I've Just Had a Great Idea!

[hombre]

after returning from barbados this week all i can think about is captain rons catamaran trip,
ive got no sailing experience but used to have a speed boat, and after experiencing the day trip on cpt rons 47ft cat, i think i want change career.
im sure most people who do this type of thing have these thoughts but i want to make them a reality.
after looking through the net i can find nothing what im after, a 47ft cat, with not much luxury perfect for day trips for 10 to 14 people to party on is what im after.
also if anyone knows about slip costs in the carribean would be great.
id imagine running costs arent a lot but budgeting 10000 dollars per year on upkeep of boat.
if anybody knows whether a foreigner can set up shop in barbados would be handy, if not id imaging a company would suffice
like i say im a complete novice with a desire to change my life so any other info would be much appreciated
once again thanks dan

[slomotion]

Welcome.

Don't know about Captain Ron's, but a lot of the day-sail party cats are open deck and cost considerably less than a typical bridge deck salon style cruising cat. Eg:

1994 EDEL EDEL CAT 35 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

[Brogan007]

I guess I'm not going to be popular, but the reality of this situation is.......it's damned hard to get a permit allowing you to do this LEGALLY on many islands. I used to live on a Dutch island...and it was a very lengthy & frustrating process to attempt to get a biz license. The day charter thing is extremely protected by the local existing operators in many locations. Before you start looking for boats or anything else...get the permit nailed down first, and don't believe what anyone tells you about a guy they know who did it......go straight to the source, the Gov run dept who issue them on the island you choose.
Good luck, it'll be a blast if you make it happen.

[scook1]

Not a bad idea, but lay the ground work solidly. The legalities are dizzying. There are different permits for how many people will be allowed on board, permits for alcohol or not and more. I would plan on more than 10,000 annually for maintenance on a venture like this. Having said that I can only offer encouragement for wanting to change where you are now and get out there and live.
Spencer

[Canibul]

Echoing what Brogan said.....here in the Turks and Caicos the boat charter business licenses are reserved for native citizens. Same as taxi cabs and a lot of other basic businesses. I would suspect most of the countries down here have similar rules protecting locally owned businesses.

Here, there are a few ways you can still do it. One of them is to buy an existing business. Another one is to start a business with a local partner, who has to own 51%. Etc.

But the advice to look into the permit situation before committing to a boat is a good idea.

We know a bit about making life changing decisions. Good luck with yours!

[sww914]

Life is too long to have a job that sucks!
It might be hard to figure out how to do it but others have done it so there's a way. One thing I've learned is that to be successful most people have to work really hard. Few ever have it as easy as it might appear. Some people might think that my job looks cool, Porsche racecar shop owner, but more days than not the **** hits the fan with me in it's path.

[Hud3]

Hombre,

I think I recall seeing an ad in which Captain Yannis was selling one of his big daysailer cats down on Union Island in the Grenadines. He operated out of the Anchorage in Clifton Harbour, but it has a new owner now, so I'm not sure what the situation is. Might be worth a look.

[Howaya]

Also keep in mind you may need to acquire a captain's license in order to operate said vessel. It takes documented time underway and several other steps just to qualify for the exam. Of course, once you acquire such a license it can have a beneficial effect on insurance costs.

[Brogan007]

Hope all these "realistic" opinions have not dulled your sense of adventure, 'coz it really would be an awesome way to spend some years.
Sun, sea, s*x, ............
The thing is... if it was really that easy to start, there would be a dozen boats competing for the same number of tourists. Prices would come down, the second tier operators would keep failing, and everyone would make less $$$...and the locals would not like that.
These daysail boats, in a lot of ports, make an absolute killing. Not with cruise ship contracts....these guys screw you to the wall...but being the fun boat on the island........50-100 happy tourists each day....oh my, what a great business.