Updated on December 31, 2017
Cost to Cruise: December 2017
Boilerplate disclaimer: this is not what it will cost you to go cruising.
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.
Well, we knew it was going to be grim. At a certain point, we stopped worrying too much about the costs for this month, and just committed to making the most of the realities of engine repair. Our expenses include the bulk of the costs for repairs, our marina bill for almost two months at Chiapas, and travel expenses to Palenque. Yikes.
The stats, in black and white:
Marinas: $1273.32
Grocery: $543.76
Restaurant: $363.90
Supplies: $85.30
Booze: $65.05
Laundry: $48.32
Communications: $125
Education: $152.23
Hotel: $117.78
Ice Cream: $24.88
Transportation: $242.06
Entertainment: $17.39
Boat Parts: $480.95
Boat Work: $1231.26
Fuel: stove, $57.62; diesel, $334.54
Customs/Immigration: $190.48
Grand Total: $5353.84
A few notes:
- Keep in mind that we do not include expenses for gifts. We didn’t spend hugely in this category, but money was spent…secret, hidden money. Shhhh!
- I think this was our highest month for booze. There’s been a lot of hanging out at bars, and a fair number of parties and get-togethers. Marina living can be expensive that way.
- We’re so happy to have kept up our IridiumGO satellite phone plan! We were constantly updating while crossing the T-pec, and most of the Mexican coast so far has been too isolated for good cell reception, especially as we’ve been keeping well offshore to try and avoid the longlines.
- “Education” includes some homeschooling supplies. After a year and a half, some of our workbooks have run out, and we have family available to sherpa for us in January.
- Customs and Immigration includes our visa-renewal trip to Guatemala, as well as an extra $83 to customs to get our tappets out of hock.
- Big month for diesel. We’ve been encountering really light winds, and have been in a hurry—especially across the Tehuantepec–so our fuel efficiency has gone way down. The fuel leak at the injectors didn’t help, either, and diesel is not cheap in Mexico.
Can you please send your email? Need to get in touch with your about your rebuild experience on the Perkins. Looks like we get to have the same experience here on Avant, lucky us.