What We Spent During Our Charter

Today I sat down to tally our receipts from our charter, which covered everything from provisioning before we left to buying drinks ashore. When all is said and done, it was a bit surprising how those little costs added up over 10 days. Having a detailed breakdown (much like a personal budget) really shows where the money goes and will help with our planning for next time.

In total, we spent $2224 over our charter costs, which works out to about $55 per person per day. These costs are detailed below and comprised of $881 for provisioning, $536 for drinking & eating ashore, and $807 for mooring, fuel, taxis, kayaks, etc.  We didn’t feel like we were splurging (OK, perhaps for the Lobster dinner on Anegada at Potters), but being in “vacation-mode” we spent as we desired. Using a mooring ball each night added a bit to our expenses (usually $30/day) but was certainly worth it for peace of mind, as we’re still anchor newbies.

Travelling with another couple, we decided John & I would pay for all of our shared outings when we went ashore and just tally it all at the end so they could reimburse us. Since both couples drank and ate about the same amount, this worked really well for us and saved the hassle of asking for bills to be split, or worrying about who paid last time. This was also a great way to ensure we were paying attention to our receipts so we could have a fairly accurate picture of our expenses.

While we were on board we also used a kitty system – each couple contributed an equal portion at the start of the trip to cover any shared expenses such as mooring fees, garbage, ice, taxis, etc. We replenished it as necessary and never had to worry about haggling over “whose turn is it to pay this time”. Thanks to The Boat Galley for the suggestion!

Considering that provisioning for a charter was completely new to us, I was particularly pleased by how well it went, with lots of yummy meals onboard and very few items leftover at the end. We followed recommendations from more experienced folks to plan our provisioning in advance so non-perishable groceries and beverages were delivered to our boat, fresh produce was purchased in-store at Riteway and the French Deli, and we brought a few things from home such as spices, granola bars, tea, ziplocks, etc.

The Chef’s Pantry at Leverick Bay was a good source to re-stock along the way, offering a nice selection of deli meats, cheeses, etc. We even bought a few things at Rudy’s on Jost Van Dyke so I could make a Moroccan Chicken dish. Although we ate most of our meals onboard, many days we also enjoyed a drink with an appetizer or light snack while exploring ashore, taking advantage of happy hour whenever possible.

The table below provides details of how the money was spent. If the chart format doesn’t work on your device, here is the actual Excel file.

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