enjoyed this set of them. Good luck and stay safe! Ciao
Good man for appreciating that center cockpits are the only relatively safe cockpit available for these types of sailing vessels. However... doesn't mean much if your bolt on keel falls off or that alleged blue water rigging snaps.
Thankyou for the video. It does show very well the different costs of sailing offshore. Amel 54 The ultimate. We can't afford it at this point, but our Roberts centre cockpit 44 ketch will take us everywhere the Amel can go. Maintenance costs once it is done up should be $5,000 NZD per year for up to 10 years, (plus any nasty surprises) then she'll require more money again. So .... One can cruise on any budget. Some of the "fun" is casting off into the unknown not knowing how the entire venture will be funded. Opportunities to generate funds will come along ...
When asked what else he wanted on board. I really thought he was going to say a tool shed and work shop! 😁 After seeing all the required maintenance & upkeep, he's going to need it!! 😎👍
$55k in maintenance a year is a deal breaker for most folks. Wow great vid. My dream boat would be a new Amel 50 but I think I would need to sell it in two years to avoid the upkeep expenses...
I am going to guess that $55K is because they are paying pros to do everything. Doing it yourself maintenance shouldn't be that much. SV Delos is on a Amel Super Maramu which is only slightly smaller and older and their estimate was $9,400 per year however they do essentially everything DIY other than stuff that can't be done like haulouts, sand blasting, crane rental, etc.
Great interview on one of top-5 blue water boats. Talk about loaded! Of interest and deserving of more mention is the two easy chairs in this salon, that would be an essential must-have for me during a long voyage. With arm-rests of course! That's one thing a lot of cruisers don't have. Hallberg-Rassey offers this option as well. *That helm to port is a pilot house design. Impressive stern powered entry gantry, wow. Walk the plank!
Those armchairs were my favorite place to sit in this boat!!! I loved them... and yes, that passerelle is so cool! Such a great boat :)
/Sophie
@@RyanSophieSailing Yes and thank you for the proper term - passerelle.
Thank you Sohpie for the insightful mini series!!!!
You are the best, Joseph.
I've enjoyed all your videos. This series did not disappoint. Thank you for all the effort you put in to present excellent videos.
What a perfunctory glossover tour of the interior.
Loved your ending! It is what sailing is about! Totalment! 👏🏻🥂🌹
Pretty darn Awesome. Amel Ketch seems to be the best for a world cruise. Although a 7 ft draft is a little bit of a bummer for the shallows. Yes, I bet it's a full-time job to maintain a boat like that. Good work if you can get it. What a life!
I Love the Amel's, fell in love with Delos's Amel and have been eyeing one for myself.
This version, is really nice. Master suite is very nice. Forward cabin layout I like, maybe even better then Delos.
I hope to own one, one day.
Thank you for sharing this vid. Excellent content and great insights. I can see the boat is in pristine condition and very well maintained. 55k however seems very high...I imagine the initial upgrades and fixes were all in here? My guess would be that as you sail the globe these costs will even out a little. Would be great to catch up in a year or so and see where you are on expenses. Wish you all fair winds and best of luck with this beautiful blue water cruiser! Thanks again for sharing...very helpful.
That was a very informative, interesting and well done series. Thx!
really loved this series...
Sophie can you please find and interview a catamaran and trimaran couple, excellent work super informative and helpful. You ask better questions then the media these days. Also thanks to all the participants that made their time and vessel available
That’s a good suggestion! I’ll need to find some volunteers for that, but if I can, I’ll do it.
/Sophie
@@RyanSophieSailing see if you can do Riley and Elayna from sailing la vagabonde they have been sailing for sometime and have a good idea about what things cost.
Good video - love the 70's filter, music and cast.
Awesome series. Thanks! You guys are an inspiration. Hoping to join the marina beer drinking club soon :)
Thanks, enjoyed all three videos very much. A lot of very good information. I really liked the three boat prospective, I'm trying to get back into sailing after 20 year away from it. (Raised two kids.) You made some very good points and gave me some things to think about as I look for my next boat.
i own a 2006 amel 54 for 14 years now and dont belive ever spent mor tha 35000 a year on maintenance .
average 6 months of sailing per year and probably average of 20000 euro per year.
thanks guys, nice video, very informative. Really like the center cockpit on the Amel. Idaho usa
OK thank you. Lowering my size expectations. Dramatically.
Nice video and I really like this boat. Looking at a used 2006 Amel 54 now. Only thing I wish it was not that deep draft.
That was a broad Danglish accent hahaha.
