How to find a boat for 6 months in the Caribbeans?

[Macblaze]

I gave your plan (except it was a year) some thought, then decided to stay in the PNW. That way I might be able to keep the boat :-)

As for boats, buy this one PDQ 32 for sale | Zero to Cruising!. At least you'll have a reasonably documented history

Good luck!

[jeffgraf]

Hi all,
Thanks you all very much for all the help and advice. Though you always wish you had more experience, we already got experience sailing and chartering as a family (incl. in the caribbeans). However, never for more than 1-2 week at the time (and having number 2 is also going to be new...). Long story short, I think we tick the box in term of sailing experience as a family.

I have been looking at different options to rent long term, and I can't get a quote under USD 100k (looking for a monohull around 40-45ft), which brings me to the conclusion that I will be better off buying and potentially selling.

In term of budget, we are not on a shoestring but would love to limit financial impact (and increase our chance to do this again). Could spend 150k on a boat with 3k/m running expenses and still sleep as long as I can re-sell the boat.

We are considering different options for the boat. Could get a recent boat from Sunset/moorings, but would need to spend quite a bit of time/trips to prep it. On the other hand, I could try to find an older, but turn key boat for a cruising family... Currently leaning toward the older turn key, but would love to hear from anyone who tried to buy from Sunsail (and ideally re-sell after).
btw, we are doing it, so please hold off on any warning comments about how stupid or complicated this is. Just need constructive advice to help us make this as fun and addictive as possible!
Cheers!
Jeff

[skipmac]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for reporting back. I see inquiries a couple of times each year from sailors asking about renting or chartering for a few months or even a year or so. My experience in the business always lead me to think that would be a difficult deal to arrange. Seems like your research confirms this but I am surprised at how much you were quoted.

Good luck in buying a boat for your cruise. I would plan for several weeks to a couple of months minimum to prepare the boat. Even a supposed "turn key" that just got back from a cruise will always need something. Plus it's always good to build familiarity with a new boat, all the systems and foibles before taking off into remoter areas where parts and repairs can be a challenge.

Please keep us posted on your progress. Hope it goes well.

[malbert73]

Sounds like this will be fun. Think the two things that could make it "not as fun" would be
1. Spending a lot of your time fixing the boat. This will be a challenge as most boats being sold haven't been refitted right before selling. I am not sure where you are, but if you can own your boat and cruise locally prior to going that will help iron out inevitable bugs and identify upgrades you will likely do better.
2. Underestimating the challenge of a newborn/baby on a boat. Underestimating that with kids on boats 1+1=4 times the work.

But if you work through the above, it will be great. Our approach- and I get different strokes, different folks- is to short cruise while kids are young, and do the 6-12 month+ in 3-4 years when they are 8 and 10. We already have our boat so we can refit and know her perfectly by the time we shove off. We found that cruising with them when they were 2 and 4 and younger was fun and rewarding but a lot of work and not very relaxing as everything they do- toilet, feed, dress, entertainment, sunscreen, bathe, etc- needed assistance. This past summer when they were 3 and 5 started to be fun AND relaxing as they could self-entertain, swim with PFDs on own, dig on beach, etc. we just got back from charter in bvi as kids are 4 and 6 and being able to beginner snorkel with them, beachcomb, etc- was awesome. We only now feel ready to leave now but will wait as part of out plan.


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[Curious Sailor]

Something to be said about rolling up your sleeves and makin it happen!


http://curioussailor.blogspot.com/