# Instant Cruising?



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

Hello. First an introduction. I'm based in BC and have been coastal cruising for yikes, 25 years. We've owned a 20 year old Catalina 34 for a year and prior to that had a 40 year old English bilge keeler. There is me, my wife, and 2 boys aged 9 and 12, and of course the waterdog, Scupper. 

We are contemplating pulling the plug, selling the house, cars, boat, etc and going cruising in warmer climates for an indefinite period of time. So the next boat will need to be a comfortable bluewater voyager. There is plenty of guidance here on what sort of boat to get, but I'm looking for feedback on overall approach.

Conventional wisdom says I should buy the boat (something 20 ish years old would fit the budget) and spend the next few years fitting it out appropriately for offshore work before loading the family aboard, heading out Juan de Fuca and hanging a left for Mexico. I have a couple of problems with this approach 1) boats here tend to be very expensive and there is a limited selection of decent world cruising types & 2) why make the family's first foreign cruising experience a run down the coast of Oregon with heavy fog and/or 3 gales before we hit San Francisco?

The alternative is to buy a boat, say a reasonably equipped Mason 43 or Fast Passage 39, in say BVI or Mexico. Something with a sound hull, rig, and engine and move aboard and go cruising. If we're going to spend our days rebedding stanchions why not do it in a nice warm anchorage with snorkel trips in afternoon? 

I firmly believe that fixing/upgrading the boat is a never ending experience and I enjoy it immensely. I'm not sure that I believe it has to be done all at once and that I need to do a $100k refit on a 20-25 year old boat to get it ready to go. Seems to me there are plenty of boats that people have already invested a lot of money in refitting and that buying a sound boat "in paradise" is a viable option. 

What are the downsides of buying the boat in a destination cruising area? Am I going to experience major frustration in getting parts and wish that I'd bought something in Southern California or Florida instead?


----------



## hphoen (Apr 3, 2003)

Scupper42,

I think you're on to something. There are boats to be bought in the eastern Caribbean, and several spots where you can readily access parts and specialized labor (like rigging, refrigeration, electrical). My preference would be St. Maarten, although others may disagree. St. Maarten is duty free, so the parts are cheaper.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I like your plan. there are boats around your area that have already been outfitted. (solar,wind vane steering, radar etc.) i would start there. one the other hand, boats down south owned by northern american have usually been outfitted as well. just alot less hassle (not necessarily money) buying in the general vicinity but they're closer to home.


----------



## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

I like Huds idea but I would expand on it a bit to include Florida. The Caribe boats TEND to be largely ex-charter or boats in need of much attention, which is not to say you can't find a good one...but expanding to Florida gives you many more choices and an easy jump off to the Bahamas or up the East Coast when you and the boat are ready. There are a lot of beat up boats in FL too...but the sheer numbers make it more likely you'll find something suitable.


----------



## chuck711 (Dec 25, 2002)

*Why head into the wind to get to the good stuff?*

Hey a good idea. There are a lot of cruisers who live the dream then for the sake of a change or tired of yet another beautiful beach or waterfall,
want to sell their boat in the Caribbean. Especially in Trinidad. Your choice
is to head down a dangerous coast toward the Pacfic or hang out in familiar anchorages. For our trip we didn't even consider our trip began
until we were in St. Martin heading down the island chain. The good stuff.
Buy a boat and just do it. If you think hard enough you can come up with many reasons ( excuses ) not to.

Plenty of well equipped cruising boats or cheap charter boats. Both will do the job.

Your Catalina 34 will do it nicely.

Remember its the people .... never the boat.........who can deliver.


----------



## bestfriend (Sep 26, 2006)

Damn! Just when I thought I had my future all planned out! Great idea noob , back to the drawing board for me. I love this place!


----------



## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

There's no doubt that 50 nm daysails between islands, 20 knots on the beam and mid-20degC temps beats the hell out of bashing down the west coast, even in summer. I, too, think you're onto a plan here (I've done both and I know which one's more fun.)

I think that heading down this left coast is, as an introduction to offshore living/sailing, one of the hardest ones to adapt to. Its not warm, fog is an ever present potential, weather systems marching at you one after the other. Few good hideyholes if things to go badly.

There is a video series "Ocean Wanderers" (on knowledge network now and then) about a Victoria dentist and his family that did buy a boat in Florida and ultimately went around the world over a 5-7 year period. A lesson learned from their experience (well documented in their series) was to really be cautious when buying the boat. They weren't and got to Floriday ready to go only to find the boat completely unworthy of the plan, (IIRC the boat was on the hard with a couple of feet of water inside) and spent a year or so, and over $100K, fixing things up.

