Nine Tips for Saving Money while Cruising the Great Loop

Some pretty straightforward ways to make cruising — either on or off the Great Loop — more affordable.

One of the challenges some of us face as we cruise in the United States — especially in inflationary times — is keeping costs down. Unless your budget has no limit, you’re likely interested in finding ways to save money here and there along the way — even if it’s just so you’ve got more funds to do fun stuff.

Here are some of the things I’ve been doing to keep my costs down.

Anchor out more.

If your boat is properly set up for anchoring out, spending more nights on the hook is probably the best way to save money. We all know what the average marina costs. Compare that to the cost of overnighting at an anchorage: free. But, as you may already know, the best part of anchoring out might be enjoying the peace and quiet of a natural area without marina noise and bright lights. The cost savings is just a bonus.

Consider price when choosing a marina.

You probably already do this — I know I do. I look at the whole picture, including Waterway Guide reviews, in an effort to get the most services I need for my money. Even just 50¢ per foot per night really adds up on a three-night stay in a 40-foot boat. And beware of marinas with hidden costs like “convenience fees” for using a credit card and resort fees that will apply even if you opt not to use the pool or restaurants.

Don’t pay extra for shore power.

Some marinas, especially in the southeastern states, charge an additional fee for power. The fee can be considerable — $20 or more per night – depending on your boat’s power cable connection. If your boat is set up for anchoring out, it probably also doesn’t need shore power for a short marina stay, especially if you don’t plan on running high power consumption appliances. I’ve routinely skipped the shore power hookup at costly ICW marinas and it has zero impact on my stay — other than to save me money and make it quicker for me to cast off when I’m ready to go. You know your boat and its power needs. Don’t pay extra for power if you don’t need to. Just be aware that most marinas won’t allow you to run a generator in your slip.

Take advantage of free (or lower cost) services when available.

If a marina offers free pump-out or free laundry facilities, why not take care of these chores while staying with them? You don’t need to wait until your waste tanks or laundry bags are completely full to empty them. The same goes for a marina with a courtesy car – isn’t that the perfect place to make a provisioning run? Even if you only need a handful of items or some heavy (to carry) beverages? (And please folks, if they give you a courtesy car, return it on time and add fuel any time there’s less than half a tank.)

Plan your fuel stops based on fuel prices.

If you just get fuel when you need it and don’t pay much attention to fuel prices, you’re missing out on a great way to save money. Look at it this way: if you can save $1 per gallon on a 100-gallon purchase, that’s $100. Those savings add up. Fortunately, Waterway Guide makes it easy to find good fuel stops with Fuel Price Report. I view the list of marinas and prices for my area in mile marker order so it’s easy to see what’s coming up next and how far away it is. Then I plan my fuel stops — and sometimes choose marinas for overnight stops — accordingly. I’ll also top off my tank any time I’m at a marina with lower-cost fuel, even if I only have room for 30 or 50 gallons. The more lower cost fuel I can buy, the less higher cost fuel I have to buy. And remember, when evaluating fuel prices, to add in taxes or “convenience fees” when computing the total price. 7% tax and 3% convenience fee means the price you pay is 10% more than what’s published.

Cruise at a fuel efficient speed.

I’m sure most experienced boaters know this, but different speeds have different fuel efficiencies. Cruising at 6 knots, for example, is likely to burn less fuel per mile (and certainly per hour) than cruising at 10 knots. While no one wants to cruise at forward idle speed, no matter how much money it saves on fuel, you should be able to pick a speed that’s a good compromise for you. If your boat has an engine computer or chartplotter that’ll do the math for you, pay close attention to fuel economy at different speeds so you get a feel for how your boat burns fuel. What you learn may surprise you. For example, my Ranger Tug with its semi-displacement hull gets decent economy (nautical miles per gallon) at speeds up to 8 knots before economy deteriorates. But it gets the same decent economy at 14 knots as 8 knots — probably because the hull is as close to planing as it can be. So those are the two speeds I use: 6-8 knots for a lazy day of cruising on the ICW and 14-15 knots for crossing a long, boring body of water like the Gulf of Mexico or some large bays.

Take advantage of member discounts.

Boat US membership often entitles you to fuel or marina discounts. Remember the organizations you’re a member of and don’t forget to ask about discounts. Use discounts enough and the money you save may cover the cost of the membership.

Eat out less — or eat dinner out less.

Dining out can be a huge expense these days, especially for dinner. You can make a good steak dinner on board your boat for a fraction of what it costs to eat that steak dinner in a restaurant. I’ve gotten into the habit of having a big lunch in a restaurant or café when I’m exploring a destination instead of going out for a (usually) more pricey dinner. Leftovers re-heated in the microwave make a great lunch when I’m on the go. And those fancy cocktails are a lot less expensive when enjoyed as docktails you make with other cruisers.

Uber less.

We all know how convenient Uber, Lyft, and good, old-fashioned taxis can be to get to a destination from a marina, but there may be less expensive options. Look for free or low-cost shuttle buses or even regular local buses. Do you have bicycles on board? Whether they rely on pedal power or have an electric motor, they can get you to a lot of the places you might use a taxi service to reach. And don’t forget about walking; after hours sitting in a seat, cruising to a destination, it’s good to get out and stretch your legs. We all need the exercise! If you need to make a provisioning run, consider walking to the market and Ubering back with your purchases. At least you’ll save half the fare.

Your Ideas?

These are the things I’m doing to keep my costs down as I cruise on the Great Loop in my Ranger Tug. I bet you could do some of these things, too.

And maybe you have a few tips you want to share with other readers? Comment on this post to let us know.