Currency used while aboard ?

[boatman61]

Currency while Aboard..??
Rum for major things.. beer works well for the little stuff..
Ashore I use the ATM's.. the US$ is fine in the Caribe but further afield not accepted except by money changers.. expensive

[MarkJ]

US$100 notes are very difficult to have accepted. Even $50's are not easy.

Photo below i shouldnt really put on the net

One of those cheap money belts sown inside the leg of jeans by a pro so u cant see the stitching. Great for less secure countries.

BTW some sugest going to the ATM each day... Well, many countries the ATM transaction fee is $4 or $4.50 (plus your normal fees) so just taking a days worth of money out gets quite expensive!

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

US$100 notes are very difficult to have accepted. Even $50's are not easy.

Photo below i shouldnt really put on the net

One of those cheap money belts sown inside the leg of jeans by a pro so u cant see the stitching. Great for less secure countries.

BTW some sugest going to the ATM each day... Well, many countries the ATM transaction fee is $4 or $4.50 (plus your normal fees) so just taking a days worth of money out gets quite expensive!

I carry my wallet in my front right pocket.. yet to get felt up by anyone..

[zeehag]

no usa currency in my pocket. i have 5 dollar bill in my boat just for helluvit. wont buy anything. these folks prefer pesos.
easy to get pesos if your account has money by simple use of atm.
dont be a victim and donot flaunt your wealth.

[nigel1]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I carry my wallet in my front right pocket.. yet to get felt up by anyone..

Obviously not going to the proper bars Phil

[Saleen411]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I carry my wallet in my front right pocket.. yet to get felt up by anyone..

I'm with you on the front pocket thing. Depending on which country I'm in, my wallet stays in the safe and only limited cash in my FRONT pocket... As to being fondled?....Maybe a BIGGER wallet in a deeper pocket might increase your odds a bit.:big grin:

Normally, I keep my money clip in my front pocket. I've never understood why anybody would wanna sit on their wallet....bad for the back. Plus, who would want to ruin the symmetry of their ass??? Sorry, feeble attempt at humor.

To the OP....I seldom use ATMS. Cash and a credit card....find a place with the best exchange rate and you're good to go. Also be careful with ATMs not attached to a bank....many of my colleagues have had bad experiences with skimmers and counterfeit cash.

[yavorcik]

Bitcoin!

Access to your phone or a computer will allow you to access all your funds. There are services that instantly convert your bitcoin to any currency you would need while traveling and is much safer than fiat.

Marty

[akprb]

Galapagos went into very modern bank for a cash advance. They even called Citibank for authorization. The old days are long gone. Funny bit was a sea lion had come in through the automatic doors for the cool tile floor and the security guard was having a heck of a time getting her out. Don't get that in the states!

[buzzstar]

I have found that Ecuadorian currency is accepted as the dollar. The best places to check on currency rates and fees are on line. There are also web sites that identify useful credit cards as far as low or no fees, and the same applies to debit/ATM cards and foreign exchange. One potential disaster for us occurred when an ATM on an island in the Med decided to devour my debit card for unknown and still unidentified reasons. Fortunately, my wife also had a card related to the same account, and it worked just fine. So if you are traveling with your spouse, it is something to consider. Another possible help is to photocopy the front and back of each card and keep it with the important papers on your boat, although this can be a danger if your vessel is burglarized or worse -maybe just the providers and international phone numbers.

[RickG]

For charter in the USVI/BVI we bring $100 per day cash to pay for things like moorings and the few restaurants that do not accept credit cards. Not so many ATMs outside of the main towns. Just give your bank a call before you travel. Funny, I've been denied a few time when I have a week's provisions and adult beverages rung up at the grocery.

Check out CYOA Yacht Charters | US Virgin Islands | St. Thomas for a charter base that is 10 minutes from the St. Thomas airport. We use that as a base to visit St. John and the BVIs. St. John is our favorite island with its pristine beaches in the national park. They have some very nice new boats and some very nice older less expensive boats. The base is convenient to a half dozen restaurants, bars and the only brewery in the USVI.

Cheers, RickG

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

US$100 notes are very difficult to have accepted. Even $50's are not easy.

Photo below i shouldnt really put on the net

One of those cheap money belts sown inside the leg of jeans by a pro so u cant see the stitching. Great for less secure countries.

BTW some sugest going to the ATM each day... Well, many countries the ATM transaction fee is $4 or $4.50 (plus your normal fees) so just taking a days worth of money out gets quite expensive!

Not to mention, if you are somewhere more than a few days you leave your self open to a mugger or pickpocket following you when you get cash.

[sv Winterlude]

Depends on where you're planning to sail. Most of the world seems to be up to speed with ATMs & VISA; however we never depend on it.

When we recently sailed to Cuba, we took US Dollars as well as Canadian Dollars. Turned out that even though the US Dollar incurs a penalty, you can exchange it anywhere. Take small bills, $100 is tough, $50's often won't be exchanged at all (we were told it's the easiest US bill to counterfeit and therefore foreign banks won't accept it). We usually have $20s and smaller - don't forget a big stack of $1s for incidentals.

Also, even if there's an ATM available, it doesn't mean it will have money or be functional on the day you need money.

In Cuba, we often had to return more than one time (and wait in long lines) to change our Canadian Dollars - turns out that since they're linked to the currency exchange, we often couldn't exchange them on weekends or anytime the currency markets were closed. Inconvenient. And we didn't get much if any more for them than US Dollars.

[a64pilot]

I've only been to Ecuador a half dozen times in the last ten years or so, but every time I've been, the US dollar is the currency of Ecuador, has that changed?


Sent from my iPad Pro using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Sea Dreaming

Not to mention, if you are somewhere more than a few days you leave your self open to a mugger or pickpocket following you when you get cash.

Are you as paranoid in Colorado..?

[BobFord]

On my last RTW , the most useful currency was Johnny Walker , Marlboro' and USD. I mean for use as baksheesh in 3rd world places. Buy consumables duty free and listen to ham radio to determine the appropriate rate. Do not give too much, it will be unhelpful to those behind you. Cash on the spot was easy with Visa but sometimes you need to be in a city or even capital city , to have the facility.