Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by wadda

We've taken to using meat as a condiment. Cheaper. Less to clean up. Little to no long term storage problems. No short term problems. Did I mention cheaper?

Fry up some hard sausage; flick in some beans and make a nice spag bol-but-beans...

If you just gotta have your meat as a main...After awhile it's kind of boring. You just burn through the money quicker.

Now this jumps out at me. Tell more.

Thinking about it, aside from the $$ factor, I'd like to cut down on my meat consumption. I've mentioned this to my wife because she likes to keep the freezer full of the red stuff.

So thinking about it, spagetti and chile (con carne) are 2 meals that use meat rather than actually being meat dishes.

What else?

[goprisko]

Insurance............

We and most voyagers I know, are self insured... That is, we don't
buy insurance from Lloyds or orher firms. We invest in Vigilance...

Solar panels.....

Our 600 watt array is now installed and operational...

We had to hire the welding done because our new Everlast TIG welding machine would not work after 5 months sitting beneath the salon table.

I opened it up IAW the request of the makers, and it is spotless. No evidence of corrosion whatever. Also, the regulator supplied with this machine, cracked in 4 places, being unusable after sitting 5 months in a box.

The solar panels have eliminated the need to run the engine to charge batteries. Our engine time is now on the order of tens of hours per month, while doing passages. For example, in the run from Trinidad north, we have run the engine a total of 30 hours, most of which were used in the run from trinidad to Cariacou, ie: hard on the wind.

Martinique still is the best place to provision in the Caribbean. Some Prices:

Beer 5 Euro / 5 Liter
Lamb 12 Euro / NZ lamb leg
Ham 12 Euro / 4 kg ham
Turkey 13 Euro / 4 Kg turkey
Canned Tomatoes 0.55 euro / can
Canned Mushrooms 1.03 euro / can
Wine Baron de Valac 2 euro / bottle
Rum 3L for 14 euro
Ocopus 2.5 euro / 3 kg pack
Shrimp 2.5 euro / kg
Scallops (Coquille St. Jacques) 6.5 euro/ Kg
Bacon 10 euro / kg
Swiss Cheese 7 euro / Kg

I realize that the Pacific coast of Mexico is an important cruising ground for those from California, but there are many other places folks go, and I'd like to see those cruising there mention their experiences too.

Regarding medical costs, the experience shown above reflects my experience too. I soon realized that banking the money demanded by the insurance companies into a rainy day fund, was a better use of my funds, than purchasing the policies.

Regarding marine insurance, the experience regarding local surveyors is not unique to Mexico, it is demanded in South Africa and Namibia, where it became the practice in the Merchant Shipping Act of 1953. It is also normal practice for the authorities to deny authorization to prosecute claims for losses due to Marine Casualties, until a board of enquiry has been convened and it's findings published. This practice is codified in US CFR 41 too. It was instituted to eliminate spurious claims and fraud.

We are now in St. Martin, and will leave shortly for the Virgin Islands.

Fair Winds,

INDY

[goprisko]

I mentioned earlier the works of Rose Elliot.

If you really want to eliminate meat from your diet, go to her website
and try the sample recipes.. Then perhaps buy one or more of her books.

The food is delicious!

INDY

[nonam]

Its time for Agrainofsand to report how he is doing.He said he would.I assume he will do it here.

[Fernao]

to all in the forum:

Thanks for your input. I am trying to figure out how to make it work for me... i.e. how much it will cost to live well but not to extravagant as a cruiser...

i also have to figure out how to either build a boat... or find one that I like. I am tempted to build one of Jay Benford's dory designs as the designs are very practical and I can work with wood and GRP (fibreglass).

I will keep watching this forum for hints and tips to make my dream a reality.

thanks to all!!!

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by wadda

We've taken to using meat as a condiment.

ROTFL

Thats funny!

I worked all my life to retire using meat as a CONDIMENT?

In a fair few places I have traveled Vegetables (as we know them) are the damn condiment! Meat is a outta a spray can and you 'survive' on yams and tarro (is there a difference?). Its fine for about one week.

