Newbs Leaving Everything to Sail the World..

[AdventureWorld]

The plan is to leave everything behind come April 2016..

Three high school friends (30 yrs old now)all pooling our money together to purchase a live aboard cruiser, which will eventually be used to create income through guided trips.

Out of the Three of us.. Two are total beginners and one has over 5+ years experience and his Captains License..

Our budget looks to be around 130k

Depending on if we want to do over night trips with guests or not will depend on how many berths we need..

if we just did day trips.. we would still want at least 3 cabins and 2 heads to to live comfortably enough.. we can rough it,, but this will be our home..

we want to explore and see the whole world.. but mostly we prefer warm tropical weather.. we love Thailand!

I want.. a Catamaran.. 40'+
for the safety, speed, shallow draft, living space, privacy, no heel, etc etc..

please point me in the right direction ...

our plan is to fly to Florida Area and look for a yacht in April...

what can i be doing to prepare?

i know opening a business in foreign countries can be difficult..

does our vessels flag matter? etc

tips/advice/direction anything helpful is appreciated..

thanks


-ADVENTURE WORLD!!!

[CarstenWL]

... to get an idea regarding the boat I would start at yachtworld.com, put in catamaran 38-45ft and your budget of US$ 130k.

What do you get? And: Not sure why you are heading to Florida than ;-)

But really wish you luck with 'your project'!

Carsten

[AdventureWorld]

yea i've deff played around on yachtworld.. was looking for advice on things to consider..

thanks for your condescending, useless comment Carsten!

[Greenhand]

Originally Posted by AdventureWorld

yea i've deff played around on yachtworld.. was looking for advice on things to consider..

thanks for your condescending, useless comment Carsten!

Actually, it was good advice, since I tried it and quickly realized that the boats that fit your criteria aren't in FL. So, if you considered that a useless comment, I don't see how you are going to get any useful ones.

Perhaps what you meant to ask for was a lead on a boat fitting your criteria, rather than advice, tips and direction?

[s/v Moondancer]

First it is over 10,000nm from Florida to Thailand...much better to buy a boat where you hope to use it. The Moorings have a brokerage system that sells boats based in their charter bases throughout the world.

The real problem is that the moment you put a sign on a dock offering daysails the local competition will call their cousin in the immigration service and have you arrested unless you have paid the often expensive local fees to open a business.

It will be hard on your budget to find a boat that the tourists will find attractive.

Good luck

[PortClydeMe]

Before you fly to Florida or Thailand looking for a run-down used cat, it might behoove you to read through the following thread -- all the way through. Also, $130K is WAY off base.

Gotta love the Net. It builds dreams.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...an-151011.html

[monte]

yeah try here, quite a few in your budget
Have fun, sounds like a good plan
Annonces Nautisme catamaran Martinique - leboncoin.fr
personally id be boat shopping in the islands. Maybe better deals to be had than USA, but also a much easier learning curve for sailing

[monte]

Oh I forgot to mention, if you are starting your trip in April, you may be stuck in and around Florida for the duration of the Summer. In the Islands you can still sail in the South. There's lots of opportunities for chartering in the Caribbean. Sounds like a fun plan

[PortClydeMe]

Or here. The voice of experience ...

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ess-54335.html

Excerpt: "I've done term charters in the southern Caribbean for 8 seasons (1 couple for 1 week), but intentionally only did a few each season as I was not trying to make a living, only augment income. All my business came from my own website, and although I always got favorable references, I never had a repeat customer. My boat is currently for sale, but I would not even think of representing what I had as a viable business to sell to someone else. Day charters are much easier than term charters, but you have to do 6 or 7 of them to make what you can make on one term charter."

- harryrez

[travellerw]

Unfortunately I don't think you could get a cat in good enough shape to offer tours for 130K. If you do, its going to need a large amount of sweat equity. However, 130K can go a long way in the monohull market. Maybe re-evaluate and decide if you can live with a monohull.

The other comment by Monte is good advice.. Hurricane season starts around June (can be earlier or later) and will affect your plan.

I will say that Florida is a good place if the boat you buy requires TLC or refitting. You can find almost anything locally and if not, then Amazon Prime!

I'm reading between the lines of your post here. I'm guessing your plan is to buy a boat in Florida and head towards Thailand while you learn the boat. If so, don't discount the wear and tear she will incur on the trip. Ocean crossings are tough on boats. Make sure you have that in the budget.

[monte]

Trav you wouldn't believe some of the yachts here people pay to charter on. Sure they're not paying 500/day but there is a market for all shapes and sizes. Lots of budget travelers are happy to pay 50 to 150/day. Theres even an old mono anchored next to us now that charges 60/night to stay aboard at anchor through airbnb. So for some young guys that want to have fun and attract like minded people, theres a huge market. Especially if they blog their travels in a fun and interesting way. The privilege 42 on the link above looks suitable. A cabin each and share a cabin if they have 4 guests.

[AdventureWorld]

thanks for the replies..

I'm sure people are correct about 130k not being enough..
will look into increasing budget..

how much does our crew really need?
whats a rough way to estimate expenses for a year? (without charters)
food, diesel, repairs, marina fees, etc.

As far as buying a boat "Where" we want to use it..
we want to do crossings.. and explore most of the globe.. but we will spend most of our time in warm climates..

Anyone have advice for avoiding a life of bribes and the glares of locals?

[PortClydeMe]

Originally Posted by AdventureWorld

thanks for the replies..

I'm sure people are correct about 130k not being enough..
will look into increasing budget..

how much does our crew really need?
whats a rough way to estimate expenses for a year? (without charters)
food, diesel, repairs, marina fees, etc.

As far as buying a boat "Where" we want to use it..
we want to do crossings.. and explore most of the globe.. but we will spend most of our time in warm climates..

Anyone have advice for avoiding a life of bribes and the glares of locals?

You're welcome.

Question. Do any (or all) of you have any expertise in a trade that can be conducted solely via the Internet? If so, and I don't mean making vlogs of your sea travels, then that might be a better avenue to pursue monetarily. It's expensive to own and operate a 40+ foot yacht. The initial purchase is just the beginning.

Tell us more about your backgrounds (skill- and employment-wise), and maybe I can suggest more cogent suggestions on how to realize your collective dreams. However, if you're bound and determined to support yourselves through chartering, then I don't have any advice ... other than be prepared to spend.

Anyway, good luck.

[AdventureWorld]

oh and PortCyldeMe

the internet has nothing to do with this dream..

i helped my friend (captain) out as he did booze cruise party boats for over 4 years in Thailand..

and i even did a few with another friend.. renting a speed boat/driver and filling it up with young backpackers..

[AdventureWorld]

April is when we would fly to the Caribbean (or wherever the most Cats are)
and start hunting for a sweet deal.. as that's the cheapest time to buy, from my understanding..