But they persevered and did it, but imagine how much better the whole experience would have been if they hadn't had that unpleasant surprise.


----------



## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

marine Service center in Seattle has at least one boat in Mexico already for sale. I am sure that if you look hard enough too, there will be more than one person whom got from here to there and said "ENOUGH" and you can find a fully equiped, ready to go boat for a song if you will. 

have fun on the trip, when you get there

marty


----------



## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

Sounds like a good idea, but there can be complications that should be thought through. Number one is the number of trips you might end up making to go look at boats in far away (expensive) places before finding the right one, and possibly settling on something less than ideal because you just spent a lot of money to get there. When you do find the right one, then you need to very carefully and realistically assess what will need to be done to it (you said 20 years old, it will probably need a lot more than you or the surveyor originally think) and what local resources are available. If you are going to do a lot of the work yourself what are you going to use for tools, and where can you actually do the work. If hiring it done, again, what yards are available and what is the cost; will it be an offshore trip in an unknown boat to get there, are you OK with that? If you end up making half a dozen trips to find a boat and then several more trips for you and the family after finding the right one, the cost of the boat has gone up substantially. If I were taking my family offshore I would want to know my boat inside and out, every system, every hose and clamp, wires, batteries, rigging, sails, etc. This all takes time, and with the family on board wanting to "go", it probably won't happen. I know this sounds negative, I'm not meaning it to be, but buying a long distance boat can be challenging in a lot of ways that aren't obvious. On the other hand, the Washington and Oregon coast is no picnic either.

Good luck to you and your family and let us know how it all ends up.

John


----------



## bestfriend (Sep 26, 2006)

I, for one, am starting to wonder if this was a plug by a broker to stir up much needed business in used boat sales in far away places. I guess we'll have to wait and see if he comes back to defend himself. I hope I am wrong. Come back and prove me wrong Scupper.


----------



## chris_gee (May 31, 2006)

The theory is right. A near new motor adds less than its cost to the purchase price, and a "remote" location means the seller may have become more realistic because of a lack of potential purhasers.
That reflects the costs of inspection. You are right that maintenance is never completed. However may I suggest that sellers tend to be a bit rosey spectacled and over look that what is ok for a casual sail is not ok for ocean cruising. If you are selling up everything it sounds like more than the Bahamas to me. Think sails, motors, liferafts, SSB, rerigging, osmosis treatment not a quick grind and fill. Many who quit early may have missed some of these things. Those who have done their time in the tropics may need some redone. In short yes I agree but read the small print - very few boats actually qualify. There are often odd things like a 28 hp motor on a 10 tonne boat. I guess there isn't a free lunch very often.


----------



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

bestfriend said:


> I, for one, am starting to wonder if this was a plug by a broker to stir up much needed business in used boat sales in far away places. I guess we'll have to wait and see if he comes back to defend himself. I hope I am wrong. Come back and prove me wrong Scupper.


OK. OK. Business has been bad at my brokerage in PV. I was hoping maybe to stir up some business from some rich Canadians and put a stop to this whole Baha Haha thing and have people just fly down and buy boats like they used to...


----------



## chuck711 (Dec 25, 2002)

*Trinidad ,Serious boat repair and Upgrade areas*

Remote areas? Trinidad has some of the best affordable upgrading facilities around. Stainless work 50 % or more less than in the USA.

Bottom work ( blisters,rudder rebuild , soft hull repair ) 50 % less

Electronics and Engines well priced.

Lowest price dinghy and outboards ( by lots)

Also one of the " crossroads of the cruising community"


----------



## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Chuck...when was the last time you were there? Recent reports have prices higher than Grenada and approaching St. Maarten for skilled labor.


----------



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

Thank you all for the feedback. It's much appreciated, particularly the cautionary words. At the highest level, I think there is merit in pursuing this further. 

If I talk to a broker, I'm sure any of them will have half a dozen "offshore cruise ready" bluewater boats. And I'm also certain that nobody else's definition of "cruise ready" will meet my own. I don't think there is a boat on the planet that I would want to just jump aboard and cross an ocean. But there may be something with a strong hull, deck, rig, and engine that I would be willing to put my family aboard and do a little exploring of the islands while we fit it out. 

