Perhaps our expense accountings for these two months should be called “the ridiculous amount we spent to get ready to sail to the South Pacific.” For sure, if we had decided to spend another year in Mexico and Central America we could have kept well within our budget of $1500-2000 per month. But the reality is there are just things we were not comfortable heading out into the middle of the Pacific without purchasing and things that we knew would be difficult to impossible to find until we reach New Zealand so we packed them onboard.
In late February we made a quick trip up to San Diego to bring down a number of things we did not trust to Mexican shipping (and it was also a nice break from the boat as well). Some of the things we stuffed in our luggage: a new Simrad autopilot (our older Simrad will be our backup unit), diabetes supplies for me, guidebooks, charts and courtesy flags, a second Kindle (since all of us fight over the one we have), a spare HAM radio and our repaired IC-7000 we shipped back to ICOM from La Paz earlier in the month, a new portlight to improve airflow at the end of our double bunk, kids’ workbooks, more quick-dry clothing, and of course chocolate from Trader Joes.
Back in La Paz I spent days purchasing and stowing provisions and supplies onboard, with the goal of having enough staples for 3-4 months, both because little is available where we will be sailing and what is available is much more expensive than in Mexico. Indeed, now having been in the Marquesas for nearly a month we still have plenty of stores left (even Pacifico!) and have only needed to purchase fresh food (except for all the exciting local and Asian products available here which we are enjoying trying out).
S/V Wondertime’s February-March 2012 Cruising Expenses
airfare – $915
autopilot – $2,777
boat bits – $1,063
books – $16
bus/taxi/trolley – $69
car rental (San Diego and Cabo) – $248
clothing – $435
camera/computer/kindle – $472
courtesy flags – $62
dentist (3 cleanings, 4 fillings, 1 crown) – $498
diesel – $154
dinghy dock – $5
dive tank fill – $5
DVD – $17
eating out – $795
entertainment – $53
French Polynesia agent – $280
gasoline – dinghy – $32
gasoline – rental car – $17
groceries – $2,456
guidebooks/charts – $573
HAM radios – $1,048
internet – $42
kids’ books – $67
laundry – $73
medical – $46
medical supplies – $2,543
moorage – $528
personal care – $176
postage/shipping – $86
propane – $18
showers – $6
souvenirs – $14
supplies – $690
toys – $71
Zarpe fees – $150
total: $16,500
