Am I Dreaming or Can This Be Done

[Akapeterc]

I am planing on going to the USA in July 2013, purchasing a yacht and joining the 2014 ARC world rally back to Australia.

I have a budget of $190k so I am looking at purchasing a yacht for $150K and allowing $40K to spend on setting up the yacht ready for a trip across the pacific. I assume I will need a water maker, new rigging & nav gear.

I plan to purchase in Florida which gives me 6 months to purchase, setup and sail down to St Lucia.

I plan on living aboard with my teenage foster child. ( I will be 55 ) I have been thinking of purchasing a Hunter 45 or perhaps a Catalina 42. Do you think this is all doable or am I dreaming.

I am going to Florida this July 2012 for a holiday and allowing a few days in Miami to scout out the area. Has anyone also got any ideas on who would be best to suss out on this scouting trip eg: brokers & surveyors. Thanks for any advice

[tackdriver]

Yes, doable, but I wouldn't pick either of those boats, well certainly not the Hunter. Your budget is good enough. I did a similar thing 2 years ago, but I didn't sail the boat back to Aus, happy to give you some pointers if you PM me.
cheers
JMB

[Mr B]

I did just that, Bought in Fiji and sailed it back to Bundaberg and then down the Tasman, eventually to Melbourne,

I did have a similar cat lined up in San Diego, But thought that was too far for my first blue water crossing,

By the time you have sailed from Florida to the Panama and out to the Pacific, you will know how to handle your boat, and its peculiar characteristics,

There are a lot of boats in San Diego and California, Easier to get back to Australia from there.

Due to the crap weather and current in the Tasman, I missed Port Maquarie by 12 miles,

Its definately doable, Enjoy your trip and your new boat,

Do an Island hop across the Pacific and get your trade winds right and going in the right direction,

Cheers,
Brian,

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by tackdriver

Yes, doable, but I wouldn't pick either of those boats, well certainly not the Hunter.

Oh Bull!

[Akapeterc]

Why the bull remark??

[maxingout]

I would not limit myself to a Hunter or Catalina. There are lots of boat that would be great for the trip.

If I was taking a boat to Australia, the first thing I would do is look at what is selling well in Australia. I would import a yacht that had easy and excellent resale in Oz. Some boats are hard to sell, and I would be sure that I was taking a boat to Oz that I could sell without taking a big hit. Chances are that this will not be your last boat. So plan ahead and import something that sells well.

[Akapeterc]

I was planning this being my last boat and living abored it

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Oh Bull!

Don , no offense but you have an idea of how bad Hunters get beat up here (US)what do you think they will do to hunter drivers downunder..if he makes it (just kidding now dont go and get your yellow thong in a knot lol) the one poster was right, get something that he could resale easy if he decided to do so ,altough he said he would not and in that case he would have a nice home to live on...

[Rhapsody-NS27]

Originally Posted by Akapeterc

Why the bull remark??

He owns a Hunter.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Akapeterc

I am planing on going to the USA in July 2013… Purchasing a yacht and joining the 2014 ARC world rally back to Australia.

The "A" in ARC stands for Atlantic, not Australia.

Might want to spend a bit of time on Google Earth before you lay in a course.

By the way, "A" also stands for those who can't ever pass up the opportunity to bash Hunters, Catalinas, or any other boat for that matter.

[David M]

Originally Posted by Bash

By the way, "A" also stands for those who can't ever pass up the opportunity to bash Hunters, Catalinas, or any other boat for that matter.

You didn't mean Accurate or Analyst did you Bash?

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by David M

You didn't mean Accurate or Analyst did you Bash?

A also stands for "A"s cheap as possible..lol

[Boracay]

Twenty nine yachts from 13 nations are participating in the 2010 Rally, which set off from St. Lucia back in January. Since then they have cruised into the Pacific via the Panama Canal, down to Ecuador and on to the Galapagos Islands and the Marquesas. During April and May, they cruised through the Marquesas, Tuamotos and Society Islands before departing from Bora Bora in mid-May heading towards the Cook Islands, Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu. Then it's across to Mackay, Australia and a cruise inside the Great Barrier Reef, before regrouping for the leg across the top of Australia to Darwin and the start of the Indian Ocean stage.
From Bali, the Rally calls at the remote islands of Cocos-Keeling to reach Mauritius in October. Avoiding the dangerous Red Sea region, the route crosses the southern Indian Ocean via the French island of Reunion, to arrive in South Africa at Richards Bay, cruising slowly southwards to be in Cape Town for Christmas 2012. In January 2013 the fleet heads out from Cape Town to Brazil, via the tiny mid-Atlantic island of St. Helena. From Salvador de Bahia, where crews can enjoy the frenetic sights and sounds of Carnival Brazilian style, the route cruises north along the coast to Recife. Late April sees yachts back in the Caribbean and they will have sailed approximately25,000 nautical miles.

The original is here.

Other would have much more information than myself, but I would imagine that arriving in the US in July, 2013 and getting a boat ready to go in St. Lucia in January 2014 would not be easy. You would have to leave the mainland US right at the end of the Hurricane (cyclone) season and make a very fast trip against wind and current across the Caribbean. Doable, but not pleasant? One hicup and you'd miss out.

My choice of boat for that sort of trip would be an Island Packet, rather like this one.

[Boracay]

However I would imagine the it could be much more comfortable to buy a boat already in the St. Lucia are, have 6 months to get everything spiffy, and then sit back with a milkshake as rest of the Rally arrives, rather beat up.

With the sort of budget you're looking at I'd seriously consider getting some semi professional crew. In that case I'd be thinking of a Beneteau 473.

My dream boat in this situation would be a Beneteau 423 brought locally. I'd imagine that 100m of chain, another decent anchor, a satellite phone, new chip for the plotter, radar, and backup autopilot/wind vane together with a dodger would be the minimum extra needed.

[Akapeterc]

Thanks for the comments so far I am taking them all on board