I understand why people can take five years to prepare for voyaging while trying to work for living. I just think if you combine the time and money with a decent boat and the right location that there might be a much faster route to getting there. Maybe its time to lose the mortgage and the job. Even if it still takes a year or two before we have a boat in the condition that we would want to cross an ocean with, there is no reason not to get going. 

Now, I just have to kill the dog and convince my wife and we'll be ready to go!


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

I just finished buying (Dad's boat, not mine) and I can tell you that finding a great boat is a challenge. 

I would opt for buying it in FL or CA. I found, in general, the boats in CA were (again, in general) nicer and more cared for and over-priced. I found the boats in FL less cared for (assuming it did not sink... ugh) but better priced.

We bought a Tayana Vancouver 42. It would meet the basic needs you have descibed as a blue water boat - though it is an overkill for most of the gulf IMO. But it is a comfortable, well made long distance boat. It was the most cared for and babied boat we stepped foot on in.... I don't know, many, many months. We more or less bought it on the spot. Then the suprises came....

THought they were nothing that bad, all had to be taken care and we would not have gone cruising with them. As such, be prepared for a lot of repair work and problems to be dealt with... no matter what boat you buy. If you somehow do not have any problems, God Bless you and go for it. My bet is that you will.

The slippage in CA is in general nicer than FL and may be easier had. S Florida is high right now... if you can even get a slip. But there are a lot of yards and it is a easy place to get to know your boat with many islands to explore and let's not forget the Bahamas across the stream. That one would be a personal decision.

Not sure that I gave you advice... not sure I would be comfortable giving it. But I gave you our recent experience.

Good luck in your search and take care.

- CD

PS There is a Tayana Vancouver 42 in Ecuador or something down south right now. THey are cruising on it and will be selling it. It is a CC model and looks nice in pics. Obviously you would have minimum issues with that boat since it is already cruising. If you cannot find the link to it and are interested, let me know.


----------



## bestfriend (Sep 26, 2006)

scupper42 said:


> OK. OK. Business has been bad at my brokerage in PV. I was hoping maybe to stir up some business from some rich Canadians and put a stop to this whole Baha Haha thing and have people just fly down and buy boats like they used to...


Ah good! I am glad you came back because I like your idea. Its got me thinking.


----------



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

*What About the Gear?*

So if we take this to the next logical step, has anyone tried to ship many hundreds of pounds of gear valued at thousands of dollars to a remote location to load on to their new boat? Does this present major problems with customs? Are there some jurisdictions where this is easier to do than in others?


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

scupper42 said:


> Maybe its time to lose the mortgage and the job. Even if it still takes a year or two before we have a boat in the condition that we would want to cross an ocean with, there is no reason not to get going.
> 
> Now, I just have to kill the dog and convince my wife and we'll be ready to go!


One step ahead of you brother, ditched the mortage, found the dog a nice home and liquidated most of the land anchors. still have the job though, oh... and a small boat costing $250 per month slippage, but keeps me almost sane. but i have peace of mind knowing i can bail at any time if needed or desired.
I like your plan!
BJ


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

scupper42 said:


> So if we take this to the next logical step, has anyone tried to ship many hundreds of pounds of gear valued at thousands of dollars to a remote location to load on to their new boat? Does this present major problems with customs? Are there some jurisdictions where this is easier to do than in others?


let it go man, let it go! you will be much happier. trust me on this. all you need are a few tools, Scuba & fishing gear, two weeks worth of clothes, cooking stuff, DVD's & music, a laptop. all else must go! give it to the homeless and the needy or sell it. you will feel good about it. we do


----------



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

Couldn't agree more. Now let's suppose for a moment that my scuba gear, fishing rods, cooking stuff, clothes, and dvds weigh a few hundred pounds and have several thousand dollar value. That brings us back to the original question. How big of a hassle is it to export this gear to some wonderful island nation somewhere? Is it better one place that another?


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

well, for an example. to ship a 2' x 1 1/2' x 1 1/2' 50l bd box from Vegas to the Philippines via commercial shipping was $85.00


----------



## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

I've sort of done what you describe. Shipped probably close to a thousand pounds of belongings from western Colorado to St Thomas to put in a house not on a boat. Our research led us to the US Postal Service pretty quick. 

With uspirate's example from Colorado to St Thomas using the US Postal Service would be $42.73. You can go to the USPS website and play with the numbers to various locations and countrys. Shipping to the USVI through USPS eliminates taxes and import fees that private couriers would have charged with no need to clear customs. You just need a place to ship to. Not sure if the USVI qualifies as a wonderful island nation somewhere.