The $1,000 quoted earlier is fine if everything is set up and nothing unforeseen - ie out of the unforeseen/normal category occurs. Like my rigging falling down 6 months before its 'scheduled' make-over. How DARE it! I have a BUDGET!

Not only that, I have washed up on some deserted islands (the BVI's) after seemingly years at sea and I want a cheap night out or 2. Now here the restaurants are double the price of St Martin and there's no locals restaurants.... I'm bleeding!
Beer is 4 times the St Martin cost! $4 at the bar instead of $1 happy hours. Happy Hours here don't exist (Foxeys) or $3 Beef Island.

I wanna know where you can have a good cruising ground without shotguns, nice culture of intelligent people, cheap but good quality meat, good beer for a dollar that seen the inside of a refrigerator and good looking but dumb single girls.

Is there such a place?


Mark
PS I am SO pissed off that all the bays in the BVI's are full of $30 per night moorings and to anchor you to hitch to a mid-channel rock in an Atlantic surf!

[colemj]

[QUOTE=MarkJI wanna know where you can have a good cruising ground without shotguns, nice culture of intelligent people, cheap but good quality meat, good beer for a dollar that seen the inside of a refrigerator and good looking but dumb single girls.[/QUOTE]

Columbia seems to fit most of those requirements if you extend the definition of the cruising grounds to the San Blas. It has been such a relief, money-wise (and about everything else too), to get away from the Eastern Carib. We finally can enjoy a full-sized beer in a bar for $1, instead of the $4 half-sized beers. Food is so cheap it is almost free.

The girls are very good looking, but I don't speak enough Spanish yet to judge their intelligence. Going from what I observe, I wouldn't count on them being dumb...

You REALLY have to get out of the BVI's. That place is awful, and it is only going to get worse as the charter season kicks in more. At least go hang around with some of the ex-pats in Coral Bay St. Johns.

You seem to be heading North - where are you aiming for?

Mark

[sctpc]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

ROTFL


I wanna know where you can have a good cruising ground without shotguns, nice culture of intelligent people, cheap but good quality meat, good beer for a dollar that seen the inside of a refrigerator and good looking but dumb single girls.

Is there such a place?


Mark
PS I am SO pissed off that all the bays in the BVI's are full of $30 per night moorings and to anchor you to hitch to a mid-channel rock in an Atlantic surf!

Yes if you invent a time machine you could go back to 1970 and a beer would still be $1 and moorings would mostly be free, but its 2011 and prices go up.

Man $1 havent seen that for about 10 years

[w1651]

I wanna know where you can have a good cruising ground without shotguns, nice culture of intelligent people, cheap but good quality meat, good beer for a dollar that seen the inside of a refrigerator and good looking but dumb single girls.

I have to agree with a lot of what has been said here. The BVI's are just way to expensive to make it on 1000 a month.
I have been looking at this same subject for a long time now and the only way I can see to even get close to what you are looking for is the other side of the Caribbean. The Rio Dulce is still good and so is Honduras with a Tropical flavor. Just watch out for those pesky hurricanes.
The best advice I have been given and can pass on is go where no one else goes. Stay away from the touristy places and eat with and meet the locals.
Also you will have to give some things up. No more beer! Yup I said it! Buy more Rum! At about 3 to 4 USD a bottle this is a no brainer and you can get it in every flavor under the sun. Your boat is your bed so that's already taken care of and all along the coast of central and south America are little enclaves of Americans, British,Dutch, and Europeans living together.

[callmecrazy]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I wanna know where you can have a good cruising ground without shotguns, nice culture of intelligent people, cheap but good quality meat, good beer for a dollar that seen the inside of a refrigerator and good looking but dumb single girls.

Um... Florida?

[boatman61]

I wanna know where you can have a good cruising ground without shotguns, nice culture of intelligent people, cheap but good quality meat, good beer for a dollar that seen the inside of a refrigerator and good looking but dumb single girls.

Is there such a place?




MarkJ..... Turn round and head back to S.Europe.....

