Florida to Virgin Islands

[RiverRat]

Originally Posted by Springbok

Thanks for input Osirissail. Am still planing on cruising on $500p/mnth as in 1995-2002 for self and wife . OK or NUTS? HONEST Y OR N PLEASE. Yacht very well kitted-out pre-cruising. 30 year old engine still running well at present.
Clyde

Springbok, Have you read the threads re: cruising on $500 a month and cruising on $5,000 a month? Not sure the actually names of the threads. They'll have some interesting commentary on how everyone's style of cruising is different. They may (or may not) be useful to you. Just a thought.

K

[Springbok]

I started the original cruising on $500/month thread and its still active today I see. Orissail started the 2nd $500 thread which also went on for some time.Thus my Y or N question to him . Just a 2010 reality check. Not looking for a debate just Y or N
Clyde

[RiverRat]

Originally Posted by Springbok

I started the original cruising on $500/month thread and its still active today I see. Orissail started the 2nd $500 thread which also went on for some time.Thus my Y or N question to him . Just a 2010 reality check. Not looking for a debate just Y or N
Clyde

Oops! So sorry. I'm was 'preaching to the choir' wasn't I?

[osirissail]

Assuming you have a power yacht? - - Diesel is averaging about US$4.50/gal and gasoline about the same in the Caribbean with a + or - of about US$1. There is no cheap fuel anywhere anymore except in Venezuela.
- - Prices for food is about double that found in USA super markets unless you only eat like the locals eat which is breadfruit, plantains, chickpeas, rice, and "hand grenade chicken*". Island customs/immigration varies from US$100 (D.R.) down to zero in the French Islands and averages about US$35. Boat parts are 3x to 4x US (Florida) prices. Outside local labor to repair the boat is averaging about US$75-100/hour for technical and US$10-25/hr for unskilled. It really makes a significant difference if you can do your own repairs and maintenance. Everything else is about the same as always.
- - The least expensive islands to live (on your boat) are the D.R. and Dominica. What makes a significant different from years ago is your own expectations of what "comfortable" living is and how much it costs. As we age, we are not so eager to do the "dirty jobs" or hard labor jobs anymore and prefer to hire those out. We also develop a habit of eating food we are used to back home (they are available in the islands for a price) and drinking beer/booze at US$3 to $10 per drink. Deprivation living is no longer fun.
- - So can you live on US$500/month - Yes and No. First of all it really depends upon what items you include in that phrase "live on." That is extremely variable all the way from only fuel, food, and check-in/out all the way to "everything" you spend money on including expenses maintaining your ties back in your home country (housing/car/storage/medical/taxes/etc.) and every nickel you spend on anything what-so-ever. So any discussion of $xx/month is fruitless because everybody has different definitions of what is included in "living on."

* - "Hand grenade chicken" is cubes of chicken with the splintered bones comprising most of the content. I figured out that they took a chicken and placed a hand grenade underneath it and then pulled the pin. The blast blows all the feather off and then they go around and pick up the splintered bones with meat still attached. - In actuality, what they do is flash freeze the whole cleaned chicken to -50 degrees and then use a bandsaw to cut the frozen chicken into 2" x 2" cubes which are bagged and sold. The locals take one or two cubes and throw them into their Creole stew pot, roti's or whatever.

[Springbok]

Boat is a sailing yacht with 22hp Yanmar. $500p/mnth is basics, food/fuel/check-in etc.Am a fishing-cruiser . Boat fully kitted out in Florida spares,food etc Will dive under boat with a hookah re barnacles. Non drinker or smoker. No insurance no medical.
Clyde

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Springbok

Boat is a sailing yacht with 22hp Yanmar. $500p/mnth is basics, food/fuel/check-in etc.Am a fishing-cruiser . Boat fully kitted out in Florida spares,food etc Will dive under boat with a hookah re barnacles. Non drinker or smoker. No insurance no medical.
Clyde

Assuming you are only a South African citizen, Visas can add significantly to your cruising costs and they are usually only good for 6 months from date of issue. Stopping in Trinidad is the cheapest way to get to the big embassy's Visa processing units.
- - Otherwise a small boat with an outboard vs. inboard engine is a major cost and hassle reducer. So $500/mo is reasonable considering some places you will be only spending money on food and buses so you should be under that amount. In other places you might exceed that amount but over the year it should average out. The budget buster will be equipment failure/replacement and haul-outs. There is not enough tide to be able to careen.
- - Fishing is problematical, if you have "fishy smelling thumb" there are fish out there; but for others most all of the available fish have been caught by the locals and eaten before the fish even get a chance to grow up and make more fish.

[Pacific-Blue]

I think I have never read a pilot that is more chaotic then Bruce van Sants "Thornless Path".
After reading for hours I was asking myself: "Now what was it all about?"
You need to be a lawyer to understand all the sidesteps, jokes, provisos etc. There must be many more understandable books.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Pacific-Blue

I think I have never read a pilot that is more chaotic then Bruce van Sants "Thornless Path".
After reading for hours I was asking myself: "Now what was it all about?"
You need to be a lawyer to understand all the sidesteps, jokes, provisos etc. There must be many more understandable books.

That is why he put out the new book "Tricks of the Trades" which contains only the techniques of sailing in the Caribbean trade winds.

[Hannah on 'Rita T']

I would second the OP, can we get from Lake Worth to the Virgins in February without stopping in the Bahamas or the T&C? Off shore is fine. I was thinking about easting north of the Bahamas and then turning south. My guess is there are better ideas here. Thanks.