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I promised you a budget but know that the budget depends on so many factors unique to your preferences and lifestyle. If you are like me, and want to have fun but not use up your sailing kitty frivolously, I can offer the following as a guideline. First consider the following budget items as they relate to you and your trip. I put my monthly costs in so you can see what different choices have cost me. Also included are some periodic expenses you may need to think about. Equipment repairs must be considered even though they are hard to predict.
I am spending about $680.00 per month on living expenses. This is living neither luxuriously nor at the depths of depravity. I eat at a restaurant at least once per week and stop for a beer or two when anchored near a settlement. Other, more major costs, have been in Equipment Repairs and related shipping and customs costs. These are hard to estimate but for three month cruising, the costs will likely exceed $600.00 due to the replacement of the windlass and depth sounder. It is hard to know where your vulnerabilities are, but some costs must be budgeted even if your boat is in ship-shape before you leave.
Budget Items You Might Want To Consider
CONTINUOUS EXPENSES
- Communications—$280.00
monthly this includes cell phone service and Internet fees for sending
and receiving emails.
- Batelco
Cell Phone—I chose to get a Batelco Cell Phone so I could contact
my mother at anytime I wanted (she has been recovering from an illness).
I chose Batelco’s Quick Cell plan since it provided a cell phone
with no credit check or deposit required. Unless you have Singular Wireless
or another Cell Service that works “unofficially” in the Bahamas,
those remaining in the Bahamas for over six months might consider signing
on to a regular Batelco Cell Phone since rates are a bit less than using
the “Quick Cell” plan. The regular service didn’t make
sense for me since you are required to have the service for over six
months before your $400.00 deposit would be eligible for return. Since
I would not meet the length of the service requirement, and would only
be using my cell phone for occasional personal calls, I chose the “Quick
Cell” plan. This cost an initial $200.00 (for the phone and connect
fee) plus the purchase of time via phone cards that can be purchased
as needed in units of 20, 50 and 100 dollars. I spend about $50.00 every
one-two weeks on phone cards since calls to the US cost a whopping $2.40
per minute. While each call costs 40 cents per minute (day rate and
20 cents at night), they also tag on a 99 cent connect fee and surcharge
of $1.00-- per minute. Each $50.00 cell phone card provides me with
approximately 20 minutes of usage to the states, given the other fees
applied per minute of usage. Also, the cell phone does not work in the
more remote parts of the Bahamas, as I found out when cruising through
the Jumentos.
- PocketMail—Lots
of cruisers subscribe to pocket mail. This is a little handheld personal
device (like a blackberry) that can receive and send emails. It can
transmit and send emails through a wireless connection at a telephone
booth. There is a monthly fee for the service and you will need to purchase
telephone cards to use the Batelco Phone booth for your transmissions.
If you send a lot of emails, this may be more efficient then paying
for internet service, and since phone booths are more common than internet
café’s, certainly the Pocket Mail is more accessible. You
cannot surf the web using PocketMail but you can at least receive and
transmit emails to stay in touch. Sign up for the service and purchase
the device before you leave the States. The Islands are converting to
digital networks so buy a “silver” model, not the blue, whose
analogue networks are going by the wayside. Remember, you’ll need
to budget for Batelco Phone Minutes to use the Pocketmail.
- Satellite
Phone—With the price coming down on hand held sat phones and compression
software making email quicker, this may be my choice for communications
in the future. Look for less expensive sat phone and sign up with a
US carrier for the number of monthly minutes you think you’ll need.
Based on the plan you select, your cost may be comparable to that of
my Batelco cell phone, but the coverage is certainly greater and certainly
a lot more flexible than having to run out and buy phone card minutes,
or being out-of-range of Batelco towers.
- Internet—If
you need access to the web, your choices are using an internet café
at great expense (average around 50 cents per minute), carrying your
laptop to a Batelco Station, Using SailMail or WinLink through your
SSB (which lets you send and receive email from your boat but not surf
the web), or download through a sat phone. Because I need to access
my website, I use Internet Café’s which are few and far
between, but my only option at present. On the systems generally available
through Internet Cafes in the Bahamas, it will take about 4-5 minutes
per email (to connect, download, read, reply, and send back) costing
an average of $2.50 per email message. My monthly cost is around $70-80
monthly just to send and receive emails.
2) Water- Water Maker—Water is about fifty cents per gallon. At a fairly generous five gallons of water per day per person (more of less depending on your usage) figure what you would spend on water or whether your itinerary will place you in clean enough harbors to make your own water. My water costs has been about $100.00 per month, but I do have to plan my itinerary around where I can get water, and make sure I have water before leaving to isolated locations (see water conservation). If you bring a water maker, stock up on parts and filters, and include that in your prep budget.
