Mexico cruising $1k/mo

[Kenomac]

I'm basically just averaging out the weekly/monthly grocery bill, adding in the 300-400 gallons of diesel we'll use this summer and the 3-4 times per week we might eat out. Petrol for the dinghy will cost $150 for the season. Insurance is $2500 per year and we do all our own maintenance and repairs. Next season, the boat wil need new jibs which will have a ten year lifespan and a new waterheater $800. Then it costs us 3800 euros storage to keep the boat on the hard for 8 months.

To keep the same boat in Mexico would cost the same as the Med for insurance, maintenance, food, diesel (we fill up in Montenegro for 52 cents per liter), and... We aren't required to put our used TP in a stinky bucket on public display following a restaurant meal. The people over here are very nice just like the Mexican people, but we don't have the crime problems or Montezuma's revenge to deal with. Beer and wine are actually cheaper over here.

[zeehag]

beauty of mexico at present is 1 usd is 18.5 pesos. makes a huge awesome difference.

[sailorcherry]

Thanks Kenomac. Yes it seems your dry storage is more pricey than MX. I take it you are not storing her in greece or turkey? I've family in sw turkey.

Yes Zee it's a great time to take usd's south.

[Kenomac]

We store the boat in Italy. We can find cheaper storage, but we'd rather pay an extra 1000 euros for a clean modern, gated and video surveillance yard with live in security personnel and be able to work on the boat ourselves. It's small money for the added security. Plus I'm able to live and work on the boat for two weeks up to a month each year.

The cheapest price isn't always the best value.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

We store the boat in Italy. We can find cheaper storage, but we'd rather pay an extra 1000 euros for a clean modern, gated and video surveillance yard with live in security personnel and be able to work on the boat ourselves. It's small money for the added security. Plus I'm able to live and work on the boat for two weeks up to a month each year.

The cheapest price isn't always the best value.

i'm paying 4120@ month in Guaymas, Mx. However Hurricane Newton is bearing down towards Guaymas as I type this.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

i'm paying 4120@ month in Guaymas, Mx. However Hurricane Newton is bearing down towards Guaymas as I type this.

We pay 4800 euro total for 8 months storage, which can easily be had for 3500-3800 if we simply wanted just storage and no extras. A smaller boat would cost less and larger more. The 500 euro lift out and put back in price is included in the total along with a large steel cradle, not just a bunch of sticks used by the cheaper yards.

Good luck with the hurricane.

[Celestialsailor]

Opps...I meant $125@month. $185 initial cost included haulout and slash.

[sailorcherry]

Kenomac, I guess you have not encountered some of the toilets I have in Turkey - bowl in the ground and tp in the trash. Coastal, upscale areas too.
Sounds like a good choice on the storage. For us budget cruisers it may not be an option and at times I guess we have to roll the dice to make this lifestyle possible.

Speaking of storage and Mexico. Celestial!! Been watching the threat on Guaymas. Any idea how bad the damage is on your girl?
Do I have this right? There are two on the hard storage yards in your area. One is stands on dirt the other stands on concrete (or am I thinking the concrete one is in La Paz?)?
$125/mo and $185 haul out - do you know what it would cost for 42'?
Hearing of the damage and the possibility of another on its way is frightening. I'm sorry you aren't there in person to manage things. The domino row looks ugly (dismastings!).
Does anyone know why la Paz marina doesn't offer a summer rate like others? Or am I missing something.
It does seem like an ideal location to summer in a slip to take advantage of nearby anchorages in between storms.

However, I can't help but wonder if Zee has it right - that Barra is the safest hole due to location and the lagoon protection?

USD/MXN=18.89
Guau!
Last thing - why can't marinas in MX price in pesos?!

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by sailorcherry

Speaking of storage and Mexico. Celestial!! Been watching the threat on Guaymas. Any idea how bad the damage is on your girl?
Do I have this right? There are two on the hard storage yards in your area. One is stands on dirt the other stands on concrete (or am I thinking the concrete one is in La Paz?)?
$125/mo and $185 haul out - do you know what it would cost for 42'?
Hearing of the damage and the possibility of another on its way is frightening. I'm sorry you aren't there in person to manage things. The domino row looks ugly (dismastings!).
Does anyone know why la Paz marina doesn't offer a summer rate like others? Or am I missing something.
It does seem like an ideal location to summer in a slip to take advantage of nearby anchorages in between storms.

However, I can't help but wonder if Zee has it right - that Barra is the safest hole due to location and the lagoon protection?

USD/MXN=18.89
Guau!
Last thing - why can't marinas in MX price in pesos?!

It's technically Illegal for a Mexican Company to charge and price things in US Dollars...but since it's Mexico...well you know why they do it because they can.

As for summer rates...well they are full year round, so why do they need to discount to pull in customers?

