Month 29 Expenses of Cruising and Living on the Boat

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Bill O

Thanks for sharing your cost breakdowns.
W.
Just curious, did you do any of the labor (sanding/painting) to reduce cost?

Bill O.

I did all the labor. The bottom job was about $1900 including the materials and yard costs (5 days in the yard). Worked out to about $1000 in paint and primer, $747 in haul out and yard costs, and the rest in supplies to do the work. The cost of the wear and tear on my old fat body was, ...... priceless for now.

[Cthoops]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I did all the labor. The bottom job was about $1900 including the materials and yard costs (5 days in the yard). Worked out to about $1000 in paint and primer, $747 in haul out and yard costs, and the rest in supplies to do the work. The cost of the wear and tear on my old fat body was, ...... priceless for now.

But think of all of the extra beer you were able to drink while still being in a calorie deficit!

Thanks for posting. Pretty good month, especially considering the boat maintenance!

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Cthoops

But think of all of the extra beer you were able to drink while still being in a calorie deficit!

Thanks for posting. Pretty good month, especially considering the boat maintenance!

I see you two are hitting the "standard" beaches

Since you don't eat out or drink much you should really save while in the bahamas (the small boat budget club are going to throw you guys out ). Be sure to really stock up in Marsh Harbor and don't buy much of anything in the little islands till you get there. Get the $20/week internet in MH and binge watch netflix etc

[a64pilot]

I’d tell you to stock up in Fl before you leave, and I mean everything.
A roll of paper towels here is $5, a can of anything, soup beans etc is $3.5. When you can find it, milk is $10 a gl.
A box of cheap off brand ginger snaps in George Town is $10.18.

There is a 12% tax on everything, and if you have anything shipped to you, it’s a 45% import tax on top of having to pay an importer and paying to have it flown in.
Fuel is over $4 a gl.

However if you provision well before you leave and stay out of Marina’s, you can cruise very cheap, but it’s really cost shifting, you pay up front before you leave.

Leave your AMEX card at home, almost no one will accept it, and it’s very common for a 5% fee added to whatever if you use a card.

[Cthoops]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I see you two are hitting the "standard" beaches

Since you don't eat out or drink much you should really save while in the bahamas (the small boat budget club are going to throw you guys out ). Be sure to really stock up in Marsh Harbor and don't buy much of anything in the little islands till you get there. Get the $20/week internet in MH and binge watch netflix etc

We're having a lot of fun - so many places to explore! Our expenses this month may give us a temporary reprieve with the small boat budget club.

Thanks for the tip on the $20/week internet in Marsh Harbor. The cell service here has left a bit to be desired.

[Cthoops]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I’d tell you to stock up in Fl before you leave, and I mean everything.
A roll of paper towels here is $5, a can of anything, soup beans etc is $3.5. When you can find it, milk is $10 a gl.
A box of cheap off brand ginger snaps in George Town is $10.18.

There is a 12% tax on everything, and if you have anything shipped to you, it’s a 45% import tax on top of having to pay an importer and paying to have it flown in.
Fuel is over $4 a gl.

However if you provision well before you leave and stay out of Marina’s, you can cruise very cheap, but it’s really cost shifting, you pay up front before you leave.

Leave your AMEX card at home, almost no one will accept it, and it’s very common for a 5% fee added to whatever if you use a card.

We really loaded her up before we left. She's sailing like a pig right now because of the weight from all of the provisions!

I agree that provisioning before you leave is actually cost shifting. It certainly was a contributor to our high-cost January. Of course now we're reaping the benefits.

Sorry for the thread drift Sailorboy1.

[sailorboy1]

The cell service in the Abacos is GREAT (you will see)

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Cthoops

We really loaded her up before we left. She's sailing like a pig right now because of the weight from all of the provisions!

I agree that provisioning before you leave is actually cost shifting. It certainly was a contributor to our high-cost January. Of course now we're reaping the benefits.

Sorry for the thread drift Sailorboy1.

It’s ok

Stuff really isn’t as expensive in the Bahamas once you stop buying US imported stuff and switch to Commonwealth stuff. Other of course beer, which you need to forget and embrace rum. The locals manage to eat

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

It’s ok



Stuff really isn’t as expensive in the Bahamas once you stop buying US imported stuff and switch to Commonwealth stuff. Other of course beer, which you need to forget and embrace rum. The locals manage to eat

Define common wealth stuff.
Very few things I find not crazy expensive, sugar for instance isn’t for some reason, but that is about it.
Near as I can tell everything is imported, even eggs, bread comes from Flowers bakery in Thomasville Ga as an example.

Now the locals keep chickens and a goat or two in their yards, but I’ve not seen any kind of farming. It’s my understanding back when it was British there was considerable farming, cattle raising etc., but not anymore.
You can buy local baked bread in places, for $5 a loaf.

I don’t think there is any kind of industry, business or anything, except tourism, that is all there is from my observation.
It seems to be a large Welfare State with taxes escalating trying to maintain it, from an outside view.

Cell coverage and speeds were great in the Abaco’s, a little slower in the Exuma’s for some reason, but we are almost always able to watch Netflix.

[sailorboy1]

Yes things in the Bahamas are more expensive. I remember spending $5 for a dozen eggs at the "Pink Store" at Staniel Cay. I also remember spending $72 for a case of beer in Great Guma, but just across the "sea" at Marsh Harbor it was $48.

Looking at my expense spreadsheet I find that for the 3 months I spend in the Bahamas in 2017 that my costs for "food" and for "Dining Out" were pretty much the same as in the US since then.

So expensive, but not really "crazy expensive" in my opinion.