Now that our second season of cruising the Bahamas draws to a close I thought I would post some of the costs incurred while here.

Cruising Permit
For us (over 35′ boat length) the cost is $300. Under 35′ is $150. The cruising permit is generally good for 90 days and can be renewed. This year we were granted a permit for 110 days. We indicated on our visa request how long we planned to stay and at the discretion of whoever checks you in, they may grant that length. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

The cruising permit includes your fishing permit and don’t forget if you have a pole spear declare it so it’s on the permit. Otherwise you can’t use it.

Fuel
Diesel fuel has been between $4.00 and $4.50 per gallon. It is readily available at most marinas and when no marinas are available it is possible to carry it in with jugs. Quality has been excellent. Gasoline is usually more, around $5 per gallon.

Water
Water is less available than fuel. It’s possible to purchase at most marinas. When no marinas are available, check the cruising guides for free sources (wells, town spigots, etc.) or other places to purchase. The highest we paid this year is 35¢ per gallon at Emerald Bay Marina. $5 per day is common at many marinas. Most water is reverse osmosis and is very good quality.

Dockage / Moorings
While we don’t normally stay at marinas, we sometimes like a break. You can spend a lot at some of the resort style places or wherever the sportfish crowd hangs out. Generally you can find places for under a dollar a foot. The average seems to be about a dollar. The most we paid was $2 at Hawk’s Nest Marina on Cat Island, a sportfisherman hangout. Extras like water, electricity and sometimes even showers and trash disposal can be extra charges.

Moorings are available in some places, particularly the Abacos. They can run from $10 per day to $25. Always inspect the mooring as they are traditionally “iffy”.

Communications
Our AT&T phone works in cooperation with Batelco and we have a signal generally whenever close to land. It helps to see a Batelco tower. It is expensive to use however. WE are charge $2.99 a minute so don’t use it often. Next year we will get a Batelco phone and buy phone cards. Calls are about 35¢ a minute, local and to the U.S.

Internet is available sporadically. We have paid $5 a day at wifi shops, had free wifi in places (sometimes make a donation or buy something) and are currently on $40 per week in the Abacos.

Entertainment and Food
This is our biggest expense. Expect to spend at least $15 to $20 per person (minimum) for any meal. This includes one drink. Generally hamburgers run from $8 to $15 and include usually one side. Fish is more like $15 to $20, ribs about the same, chicken about the same as burgers, cracked conch is between $10 to $15.

Usually there is not much else on the menu. Sometimes you can get steak or pizza but not always.

Beer is anywhere from $3 to $5 for Kalik, Sands or other local beers and imports (even Bud) is usually more. Mixed drinks can be $3 at happy hour but usually are at least $8. Rum punches can be from $8 up. Soft drinks are about $2. Iced tea is not usually available.

Groceries
We provision heavily before leaving the States and keep refining our inventory and shopping list. We hit a lot of items on the nose after making adjustments from last year. We could post a list but it is one of things that really reflects your own tastes so we won’t unless a lot of people want it.

In larger settlements there is usually one fairly well stoked store. Find out when the mail boat comes so you can be assured of a better selection and a selection of fresh produce. In smaller settlements there is usually a store with the essentials.

Of the larger settlements, we will restock perishables at Exuma Market in Georgetown and Price Right in Marsh Harbor. We haven’t been to Nassau and didn’t need anything in Lucaya.

Sample costs for 2010 (these are prices from the larger markets and costs will be more at small settlements)
Eggs $2.39 per dozen
Hamburger buns $3
Bread about $4.00 per loaf, homemade or brand name
Cheddar cheese $3.50 to 4.59 per pound
Cream cheese $2.79 (less for local brands)
Fresh milk (low fat) about $4 per half gallon or more
Half and half $2.50 per pint
Ice cream $5 to 6 a pint
Cauliflower $4
Cabbage $3
Zucchini $3 per pound
Romaine lettuce $4
Carrots $.99 per pound
Fresh mushrooms $2.69 (8 oz)
Oranges $.50 each
Lemons $.35 each
Cereal anywhere from $3 to $6 a box depending on brand
Chips $6.00 for a regular large bag
Salsa $5.49 (16 oz)
Chicken thighs $2.59 per pound
Bacon $5.00 or so per package
Steak about $11 per pound for good fresh strip steaks
Beef patties $1.25 each for really good 6 oz Angus beef at Exuma Markets
Soft drinks anywhere from 80¢ a can or more
Fruit juices about $5 a half gallon
Kalik beer about $40 per case
Ron Ricardo rum $8 to 9 a liter
Bicardi rum $10 and up

Paper products are expensive and we stock a seasons worth on board. Generally we have all the coffee and canned goods needed and so don’t buy additional. We have found more fresh milk products available this year. In the small settlements Parmalat is all that’s available.

Fresh seafood is available in many markets. Frozen meat is available almost everywhere but don’t expect American quality cuts. Common meats available are lamb, pork, chicken, turkey and some beef.

While sitting on the hook in Port Royal Sound (Cowan Creek) waiting for the weather to break we were reflecting on the glamorous life some of you think we’re living. Consider this:

We’ve been freezing our butts off since we have no heat other than the stove. It’s way too cold for a shower.