3) Fuel –Gas and Diesel are upwards of three dollars per gallon. You can save money on Diesel by going where the wind blows you rather than having an itinerary. Gas for your outboard is likely a large expense if you like to explore and sightsee by dink. Make sure you have at least two five gallon jerry jugs of gas since gas is harder to find than diesel, a small supply will limit your fun. So far, I’d estimate about $100.00 per month on fuel overall.
Propane-- In the fuel category consider your propane usage for cooking. The Tayana carries 2-30lb. Canisters that last a years. I see lots of cruisers with smaller propane canisters having to get them filled. I don’t know what that costs, but you may need to budget this if your boat has small tanks. I suspect it is at least 2-3 times higher in the Bahamas to get them filled, and finding a filling station may need to be included in your itinerary.
4) Food—food is very costly. I paid $3.18 for a cucumber the other day. See food section below. Bring as many staples as you can from the States. Because I brought so much food from the US (about $600 worth Costco/Dollar Store/Winn Dixie), our expense for food in the Bahamas has been less than $200 per month. Most of this has been for fresh fruits and vegetables. The cost will increase as my provisions are used up. A word about Dining Out - You can obviously limit this if you want, however, meals out in the Bahamas are around $8-10 for lunch, $12-25 for dinner, beer is $3.00 each and mixed drinks $4-6. You can easily take a chunk out of your kitty if you eat out a lot, but its fun, especially when music or dancing is part of the deal, great fun, and a treat for the chef.
PERIODIC COSTS
Weather-- I think it pays to subscribe to a weather service (unless you are going to a limited area for a very short period of time). No sense getting stuck unawares by a front. The free weather nets are useful, but may not be specific to your location or travel plans. I spent a month listening to NOAA’s computer voice drone on and on, and listening to general forecasts reread by Net Controllers in other parts of the world, and got caught too many times in fronts that took a toll on the boat (and me). Don’t let that happen to you. Whether you do so through Ocens Mail, CoastalWeatherInfo, or other email weather service, the costs are reasonable (and cheaper than having to repair your boat after getting walloped by a front). I subscribe to Caribbean Weather Center whose boat specific weather info can be obtained by email or SSB. Weatherman Chris Parker’s forecasts and sailing knowledge can help you plan your trip, up to when to leave and where to go, and the subscription is just $125 annually.
Mail Service- If you will be away for a while and want someone to handle your mail, consider this cost.
Customs Duty—Put in some mad money for having to get parts or items sent in. Document stamps are 7% of the items value (even if you are in transit, you HAVE TO pay them). Customs broker fees are around $65.00, shipping is expensive, and customs duty may be added on.
Marina Fees--$1.10-$1.75 per foot per night. Some include water free, some at reduced price. Most all include trash. Staying in a marina will obviously hit your pocketbook big time.
Customs & Immigration Fees—Still $300.00 for cruising size boat.
Excursions & Souvenirs--Depends on the individual. I saw very little to purchase throughout the islands that you can’t get in Nassau for less, but that is a matter of taste and what you want to collect. Hiking on the sharp coral throughout the islands blew through both my heavy flip flops so I bought some TEVA’s for $50 and hope they last longer. Other expenses in this category might include island tours. Most cruisers share trips and can arrange tours for $20-30 per person plus the cost for the lunch or dinner stop. I enjoy hiking and exploring by dink on my own, so this hasn’t been a factor for me yet.
“Boat Cards”- Calling Cards—Bring 50-100 calling cards with you that include your boat name and contact info. You will meet other cruisers who you will want to stay in touch with and sharing boat cards is a customary way to do this. Make up your cards on your computer printer before you leave home. This shouldn’t cost you much maybe $30.00.
Remember, BRING LOTS OF CASH! There are NO BANKS once you pass Nassau and head to the Exumas. Most places will not take credit cards. Even Batelco on Staniel Cay required me to pay cash for my cell phone, since they do not have a credit card machine yet. Grocery stores are small little hut-like places in front of the proprietor’s homes, and they have few items and certainly do NOT take credit cards. You will need to pay your $300.00 Bahamas Customs Fee in cash. Dining out is often in the proprietor’s home, cash accepted only. Even in Nassau, where they are more likely to take credit cards, you may be charged an extra fee (usually 5%) for using them. There is a Scotia Bank in Georgetown. Also, I hear there is a bank on Long Island, but it is nowhere near a sailing anchorage. More on this later as I explore northern Long Island.
