This post is an update to an older post from before we cast off, called “Budgeting Expectations“.
It has been almost two years since my original post about our budget aboard Rua Hatu. After cruising for a while now, let’s review our spending over the last two years.
2020
- Haulout in California, USA
- New bottom paint (CopperCoat)
- Insurance
- Mooring
- Mobile phone ($1,000)
Total 2020: $20,000
2021
- Haulout in Sonora, MX
- New topside paint (AlexSeal)
- Boat hardware (Solar panels, plumbing, chain, …)
- Insurance
- Mooring
- Mobile Phone
Total 2021: $21,000
We spent most of 2020 cruising Washington, Oregon, and California and all of 2021 in Mexico. The haulout in California and Sonora were both cheap as we did all the work ourselves and thus only had to pay for the crane and the spot in the boatyard. Insurance and mobile phone are fixed amounts but we unfortunately expect to loose full coverage insurance for the boat soon due to Rua Hatu already being 31 years old. Basic liability insurance will still be available as it is obligatory for tying up in a marina in Mexico.
Life in Mexico is obviously a lot cheaper than on the west coast of the United States. Especially while we are in remote anchorages we are not tempted to go eat out or make use of the many convenience stores Mexico has to offer. For example, in La Paz, a tourist location on a remote peninsula covered in desert, where almost everything has to be imported, a nice dinner for two with drinks will cost you about US$25/MX$500, about half of what we used to pay for a dinner in Washington. Grocery shopping is a similar experience though here in Baja California Sur, fruits and vegetables are considerably more expensive than on the mainland.
In 2021 we also needed to replace the plumbing. we reduced our tank space by one 19 gallon tank but were able to create a new filling manifold as well as a use manifold in the newly gained space. This will give us the ability to better control where the water goes between the tanks. We still have three large tanks and our trusted water maker so loosing one 19 gallon tank thankfully isn’t a big deal on Rua Hatu.
In terms of expenses, we spent about what we expected in the last two years, no surprises and thankfully no emergencies. Fortunately for us, the US stock market is still roaring, so our net worth has remained solid.
But after over a year in Mexico we are now preparing for new horizons. We hope to sail to French Polynesia and New Zealand this year if all goes well. New Zealand has just announced its plans to open this summer. Should that plan fail, meaning if either French Polynesia or New Zealand change their minds, or decide to deny us entry, we are looking to sail south out of the hurricane zone to Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia, and spend the time there until the South Pacific opens up.