By the time we got to St. Mary’s we had been in the same clothes for five days. It was also the same about time since our last shower.

While anchored I spent one day without getting out of bed and read a book from cover to cover. The only time on deck during the whole stay was to take Goliath out to potty.

At times the boredom is overwhelming. Nothing but sea as far as we can see. There are no other boats and very little radio traffic.

It can be depressing to realize that it took you thirty hours to cover 150 miles.

Just some random thoughts. We’re back among humanity, our cruising friends, and it all seems worth it again.

We are novice cruisers. We haven’t done anything like this before. You can read and prepare as much as possible and nothing will prepare you completely for what is to come.  We had decided that we could not afford to keep a home and live on the boat full time.  We also did not want the hassle of being an absentee landlord.  The decision we made was to give our cruising life a 100% commitment.  

Preparation

Stuff – Begin getting rid of stuff as soon as you think you can. If you’re selling all your stuff you will need as much time as possible. We started getting rid of stuff two years prior to leaving and we still have stuff in storage, which is definitely not a good thing as that rent comes out of our budget every month. We gave lots of things away as selling was too slow. It is a liberating process not to have all these things around you.  There is very little that we really miss.

Boat – Read everything and prep your boat as best you can. What’s important to us may not be important to you. Make sure that you are comfortable with what you have. You need a dependable auxillary engine if you plan on getting anywhere. Pure sailing opportunities are few and far between. Ground tackle is important. It allows you to sleep at night. The rest is personal comforts. I don’t really want to get into what is the perfect boat. What is more important is that you get out there and enjoy yourself.

Energy Efficiency – Unless you have mega bucks, living the dream is not like living at home on land. You will need to become very frugal with every amp. Our boat has refrigeration with a freezer (ice is nice) and we use our computer quite a bit to stay in touch with our friends and family.  These two items use most of the electricity we produce.  We have no water generator or other large energy consuming appliances.  We try to run everything at 12 volts and very little through the inverter as it increases consumption ten fold. We use maybe 130 or so amps per day.  Our boat has 2 – 125 watt solar panels (fixed mount) and a 100 watt wind generator.  While moored in Marathon this winter we would produce almost everything we needed if the sky was clear and the wind was blowing at least 10-15 knots all day. The engine alternator supplies the remainder of our electrical needs. 

Safety – We are very cautious.  Weather is always a concern and do not travel if conditions threaten our comfort zone.  Communications are important and so we have a GPS enabled EPIRB, DSC enabled VHF radio, several handheld VHF radios, and back up GPS’s. We have a full medical kit for emergencies and a stocked ditch bag.

Some General Thoughts After the First Year

Stuff – Even though we got rid of a lot of stuff, we still took too much along.  I took too many boat related items that only added weight.  As long as you are coastal cruising in the U.S. you can pick up almost anything you need either online or your nearest port.  Even though we pared our clothes down to what we thought was the minimum it was still too much.  Many items have never made it out of the drawer.

We found that we should have kept title to at least one car, whether it was drivable or not. Rental car insurance is EXPENSIVE!  Your credit cards only provide loss coverage on the rental vehicle.  We bought back my junker pickup and insured it for liability which gives us liability coverage on rentals as well.  We now can rent with a little more piece of mind.

Your Status – You are a cruiser and therefor technically a transient.  Many places see you as only slightly higher (or less) than their homeless population.  I believe that most of the unwelcome feelings are the result of those in the boating community who exploit what is around them. They take water without permission, leave their trash wherever they feel like it and generally present a very negative appearance to the rest of the world.  Although we met a lot of very nice helpful people along the way, we also ran into a substantial amount of hostilities.  Try to leave a good impression everywhere.

Boat Preparations – Had we waited to leave port until all our projects were done, we would still be there.  The important items were done first.  The rest were left for later.  As it turns out, we were glad we waited as experience would redefine our needs and our list.  We decided to stay in the Keys where we could finish most everything in warmth and comfort.  Let your experience dictate what is important to you.

Schedules – Although we never had a set schedule, there were times that we pushed it to “be somewhere by such and such date”.  We have found living on “island time” gives us a much more relaxed outlook that carries over into almost all aspects of life.  

I wrote this on Christmas day in 2006 as we were well into preparations for this adventure.

It became apparent while watching Mary’s kids (although they are 26 and
29, they are still kids) opening presents and participating in the
verbal jousting that always goes on with siblings that this was the
last time we may be together for the holidays for a long time. Willie
had received a carving set from his brother and remarked about when
might he use such a thing. Right then I think it hit everyone (at
least us) that the torch was being passed. It was now their turn to
carve the turkey, bake the cookies and pass on the traditions of
holidays past. We will see how they do.

When we had the opportunity my dad and I would walk up and down the docks of various marinas, mostly in Florida, looking enviously at all the shining stainless and gleaming teak. “Someday … someday, we’ll have one of these” he would say and you could see the dream in his eyes. Well that day never came for him. It was always something “more important”. I vowed that would not happen to me.

This is all dedicated to my dad who missed his chance but watches me as I live it with him.