Best place to buy a Yamaha 15 2 stroke between Martinique and Panama?

[monte]

We're thinking of upgrading to a yammy 15. What's the best deal en route. Abc's, Columbia, Panama ? Tax free somwhere?
Thanks for any hot tips 💰

[Boatguy30]

Buy a tohatsu 18 from budget marine

[sy_gilana]

Monte, I am a Yamaha fan. I would say SXM, but Panama is good too, get a 9.9 and if you get to the San Blas, I will convert it back to a 15 for you, you save about $200.00 on that. Price of a 9.9 in Panama is about $2k, from the importer called Tesa.

BUT.

I have recently examined a Tohatsu 18 and I am very impressed, its a damn good motor.

[monte]

Thanks guys. We currently have a Johnson 9.9 which has been running great, but when I ask any locals to service it they throw their hands in the air. It seems around here they only do Yamaha. Maybe tohatsu as well? What's the story with parts and reducing there? We plan on heading to Panama via San blas. Let's hope the fees won't be enforced. $2k sounds like a good deal. What's the difference between the 9.9 and 15? Is t the whole carb different or is it just jets? The 9.9 would probably look better on the dinghy that's rated to 10hp

[monte]

On the subject of tohatsu, is budget marine in the abc's tax free the same as smx?

[sy_gilana]

Originally Posted by monte

On the subject of tohatsu, is budget marine in the abc's tax free the same as smx?

Bonaire=No

[reed1v]

Try the drug dealers in Columbia. Lots of slightly used outboards, avons, and other yacht gear for very low prices.

[Peter200]

Originally Posted by sy_gilana

Bonaire=No

Curacao=No as well although always use your "Yacht in Transit" status. Take your boat papers (customs) into any marine store and no purchase tax will be charged. You can always email Freedom Machine in Curacao (Yamaha authorised dealer) for advice. The others, Budget and IslandWater World stock Tomatsu which are Honda based. Personal opinion - Yamaha 15hp 2 stroke Enduro, excellent and far more common everywhere for parts and servicing Globally. Whatever you choose good luck.

[Canibul]

You should be able to get it basically duty free using your cruising permit, wherever you go. So you could order it online using the best price you can find, and have it shipped to meet you at a planned stop along the route. You don't need a local dealer for that. If you stay with Yamaha, you can get parts just about everywhere. It's kinda the standard.

[svlamorocha]

Originally Posted by Canibul

You should be able to get it basically duty free using your cruising permit, wherever you go. So you could order it online using the best price you can find, and have it shipped to meet you at a planned stop along the route. You don't need a local dealer for that. If you stay with Yamaha, you can get parts just about everywhere. It's kinda the standard.

Unfortunately Budget Marine will not ship from SXM to other countries where they have a store (eg BVI or USVI). Therefore if you want the lowest price you have to pick up in SXM or at a country that does not have a Budget Marine store.

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[Bulawayo]

Tohatsu is excellent but the Yam Enduro range is in a league of its own. We have both the 15hp (for the kids) and the 25hp versions.

Originally Posted by monte

On the subject of tohatsu, is budget marine in the abc's tax free the same as smx?

[Peter200]

Originally Posted by svlamorocha

Unfortunately Budget Marine will not ship from SXM to other countries where they have a store (eg BVI or USVI). Therefore if you want the lowest price you have to pick up in SXM or at a country that does not have a Budget Marine store.

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Your asking the best place o pick up a new outboard between Martinique and Panama? Why go back up to SMX as suggested it's not on your way.

Budget along with Island WaterWorld for example will ship from SMX to another country i.e. Bonaire or Curacao where they have stores as that's how these outpost stores are restocked using SMX as the hub however, you will pay the shipping costs and depending on the item as in this case an outboard it will be shipped via a 20ft container so as long as you have plenty of time to wait for the container to arrive depending on when it's filled and released for shipment forget that route.

As for ordering it online and having it shipped that's another headache getting stuff through customs etc if you have to trek over the island to release the ordered part at customs and you haven't a designated marina address on the Customs invoice, Have fun.

You are best walking into an authorised dealer with your boat customs entry papers not a cruising permit as there is no such thing as a cruising permit in most islands below the BVI's and USVI's and stores will only accept the original customs documents proving you are indeed a "Yacht in Transit" i.e No tax.

Email the authorised dealers ahead of arriving to confirm if they have the desired outboard on the shelf, buy it and take it back to your boat - job done.

[Canibul]

Not accurate. You can have it shipped via a courier, such as DHL and they'll deliver it to the marina. I just bought a watermaker from Australia two weeks ago delivered to our boat at a marina on Providenciales. Paid the DHL driver the delivery and customs and clearance charges.
you can probably also order an Enduro from Japan. Or Mexico. Or many, many other places.

That motor is 40 kg. dry. So packaged it's going to be less than a hundred pounds. Lots of options to ship it dry. That all changes once it's had gas and oil added.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by Peter200

Tomatsu which are Honda based.

No, it's not. Tohatsu's are Tohatsu based. Tohatsu makes many of the small engines for others (Suzuki, Nissan, Mercury Johnson and others).

Honda and Yamaha make all of their own outboards, and don't rebrand them for others.

Mark

[svlamorocha]

Originally Posted by Peter200

Your asking the best place o pick up a new outboard between Martinique and Panama? Why go back up to SMX as suggested it's not on your way.

Budget along with Island WaterWorld for example will ship from SMX to another country i.e. Bonaire or Curacao where they have stores as that's how these outpost stores are restocked using SMX as the hub however, you will pay the shipping costs and depending on the item as in this case an outboard it will be shipped via a 20ft container so as long as you have plenty of time to wait for the container to arrive depending on when it's filled and released for shipment forget that (snip)

You are best walking into an authorised dealer with your boat customs entry papers not a cruising permit as there is no such thing as a cruising permit in most islands below the BVI's and USVI's and stores will only accept the original customs documents proving you are indeed a "Yacht in Transit" i.e No tax.

I am not the OP.
I am afraid you are unaware of an important detail of how Budget Marine works. Their lowest price is for sales from the SXM store to boats that are not registered there. That price can be well below their own catalog if you request a quotation by email.

If you buy from another Budget Marine store the price will be higher. They will ship from the SXM store to other countries but only if they do not have a store in that country.

Do not confuse a cruiser's ability to import things free of duty in many countries with the unusal option reclaim duty already paid by the store when importing stuff.


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