----------



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

FarCry said:


> I've sort of done what you describe. Shipped probably close to a thousand pounds of belongings from western Colorado to St Thomas to put in a house not on a boat. Our research led us to the US Postal Service pretty quick. QUOTE]
> 
> I like that approach as it eliminates the whole import / customs problem which to me is a bigger concern that the freight charges. Now I see I can ship by Canada Post to Ellesmere Island without any trouble. Is Baffin Bay a daysail from St Thomas? Hmmm. Why Canada couldn't be bothered to annex some beautiful tropical island is beyond me...


----------



## FarCry (Apr 21, 2007)

scupper42 said:


> Is Baffin Bay a daysail from St Thomas? Hmmm.


Not on my boat but maybe on Giu's, Chuckle's, or Sailing Dog's.


----------



## StoneAge (Sep 28, 2007)

scupper42 said:


> I like that approach as it eliminates the whole import / customs problem which to me is a bigger concern that the freight charges. Now I see I can ship by Canada Post to Ellesmere Island without any trouble. Is Baffin Bay a daysail from St Thomas? Hmmm. Why Canada couldn't be bothered to annex some beautiful tropical island is beyond me...


Didn't we try that once with Turks and Caico's??? For some strange reason it didn't go through...

Yes, we are hit with some more challenges being from the great white north (We are in Ladysmith). But persevere my friend. You'll get there..

John
Stone Age


----------



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

*Step 1 Complete*

All right. There is no such thing as Instant Cruising, but if I think of everything involved from selling the house, the cars, the boat, arranging schooling, buying the boat, equipping the boat, adapting to a new life in different countries I've already completed the most difficult part. In fact, I am half way there to a new lifestyle.

I have discussed the concept with my wife.

I guess there really are no surprises. You can't leave Voyager's Handbook lying around and pretend your thinking about taking the Catalina 34 to the Broughtons.

She is agreeable. The rest is easy. Fast Passage 39 out of Mexico or late model Beneteau out of a BVI charter fleet, these are nearly irrelevant second tier details.

Everything is on the table now...


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

scupper-

whatever you do...make sure the mrs. can sail/handle the boat as well as you, and make sure she has input into the boat buying process. Cruising as a couple will leave you or her effectively singlehanding the boat for long periods of time...so you want to make sure that she likes the boat and can sail it.


----------



## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Actually I disagree on the need for the missus to be able to handle the boat under sail. Obviously, this would be a plus but I also think it is one of the things that brings a lot of fear to non-sailing spouses..."What happens if my hubby has a heart attack" or similar variation. 
The only reason for a woman to NEED to be able to sail the boat alone is if the hubby is incapacitated. If he IS incapacitated...she needs HELP for him...not to continue to make the passage. So...instead of sailing skills what she needs to learn is:
1. Getting the sails DOWN.
2. How to get help: EPIRB, SSB Emergency Operation, VHF Mayday prcedures AND how to give the position of the boat from the GPS.
3. Turning the engine on and driving the boat under power.
4. In the worst case of a spouse overboard items 1 and 3 are of immediate concern.

These things are relatively easy to learn and do not require strength or skills that take time to develope.
Obviously a spouse that CAN sail and enjoys it is a huge advantage in cruising, but it is my observation that many do not enjoy the actual sailing even though they may quite enjoy the cruising life.


----------



## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

Scupper,
Check out this fellow Canadian's website: The Usual Suspects - Caribbean Sailing Adventures
He bought a boat out in the Caribbean in the charter fleet and tells ALL of the details. It can take several hours to read through it all. Well worth your time though.
Oh, and don't kill the dog!
Good luck.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Why not buy the boat in CA or Mexico; sail it back to BC to complete the upgrades you intend and then set sail from Juan de Fuca knowing what the hell is planned? It will give you time to dispose of your belongings and outfit your world cruiser the way you want. Plus, it will give you plenty of time to learn the boat's systems and handling. You can always head south through Panama to enjoy the Carribean islands. That way it eliminates your shipping goods down there. Use your head ...

Randy
C&C 27
Astoria, OR


----------



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

sailingdog said:


> scupper-
> 
> whatever you do...make sure the mrs. can sail/handle the boat as well as you, and make sure she has input into the boat buying process. Cruising as a couple will leave you or her effectively singlehanding the boat for long periods of time...so you want to make sure that she likes the boat and can sail it.


Just as a point of reference.

