Cost to Cruise: October, 2017

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

Free fresh water in Costa Rica
Free fresh water in Costa Rica

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.

Living up to expectations, October was not cheap. Among other things, our unexpected stop in Guatemala cost us almost $500. To break it down:

Marina: $870.73
Restaurant: $299.04
Grocery: $576.16
Transportation: $103.88
Supplies: $129.28
Boat Parts: $80.33
Ice Cream: $3.45
Booze: $14.94
Immigration/Customs: $422.80
Communications: $159.48
Laundry: $22
Fuel: stove, $46.86; diesel, $206.64

Grand total: $2933.59

A few things jump right out at you from those numbers:

  • The marina costs included our three-week stay at the Costa Rica Yacht Club, almost all of which was in September; we also paid big money for the slip in Guatemala.
  • Customs and immigration included costs of checking out of Costa Rica; $200 for our two nights in Guatemala; and our costs for checking into Mexico, including our ten-year Temporary Import Permit.
  • Money spent on transportation is closely linked with cabs and private cars to get customs and immigration work done. Sometimes, you just can’t take a bus.
  • Clearly, we need to start spending more money in three categories: ice cream, booze, and laundry. Where are our priorities?

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