Q:

Data validation to give text a value that's used in a formula elsewhere on the sheet

We have a group planning to charter a sailboat as a vacation for 10 days.   I'm trying to show the total costs of the trip.   It's a simple spreadsheet listing many semi-fixed costs like food, beer, fuel, insurance, mooring fees, etc. 
I know that Boat A costs 1000, Boat B costs 1500 and Boat C costs 2000.   I want the user to be able to select from a drop-down Boat A, B, or C and have it affect the bottom-line sum. 
How can I do that? 
Currently, using Data Validation all I know how to do is have the values (1000, 1500, 2000) in the drop-down list.   I want an end value to change automatically based on what the user picked (Boat A, Boat B, Boat C).  
Update: 5/18/16 - Still not working 100%
I have 6 boats listed yet 2 of the 6 do not display the correct value that is in the table.   The table data is E2:F7
Boat1  5999
Boat2  6599
Boat3  4999
Boat4  5099
Boat5  6999
Boat6  6499
Cell B5 is my drop down list containing Boat1 to Boat6
Cell C5 is my formula to determine the cost of the boat selected divided by 3. 
Cell C5 has the following formula =(VLOOKUP(B5,$E$2:$F$7,2))/3
It displays the correct value for all Boats except Boat1 & Boat2.   For those is calculating based on a boat price of 6999...which Boat1 & 2 are not those prices. 
Help!..so close

A:

If you use the cell with the drop down in your calculations, the sum will change automatically. 
If you prefer to have the drop down show text, you need to select the matching cost from some table somewhere - you could place the six cells "Boat 1", 1000, "Boat 2", 1500, "Boat 3", 2000 (in three rows) wherever you like (in a spot nobody looks, or a separate sheet, or right smack on your sheet). 
Then use the formula =VLOOKUP(<cell with the dropdown>,TheTable,2,FALSE) to calculate the price for the selected boat, and use this in the further calculations. 
Make sure to spell the texts in the drop down the same as in the table, or the formula won't find it.