Best place in Bahamas for refit? Freeport or Nassau?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by watanaka

Glad I asked! Thanks guys.

So... what about turks and caicos?

Or what is a place that would work? Basically I am in the US, I will be able to buy most supplies before I leave but want to finish my refit somewhere else where I winter, but not too far away.

BUT, you can never buy all the supplies for a project when you're working on your boat. No matter how carefully you plan, even if you are in the middle of the job and make a list of what you need to finish what is right in front of you, there's always one or more additional trips back to the store for another tube of caulk or a longer stainless steel screw or more wire or a different size crimp fitting or a special tool or more sandpaper or, well you get the point.

I can't think of anywhere in the Bahamas or Caribbean where you can do this.

I think sanding, painting, woodwork and similar labor intensive jobs that require basic tools and supplies you could save money and not encounter problems outside the US but anything technical, do it here.

[boatman61]

Go to St Martins French side... plenty of freelance Europeans looking to boost their cruising funds and with a variety of skills... and they'll charge you less than an American...
I'd paint and varnish for $25/hr... hell that's good money to me when you think my hourly rate as a delivery skipper works out at around $6/hr...

Edit.. and there's excellent chandlers there where you can buy anything... except spark plugs for Honda OB's

[nautical62]

I'll add another vote to doing it in the U.S.

I did however keep my boat for a season at Abaco Yacht Services on Green Turtle and found it to be a nice yard. The yard at Marsh Harbour is a yanmar dealer.

[sestina]

Just avoid Whiticar Boatyard in Ft. Pierce. I had some insurance work done there. Apart from one highly skilled guy from Stewart, the rest of the management and workforce didn't have a fecking clue.

Mad African axemen armed with angle grinders hacking everything in sight. Their favoured machine shop who couldn't measure a shaft. A rigger who could hardly tie a bowline. An engineer who couldn't assemble a Maxprop. Manager who's only talent seemed to be loading up the invoice.

You have been warned!

[Mambo]

I agree with those who warned you off doing a refit in the Bahamas. That said, I understand that you can do okay with labor intensive work in Man O War Cay in the Abacos. Edwin's Boatyard and / or Tommy at MOW Marina are the natural "go-to" places but as in the states, you'll probably do better if you can find the right guy to hire direct (one guy comes to mind -- if you'd like his number PM me). Lots of folks get bright-work done there. MOW has a long (and ongoing) boat-building history and the quality of work is higher than you'll find most places.

[bahamarich]

R&B Boat yard in Spanish Wells North Eluethera has a railway and platform lift and often does Catamarans both from charter fleets and visiting yachts. The mechanical work in Spanish Wells is cheaper than Florida, although the bottom job will be higher.

Man of War in the Abacos also does excellent bottom jobs, fiberglass and woodwork.

You can get some parts imported at little tax/tariff costs as a yacht in transit; you must send a copy of your cruising permit to accompany the shipment. You have to also consider your cost of returning to the US and then back to the Bahamas. You will be in the Bahamas rather than Florida during the process and that's worth something. Rich

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by bahamarich

R&B Boat yard in Spanish Wells North Eluethera has a railway and platform lift and often does Catamarans both from charter fleets and visiting yachts. The mechanical work in Spanish Wells is cheaper than Florida, although the bottom job will be higher.

Man of War in the Abacos also does excellent bottom jobs, fiberglass and woodwork.

You can get some parts imported at little tax/tariff costs as a yacht in transit; you must send a copy of your cruising permit to accompany the shipment. You have to also consider your cost of returning to the US and then back to the Bahamas. You will be in the Bahamas rather than Florida during the process and that's worth something. Rich

You've got to be very wary of the "some parts" with Bahamas customs. There was a guy in Georgetown last year that lost his water pump on his engine and they let him import it duty free because he needed it for the boat to move. His air conditioner parts were not duty free because customs did not consider it a critical part of the boat and hit him for 30% of what they thought it was worth. That ended up being the MSRP, not the discounted price on the invoice that the guy had actually paid. If you have an actual broken part on an engine, the rigging, etc you'll probably get a break on the tax, but for a general refit I doubt you'll get any break. This is how their government is funded. They have no income or sales taxes so they are pretty strict with enforcement.

[bahamarich]

First Bill looking forward to seeing you folks in some anchorage this winter. Second thanks for expanding on the explanation of customs charges on some boat parts. It's a lot of smoke and mirrors.

Bottom line for work in the Bahamas, a few phone calls can help with the cost at the various yards, but anything can happen at customs based on who you have on the other side of the desk and the phase of the moon. There is a full moon tonight I would wait to call till tomorrow.

I would not state that there are not any good places in the Bahamas to have work completed. There are many places in Florida that I would tell folks to stay away from. Pirates not boat mechanics. Rrrrrrr, very appropriate on Talk Like a Pirate Day. Rrrrrr a haul out and a bottom job walk the plank maty! Rich