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Bertram31.com General Bulletin Board
Re: Operating Costs
Posted By: JohnV8r In Response To: Re: Operating Costs (raz)
Date: Thursday, 4 May 2006, at 1:05 p.m.
Raz,
Here are a couple of differences from the West Coast perspective. I'm in Northern CA, but know LaPaz very well.
First big difference in CA/Baja is going to be that you will not haul out every year. You will use a bottom paint like Trinidad SR and if you put two coats on, you will likely be able to go three years before you need to haul out. With heavy use you might only get two years in the warmer waters of LaPaz, but you get the point. Shambala has an epoxy barrier coat and two coats of Trinidad SR that were put on in June 2003 and my diver tells me my bottom paint is still in great shape.
Some B31 owners cringe at the thought of not having the boat out every year to check cutlass bearings, etc, but I have not had a problem.
One of the biggest issues you're going to have in LaPaz is insurance during the hurricane season. Also, I don't know what the current slip rental rates are in LaPaz, but inventory was waaaay down after the hurricane a few years ago took out a number of marinas.
Another little quirk about Mexico is that gas is hard to find on the water. There was one fuel dock in LaPaz that had gas before the hurricane. I don't know what the status is now. Diesel is everywhere, but gas is not. So factor in that a gas boat will likely require you to shuttle your own gas down to the dock. You're not going to be able to cruise over to Cabo San Lucas and pull into a fuel dock that has gas before you head back to LaPaz.
Baja Calfornia is becoming a much more mature place in terms of the number of good boatyards. The new legislation in CA that requires boats be kept offshore for 1 year to avoid sales tax has created an entire year round market for boat service in Mexico that was seasonal at best a few years ago. The old issue about availability of service and diesel mechanics being available in Mexico is rapidly disappearing. In addition, there are a number of diesel mechanics that will fly down to Baja from Southern CA. Expensive, yes. However, if you have a major problem in paradise, it's worth the cost.
As for expenses, well, some of that depends on you. Shambala is a gas boat. When gas hit $4.10 a gallon at the marina last summer and the paramedics finished rescusitating me, I just resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to be able run every weekend. That didn't mean I wasn't down on the boat enjoying myself and doing little projects. I just replaced a lot of fishing weekends with project weekends and short cruises to restaurants. The result is that Shambala is in tip-top shape and my expenses were probably no more than $8500 last year. That said, I can attest to the fact that it is easy to spend $20,000 a year operating a B31. For me, that would be running for tuna every weekend possible. However, in LaPaz I think your expenses would likely be lower than average. Consider this: To get to the back side of Isla Cerralvo and some generally biblical fishing is only 80 miles round trip. A full 40 miles of that 80 mile round trip is in productive water where you could troll. Your diesel consumption at trolling speeds will be very, very low. In addition, you'll have great fishing opportunities on the backside of Isla Espiritu Santo and that's only 30 miles round trip. Last but not least, you also have the beaches and reefs around the corner and to the South from LaPaz that you can fish for Roosterfish, Amberjack and Pargo. That's only a 40 mile round trip and probably 20 of that is trollable water.
Sooner or later you're going to be out fishing in the Cortez and get hit with a Chubasco (Howling North wind). I wouln't want to be in some 4,000 lb center console or walkaround. In fact, every year some poor guy that trailered his 24' Grady White down for the trip of a lifetime ends up dead because he got caught when the winds unexpectedly picked up on the Cortez. Don't let the $20,000 annual operating figure scare you off. You can operate a B31 for much less than that and consider any additional cost above that of a center console or walkaround good life insurance.
And don't forget this: Some of the best days I've had on Shambala have just been sitting in the cockpit at the marina with a drink in my hand pondering the fact that I am a steward of the Best Boat Ever Built.
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