Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[Ahnlaashock]

That Sea Sprite is a seriously good looking little boat!

[goprisko]

Originally Posted by Randyonr3

Come on INDY, you said you were an experanced world traveler...Better revise that budget again.. It cost me more than that to get into Mexico.. unless you plan on cruising the waters of the world and NEVER stopping...
mexico boat insurance (manditory) cost me 145,, zarpas were 48 each for the two of us, and havent even bought the fishing licences yet......

To add to that annual cruising permits for the Bahamas are charged by boat size.

Boats larger than 35ft pay $300/ year, those smaller pay $ 150 ./ year.

Permits to visit French Islands cost nothing.

Permits for Grenada recently went up to $ 50ECD / month or about USD $ 15 / month.

Permits for Malaysia are essentially free.

Permits for Chagos cost USD $ 33 / month

NZ is essentially free.

RSA & Namibia charged port dues.... For a two year stay in Luderitz, we paid R$250, about $60 USD.

Polynesia is essentially free.

Cook Islands levy a small charge

Samoa is essentially free.

Fiji levys a small charge, ditto Solomons.

Vanuatu is essentially free,

New Caledonia is free.

New Guinea levys a visa fee of NZD$100 for 3 months.

Palau is free

Phillippines levys entry charges and exit charges which are minimal.

HongKong levies port dues of about $ 100 HKD ($15 USD) for stays up to two years.

Permits for Trinidad&Tobago are $ 50TT/ month abourt $ 12USD / month.

Anyone care to update the figures for Australia, East Timor, Indonesia?

BUT....

This thread does not specify where folks will cruise... and the proforma budget allocates $700 / yr for Navigation Expense. If you are cruising the Bahamas for a year. your navigation expense, ( including Explorer Charts, and Guides) is about $ 200/yr. If you are cruising Florida Waters for a year, your Navigation Expense is about $ 100. If you are cruising Maine to the West Indies for a year, your Navigation Expense, ( including charts and guides) is about $ 300 / year.

This means that you can reallocate funds from Navigation Exzpense to Customs Expense as necessary.

INDY

[goprisko]

Originally Posted by Ahnlaashock

That Sea Sprite is a seriously good looking little boat!

Yes, it is! and the Kitiwake is almost an identical design...similarly priced..

If you buy one, will certainly turn heads at the club... and they sail like a witch!

INDY

[goprisko]

Originally Posted by ottonp

$500 a month would be sweet, this is kind of my wifes and mine's retirement plan, but not sure how much we would need saved after buoying a large boat to live on....also, a little worried about weather.

Go back to page 29 and begin studying the postings from there....

Please note that micro-budget cruising must be done in boats between 28-34 ft LOA.
These are mid-sized boats.

We posted lines and descriptions of about 6 boats costing $ 15-25 K. Three years cruising funds will amount to $ 18K. Refitting Expense $ 10K, Total outlay $43-53 K

INDY

[goprisko]

When I cruised Nicagaragua, I first anchored in a lagoon on the mainland. Toward afternoon I was approached by a dugout with four men in it. They weren't fishing....

So, I weighed anchor after they left, and proceeded to Great Corn Island, arriving next morning. I enquired regarding customs and mentioned that I needed fuel and water.

The fuel and water was arranged promptly, at a fair price, and to my questions regarding customs, came the reply "don't worry about it".

So, I gathered up my day pack, including the FM-2 camera, and set off to see the place, on foot. I talked to everyone(I speak spanish), finding many of them spoke English. As I wandered here and there, I noticed a sergeant riding a 650 bike, going
hither an yon. As was my wont, I waived and smiled, and so did he.

To entertain me, the local lobster men gave me several buckets of lobster, straight from their freezers, and we had a great time catching up.

After a few weeks of this, came a notice to go to customs... Customs as it turned out, is at the bay on the south side of the island. My friends offered to take me there in a truck, but I demurred and sailed over.

I anchored off the beach in 5 m of water, and noticed a converted shrimp trawler anchored near. Rowing ashore, the only building on the beach was a shack, so I proceeded to it. Parked in front was the bike. At the desk within was the sergeant.
He smiled. In rapid and concise Spanish he indicated that he was immigration and customs was at the big dock just west. I was to go to the root of that dock and see Sen'or Gomez. Off I went. Sen'or Gomez was an affable man who was the agent, and spoke perfect English. Since I had my papers, he looked them over, explained the procedure and that he'd arrange clearance in and out for the sum of USD$ 100.

I was to pick up the clearance at the end of the next day, after he'd finished with the monthly boat.

Which I did.

Later, I met the couple on the converted Shrimp Trawler. The lady liked Navajo jewellery. She wore a lot of it. She also didn't like to cook. They ate out at restaurants, every day.

Their experience with clearing in and out was different. They were required to pay for the personnel flying out from Manauga, and the whole procedure cost them USD$ 1200.

