I'm a Wannabe

[iciela]

stumblingalong,sorry,i wasn't trying to burst your bubble...i'm actually looking at boats for my retirement as well and personally,i can't imagine handling more than 43 ft in my frail old age...(or even now!...).in some cases,cruising requires you to manage the worst case scenario,and a 55 ft would be a BIG hanfull in a tight spot...
in the philippines especially, where you have small shallow bays,strong currents between the islands and sometimes not so good anchorages...(i can name a few if you want!?...)
the issue then would be ; are you able to handle a 55ft boat...NOT do you have enough money...
mind you,i had to pay a couple of local divers in zamboanga to rescue my anchor from the reef before i could leave,so money comes in handy sometimes !!!...

[tallyhorob]

have you spent anytime on a boat yet 3-4 weeks at a time? 50 footer is big, which to people sitting in there living room think is the smallest they can go, you may be able to get by a bit smaller. Guess about 10% of boat cost per year on boat repair and a slush fund in case of engine failure, on a 50 foot that can be a lot. Hot days we don't spend much time below so space is not really needed and if you plan on staying near main ports to pick up the in-laws friends, you won't need the space for storage you can just resupply more often. Lease a boat for a month or two, try smaller and see how it goes. Better then after buying, taking a lost on a big boat.

[iciela]

Originally Posted by iciela

stumblingalong,sorry,i wasn't trying to burst your bubble...i'm actually looking at boats for my retirement as well and personally,i can't imagine handling more than 43 ft in my frail old age...(or even now!...).in some cases,cruising requires you to manage the worst case scenario,and a 55 ft would be a BIG hanfull in a tight spot...
in the philippines especially, where you have small shallow bays,strong currents between the islands and sometimes not so good anchorages...(i can name a few if you want!?...)
the issue then would be ; are you able to handle a 55ft boat...NOT do you have enough money...
mind you,i had to pay a couple of local divers in zamboanga to rescue my anchor from the reef before i could leave,so money comes in handy sometimes !!!...

sorry,50 ft...nice boat by the way,just seen the video...it even has a spa bath under the bed !!!...whao...handy for smuggling illegal immigrants(bath empty...)

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
I think a 50 is really very large. As was mentioned there is a lot of shallow water and reefs in the PI and I'd find something with a shallower draft and smaller (easier to handle).
But, whatever you choose I hope you have a great time.
kind regards,

[stumblingalong]

SkiprJohn...very kind as well. Thank you. I think it's big too, 50 feet. I've been living in the Philippines 11 years now...I know I'll have some restricted access. I'll have a lot of fairly remote time though, and the much larger fuel / storage is what I need. 4500 (give or take) islands of the Philippines are uninhabited...and that is where you will (or not) find me and my partner. Done weeks and weeks at a time camping on beaches...can't get enough. It's what we do. The big boat just adds a very comfortable accommodation to what we're doing anyway. Was just not sure how much the monthly bills were...that was the point of my question. I'll have 4K-4.5 USD monthly...and have operated on a third of that...but never with my own boat...only as a guest aboard. I do thank you for your time responding. Fair and following...

[imagine2frolic]

You will be fine with your income. You already live there, and know how inexpensive it is to live. We will be arriving soon, and be on a 46ft. cat. Draft is a big concern, but Pelagic seems to survive just fine on an even larger boat.

50ft. is not big when guest start arriving. BEST WISHES in it all working out. Are you on l.i.p.?..........i2f

[stumblingalong]

Imagine2frolic...thanks much. Not only am I not on l.i.p....sorry to say I don't even know what it is. By all means...clue me in please....

[NotQuiteLost]

50ft is perfectly manageable if you're in good health, even running simple, manual systems. You have to use the noggin a little bit, but not too much.

$4k/month would have me and my 65' steel job in absolute heaven. I've made it work on about a third of that, but I've got a bottom paint job coming up, so I'd figure about the minimum you could get away with is $2k, to be realistic. The other money would go towards toys, fun and frivolity.

You're sitting pretty.

[bangkaboat]

Originally Posted by stumblingalong

Imagine2frolic...thanks much. Not only am I not on l.i.p....sorry to say I don't even know what it is. By all means...clue me in please....

LiP is "Mindanao Bob" Martin's Living in the Philippines magazine, forum, etc.

Live in the Philippines

[bangkaboat]

No problems living on $4k. You can train some of the younger in-laws to sail, which will help when you're no longer capable. I'd recommend hiring a couple of trustworthy in-laws to "boat sit" whenever you're living ashore, unless you can find a marina with top-notch security. As an added bonus (when that day comes), unlike foreigner "mansions", commercially-built boats usually sell quite quickly in The RP.

Ah, yes, I foresee an annual Manila/Davao regatta in our futures!

Mike