Leaving Boat in Foreign Countries?

[CrawfishColvin]

Hi CF,
I have a quick question for you full time cruisers concerning leaving your boat behind in foreign countries?
What I mean is, lets say you cruise to X, but have obligations back home/work, planning obviously to return to X in so many weeks, and pick up your planned cruise again? What options are available to this person?
My thought is simply that you could cruise to X, go home/work, and pick back up your cruising where you left off, but obviously round tripping your boat is not going to be very efficient, although lots of good sea time I suppose
I am asking this because I have a rather unique schedule, that allows me approx. 4-5 weeks off every other month, and I would like to, in the coming years, begin to do some cruising, of course, I will have to leave my boat behind during my work time...
I really appreciate your insight on this!

[zeehag]

full time cruisers i know live on their boats. part time cruisers leave theirs--depends on the places you are planning on visiting...folks cruising in mexico seemt o leave their boats and return to places i would never go --there are plenty of "yacht babysitters " here in mexico---just make sure isnt going to have damage should a named storm hit.

[CrawfishColvin]

thanks zeehag,
When you refer to yacht babysitters, are we talking give the fella a few bucks to watch your yacht in your absence? In my experiences abroad (non-mariner-sort-of), this usually works out pretty well....
I also wonder, although I can research this myself, would one typically rent a slip for his time away, or is there more economical options, maybe not a full service marine, certainly not a resort marina, but still semi-secure/safe?
Thanks again for the info..

[zeehag]

there are haul out yards, there are full service yacht maintenance businesses, and there are the individuals who can do this....all depends on where you decide to leave the boat. i do not leave mine.

[Chuteman]

Very Doable BUT will depend on countries & available facilities + your budget.
Sounds like you are also talking about leaving in the water (short time period) vs on the Hard which is another viable option (many places) for longer time.

Budget - the travel, storage arrangements, etc add up though

I'll share what I've done + observed in UK, Europe, Med. marinas + one boat yard.
Through local forum, uncover potential locations, research via web and/or e-mail, narrow down choice(s), arrive with boat or visit ahead of time to confirm details, choose spot, sign/pay, secure boat, cross your fingers & fly home. Return - pay balance, cast off for next port(s).........straightforward.


There are more than a few places that are set up for "commuter" cruisers at least in that part of the world. They will check (lines, locks, etc) boat daily and add additional lines if storm arises.


Longer term - Use a boat yard where boat is hauled, stored and launched when you are ready. Higher base expense for haul/launch BUT much cheaper daily rate on the Hard - plus less concern with "in water risks"

What countries? are you considering would help responders.

[CrawfishColvin]

Chuteman,
Thanks for your info as well... I am a bit embarrassed to say, but I honestly don't have a clear cut idea of which countries I would likely visit, but I would venture to say, in the beginnings, mostly Mexico, Central America, Carribbean....
Short term, I will be only sailing locally, but i would say in 5 years or so, I will be able to spend at least 2 weeks out of every 10 onboard cruising.... hoping it will increase form there... Home or away, slip fees seem inevitable for my personal situation, so, my biggest concern was safety, security... Curious how insurance companies would view this as well...
Thanks all, much appreciated

[Chuteman]

CC:
Country Target - good, that narrows it down, so You can start asking specifically and responders can give you local info / their experiences.
You can also search old threads.
Central America & Carib will present a wide variety of possibilities as certain countries/islands might not have anything vs the next one will have suitable options.
For example - British Virgin Islands - you will find facilities

Insurance - Ask agent, Read the fine print carefully - remember how many boats sit in marinas everyday all around the world.

Weather - as you know, the areas you mentioned are all in /close to Hurricane zones - so that will have to factored in depending on time of year

Good Luck

[BjarneK]

I am doing exactly this at the moment. I live in Denmark and I am doing a cruise in Sweden over the whole summer. We left home in mid April and expect to be back home in October. The cruise is done in stages of a couple of weeks each. Between each stage, we leave the boat from three to six weeks in Sweden.

What I have done so far is to find marinas that are a little out of the way and e-mailed them to ask if I could leave the boat there. I have gotten good prices and had no problems so far. Before going home I just pay the marina and let them know where to find the key for the boat if there is a problem while I am away. I also give them my phone number and e-mail address.

I plan to continue this strategy next year, so now I only need winter storage of the boat in Denmark and that is a lot cheaper than a full year slip. That way I save a lot of money that I can use for leaving the boat in various places.

[jeremiason]

Our experince so far is on the Pacific side of Mexico and Central America...

Many people do what you are suggesting, traveling for a period of time and then leaving their vessel in a marina for a period of time. They usually plan ahead and choose marinas that are close to international airports and tend to have deals for some staying for long periods of time.

The issue becomes more a cost factor than anything else. Marinas or moorings can be expensive outside the US. So knowing ahead of time wher your laying the boat up makes a huge difference.

Also there are some countries that do not allow your vessel to stay more than 6 months without taxing you. We are currently in Costa Rica, which only issues a 90 Day Cruising Permit or allows you to bond your boat in approved marinas, which are usually very expensive.

The bottom line is if you are careful and plan ahead you should have no problems.

[Chuteman]

Originally Posted by jeremiason

Our experince so far is on the Pacific side of Mexico and Central America...

Also there are some countries that do not allow your vessel to stay more than 6 months without taxing you. We are currently in Costa Rica, which only issues a 90 Day Cruising Permit or allows you to bond your boat in approved marinas, which are usually very expensive.

The bottom line is if you are careful and plan ahead you should have no problems.

Excellent Point - which I'll expand to include You (owner/skipper)
Each country is going to have Immigration & Customs (as noted above) rules which need to be understood & complied with some more closely than others. But all have penalties for violating. Not good for a visitor.
Some might require preparation paperwork before arriving.
Completing the procedures vary, some at marina, some by officials visiting the boat, some you have to visit gov't offices, etc.
Again, Knowledge & Planning are key.

Here's one source - but add others i.e.; State Department and target Country(s) Gov't websites _ sailing forums that have members who actively sail those waters
Noonsite

Country Specific Information

Sample of other produced material from Baja Ha Ha
First Timer's Guide to Mexico
Baja Ha-Ha Cruisers Rally: Sailing from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas

[Ex-Calif]

Happens all the time here in Asia. Thailand and Malaysia cheap and secure. Hong Kong and Singapore expensive and secure. phillippines and Indonesia, cheap and questionably secure.

[CrawfishColvin]

All great info and advice!
Although I have a great deal of experiences with customs, visas, even in maritime instances, I don't have much in the specific countries which i would possibly be visiting!
Seems that it will take a good deal of planning, and ironically, even more planning to avoid having a strict schedule to adhere to!
Thanks again to all that replied!