I had similar experiences elsewhere.. notably on the Inca Trail...
I'd arranged for the seven day trip at the price of USD$35 all up. On the last day, a girl from New York approached me for a $50 tip. She explained that since they carried my kit, according to her guide book I owed them a tip of that size. I listened, and declined. She became furious.

Regarding cruising Baja California...

There are thousands of boats in LA and SD, with nowhere else to go except Baja, and the Sea of Cortez. It is now June. Would seem to me that a great many of them are enroute now... going south... because the kids are out of school... and the provisioning is complete...

In other words... it is HIGH SEASON in Baja...

The micro-budget cruiser must not only have sufficient skills to bend the wind to his will, driving his ship where he wants to go... but he must plan ahead and go to places like the West Indies and Baja out of season. when it is cheaper...

And regardless of season, he needs to leave his big city instincts at home, and realize that a simple quiet approach, involving friendship instead of money, will go much further, and cost him much less.

So, row ashore quietly, and ask permission of whomever you find there to land, first.

Remember, it is their home..... whether a mansion or a beach shack...

INDY

[goprisko]

I post information here for the man with some experience, to help him cruise on less money, reminding one and all that it is the basics, often overlooked that count most.

AND...

I post information here that I feel important to the beginner, for the purpose of helping him avoid expensive errors.

My postings regarding the Snipe, Lightning, and Rhodes were in that vein.

I specifically investigated several dozen websites gathering the material I posted, and
rewrote from those sources in a concise manner to highlight the important items.

I am not selling dinghies, or cruising boats, either. I have no financial interest whatever in any purchases anyone may make of any dinghy or cruising boat recommended by myself.

If anyone pulled the information on those dinghies, he is removing what I consider to be essential information the novice needs to get a start in cruising.

He or anyone can email me at goprisko@oceanvoyaging.org and receive a reply.

Please also note, that we are leaving Brewers Bay on Monday for other bays in the Virgin Islands, thence down island. Our access to email will be spotty. It may take a while for me to reply.

Fair Winds And Calm Seas !!

INDY

[waterworldrob]

I sailed on a Tahiti Ketch and she was an excellent all-weather, well-found low budget cruiser... I paid 7k for mine although I knew how to maintain her she was so simple and easy to keep going.. Only took a gallon of bottom paint per haul. I had a year of food aboard, and 3 months of water could take one a long way.

[Ahnlaashock]

Have a good trip, and we will talk more when you return.

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by goprisko

Regarding cruising Baja California...

There are thousands of boats in LA and SD, with nowhere else to go except Baja, and the Sea of Cortez. It is now June. Would seem to me that a great many of them are enroute now... going south... because the kids are out of school... and the provisioning is complete...

In other words... it is HIGH SEASON in Baja...

The micro-budget cruiser must not only have sufficient skills to bend the wind to his will, driving his ship where he wants to go... but he must plan ahead and go to places like the West Indies and Baja out of season. when it is cheaper...

This is incorrect . . . it is no more High Season in Baja presently than it is in Florida or the Caribbean, and for the same reasons - it is summertime up north, way too hot and humid down south, and hurricane season is ramping-up.

The time of year when cruisers head to the Sea of Cortez and the Mexican Riviera is identical to the time of year when people head to Florida and the Caribbean, and for the same reasons - it is cold up north, warm down south, and the hurricane season is ramping-down.

West Coast cruisers begin heading south in October, with many of them participating in the annual Baja Ha-Ha that departs from San Diego ~ Halloween. Many cruise Mexico at the conclusion of the Ha-Ha, and then make the Puddle Jump over to the Marquesas. The High Season for cruising Mexico coincides with the High Season for cruising the Caribbean.

Sure, it's less expensive to cruise there during Low Season, but it could cost you a great deal more in the long run, because your insurance will probably not be in force if you're in the hurricane box during hurricane season. That's a very heavy risk to take for the sake of cruising on the cheap, IMO.

As always, it is the weather that determines High and Low Season, not the school schedule.

TaoJones

[sjs]

I have nothing to add, except a thank you. Nothing to add because I have been a daysailor and coastal cruiser with cruises no longer than a week in duration, so my knowledge is limited. Thank you because this thread has enabled me to learn a few things, reinvigorate my day dreams of full time cruising, and generally enjoy myself. I hope the thread continues.

[goprisko]

I checked a few references while rain bound as a tropical wave passed....

They were....

Ocean Passages for the world a British Admiralty publication
Cruising Guide to the Caribbean by Stone & Hayes
The BA pilot covering mexico
The Pilot Charts..

I agree with Tao Jones... that sailing south to Baja at this time of year is unwise...

Several of the pubs mention that winds on this coast are northerly during the winter and southerly during the summer. They also mention the cyclone risk should one proceed south of 30N. They also mention SE gales are common during the summer months... ala the one that put Moitissier and Joshua on the beach at Cabo San Lucas...

As I recall, it is dry season in the Sea of Cortez during the summer... so no rain.. for months...

