Argument about Bahamian food prices

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by Sid at SailAway

soda twenty two bucks a case,

Next time we'll bring more soda

@ Cotemar...What's with you and all this boat waxing!!

Here’s my little secret. Please keep it to yourself.

We learned last season on our boat about Sodastream.

Buying and carrying soda for drinks on a boat sucks. Then it gets suckyer as you try to re-cycle the empties.

Buy a Sodastream

Sodastream | Turn Water Into Fresh Sparkling Water And Soda


------------------
On the waxing boats offer. We are having a "polar vortex" up north here. My super soaker shoots snow this morning.

[nautical62]

I also felt that on average groceries were about 30-50% higher than in the states. Beer being double.

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by colemj

Let's turn this upside down a bit - maybe calculate the difference between fresh caught lobster, conch, grouper and hogfish in the Bahamas and what the people in Montana are paying for the same?

Still pouting over the price of Pringles?

Mark

Yes, but it is possible to get tired of lobster.... Helps if you have a little bacon to pan fry it with for breakfast.... Nice thing is that the butter is one of the things still very cheap here. No need to skimp on butter.

Last year on my way back up from the Virgins, I paid 9$ a pound for butter in the TCI! That was about twice the price of the lobster you had with it (if you did not just go get them yourself).

Life is short and filled with troubles!

[Sid at SailAway]

Originally Posted by colemj

Let's turn this upside down a bit - maybe calculate the difference between fresh caught lobster, conch, grouper and hogfish in the Bahamas and what the people in Montana are paying for the same?

Still pouting over the price of Pringles?

Mark

I would never pout over the price of Pringles...Doritos maybe..

But seriously, we haven't complained about the prices here because we knew they would be higher then the states. Some of the items surprised us by how much more they are. But still, if you provision right, the prices really are negligible.

On the subject of fresh fish and lobster, from the conversations I've had with folks who are planning their first trip here, there seems to be a misconception that you can just anchor your boat, jump off the back and get all the fish and lobster you can eat. If you plan on eating stuff you catch, it takes some effort. I've found the general rule is that if the fishing ground is easy to get to then it's fished out. Bigger fish and lobsters are usually found on the windward side of the islands which entails a longer dinghy ride and cooperating weather. You can still fish and lobster on the leeward sides but you may have to work at it. We went yesterday and the windward side was just too rough. We came back to the leeward side and fished. After almost 5 hours the three of us got 4 fish and one crab. It was great fun and most of all it was 80 some degrees.

Now where did I put that bag of Doritos??

@ Cotemar...I have heard that so many times that yes, the Sodastream will be on the boat next trip down.

[goat]

Food prices are high here, but you deal with it.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Sid at SailAway

I would never pout over the price of Pringles...Doritos maybe..

But seriously, we haven't complained about the prices here because we knew they would be higher then the states. Some of the items surprised us by how much more they are. But still, if you provision right, the prices really are negligible.
.

Sid, if you had done a search on this site you would have found out what to take with you. Many threads in the past on the subject.

All snacks, paper products, powdered milk, as much fresh meat as possible, all canned goods, all condiments and spices, Beer, beer, beer. Don't bother with rum. And if you stay in the Bahamas long enough you will learn to drink it with water. No need for mix or any soda drinks, those'll rot your teeth.

I hope you're enjoying happy hour at Scorpios. And if you like fish Deshimons is the place.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by colemj

You guys are sitting in the Bahamas arguing about the exact delta of food prices between two specific countries, and finding the need to come here to solve the argument?



Mark

Its highly relevant. Anyone living on a budget is a bloody fool to not care about the price of food when leaving one country to go to another.

A lot of bahamas visitors are USA and Canadian 'Snow birds' for them to set out from the USA for six months in the bahamas without provisioning as fully as they could will find their budget well and truly stretched.

The only thing in the bahamas that I thought was good value was the chicken in the Abacos grown on a large local farm. Greact chicken at a good price.
As for Georgetown, not only the prices high but i thought the Imported vegetables to be on the low end of the quality scale... The stuff no supemarket in Floria would touch.


As for raping the local stocks of lobster and conch I am firmly against it. There is F all in the Bahamian waters, and whats left nature needs to help restock the pillaged reefs.

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by Vasco

And if you stay in the Bahamas long enough you will learn to drink it with water. No need for mix or any soda drinks, those'll rot your teeth.

You do not make mixed drinks down there?

I really love my Bourbon and coke. Bourbon and water would bring the suckiness factor up a bit.

[JeffDPT]

My experience is that the Admiral is always right. End of debate?

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

You do not make mixed drinks down there?

I really love my Bourbon and coke. Bourbon and water would bring the suckiness factor up a bit.

No, rum and water is fine. Sometimes a small wedge of lime. And occasionally I get my old sipping rum out. I'll post my rum picture again. Last time I did it some posters didn't like it. Guess they weren't sailors.

[s/v 'Faith']

Originally Posted by Vasco

No, rum and water is fine. Sometimes a small wedge of lime. And occasionally I get my old sipping rum out. I'll post my rum picture again. Last time I did it some posters didn't like it. Guess they weren't sailors.

So very sorry to hear you are running low, good luck in finding a resupply soon.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

So very sorry to hear you are running low, good luck in finding a resupply soon.

Got more in the cockpit locker. These wouldn't fit in, it's the overflow.

[JusDreaming]

Originally Posted by colemj

You guys are sitting in the Bahamas arguing about the exact delta of food prices between two specific countries, and finding the need to come here to solve the argument?

Is it a bit cloudy there today? Did all the lobsters leave the Bahamas? Did your volleyball pop? Did you run out of rum?

I am so sorry for your unfortunate circumstances - please bring these problems to the people living in the NE US to help you with them…

Mark

We have been there every year for 8-10 years, so it's not a new thing, it was just a difference of memory Two things I found prohibitive was "Spam" and toilet paper!!!!!!!!!! You could actually buy steak cheaper than a can of spam But a chub of bologna was cheap!!!

[colemj]

Gotta know where to go for fish and lobster. And Georgetown ain't it. As for "raping" the stocks - again, there are many places in the Bahamas were lobsters cluster 10-15 deep under almost every rock. Grouper and hogfish are everywhere, as are fields of conch as far as you can see. These are not depleted stocks and taking one each night for dinner is not "raping" them (and is perfectly legal in season). It also does not mean fighting on the windward sides of islands, but it does mean getting off the trodden path. The Bahamas are full of pristine and abundant fisheries where even the Bahamians do not live or fish. But they aren't Georgetown or any of the other cruiser over-populated places. You can't project those few harbors onto the other hundreds of miles of islands.

I'm not giving up any of my secret places, so don't ask!

Mark

[colemj]

Originally Posted by JusDreaming

But a chub of bologna was cheap!!!

Frankly, I'd pony up for the TP…

Mark