Cost to Cruise: September

Boilerplate disclaimer: this is not what it will cost you to go cruising.

Inside the Library of Congress, looking up
Inside the Library of Congress, looking up

People’s constant advice, discussing cruising finances, always seems to be: It’ll cost what you have. We did not find this helpful in our planning, however true it may be. What we’re trying to show is the cost to us, more or less, for one month to go cruising. We’re going for monthly expenses, because they’re easier for us to track; so you won’t see the boat insurance amortized, you’ll just see that expense when we pay it. It won’t be what you’ll spend, but it was the kind of information that helped us out when we were trying to wrap our heads around that magical number for our cruising kitty.

Hey, remember last month, when I said we’d be returning to our frugal ways? Mwah, ha ha ha. Right. Let’s examine the evidence, shall we?

Marinas: $356
Grocery: $705.41
Restaurant: $369.78
Supplies: $534.76
Booze: $8.50
Ice Cream: $36.50
Laundry: $35.75
Transportation: $53
Communications: $50.10
Entertainment: $72.99
Pump Out: $20
Boat Parts: $1,599.90
Fuel: $141.27 diesel; $53.90 stove fuel; $10.50 dinghy
Boat Work: $0
Grand Total: $4,348.86

I swear, we did better this month. We really did. Here’s what is throwing us off–two major capital improvement items:

  • New outboard for the dinghy!! Because it has never run well. Because the parts we needed didn’t come in–again. Because Michu has devoted way too many hours of his life to resuscitating that sorry piece of equipment. We weighed the costs and the benefits and said, let’s pull the cord. Our new outboard is lighter, slightly less powerful, and doesn’t die. It’s the little things, I’m telling you…
  • New violin for F!! We’d planned on replacing her half-sized violin in New York, but I had a hard time finding a place to buy an instrument that wasn’t a “purveyor of exceptionally fine strings,” which is not quite our wheelhouse. We were thrilled to find Music on the Hill in DC, within walking distance of the boat and carrying exactly what we needed. She’s practicing more with her new instrument, and the learning tapes are off. Success all around, even if it does make us look like budget-disregarding spendthrifts.

If you knock out those two big purchases, our budget for the month comes in at $2653.25. If we can shave down the restaurant expenses a bit, we’ll be looking awesome.

2 Comments on “Cost to Cruise: September

  1. We are following you with great interest and envy. Also thinking of you as we watch the next hurricane work it’s way up the East Coast. Be safe!
    I’ve decided to trade the J80 in on a Flying Scott…easier to manage and it’s just not the same sailing without Michu

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