I started sailing with the missus when we were 15 years old. At that point, she had 15 years more boating experience than I did. And I don't kid myself. She will have at least as much input on the boat choice as me. I will be easily impressed with tidiness behind an electrical panel and a thoughtfully prepared engine compartment; whereas she will notice important things like whether or not the galley is laid out well and if she can even reach the headboard on the main...


----------



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

sanjuan2R said:


> Why not buy the boat in CA or Mexico; sail it back to BC to complete the upgrades you intend and then set sail from Juan de Fuca knowing what the hell is planned? It will give you time to dispose of your belongings and outfit your world cruiser the way you want. Plus, it will give you plenty of time to learn the boat's systems and handling. You can always head south through Panama to enjoy the Carribean islands. That way it eliminates your shipping goods down there. Use your head ...
> 
> Randy
> C&C 27
> Astoria, OR


Two passages up and down the west coast and a canal transit to avoid shipping a pallet load of goods to BVI? I'm not sure this makes a lot of sense. The notion was to avoid the passages up and down the west coast and work on the refit in the destination cruising area...


----------



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

camaraderie said:


> Actually I disagree on the need for the missus to be able to handle the boat under sail. Obviously, this would be a plus but I also think it is one of the things that brings a lot of fear to non-sailing spouses..."What happens if my hubby has a heart attack" or similar variation.
> The only reason for a woman to NEED to be able to sail the boat alone is if the hubby is incapacitated. If he IS incapacitated...she needs HELP for him...not to continue to make the passage. So...instead of sailing skills what she needs to learn is:
> 1. Getting the sails DOWN.
> 2. How to get help: EPIRB, SSB Emergency Operation, VHF Mayday prcedures AND how to give the position of the boat from the GPS.
> ...


I dare say my wife won't be worried about sail handling and such. Her primary concern will be whether or not the body will stink before she returns to shore. She'll likely elect to toss me overboard rationalizing that I would have wanted to be buried at sea. I do hope she remembers to check for a pulse before she tosses me over...


----------



## Bermudahigh (Nov 17, 2007)

I think your plan to buy in the cruising ground is a sound one. we've been on the lookout for a few years. sometimes set back by "life". we've just returned from another venture down to sea trial and step on board only to be disappointed....again.

about the boat, your catalina is a good measuring stick to see what works and what doesn't. there are big 34' and small 44'ers. not sure if the book "sensible cruising, the thoreau approach" has been mentioned in this thread. its a great read.

x charter boats are abundant, so are the horror stories of substantial items missed by surveyors, refits gone way over budget, etc. there are good boats available. a passport 40 just sold in the bvi for in the 40k range. (this is the exception rather than rule.)

when evaluating the boat, especially w/gear, look hard at the age of the gear. watermakers can be more expensive to repair than replace.

i dont know if you've set a budget. that dictates the next course of action. 

as for your spouse, she will be focused on the safety of the children. its her job. 

its a great plan, go get it. we started cruising the bvi with our kids when they were 5 and 8. they're 23 and 26. one ran a 65' catamaran in st thomas and the other just returned from a winter there and is heading back in the fall.
good hunting!


----------



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

*An Update*

An update on this thread.

First, a word of warning. It's best not to leave a laptop in the hospital room of your terminally ill son open to a website with a posting entitled "Instant Cruising" whereupon you detail plans to liquidate the family assets. Your wife may find it and it can trigger discussions outside of the sequence you might have planned.

In any case, whatever the sequence of events, we are now past the dreaming stage and have moved into the planning stage.

The notion of selling up everything and buying a boat in a tropical destination has been squashed. The buying the boat part was met with approval. Selling the house was not. That presents a small funding problem. So...

We have decided to take the Catalina 34 down the coast to Mexico. So I'll have a bunch of questions about outfitting, watermakers, EPIRBS, SSBs, solar panels etc. but I'll post them in new threads in the proper categories.

If there is anything we have learned, it is that it is much better to just get going and live life than to dream of what might be one day. So we'll sail what we got...


----------



## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

Sounds like a good compromise and the most important thing is that you are going! There's a lot to be said for taking off in a boat you know and trust. Good luck to you, keep in touch. 

Uhh... you're not planning on leaving now are you?

John


----------



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

jrd22 said:


> Sounds like a good compromise and the most important thing is that you are going! There's a lot to be said for taking off in a boat you know and trust. Good luck to you, keep in touch.
> 
> Uhh... you're not planning on leaving now are you?
> 
> John


Hmmm. Well I think we are a bit late for this year. There is a reasonably long list of things to do and we would basically need to leave, well, right now. So I think I'll muck about and add a bimini, new standing rigging, new rudder, and some serious electrical upgrades over the next few months and we will leave in early summer next year, perhaps heading north before we head south...


