# Micro Budget Cruising - Hidden Costs



## Looper (Aug 9, 2005)

I have read several interesting descriptions of micro-budget long-distance cruising and circumnavigation.
Many accounts describe getting by on 1000 USD per month and even less in some cases. Many of these accounts include detailed cost breakdowns illustrating how such a small budget can work.
However none of these accounts seems to mention the administrative costs i.e. Customs, Immigration, Clearance, Cruising Permits, Port Fees for entering, staying in and leaving a string of countries on a circum-navigation. I have looked at some examples of fees and costs for passing through a few countries and territories in the south pacific and south east asia (I am in Australia) and they seem to be quite significant, maybe between 100-250 USD for a 35 footer with 2 people aboard for 28 days per country. Most of these countries will not let tourists stay for more than 21 or 28 days so this will be a regular cost.
These costs probably sound insignificant to people used to travelling on a more comfortable budget but I am interested to know if any of our experienced micro-budget cruisers would agree that these administrative costs are significant and need to be planned for specifically?
Or am I not seeing the big picture?


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## jack_patricia (May 20, 2001)

Looper, I think you are ID''ing a reality out on the cruising trail; fortunately, clearance fees are not endemic worldwide. You will find fees in the Caribbean to be small or absent altogether. As you enter the Med and continue west and perhaps up to N Europe, you will find fees rare...altho'' a few countries like Croatia have fee structures that motivate folks on slim cruising budgets to give them a miss. The Atlantic Is. fees are very small. OTOH the major canals can be very expensive for a skinny budget: Panama, Suez, and the Corrinth all leap to mind.

I''d suggest you plot out expenses by region, and then modify your planned expenditures accordingly so that you average these costs over the full span of your route, in which case a monthly budget won''t be hit quite so hard.

Jack


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## goprisko (Apr 13, 2010)

Looper said:


> I have read several interesting descriptions of micro-budget long-distance cruising and circumnavigation.
> Many accounts describe getting by on 1000 USD per month and even less in some cases. Many of these accounts include detailed cost breakdowns illustrating how such a small budget can work.
> However none of these accounts seems to mention the administrative costs i.e. Customs, Immigration, Clearance, Cruising Permits, Port Fees for entering, staying in and leaving a string of countries on a circum-navigation. I have looked at some examples of fees and costs for passing through a few countries and territories in the south pacific and south east asia (I am in Australia) and they seem to be quite significant, maybe between 100-250 USD for a 35 footer with 2 people aboard for 28 days per country. Most of these countries will not let tourists stay for more than 21 or 28 days so this will be a regular cost.
> These costs probably sound insignificant to people used to travelling on a more comfortable budget but I am interested to know if any of our experienced micro-budget cruisers would agree that these administrative costs are significant and need to be planned for specifically?
> Or am I not seeing the big picture?


It is very difficult to imagine life with out fees and charges, when one comes from the big city. My current experience in Brooklyn comes to mind.

For example, consider my recent experience refilling my propane tanks aboard Pegasus:

Because NYC prohibits LPG tank refills within it's limits, one company has the monopoly on LPG. Admittedly, this company is customer friendly, and provides excellent service. But this is not cheap. When all was said and done, it cost $430 to refill my two 30# horizontal propane tanks. The last time I filled them, in Cocoa, FL, it cost me $60, period.

This level of expense is endemic to large cities in the USA, and to a lesser extent, to large cities generally.

Can you manage on $1000/month? Of course! We do it all the time!

But:

It will be much easier to do this with a monohull between 28-34 Ft LOA, 
and virtually impossible to do this with a much larger boat.

INDY


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## Barquito (Dec 5, 2007)

Wow. It is suprising there is not some way around that expense. You could have a couple bottles driven by golden chariot from Florida for that price.

Hopefully, the OP has made it around the world by now on his micro budget. Was about 7 years ago.


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## Skipper Jer (Aug 26, 2008)

7 years ago? Best take that $1000 a month budget and double it due to inflation.

As far as filling propane tanks for $430, I would have gone to a Blue Rhino exchange and bought a filled tank for much much less.


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## vega1860 (Dec 18, 2006)

If I subtract beer and cigars we get by just fine on $1000 a month; as long as we stay away from big city marinas.

Here in Alaska we found a harbor that charges $200 per *YEAR* for mooring in a slip. Another that was free to tie up at the town float for an unlimited time. If you are willing to rough it a little cruising can be cheap. Necessities don't cost that much. It is the luxuries that are expensive. From June 2011 to June 2012 we averaged about $2500 a month cruising in Hawaii. Now, less than half that in Alaska, settled in for the winter in a harbor slip with power and water. (And loving it)

Now in Petersburg. Alaska


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## Brewgyver (Dec 31, 2011)

Chuck! Didn't know you smoked cigars! Does Laura, too?
Hey, any good local craft beer in Petersburg?
Keep those videos coming!


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## vega1860 (Dec 18, 2006)

No local beers in Petersburg  Best they can do for draft beers is Alaskan. They can't even get Baranof Brewing Co. kegs but they do get some decent micro brews in bottles. Something to do with distribution channels.

Laura will smoke a cigar about as often as she will take a drink - almost never.

I, on the other hand, have a pint or two almost every day when we are in port and I will be having a Punch Grand Cru robusto after I finish this glass of Guinness (They are out of Alaskan IPA)


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