Food stuff
Although many of the travel guides tell you not to over-provision because food is available everywhere in the Bahamas, don’t take this advice unless you are a millionaire. Try to provision as much as possible before you go, and save your money for your sailing kitty. I shopped several times at Costco and the Dollar Store before I left, saving tremendously on staples and canned goods compared to what I would have paid in the Bahamas. Unless you feel like paying $5.95 for a 32 ounce bottle of cranberry juice, $1.00 for an onion or $5.29 for a box of breakfast cereal, bring them with you. Other items have even a higher mark-up from the States.
So far here’s what works well for storing items. Loaded up with Tupperware and other canisters, I took most everything out of its original packaging. Remember, there are few readily available trash receptacles when you are cruising, so don’t take anything on your boat that you don’t want to carry off your boat, likely in your dinghy (even if you can find somewhere to take it—but that’s another story). Also there is the thought that some packaging harbors bug larvae that could hatch later on in your boat, so for all these reasons, try to get as much packaging off the boat before you leave the dock.
I organized the foodstuff by category in plastic milk cartons in one of the cabins. I placed like-items together in each carton— i.e., storage bags, foil, and plastic wrap; Breakfast cereals, oats, raisins, and coffee/tea bags; Cooking oils, vinegars, sauces, etc. You get the picture. Do what works for you, but at least this has made enough sense to me that I can zero in on a location (to start digging) when I am in need of something. I also have all the spices and small quantities of most-cooked-with types of ingredients in the galley, where space is most limited. I bought rice and pasta in bulk and re-bagged it with plastic freezer bags, making sure to include several bay leaves to prevent larvae from growing in the grain. The Tayana has a lot of storage room along the hull, so canned goods are organized there along with extra Tupperware, service ware, pitchers, specialty utensils and the like. I keep just a couple of place settings of dishes and silverware in the kitchen, so there is room for personal items like vitamin and medicine bottles (things that need to be taken daily) and cooking utensils. I can easily retrieve extra dishes should company come calling. Amazingly, it all fit in.
Food items most used:
Rice—I’d recommend having on hand a long grain white rice as well as a wild rice. Wild rice makes a great salad base and goes great with beans (and you’ll be eating a lot of beans).
Pasta- I stock both an angel hair and a squiggly macaroni. The angel hair cooks quickly, conserving propane. The squiggly is good for casseroles and for making macaroni and cheese-type dishes and besides it looks fun!
Olive Oil—You just have to have this. Everything from sautéing to salad dressings taste better with a high quality olive oil.
Liquid Eggs—You can freeze liquid eggs so they last longer. I like them because you can use them for making baked goods, frittata’s, scrambled eggs, even egg drop soup, and they store a lot “skinnier” and with a greater shelf life than real eggs.
Apples—They’ve taken a lickin’ and keep on tickin’. I still have some red delicious left from those I bought in December. Even when they aren’t so great tasting anymore in raw form, you can grate them into muffins or pancakes, cut them up to make a crisp, dice them for a quick Waldorf Salad, or cook them into an applesauce.
Flour Tortilla shells—hey, when that bread gets crushed or starts growing mold, those trusty tortilla shells are a great replacement. They store unopened without refrigeration, and when opened, take very little room because they are so flat. Use the shells for quesadillas, burritos, fry them for tortilla chips, or just make your sandwich “roll-ups”.
Boullion Paste—Found this boullion paste in a jar. One teaspoon is equivalent to one large boullion cube. You can use it to make soups, sauces, spice up a bland can-of-something, or even a dip when you have yogurt or sour cream. With 90% or more humidity daily, those cubes just turn to mush, use paste.
Canned soups—Nothing tastes better after a full day in the cold wind that a quick bowl of mushroom soup or clam chowder. The down side is the bulkiness of the can in your trash area, but stock up on some of these for a quick meal.
Dehydrated mushrooms- I bought some dried whole shitake mushrooms at Costco, and after soaking, 6 mushrooms is more than enough to liven up a side dish for two people, cook with pasta, bulk up a canned cream of mushroom soup, or serve grilled with another veggie. They store well (come in a large plastic screw top jar) and are virtually indestructible.
Nuts- Cocktail hour or mid-sail snacks are really easy with a nice assortment of nuts. They provide good protein, are easy to store, and again, virtually indestructible.