----------



## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

scupper42 said:


> Hmmm. Well I think we are a bit late for this year. There is a reasonably long list of things to do and we would basically need to leave, well, right now. So I think I'll muck about and add a bimini, new standing rigging, new rudder, and some serious electrical upgrades over the next few months and we will leave in early summer next year, perhaps heading north before we head south...


Sounds like a plan, Scupper. You probably don't really want to head south for real until late July, early August so if you left June and did a laid-back Vancouver Island circumnavigation by the time you got to Barkley Sound you'll know if everything's good to carry on. Striking out from there will also avoid the inevitable summertime crash and bash out of Juan de Fuca.

In the event that something cropped up that needed attention it's an easy detour back to get things tuned up.

It will also have you sipping Marguritas while we unfortunates suffer through the 2010 Olympics nonsense... (though we hope to spend that two weeks in the Eastern Caribbean.. )


----------



## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

Scupper- Good plan, I assumed you weren't leaving soon, just wasn't sure. Mr. Faster has a pretty good plan there, maybe we'll see you, I think we'll go around Vancouver starting in July. Hope to see you.


----------



## KODAD (Jan 9, 2008)

I'm so sorry to hear about your son. Peace be with you.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

When it comes time to sail south think about having the family meet you in San Francisco or Santa Barbara after you and some friends, or other crew sail her down the Pacific Northwest coast. Eliminates getting off to a rough start in a very rough part of the ocean. South of Santa Barbara is great cruising grounds for families.


----------



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

KODAD said:


> I'm so sorry to hear about your son. Peace be with you.


Thanks KODAD. Spencer was a great kid. In 13 years he managed to inspire hundreds of people to get past whatever challenges they have and really live life fully.


----------



## gilsurf (Dec 12, 2006)

That is a great pic of your son... I can not even imagine... my 6 year old son sails our 44' beneteau...

Some thoughts on your adventure: Yup, just go, but go carefully. Have you considered trucking the boat to San Diego? Make the 1st step as simple and successful as possible. Plan time near easy repairs.. sail around S cal for a while and test all systems. But, don't go overboard on all the stuff... sail for a while and see what you really need... adapt to your boat.

RE the carib: if you ever decide to do that, St. Thomas is a very good starting point for an American. You can ship crate loads of stuff from Fort Lauderdale to STT on Tropical Shipping for very cheap. A car engine was $35. There is also a Pod (small container) rep here and for around $1500, they do door to door to STT from the west coast. But plan on spending a good amount of time scouring the BVI and further for a boat... unless you want a stock ex-charter which will need lots of upgrades. You can walk out with an ex-charter in days.

FWIW, we have been aboard at anchor for 1.5 years with 2 small kids in STT and are just getting things all in line... noting that we work, kids go to school, etc. Thus, projects are fit in and al has to be moved to get to project areas.

have a great time!
Gil


----------



## norseman554 (Apr 9, 2004)

*Another thing to consider*

I can't remember the name of them now, but there's a company that arranges the shipment of boats as deck cargo on cargo ships. I know people from the old Morgan list on sailnet that have shipped boats from FL to WA, and from (if I recall correctly) Mexico to the Philippines - at remarkable low rates.


----------



## cptnj2ds (Jun 9, 2005)

*Further afield?*

If you're contemplating leaving your home area to buy a boat, why stop at the Caribbean? Not a few yachts from Europe and North America get as far as New Zealand, then for one reason or another their owners change plans and the boat goes up for sale.
Check out the Boats For Sale section on NZ websites to see what's available. _Note that prices will be in NZ Dollars, currently worth about 63c US; you may get a pleasant surprise.
_[Sorry, I don't have enough postings here yet to be allowed to put in a link.]
Boating facilities in general are pretty abundant, and most cruising equipment is available locally. Getting stuff from the US is not a problem [though freight is not cheap] and with good organisation you may be able to avoid any duties as you're taking it out of the country again.
On that subject, if the boat hasn't been here long enough to attract import duty, and is still registered in the US [or wherever], the same should apply.
Fiji, Tonga, both Samoas, Vanuatu, New Caledonia are all about a week's sail from Auckland. Even Australia - if you like that sort of thing lol.