There are other considerations which Tao Jones mentions... specifically this hurricane season is expected to be extremely active... The first cyclone formed over the Rio Dulce before moving north through Central America and Mexico, several weeks ago...

The next consideration is where after Mexico...

French Polynesia is closed before April 1 and following the Mexican coast south makes the passage longer, not shorter. It is possible to leave SD in early December, to avoid the worst of the winter Trades with the intent of sojourning in the line islands. Yachts seldom do this, which means that one will likely meet people interested in him.

Panama is best approached for an east bound canal transit in March-April... and in January for the run south to Ecuador and the Galapagos.

Would seem to me that a passage south is best in late Sept - early October, once the winds shift to the north, and the balance of the month and possibly part of November can be spent cruising the Sea of Cortez, thence coastwise to reach Panama by Christmas. preferably earlier for shopping and cruising the Las Perlas.

One could then cruise south to Salinas, Ecuador, touring Ecuador and Peru while waiting for late Feb-early March when sailing onward via the Galapagos to Polynesia

OR...

Cruise Panama until March, crossing the isthmus via the canal during the period, permitting time in the San Blas, before striking east to Cartegena, to gain a favorable slant for the run to the windward passage, thence via the thorny path to the West Indies.

Regardless, my references all recommend visiting the Mexican Consulate in SD before departure to obtain tourist cards, and fishing licenses. Doing so would immediately make one aware of the costs involved, while there is time to change one's plans.

Last of all the Zarpe is not your tourist card. it is your outward clearance, and can be your cruising permit, should you make it so. You can do so by clearing for the last port you plan to visit before clearing out to the next country "con Puertos Intremedios" ( via intermediate ports ). See Van Sant for more on this.

Thanks to Tao Jones for his local advice.

INDY

[goprisko]

As I mentioned earlier, we survive on Social Security now... about $ 890 / month....

Since Pegasus is far larger than what I recommend here, our boat operating expense is far larger

We narrow the difference by doing all our own work, including painting and welding.

Regardless, we must economize where and when we can... and provisioning is one such place. I've worked out a number of recipes that extend a small amount of meat via use of lentils and beans, or extend rice via cheese, or pasta via homemade sauces.

One of our favorites is a Marinara sauce made with a diced eggplant. The recipe calls for salting the eggplant to pull the moisture, then frying it. I hate fried eggplant, and never understood the salting rationale, so I simply dice the thing and put it into the sauce with the tomatoes. It gives a full body to the sauce, and I add chick peas and cheese for protein.

We have a bean soup recipe, a lentil chili recipe, a spicy bean recipe, traveling jew, chickpea stew, and others which turn the humble bean into a tasty main dish.

I like my sundown Gin & Tonic, but can't afford the tonic water... Gin here is $2 / liter, so I can afford the gin. I put two capfuls of Key Lime Juice into a glass, add gin, ice if it is available, and water. Since I like my drinks tart, I don't add sugar, but Natalie does. It is best made up in quantity, so one can adjust the taste to suit. Guests like it too.

Perhaps others might join in and suggest other ways to stretch the food budget...

INDY

[goprisko]

As it happens, NGIA offers both the Planning Guides and Pilots free in pdf format.
As with all US Navigational Pubs, there is No Copyright..

Please note the following excerpt from the pilot covering the West Coast of Baja..
..
" 2.1 Winds—Weather.—
The prevailing winds along this coast are NW and may be said to blow steadily from that direction for about 8 months of the year.

During November, December, January, and February, winds from SE to SW are frequent, with occasional moderate SE gales. These gales are often accompanied by considerable rain.

During December and January, heavy winds, which blow from a direction between N and NE, are likely to occur and usually last for 1 to 3 days.

2.1 The weather during the greater part of the year is clear and
pleasant.

Rains are most frequent between May and October.

Fogs may occur in all seasons, but mostly during the summer
months, setting in at night or in the early morning and clearing
by 1000.

South of Isla Cedros, there is less fog and the weather
clears earlier than to the N. Between Boca de las Animas and
Bahia Magdalena, fogs are very frequent during the late fall
and winter.

These fogs usually form over the lagoons and small
bays. They are blown seaward in the early morning by the land
breeze and shoreward again by the sea breeze, clearing by
about noon. "

INDY

[goprisko]

This is for Ahlinook...

I found this one on the Dix Page. a real CB trailer Sailer...

Cape Henry 21 boat plans

Looks like a winter project...

INDY

[Ex-Calif]

Currently to sail Indonesia you will need

Green Book - This is like a boat registration, valid for 12 months approximately US$100
Sailing Permit - In addition to Green Book - Single entry $20, Six months $80, 12 months ~$140

Each entrant will also have to pay $25 per entry for a 30 day visa. Recently the $10 / 7 day visa has been discontinued. Kind of annoying if you live in Singapore with a multi entry Sailing permit and want to hop over to Indonesia a couple of times a month.

A single entrant cruising Indonesia for 30 days with 2 crew will be $170