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| It cost a minimum of $125 / night for the owners of these sandals to so easily set foot from their mooring dock onto terra firma. |
One of my brother’s favorite jokes as a kid, was to make nose prints, pressing his face flush against swanky restaurant windows. His big, brown soulful eyes
stared hungrily at the diners, seeing if he could break their composure. Our folks fed us well; this was just a lark for Bro. I didn’t follow suit, even though it totally cracked me up.
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| Cute sign, but we were not tempted. |
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| Clear water. Nice walking beach an easy dinghy ride in. Some of the little huts are the roof of a beachfront café. The $18 burgers did not tempt us; the $175 Valentines couples dinner at the other island restaurant, was even less tempting. |
As a so-called adult, I carry the tradition forward, with a little bit of a twist. I relish in dropping anchor for free in bays where mooring balls cost $65 a night, and docking $125, plus $70 for electric hookup.
Here’s a comparison between us, the “Squatters & Slackers” to the “Well Heeled” on Peter Island, British Virgin Islands.
Peter Island: Highbrow or Lowbrow? An Awesome Experience, Regardless
Squatters & Slackers (aka Budget Cruisers) | Well-Heeled Sailors | Notes | |
Staying | Anchoring is free $0; our power comes from our solar panels. | $65-$195 / night | Mooring ball $65, docking $125, +$70 if electric hookup |
Meals & Drinks | $15 do-it-yourself (DIY) | $200+ | Cooking for ourselves vs. eating out, 3 meals |
Internet | $0 | $0 | Open WiFi;) – free! |
Convenience | No, dinghy onto land | Yes – excellent – all there if docked | Very small amount of $ for dinghy gas |
Pampering | No | Yes | We can do each other – not the same |
Walkies | $0 | $0 | Only cost is motivation! |
Massage | $0 (DIY – “Do me, Wayne”) | $210 featured massage | Wayne’s good! |
View | $0 | $0 | Awesome! |
Total | $15 | $475-605 | |
Overall Experience | We create our own paradise | Paradise: Easy but expensive | Any questions? |
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| Mooring balls in this bay, just around the corner from our anchorage, cost $65/night. |
I told Wayne about I was looking up the cost of a massage on Peter Island “just for yucks” (click here to learn more about the lovely Peter Island Resort) for this post. He said, “Your cost of the massage is simply to lay down and say ‘Do me.’”
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| Ceramic map of Peter Island as seen in the higher end resort restaurant on Peter Island. We anchored in Deadman’s Bay, on the NE part of the island, just in from the Island Deadman’s Chest. |
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| Wayne washing the sand off his feet for free at the outdoor shower on Peter Island’s Resort. We figured the resort would prefer we not sully their walkways. |
I may not be rich in cash, but life is good. Thanks, Wayne. I love you, darlin.’
If we anchor again at Peter Island, as long as the WiFi’s still free, we’ll buy a burger and a drink to say thanks.
Best way too cruise!! I rarely used the docks because of the cost and noise!
Dave
Talked to some folks on a power cat today who said anchoring scared them; they were dyed in the wool mooring ball folks. Charters of course.
Since I was hitching a dinghy ride from them I decided not to terrify them with stories about poorly maintained mooring balls, and simply said; I"i trust our anchoring much more than mooring balls."
I love your cost/benefit analysis for paradise! Wise choices!
Ethereal