As for La Paz as a Hurricane/summer spot, La Paz went through Oldie (category 4) AND Newton and the boats that were in the safe marina's made it through without any major damage. So it's a great spot to summer that gives you access to some great anchorages that will be PACKED during the season but empty as Ghost towns in the summer. We did the Bay of Los Angeles game 3 times and the summer in La Paz once and would do La Paz again.

[zeehag]

cherry--the one on its way is not going there--- check eebmike.
for the past 5 years i have been in mexico and summered in mexico. as a full time cruiser, i am with my boat 12 months of the year.
i have summered in mazatlan, now 2 times, la cruz de huanacaxtle 1 year, and summered 3 summers in barra de navidad, isla navidad to be precise.
there are very few tested hurricane holes in mexico. these few locales are not within the latitudes required and demanded by insurance companies providing your hull insurance.
those who self insure and spend most of their residency time on boat know where they feel safest and go there for summers.
south of alcaputo is safest, as canes donot have life there--they are merely invests, if that. alcaputo has proven to not be the place in which to hide form a tropical storm.
the farther north one ventures, the closer to cyclonic event activity zone they are.
when one considers the frequency of required repairs on marinas, one will see where the actual issues in summering in mexico lie.
if each landfall of a named event is a disaster to a marina, there are issues.
if a named event slams without whining from the marina inhabitants regarding destruction and damages, then there is a reasonable location. check out the potential places you think of summering from air. sat pix are excellent to show the lay out and how well, if at all, the marina is protected.
it seems la paz has their stuff together, as storms hit the area more frequently than sc and guaymas, and it seems insurance approves of that location. the only offense i take to it remain within the width of the gulf itself and the lack of ability to escape from the gulf when these wonders of nature make landfall at cabo or decide to play bowling for sailboats up the sea of cortez. i prefer to keep a reasonable escape.
in tropics there is no guarantee of no storms.
there is no guarantee of intensity remaining as per history.
in general, it can be expected fro a named event to intensify rapidly around cabo corrientes, northwest of manzanillo, before it makes its way to cabo san lucas or up soc.
researching the archived tracks of historical events is a good way to ensure your personal summer locale is safe enough for your individual expectations.
knowing which cycle of the weather one is experiencing is also important--as this is a strong la nina, which followed super el nino, life wont be normal. the cycles begin changing in may and last a year to june. the cane err cyclonic events season here is mid may until end november. there have been storms mid may and end nov.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by sailorcherry

Speaking of storage and Mexico. Celestial!! Been watching the threat on Guaymas. Any idea how bad the damage is on your girl?
Do I have this right? There are two on the hard storage yards in your area. One is stands on dirt the other stands on concrete (or am I thinking the concrete one is in La Paz?)?
$125/mo and $185 haul out - do you know what it would cost for 42'?
Hearing of the damage and the possibility of another on its way is frightening. I'm sorry you aren't there in person to manage things. The domino row looks ugly (dismastings!).
Does anyone know why la Paz marina doesn't offer a summer rate like others? Or am I missing something.
It does seem like an ideal location to summer in a slip to take advantage of nearby anchorages in between storms.

However, I can't help but wonder if Zee has it right - that Barra is the safest hole due to location and the lagoon protection?

USD/MXN=18.89
Guau!
Last thing - why can't marinas in MX price in pesos?!

Here's a link to the yard prices, that I am currently in...
Price List | Marina Guaymas Looks like $150@month.
It is dirt and if I stay another year, I may put expendable plywood under the stands.
The domino boats were not Guaymas. I don't know where that was or even if it had anything to do with this hurricane. My boat is fine...apparently. I'll know in 5 weeks.
La Paz, in my opinion has become a retirement community. There is a waiting list for most marinas.10-20 years ago people sailed there boats there and never left. Most now seem too old to leave. This is probably why none of them offer discounts. A 35ft. boat like mine is $555@ month, which I find ludicrous. It's pretty funny listening to the VHF net in the morning and these guys that have not moved there boat in years giving out all sorts of "helpful" advice. The net does have many other merits to it. My favorite was swaps and trades.
And yes the Mx peso to the US dollar is very good this year. I'll be going into a fish taco coma.