Dried Herb combos-- If you are like me you could fill your whole kitchen with every kind of herb, and I found that out while provisioning. So, what I did was combine oregano, basil, marjoram and rosemary into one large container marked “Italian Seasoning”, and the same for hot spices and marked them “Creole”, and a couple other mixes for “Greek”, “Chinese” and “Curry”. So far the only separate seasonings I’ve had to go out and repurchase have been cumin and basil, but they were just little bottles. More about seasonings as I go on. You may need to make up what constitutes these combinations for you, but if you are taking along your favorite cookbook, check it out, usually the same herb combinations are used over and over again. Don’t forget to buy a large bottle of Bay Leaves to put in your bags of rice, flour, and other grains. I guess Bay discourages bug larvae from hatching, and that can only be a good thing.
Crystal Lite or Powdered Drink Mix- Even if you have your own water maker or filter, a nice cool lemonade, fruit punch or cherry drink really fits the bill. I bought the restaurant size in bulk and the powder packages are much easier to store and throw out than cans of soda.
Arrowroot powder/Corn Starch
Hay, nothing pretends to say gourmet better than a nice sauce. Some leftover wine, some herbs and arrowroot powder can do the trick in a pinch and is less fattening than a sauce made from butter (that you’ll run out of way too quickly).
The magic veggie combination
The must-have veggies are: celery, onion, garlic, bell peppers, and ginger root. I think anything tasty can be made with these and some canned goods. Also great to always have on hand are carrots, potatoes, eggplant, and cheese. These really up the ante on what you can make, and I’m finding most of these veggies to be available, even at markets in remote places (again, bring as much of this as possible from the States, given your refrigerator storage).
Granola Fixin’s
Just can’t stomach paying nearly $6.00 a box for Cheerio’s in soggy boxes (that’s your best choice down here). Or tired of eating the sawdust from your smashed raisin bran flakes? Make your own cereal! See my recipe section below (in a couple of weeks it should be ready). It is less expensive, fresher, and possibly more healthful to make your own and it only takes 30 minutes.
Most-used canned goods
Soups mentioned above
Diced tomatoes
Canned tuna
Diced Clams
Cookbook—Take a couple of your favorite cookbooks. I have a great one on board (thanks, Joan) but just when I thought I knew how to cook something from scratch (like fruit & nut muffins) I find I don’t remember the right combination of ingredients. Better yet, put your favorites on an index card or in your computer so you’ll have them.
Really Smart Things to Bring Along
Water bottle and insulated carrying case
Not a day goes by that I don’t use my large water bottle carried in its insulated carrying case. I bought this bottle for hiking about 20 years ago made by (Nalgene). The insulated soft-side carrying case is about the same age, but is wonderful to keep the water bottle in. It has a carrying strap that I can sling over my shoulder to carry the water bottle on hikes or when touring the islands. Also the strap is great for slinging the bottle in and out of the dink easily. On sailing days, the insulation keeps the water cool since I fill the bottle nightly and put it in the refrigerator to chill for the next day’s use. While the insulated bag is not large, it is tall and wide enough for me to carry my handheld VHF in it along with my water bottle. Throw in a tube of chapstick, and I’m good to go for the day. Get a water bottle and an insulated bag to carry it in, I promise, it will be the most used item you bring on your cruise.
Sun Screen
Okay, okay, I know this is basic, but I have to tell you, I have yet to burn in this scorching sun because I start the day slathering on my Sport Sunblock from Target. It works great, is waterproof and sweat proof and hasn’t dripped in my eyes yet. At 30 SPF it is a great price. I paid $2.88 for a 10.4 oz. Tube, after 45 days I’m still on the same tube (lasts long) and it is the best thing going. Brown, don’t burn.
Calling Cards
See helpful hints, but it is worth mentioning again that if you have an interest in meeting other boaters, it is just about de rigueur down here to have a calling card. Handy too, since you will regret seeing that boat again and again, and not remembering the names of the people inside. And as unforgettable as you are, it’s handy to have a card to reassure others’ of your name. I’m finding that brains have a tendency to take a siesta down here.
Vinegar & Baking Soda
Since your boat is your home while cruising, you will likely want to keep it clean. From and ecological point of view, anything you rinse down the sink goes into the environment so leave the toxic cleaning supplies at home. Vinegar works wonders for cleaning windows, grease, ceilings, portholes and other surfaces that gather grime. Baking soda also works great as a mild abrasive for sinks and other areas. So save your money on the Fantastic and other harsh cleaners and bring these inexpensive items for your cleaning.
More stuff to take on an extended cruise from a woman’s point of view.
