Story and photos by Lin Pardey
This is the third of a four-part Caribbean Compass series by Lin Pardey, adapting and updating material from her book, Cost Conscious Cruiser. Check out the first two parts in previous 2023 issues (August-September and October-November).
Cost Control While You Cruise, Part 1
Cost Control While You Cruise, Part 2
Things to do…And not to do.
Think Carefully about Onboard Communication
Sat phones, Starlink, VHF radios, SSB, Ham, onboard communications options have multiplied over the years. Tempting as it may be to have easy communication with folks on shore, there are several drawbacks. First and foremost, there is the initial cost. Then there is the ongoing maintenance. Once you head offshore, they seem to be among the most frequent items on the “repair or upgrade” list.
Once again, radios and overly easy internet access can cut you off from the very reasons you set off cruising – having time out from the hustle of modern life, time to get to know other countries, other cultures, time to meet local people. Your spare time can be easily filled with internet communications with folks back home, and it is tempting and enjoyable to accept dates with other international cruising friends you met in previous ports even as you arrive in a new place. It is so easy to give a call on the VHF when you spot a sail you recognize and say, “Let’s meet for dinner as soon as you get in; let’s rent a car together.” The more time you reserve to get to know local people, the more likely you are to exchange homemade meals, homemade entertainment. These onshore acquaintances can lead you to special, lesser-known anchorages and destinations.
Balance Cruising Time
If you make occasional two- or three-day passages instead of trying to harbor-hop around the world, you’ll save money because you’ll have more time in each port you visit to explore and find what you need at reduced prices. Balancing your time between major ports and visits to isolated anchorages or tiny villages means you’ll save money and broaden your chances for memorable experiences. During the three fun-filled weeks we spent in the very comfortable marina right in the center of Noumea, New Caledonia, within a few hundred yards of the excellent open market, we spent seven times more just on entertainment than we did when we sailed 140 miles north to the small villages and quiet, out-of-the way anchorages along the northwest of the island then on to the isolated reef anchorages north of there.
Away from the bright lights, we still went ashore for occasional meals, but we stopped being tempted by mouthwatering French pates, daily doses of fresh breads and cheeses, and twice-a-day gatherings with fellow sailors at the café at the entrance to the marina. And, as mentioned previously, away from other cruising sailors, we had the time (and the need) to meet local folks. That has really spiced up our time in this oft overlooked cruising area.
Stock Up
Use your boat as a miniature warehouse and buy extras whenever you see low prices on your favorite nonperishable goods. In most island areas, items you see one day may be gone the next. In others, prices may be double. The corollary to this is to find local substitutes for provisions that must be imported, and which therefore could be costly.
Leave your Cash, Credit Cards Aboard
Impulse buying will destroy your cruising finances. We find it hard to resist spending money like … well, like a drunken sailor, on our first few days in port. This is especially true after a long ocean passage or after being in areas with no major shops or ice cream stores for three or four months. So we carry only enough cash to buy us one nice restaurant meal and if we see something we think we really need, we are forced to wait until we can go back to the boat for money or our credit card. By that time, we often have talked ourselves out of the item or thought of a more affordable way to solve the problem.
We also have found having access to internet shopping can break the budget. Our solution: keep two lists, one is items we actually need, a replacement for spare parts we have used up, lines that are chafed. The second list is items that we might like to have. All items on the might like list have to be researched for a minimum of a month before we push the buy button. Amazing how many seem less important when the month is up.
Cost Conscious Cruiser is available from Amazon (amzn.to/3o7CuGn), or ask for it at your local bookstore. Lin will wrap up her cost-conscious philosophy in the January 2024 issue. Check out her blog at pardeytime.blogspot.com.
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Cost Control While You Cruise, Part 1
