Newbie from Maine Moving to Tortola

[dingfixer]

Good afternoon all. At 60 ,I recently purchased my first boat (a Cheoy Lee 36' Luders Ketch ) and plan to sail down the coast , then off to Tortola. My plan is to live aboard my boat and get a job as a Captain for any charter company that will hire me, sailing their boats.

I've been sailing other people's boats for years so I never had to buy my own. Thanks to a wife that didn't want to stay married, I now have the chance to chase this dream !! Hopefully, I'll be able to pull it off.

[btrayfors]

Wish you a lot of luck and success.

I have a long experience with Tortola...been sailing there since 1969 and had my boat based there for 11 years.

If you happen to get by Washington DC on your way south, look me up and we can chat about living there.

You'll want to spend a good bit of time in the Chesapeake before heading to Tortola, since hurricane season (now) makes it unwise to leave the U.S. East Coast for Tortola before at least November 1.

Bill

[Unicorn Dreams]

Welcome Aboard Cruisers Forum

[dingfixer]

Thanks btrayfors,

I won't be leaving Maine until the end of the first week in August. Maybe I will be able get together with you on my way by. I'll be looking to hook up with a couple of other boats when I make the jump from the mainland. I'd appreciate any suggestions anyone might be able to make.
Steve

[btrayfors]

You might want to consider the Carib 1500 rally. It leaves every year about Nov 1 from Norfolk/Hampton VA for Tortola. Lots of boats, lots of prep and talks in the week before departure.

Bill

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Steve.

[Zanshin]

dingfixer - I'll probably be seeing you in Tortola. I'll be sailing down from Annapolis in late October or early November but don't think I'll join up with the Carib 1500 rally - perhaps I'll just benefit from their weather routing.
If you plan on living aboard in the BVI, you most likely get a permanent spot up in Trellis Bay (amongst the other liveaboards). Working is going to be a bit tough, since you'll need a work visa in order to work legally, and getting paid cash under the table might work but probably won't pay for repair work aboard. You'll need to leave the BVI every 3 weeks for the USVI or (much further) St. Martin and sooner rather than later the authorities might take a closer look at you.

[speciald@ocens.]

The USVI or islands further south might be better choices than Tortolaand the BVI for living aboard. The French side of St Martin is pretty laid back and anchoring in the lagoon is free. You are supposed to leave every three months (take a ferry to St Barths or Anguilla counts) but I was there for 6 months last year and they didn't care. Crossing should be delayed until after Nov 1. You can probably find other boats going off-shore in Little Creek in the Chesapeake or Beaufort. Don't count on pirating the Carib1500 weather asthe new organisers have made that difficult as they don't anounce their frequency until the rally starts.

[dingfixer]

Thanks Zanshin,

I'd like to keep in touch with you if you are going to make a crossing this fall. Maybe we can do it together and round up a couple of others. Something to think about.
Steve

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
It appears you've found some good help already.
kind regards,