I think what they are missing are a few backup systems like Wind Vane to take less stress on the Autopilot and ennergy consumption from the batteries. I would probably also install a amatuer radio / HF.
I think the maintenence and service cost they are talking about is mostly having proffesionals doing it. If one is a handy DIY person that cost can come down significantly.
Also Marina fees, well, they are in the Med. If they would have been in Scandinavia they could buy a annual spot for less than €1000 in Sweden. There are also Nature marinas which are completly free. WI is going to be cheaper then the Med apart from a few luxury places. Rest of Caribbean is fairly low cost like Cuba, Jamaica, Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia.
Insurance, different countries have different prices. I dont know what country they are flagging but Sweden has some very good insurance prices even for go-anyware-insurance.
Great video. Keep it up.
Each of the 3 videos was very interesting!
This has been vary helpful for me thanks for your help 🙂
Nice going with the music pairing . Lounge music and wood motif makes one yearn for scotch on the rocks and a dimly lighted room , which you showed here , Super good , Love your assistent
Completely enjoyed by this mini-series, thanks a lot, it was really interesting and useful for me!
P.S.: your boat is great :)
Hey, I saw this ketch last week in Vanuatu!
Great series! Very informative. I am looking forward to living on a boat soon.
Great work on the video. And what a beautiful sailboat!
Love the mini series I wonder what’sthe cost of a 64 ketch amel just love that boat but impossible to find something like this !
Expenses: Maintenance on a boat isn't cheap, I'll grant you that. But on the other hand you don't have to pay crippling (Swedish) income taxes, VAT on god knows what, levies, etc.
That thing must have a secret cabin for the mechanic and maintenance crew!
I love this boat. I wish I could get one. Good video. Cheers.
Great boat. Only to hear that everything breaks down so often with Amel... I thought they were well built boats... One thing for sure, these folks have a feeling for good quality and high price/performance. Good choice for the washing machine brand. I have a Beko running flawless for the last 15 years. But how did they manage to get it in the boat? The entrance is not that wide?
I love the amels, but was disappointed by the new Amel 50 having recently delivered one. The tinted windscreen is impossible to see through at night and the rig felt unbalanced. Needs a mizzen mast. The magic school bus didnt point well at all. Overall beautiful construction and craftsmanship but lackluster sailing performance.
Nice video, nice boat, nice couple. Amel is The boat if you want to (and can) Sail around the world.
Fair wind!
Well done Sophie. I truly enjoyed this mini-series!
I love your boat! Seriously considering one for myself
Beautiful yacht....one piece of advise ...when sitting at the table...let her slide over to next to you
How did they come to name the boat 'Tengah'? Money in Kazakhstan is called 'Tenga'. After seeing their expenses, I can see a possible connection! 😉
I have to admit, I was getting serious envy through the first half of this episode. Seeing the costs took care of that!
But that was the point of the series! Different boats have different costs. The only bad boat is one that you can't afford to maintain. And Tengah is a STUNNING boat!! 🧡😎👍😍
David W haha, that’s a fun fact 😀
Tengah is named after an island on the Malaysian East Coast where Scott and his family arrived on as refugees after escaping post-war Vietnam more than 3 decades ago.
The name therefore represents a significant milestone in Scott’s family’s journy to a better life.
Excellent job on these videos
Thanks Billy! I appreciate the feedback a lot :)
Très bonne série Sophie and what a great boat too. Not cheap to maintain though. Do they have their own channel? I saw a few GoPro around. Merci and best from HKG 🇭🇰
Yes, check our profile. We are trying to catch up on videos, but as Sophie said, we have been inundated with boat work. But it's slowing down, so expect more videos soon!
Sophie hi. Out of the bavaria 57 2018 you reviewed and this amel 54. If money wasn't a problem. Which boat you would buy to do what you do guys? I am in negotiations to buy a sailboat. Loved the amel 54. It feel safer and a tank. The Bavaria 57 feel like ikea furniture and less massive. Am I right?
Ever thought about adopting a 50 year old man? I'm potty trained.
No hes not. He will require lots of quite time on the stern with a fishing rod.
stunning boat
Beau bateau de grande renommée - mais ... Madame voudrait changer les rideaux et les coussins. Ce que femme veut ... 😍.
A chacun son budget, l'essentiel étant d'être heureux sur son bateau quelque soit sa taille. ⛱
Merci Sophie&Ryan pour cette initiative inattendue. Les propriétaires ont accepté le jeu des post-it . Bravo.
Lovely lovely boat, it must be a wonderful experience to sail on her but is she not just too complex and time consuming to maintain yourselves?
