We spent most of this month in Eleuthera before moving to the Abacos as we began our journey north back to Connecticut.
A big driver of our expenses this month (at 27% of the total) was the renewal of our cruising permit for $500.00. The Bahamian government changed the cruising permit renewal fee structure without publicizing it (or putting it in writing on the customs website). When we learned through the Facebook Bahamas groups that a renewal was going to be $500 instead of the $150 (for our boat size) like it used to be, we debated going back to the U.S. early since we were only planning on staying for five or six weeks past our renewal date.
But ultimately we decided to pay up. In weighing the pros and cons we felt it was too soon temperature-wise to start heading north, so we would have sat on a mooring in Vero while waiting for the weather to warm up. Between the mooring and ready access to a good grocery store, we would have spent more than $500 in a month without the benefit of being able to snorkel or swim in pretty water right off the boat. Not to mention the zero-to-single-digit daily Covid cases here – something that can’t be said about any spot in the U.S.
So we ponied up the money, but to say we weren’t happy about the unannounced change is putting it mildly.
With all of that said, here we go:
Days under way: 10
Nautical miles covered: 174.5
Nights at anchor: 27
Nights on a mooring: 4
Number of countries: 1 (Bahamas)
Expenses:
Groceries/Non-food Groceries/Alcohol: $315.16
Gasoline/Diesel: $60.00
Medical: $16.12
Cell data, iCloud storage, and Garmin inReach subscription: $255.55 (This is high. We are keeping our AT&T account in the U.S. active while we are away, plus we are paying for a Skype number and a plan with Aliv.)
Laundry: $6.00
Mooring: $100.00 (4 nights at Spanish Wells)
Restaurants/Entertainment: $276.76
Cruising permit renewal: $500.00
Non-owners auto insurance policy: $56.30 (semi-annual premium)
Random Items: $238.12 (Makers Air and broker charges for mail delivery from Connecticut, ATM fees, foreign transaction fees, TurboTax, disposable gloves, subscriptions)
Total: $1,824.01
2021 Monthly average: $1,344.97
2020 Monthly average: $2,758.15
2019 monthly average: $3,457.97
2018 monthly average (September – December): $4,465.95
Monthly average since starting to cruise: $3,112.65
Adventures on the Club 
Hi Kimberly and Jeff,
Kudos to you for deciding to stay a bit longer in Paradise, a “no-brainer” if ever there was one in spite of the cost. The main reason for this response, though, is to say it was wonderful to read your windlass story in the Good Old Boat I got today. A real “hey I know those people” moment, and the article was as well done as your windlass installation. Nice! It’s been unusually beautiful on Cape Cod; I unwrapped Thunder Mist today and we splash in mid-May. Wishing you a fun and trauma-free trip north.
Fair Winds,
John
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Thanks for the kind words, John! I had a lot of fun doing it. We are still looking forward to sharing an anchorage with you at some point. Good luck with the pre-season boat prep! Kimberly
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$500 is definitely an OOF. That’s a massive hike from $150 for sure. Was a 12-month cruising permit not offered when you first got to the Bahamas? (I know it used to be very much at the discretion of the officer on duty when you arrived.) Still, your reasons for swallowing that pill make a ton of sense to me. I’d have to imagine we’d make the same decision. Safe sailing – here’s to seeing you this spring!
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We were told at check in that we could pay $150 for 3 months and then another $150 to extend, which was consistent with prior years. Last year we paid $300 expecting to stay for 5 months but then left at the three month mark because of Covid, so we decided to do $150 this time in case lockdowns started again and we decided to leave early. Figured it was a win-win since we would just extend for another $150. Not. Sigh.
Looking forward to seeing you guys! Kimberly
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