[cliffdykes]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

PS I am SO pissed off that all the bays in the BVI's are full of $30 per night moorings and to anchor you to hitch to a mid-channel rock in an Atlantic surf!

Hi Mark,
I'm sure the situation is worse than when I last cruised the BVI's in 2006, however I think there must still be some quieter anchorages which the bareboaters are unaware of.

Don Streeter produced a list of lesser known anchorages donkey's years ago which someone passed to me but I never got round to investigating them further. On my list for when I get back there next year. A couple I recall in Tortola are one behind a reef on the south side of Beef Island, and Cam Bay on the east side of Great Camanoe in quiet conditions. There were others throughout both the British and US VI's.

We used to anchor on the west side of Buck Island, outside of the Maya Cove entrance. Usually on our own. At high tide and with caution we could dinghy over the reef to Parham Town, where there were several locals bars. Not a tourist in sight.

The locals all know where the best places are but obviously they're not going to publicise them!

Cheers
Cliff

[cliffdykes]

Originally Posted by cliffdykes

Don Streeter

Who's Don Streeter? Sorry, I meant Don Street aka Donald M Street Jnr

Cheers
Cliff

[osirissail]

In the eastern Caribbean there are only a very few places fitting MarkJ's request. The BVI's is definitely not one of them, IMHO the only "free" anchorage in the BVI that is reasonable is Cane Garden Bay - but there is little or nothing of the other requested items there.
- - In the USVi there is Coral Bay on St John which is sort of "hang out" place for the young workers and others living on boats rather than land.
- - On St Thomas there is Long Bay over on the eastern side of Charlotte Amalie. Free anchoring and lots of young boating folks working the cruise ship concessions that ring the bay. Once you get "in" with what is where and when, it is both economical and a lot of fun.
- - Same with St Croix where a lot of young (anybody under 50) boat people live and work in the booming construction and service market. But this is a rather small operation.
- - Puerto Rico - forget it unless you are fluent in P.R. Spanish. Although there is a minor community down at Salinas on the south coast.
- - The only location in the northern/eastern Caribbean that fits most all of the stated desires is Luperon, D.R. Although it is a Spanish island, there is a thriving "ex-pat" community so learning Spanish is not a high priority. Dirt cheap, decent beer (Presidente), too many young nubile and drop dead gorgeous women who never heard of feminism. Food and supplies are also dirt cheap. The big negative is the need to "take care of" the officials and anybody assisting you. Also the "Conquistador" style society can grate on "western" sensitivities. But for playing there, I used to horse back ride several times a month, climb and explore the only 3000+ meter mountain in the Caribbean with white water rafting and rock climbing. Motor-biking/cycling through the coastal regions and mountains is great fun. Samana on the eastern end of Dominican Republic is a wonderful place to stop and visit and see a real jungle over at Los Haitsies. But it is orientated to the land tourist business rather than ex-pat business. In the Spanish countries "taking care of" your officials is very important and goes a long way towards a very pleasant and hassle free time.
- - Cuba is also a close second for those who can travel there without getting hassled by policies in North America.
- - Then you have as mentioned by W1651 the western Caribbean Basin (Central America). It would appear that the "Spanish" countries are the least expensive and most likely to have most of the requirements MJ asked for.

[Brent Swain]

[QUOTE=goprisko;593683]Insurance............

We and most voyagers I know, are self insured... That is, we don't
buy insurance from Lloyds or orher firms. We invest in Vigilance...

had to hire the welding done because our new Everlast TIG welding machine would not work after 5 months sitting beneath the salon table.

I opened it up IAW the request of the makers, and it is spotless. No evidence of corrosion whatever. Also, the regulator supplied with this machine, cracked in 4 places, being unusable after sitting 5 months in a box.

Regarding medical costs, the experience shown above reflects my experience too. I soon realized that banking the money demanded by the insurance companies into a rainy day fund, was a better use of my funds, than purchasing the policies.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Use an engine driven alternator from the auto wreckers for your welding. Put a 9 inch pulley on your engine for adequate speed. They cost around $35 at any auto wreckers.

If you need medical attention, go to Cuba.