Thank you all for sharing
I like positive video. Thank you for good content!
If their spending are so high, without food, healt plan, etc., this is totally discouraging!😞😞😞😞😞
A bit strange: as the owners say the boat is built as a tank, but everything seems to break down… we did a one year sailing trip with our beneteau oceanis and spent about 2000€ on maintenance in the whole year… and no, when we returned from the trip we did not need to invest tons of money in past due maintenance. For me this seems like a big no on Amel yachts ? Maybe too complex systems ??
so is that 55k a year having someone else work on your boat doing all the repairs?
55k is to pay professionals to do most of the work. If you are capable and willing to do a lot of work you can easily cut that number in half, or less.
They didn't mention if the 50K annual cost on maintenance includes the cost of their own 30-40 hour week labor (which they mentioned how much of their own time they spend)..If it doesn't then that's a lot of cash to spend while also working full time on the boat.
Totally enjoyed the videos. And, miss Sophie, You asked all the important questions....of, course. :-)
.
I would also like to know if any of the interviewees also hold down jobs or have an online business to support the lifestyle? Thank you.
It’s a mix! Scott and Mie saved, Ryan and I work remotely, and Marky does some photography work combined with physical work for other boats :)
I enjoy it thanks for sharing nice quality
$55,000+? on what? great video 😊 love to know the details.
those maintenance prices will come down! like he said, He purchased the boat used! so the previous owner probably didnt do any replacements and much upgrades in the last 10 years!
so of course buying a boat with ambition to sail it around the world! crossing oceans! you want something SAFE! reliable! and piece of mind! so he obviously spent money on upgrades! and thats where he is getting that figure of 50K , and rightly so! its more of an investment than an expense anyways! it will come down every year!
my dream boat Amel 54 good choice
I got my eye on the Amel 64 would love the dinghy hanger:).
@@joanned8172 sure but 64 is too luxury for me ....plus 3 million 😂😂😂
my one legged buddy has been sailing a '45 ketch (pearson?) around the world since 2007 on about $20k a year he gets from the army, and I know for a fact he spends half that on alcohol.
Great series. Thanks
Great information. Thank you.
When he says he spent less on the boat compared to the Stockholm apartment I think he forgot about the general maintenance part (55k a year) as that adds up with the other costs to a total of roughly 6500 a month, which is a lot. Just saying :-) The maintenance of an average apartment is at least 5 times less so it would be wrong not to include these costs.
Nothing wrong with enjoying the boat though, it is gorgeous.
Hi tip001, I should have been more specific. Stockholm is a pretty expensive city to live in and when you count the $10USD beers, $150USD mid range meal for two, etc the total cost of living on a boat is less. So I should have said the total cost of living.
Here on anchorage, the most expensive thing we can buy is fish from the local fishermen. :)
@@SVTengah you dreaming yeah lol
They forgot boat depreciation.
@@ooweesaler That too. Please stay polite guys. (edit: not you but chris)
Very nice video. And a really, really nice boat. I strongly suspect that your little helper had something to do with the quality of this video! Maybe he was whispering in your ear? :)
Nice to see the cost comparison of the different sizes boats. Are you holding the newest crew member?
I wish 😭
Did he mean 5500, not 55000? That seems extreme for maintenance. How would a person afford that amount?
55k maintenance? Is he maintaining or replacing?
Interesting video. Surprised at expenses that is getting close to 100K euros per annum
He got his skippers license...let me guess...Master Mariner Oceans
Très beau voilier l amel 54
That's not Karen and Brian, I'm confused..
You mean Kazza and Breeyawn. Phhh, amateur.
It's not the same boat. Delos is a 53 and the interior is different.
The tribe is always watching lol
Maybe they are Kiren and Brian. Check out the guy's eyes at 10:30 to 10:31, pretty sure he is a shifter.
fabulous
Very interesting thank you!
Oh who’s the cutest little dog is that and does the couple with the amel Have a channel
Great video, Sopihe are you from Denmark?
Mie in the video is from Denmark, I am from france! :)
Amels are perhaps the best boats out there
Good informative vid, I was surprised with the high running costs, especially the cost of maintenance, why do you need a crew, many people sail single handed.
We don't necessarily need crew. The boat can be sailed by two or even one, no problem. But crew, generally friends or family, do add positively to our experience. :)
Taking Friends and new friends with you when you sail is what makes all that upkeep and maintenance expense worth it.
Sometimes you will sail alone together, but sailing is a great social experience … so don’t miss that part of it either ⛵️
Really good video, thank you
well done...great videos