----------



## ByrSac (Aug 8, 2001)

*Been there, been done by that*

My experience , for what it's worth, is that it's not so easy as you might think to find the "right" boat. Of course, my wife says I'm way too picky. ... Since we lived in an area with few cruising boats, we did exactly what you are contemplating, in the mid '90s. Packed the family of four into a Civic and headed for Florida. It seemed simple enough to find a good boat there, since there were hundreds if not thousands already fully pimped out for island cruising. There were in fact so many, it became bewildering, like standing at the counter of a Baskin Robbins for the first time, with just enough cash for one scoop. In the end I must have inspected 100 boats, weighed the pros and cons of each, made a couple of offers that were refused, frustrated an army of brokers, before finding the "right" boat for us, a 36-foot Westerly cc ketch, behind the owner's house on a canal in Ft. Lauderdale. Here is the punchline: the travel costs were 10% of the cost of the vessel. I vowed, next time I would MOVE to Florida first, get a job at a brokerage, and patiently wait for the boat to manifest.

During our two-year cruise, we met all kinds of folks on all kinds of boats: an insanely well adjusted family of five on a tiny CS 27, a murderously unhappy long-married couple on a big Hinckley purchased just for their sabbatical, and everything in between. As Chuck711 says, it's not the boat, it's the crew that makes the voyage a success. (That said, the right crew is one that knows how to buy the right boat. )

Good luck.


----------



## pverstoep (Dec 20, 2005)

*Take us as an example*

Good Day New Cruiser,
We were in the same position 2 years ago, we have 9 and 11 yr old sons and wanted go cruising. We took a month of sail training with manhina expeditions and then went looking for a cruising boat. After looking for 6 days and 56 monohull boats, we decided that we saw all the families in the BVI sailing on multihulls and loving it. The last boats we looked at were multi hulls and we bought a 50ft 10 yr old catamaran. This has been the best decision we made as we homeschool, the boys have their kayaks ( used as bicycles) and we have lots of space to breakout into each ones own room. We have met many people with kids, and the "happy" ones were on cats, as monohulls run out of space when you live on it all the time. Look for a boat that is in better or great shape and start sailing. Go to St Maarten and fix or replace what needs to be replaced, and go on. There is no boat that will have no breakdowns, even new vessels have the same problems. It is a fact of living on the water. I can give you lots more info if desired, as we have been living the dream and our sons get an education second to none. Make it comfortable for the wife with the utilities known at home and you will be the king. I am not trying to sell you on this but I hope you make the right choice to make this a wonderfull experience that will last a lifetime. we have sailed now 2 years and are still enjoying it tremendously.

Peter Verstoep


----------



## DaleKAnderson (Feb 25, 2003)

After spending huricane season in Trinidad, I think that is a great place to buy a boat and get work done on it. The labor cost is low, very large parts stores available within a 1-2 block walk, any type of work needed there are 2 or more places that do each of the specialties (wood, fiber glass, diesel, props, canvas, hull painnting etc.etc. etc.).
Contact Peake's marina in Trinidad, as they have a lot of boats for sale there (normally hundreds are stored there for hurricane season and a lot are for sale).


----------



## cstockard (Jun 26, 2004)

We've been out cruising for the last 5 years on the pacific coast from Alaska to Ecuador.

There are many fine boats for sale south of the US. Some of these are sadly neglected, but others are good cruising boats whose owners have been forced to cut their cruises short. 

Becasue the main cost of finding a boat in a foreign country will be the cost of transportation to see it, one needs to know the model of boat one wants (or at least that are suitable). In the major cruising areas (Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, San Carlos etc) there are brokers. There are also surveyors who can give you a condition report before you invest in a look see. 

In the major Mexican yachting areas you will find reasonable access to parts and expertise, yards, and machine shops. Updating or preparing a boat in that country is a reasonable project.

There are some boats further south in Central America, but finding them evaluating them, and working on them would be much more difficult.


----------



## gilsurf (Dec 12, 2006)

RE shipping a boat: Dockwise: The boat 'sinks', you float on, they weld up chocks, pump out water and sail off. It goes all over (Carib, Pacific, med, etc.)

RE Cats: Yup, it we could afford a big cat, that would be a great way to go. But it can be done on any boat. Our broker raised 3 kids on a Westsail 32 and I heard of a family of 4 on a Cal 27.


