{"id":2949,"date":"2017-06-04T10:31:22","date_gmt":"2017-06-04T15:31:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sailingmilou.com\/?p=2949"},"modified":"2017-06-01T10:35:32","modified_gmt":"2017-06-01T15:35:32","slug":"cost-to-cruise-may","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sailingmilou.com\/?p=2949","title":{"rendered":"Cost to Cruise: May"},"content":{"rendered":"

Boilerplate disclaimer: this is not what it will cost you to go cruising.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Laundry<\/a>
Laundry day at the marina. Pay for the washer, then hope it doesn’t rain.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/em><\/p>\n

When we left Wisconsin, we estimated that we\u2019d be paying around $2000 to go through the Canal. We don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to work out that way, in fact. We\u2019ll write in detail about the nuts and bolts of our transit after we\u2019re safely through, but for the moment, we plan to transit without an agent. That means we\u2019re not spending between $350-$600 to have a local help us through the process. Consequently, we\u2019re spending a bit more time paying fees, filling out forms, and making trips to Colon; for us, that\u2019s meant more time at Shelter Bay Marina, and additional communications dollars to stay connected by phone and web. Still. We hope to spend much less than we originally anticipated; and unlike an agent, the marina has a pool. Where would you rather put your money?<\/p>\n

The numbers for May:<\/p>\n

Marinas: $546.20<\/pre>\n
Grocery: $849.71<\/pre>\n
Restaurant: $57<\/pre>\n
Supplies: $77.51<\/pre>\n
Booze: $38.11<\/pre>\n
Laundry: $41<\/pre>\n
Communications: $181.40<\/pre>\n
Entertainment: $15<\/pre>\n
Fuel: $68.15 diesel; $59.48 stove fuel; $14.50 propane for the grill<\/pre>\n
Bank Fees: $11.50<\/pre>\n
Water: $5<\/pre>\n
Garbage: $2<\/pre>\n
Canal Fees: $984<\/pre>\n
Grand Total: $2950.56<\/pre>\n
A few notes and rejoinders:<\/p>\n