[zeehag]

cherry. please see my pix in my fb profile pix collectiion-- the positioning of the isla navidad marina was carefully cut into the rock and placed so there would be zero surge and minimal bad winds in the event of a cyclonic event hitting directly that area. as incoming primary winds come from southwest to south east, the surge is blown out the lagoon entrance, as is also the incoming tide. runoff into marina is not possible , as current is flowing rapidly via the rivers feeding the lagoon, uness the passing water takes out the jetty . danger is what comes with runoff. there is a safe anchorage for these storms in the mangroves of mchales navy island. however, depth is 5 -8 ft and availability, due to sunken and abandoned items is severely restricted in summer months.
each place considered for a summer of being away from the boat needs to be evaluated, in the mind, for worst case scenario.

from what direction do the hardest wind blow, and are katabatic winds frequent in that locale.
what is condition of docks.
how do the docks resent positioning of boat--can they sit bow into winds? (trust me, winds abeam is not a viable option, unless damages are expected. i know this one well)
what is visibility of office to docks..
can they look out a window and see the damages as they occur.
do they provide storm prep for absentee owners
is your boat prepped for 220 mph winds? if not, as these storms rapidly intensify in good conditions, you could receive a bit more than bargained for.
patricia taught me that cat 5 is sometimes cat 7.
there are no guarantees
cat 7 sucks
ixtapa was reportedly created specifically as a storm protected location.
mazatlan is reportedly so, but not tested as yet, even after 35 years.
let us hope this good record continues.

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Here's a link to the yard prices, that I am currently in...
Price List | Marina Guaymas Looks like $150@month.
It is dirt and if I stay another year, I may put expendable plywood under the stands.
The domino boats were not Guaymas. I don't know where that was or even if it had anything to do with this hurricane. My boat is fine...apparently. I'll know in 5 weeks.
La Paz, in my opinion has become a retirement community. There is a waiting list for most marinas.10-20 years ago people sailed there boats there and never left. Most now seem too old to leave. This is probably why none of them offer discounts. A 35ft. boat like mine is $555@ month, which I find ludicrous. It's pretty funny listening to the VHF net in the morning and these guys that have not moved there boat in years giving out all sorts of "helpful" advice. The net does have many other merits to it. My favorite was swaps and trades.
And yes the Mx peso to the US dollar is very good this year. I'll be going into a fish taco coma.

There were many domino boats at M. Seca San Carlos. I have yet heard why it happened. It just takes 1 boat to get the dominoes toppling. It is possible that rain undermined a stand or two. Our costs are about the same at M. Seca. S.C.

[zeehag]

cherry---from the air--i flew out of manzanillo on the tail of norbert to lost angels then phx... got back just before odile in five hours rapidly intensified west of cabo corrientes from a ts to a cat 4 before spinning merrily into cabo san lucas.
it is possible to see orientation of marina and surroundings. the non airplane one is facing south. the pic with trees was immediately after the worst bs ever endured for a night of lots of music but absolutely no peace. pattybaby's groupie stormlets bringing up the rear.
except for the fact my boat was abeam the winds, i was comfortable on board. had i been bow into the winds, i would have remained on board despite nagging of others.
2 boats sported damages after-- one was a friend whose strings popped a few times and transom got a lil abused. the other was more than expected self destruction of a long time docked derelict. many cleats were loosened by the event. had it been larger we would have sported many damages of many intensities. we were damned lucky. yes the winds blew the torn up trees and coconuts away from us.
i think my best indicators of summering are my gut feeling as i enter port, and my knowledge of the history of these impressive storms. what are the docks made of..what direction is swell, where and how much incoming current, wind, etc, gut feeling. how sturdy is the anchoring of the main docks to land. how many attachments and pilings.....and gut feelings

[jeremiason]

Yes you can cruise for a $1,000 a month, but the real question is can you put up with living on a $1000 a month. Meaning living on the hook full-time, no marinas, no inland tours and limited nights out or restaurant food.

We cruised Pacific Mexico full-time from Oct 2010 to Mar 2012. We spent next to nothing while in the Sea of Cortez, but when we got down the mainland coast we choose to stay in marinas at least 50% of the time, which increased the cost. For our boat that was somewhere between $600 and $750 a month, depending on the marina.

One of the problems I found with Mexico is the MEDICAL COST can get VERY EXPENSIVE if you are seriously injured. Not expensive compared to America, but CASH expensive. They don't take insurance for the most part and they only fix you if you can pay for it.

I remember an American Ex-Pat in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle fell down a flight of stairs and the local hospital would not perform the necessary facial surgery without a $25,000 cash payment. He waited four or five days before they finally operated on him when the money was wired to the Hospital's Bank.

On the other hand, minor medical cost next to nothing. My wife had a throat infection and went to a local government clinic. She was seen by the doctor (Trained in Texas BTW), given 10 days of antibiotics and cough syrup all for 60 Pesos.

When we Summered in the Sea of Cortez, we were getting shrimp and scallops for $1 (US) per a kilo fresh off the fishing boats. Other fish like tuna were very cheap as well.

Food and fuel are much cheaper than the USA or Canada. At the time we never saw diesel higher than about $2 a gallon and shopping at the Mega or Costco kept food prices down.

If I had to do our trip over, instead of doing Central America and the western Caribbean, I would have never left the Pacific Coast of Mexico! We spent the most time there and found it was the best part of our 3 year cruise.

Good Luck!