----------



## brrabbit (Dec 30, 2007)

*the distant boat purchase*

A note of caution. I traveled all the way from CA to BVI sure I was going to buy a Fast Passage 39 there. It did have nice gear on it and it sailed like a dream. BUT. Chainplates were pulling out of the bulkheads - badly under engineered. The decks were major wet in the balsa core, and the hull, althrough dry, was cored. Early day style with early day foam. I contacted one of the original people involved at Tollycraft and confirmed this when I got back home. One bump in the night and your hull core is soaking up sea water. No thanks. $2,000 and a week later I had to let her go. Wonderful hull design. Too bad.

Do your homework before flying off to wherever, and start right now thinking solid and stout. Sometimes an old beater needs only cosmetic stuff and is built like a tank. I eventually bought a Fair Weather Mariner 39 in Florida that is fast, built like a brick, and dry through and through. The deck to hull joint is bolted and then completely glassed over. The chainplates are huge and solid.

No matter what you buy you will spend beaucoup bucks re-outfitting it. There are some good boats for sale in Mexico and the Sea of Cortez if you look carefully and repairs are much easier there than many places. Good luck.

Brrabbit


----------



## craigjohnston (Aug 7, 2000)

I think you will be happier fitting out in the U.S. before taking off --ready suppliers, good transportation and reliable communications, and especially lower hardware prices will all be to your benefit. With a refitted older boat you also need a vigorous sea trial to identify the inevitable bugs.

Sailing down the West Coast can be formidable, But if you aren't willing to take it on, I question your readiness for a serious blue water passage such as crossing the South Pacific. On our trans-Pacific trip in '03 we did not have time to spend a winter in Baja, so we departed Portland in March. With careful attention to the weather, we had no adverse winds but did see up to 30kn of tailwinds and seas up to 15-18'. It was a cold and sometimes rough ride. But we stopped only in Newport, OR and the SF Bay Area for weather, and then went on directly to the Marquesas with a great deal of confidence that we could handle such conditions. And while we never saw seas that big in the South Pacific, we certainly had winds of 30-40 kn on a number of occasions.

The lack of parts and their high prices in French Polynesia will really make your jaw drop.


----------



## Redline4Life (Feb 4, 2007)

Hey, you should check out October's issue of Pacific Yachting. There's a great article by Martin Clark who went down to the caribbean and bought a boat for 20 grand, did some essential toucxh up and then just cruised. They even made a profit when they sold it. Great article and may add to some ideas!


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*looking for more info on Fast Passage 39 (brrabbit?)*

I read in your posting that you had discovered a balsa cored deck in the Tollycraft built FP39, I was wondering if that was true of the Canadian built boats as well, or if you had more information concerning these boats. We have found a couple for sale here in Seattle and they fit all of our needs really well but I have some concerns about the decks - would you mind sharing what you have been able to find out??

Thanx so much!


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Cadogra—

You'd really be better off posting a new thread regarding your question. I'd also recommend you read the POST in my signature to get the most out of your time on sailnet, as well as get an overview of the forum basics... 

Welcome to sailnet.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

It's funny I was looking for something totally unrelated when I ran across this post. It just so happens that my wife and I did just what you are thinking about. However, we are not doing a round the world trip. We bought a boat in the BVI's and sailed around the Caribbean for three months a year for the past three years. There are many boats for sail that sound like they could fit the bill in the Caribbean. All you need is a focused plan on what you want and what you're willing to do your self. There are many yards with varying trades people with varying skill levels. We've had work done in Tortola, St Martin and St Lucia...the work...well if they are local, need a lot of watching. This is not a slight against the people of the Caribbean but people calling themselves electricians can be anyone from a skilled master to a guy who was electrocuted once. If you are well versed in the repairs and how to do them, supervision of the trades will be a snap. There are a number of good yards and well supplied shops.
We looked at a number of boats on the internet and had two surveyed and bought the best. We ended up paying 50k less than in Vancouver and the sailing was much more simple, 6inch tidal variation and short crossings. 
If your worried about buying a boat in the Caribbean look at buying one on the eastern seaboard. During these economic times there are some deals!!!


----------



## scupper42 (Mar 30, 2008)

*Instant Cruising Takes a Little Longer*

Thanks Nicholasgeo.

We've actually dropped the notion of buying a boat in the Caribbean. I still think it would be a sound plan, and my wife liked the idea, she just wouldn't sell the house (wish we did, it's probably dropped 25% in value from its peak).

So instead, we are taking our Catalina 34 down to Mexico for a year. I'm just about to pull the trigger on a bunch of gear and refit items to get ready to go for next summer.

So we are taking the "go with what you got" approach. Which sure beats not going...


----------