Personal Items
The Shower Scrunchy
Girls, you need a certain amount of ruggedness needed to go cruising, but no need to totally abandon all glamour! One of the things I enjoy most is getting to take a shower, even if it can only last for two-minutes. Rather than bringing a usual washcloth or sponge, I brought a couple of those netting-type shower scrunchies, you know, the kind that come in a variety of colors and are bound together by a string. The beauty of the bath scrunchy is that they scrub off grease, grime, and salt gently without hurting your skin, absorb very little soap, and since they don’t hold much water, they dry out quickly (just drip dry hanging in the shower). Nothing looks more glamourous or useful in the head than pink and purple shower scrunchies. They look and smell a lot better than washrags that never dry!
Body Lotion
Ya gotta take an ocean, of scented body lotion….. Another wonderful indulgence on your cruise is taking some great smelling body lotion for use after your two-minute shower. Smoothing your finally clean body with some fragrant body lotion or oil really feels great (whether there is someone else there to appreciate it or not). I love my Body Shop Vanilla Crème (thanks, Pam) and my Sensations Cherry Nutmeg (thanks, Steve) body lotion. After a day or two or three at sea, and possibly even in the same clothes, go ahead and treat yourself to a little pampering once you finally decide it is time to wash. Also, your skin could use a little relief from the sun and salt air. Go ahead ladies, fill you cubby hole in the head with body lotions. If there is a man on board, he may not appreciate this, but hey, it’s your cruise too.
Hair Stuff
You’ve seen the cartoons of the ladies getting on the sailboat with one bag of clothes and another filled with toiletries and appliances. Well, unless you want to suffer the sounds and the smoggy breathe of a generator, you need to leave that hair blower at home. I found that there is generally enough wind to dry my shoulder length hair out with a few minutes of combing-in-the-wind on deck. I bought a plastic brush for this purpose with a few widely spaced bristles (so I don’t pull my hair out as I brush), and let the wind take it from there. I also invested (about $1.00 at the Dollar Store) in some hair clips, and found ways of clipping my hair atop my head to give it lift. Once, dried, and the clip is removed, it fluffs pretty well. Rarely will this matter (a cap or bandana is an alternative to worrying about hair while sailing) but for going to the market or meeting new sailing friends for cocktails, its good to know that a cheap clip can keep you looking like you still care.
Clothing for all occasions
January in the Bahamas can be brisk. 54 degrees on the water with a 20 knot wind in your face can feel rather chilly. My favorite and most used clothing items are as follows. On a cold or cool sunny day, I wear as a first layer, nylon running shorts and a tankini (bathing suit) top. Over that, I wear some long thin-cotton workout pants (thinner than sweat pants) with a pull-on waist, and on top, a thin polar fleece zip jacket with a hood (thanks, Barb). The hood and jacket act as protection against the wind and the polar fleece feels great against my skin. As the day heats up, I can easily remove the outer layers in whatever combination meets my needs. At night, it is easy to rinse out the running shorts and swim top and hang them up so that they are dry by morning. Since the running shorts have little panties in them, they are really comfortable, they dry easily if you get splashed, and it cuts down on the need to wash another article of clothing (like underpants). I wish I hadn’t turned down those sticky socks my mom wanted me to take. You know, the socks that have sticky appliqués on the bottom so you won’t slip. Writing at night, my feet get cold, so that’s an item you may want to consider bringing.
Clothing Check List
This list provided earlier is still getting me though—it is now almost April. in the Bahamas.
2 pair of running shorts (with panties in them and a key pocket in the front where you can keep your chapstick)
2 Tankini bathing suit tops
1 lightweight polar-fleece type jacket with hood
2 lightweight cotton full-length sweatpants or workout pants
1 “jogging suit” (the kind with the nylon outer shell jacket and pants) keeps you warm & dry when riding in the dinghy
1 sweater or sweatshirt (cold days/nights)
1 long sleeve silk sweater or pull-on top (cool days/nights or dress-up)
2 short sleeve shirts (to wear over your tankini tops when you are in town—Bahamians are conservative people, be modest out of respect).
Oversize T-shirt and stretch pants (one pair short, one pair long) for sleeping.
One pair boat shoes
One pair sandals—MAKE THESE TEVA’s or other rugged sandals for walking on coral.
Ball cap, visor or bandana (I like the bandana cause it doesn’t blow off and keeps the hair out of my face)
Your rain/weather gear (rain jacket & rain pants)
Sunglasses
Waist pack (rather than a purse) clip it on to carry your money, camera, chapstick, whatever)
Reef Walkers—save your shoes from getting wet and they work better walking in the surf than sandals anyway. They dry quicker than soggy shoes and therefore won’t get as stinky as soggy shoes.