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Old 17-11-2012, 17:07   #1
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pirate Taking a Gap Year

One of my good friends and I have vowed to take a gap year after high school, buy a boat and sail down the East coast, towards Caribbean, Cuba, Virgin Islands ect. for hopefully almost one whole year.
We would like any advice you guys have...
Where to go
Boats
Food
Ideas
Just about anything! It’s going to take lots of planning, and we could use all the help we could get!
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Old 17-11-2012, 17:23   #2
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Re: Taking a Gap Year

Wow, what an original question! Said nobody, ever.

Please try the search feature. There is oodles of this info available if you just take the time to read through previous posts.
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Old 17-11-2012, 17:58   #3
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Re: Taking a Gap Year

Hey termialcitygirl, sorry I offended you. I tried the search feature thank you very much. I was looking for information, not sarcastic remarks. I couldn’t find anything. Most threads are about hopping on someone’s boat and crewing for them, which is bot what we plan to do. We are doing it by ourselves.
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Old 17-11-2012, 18:13   #4
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Re: Taking a Gap Year

Aw, have a sense of humor lad! You didn't offend me, it's just people post this query constantly and folks on here take the time to answer it over and over and over again. I think members here are pretty good humored and generous about this but it's frustrating when it seems someone has not even done the minimum amount of educating themselves via perusing the comments and myriad other online sources for info before posting such a general, far-ranging question as yours. There really are a million different answers to your incredibly broad question so I was actually trying to be helpful (albeit with a side of cheek).
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Old 17-11-2012, 18:15   #5
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What is yogur budget? What are you chasing? What is your experience like?

At your age, I would buy an 18' Hobie, tent, sleeping bag, handheld GPS, beans, camp stove, fishing lines, etc, and then take off to the Bahamas with a preference for spending time down in the ragged islands. But that it is me. And you are YOU. And we don't know YOU.

Low budget and hard core? Or high budget and lots of comforts and water toys? Spill the beans, young man!
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Old 17-11-2012, 18:47   #6
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Re: Taking a Gap Year

One of the biggest mistakes I made was to not take a year off between high school and college.

Doing a sailboat trip might be a little more complicated than backpacking and bicycling around Europe for instance. I would think that a sailboat, fees, food, and fun would cost $20,000-$30,000, although you can sell the boat after the year.

And I've never seen this question here.
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Old 17-11-2012, 20:26   #7
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Re: Taking a Gap Year

Gap, what are your assets?
Money? Sailing experience? Camping or outdoors experience? Useful skills? Languages? Travel experience? Repair skills? Access to a boat?

Similarly, what are your needs or shortcomings?
Now how can you use the first to work on the last?
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Old 17-11-2012, 20:32   #8
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Re: Taking a Gap Year

Use the google custom search and type in "Taking a Gap Year". You will get all kinds of posts to help you answer your questions. Come back when you have more specific questions like "what brand of beans should we eat". We can usually answer those.
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Old 17-11-2012, 20:41   #9
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Re: Taking a Gap Year

It really matters about your experience and the budget you have. I think you could do it cheaper than $20 and $30 K but your sailing experience and ability to fix stuff matters. From your post it sounds like you are in the NE. I would be inclined to only go as far as the Bahamas. There is enough to do there to keep you happy for one winter. Add in getting the boat ready, getting there and getting back and it would occupy most of a year. With the kind of boat I am thinking about you will not travel very quickly and that is actually a plus for enjoying yourself. Give more details about yourself and friend and you can get more specific answers.
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Old 18-11-2012, 02:48   #10
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Re: Taking a Gap Year

Quote:
Originally Posted by gapyearsailor View Post
I couldn’t find anything. Most threads are about hopping on someone’s boat and crewing for them, which is bot what we plan to do. We are doing it by ourselves.
No they are not. Try a bit harder.

Part of the challenge and fun from owning a boat and travelling is working out and then dealing with stuff for self................folks here will help guide you in the right direction, but they can't spoonfeed you - and most won't even try...........remember, it's "you" that will be swimming home. or not
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Old 18-11-2012, 03:48   #11
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Re: Taking a Gap Year

Quote:
Originally Posted by gapyearsailor View Post
One of my good friends and I have vowed to take a gap year after high school, buy a boat and sail down the East coast, towards Caribbean, Cuba, Virgin Islands ect. for hopefully almost one whole year.
We would like any advice you guys have...
Where to go
Boats
Food
Ideas
Just about anything! It’s going to take lots of planning, and we could use all the help we could get!
lots of cheap small boats on the east coast!
buy one you can afford with shallow draft and a good engine,stick to the icw.
you probably won't get very far ,but you will have a lot of fun doing it,and learn a few valuable lessons about boats and life in general!!
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Old 18-11-2012, 04:17   #12
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Go for it! Like Atol said, get a neat little boat under 30 feet with a solid outboard and work your way south. It will be more expensive than you think so go easy on the boat and have a good trip.
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Old 18-11-2012, 04:34   #13
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Re: Taking a Gap Year

Quote:
Originally Posted by engele View Post
Go for it! Like Atol said, get a neat little boat under 30 feet with a solid outboard and work your way south. It will be more expensive than you think so go easy on the boat and have a good trip.
also why limit yourselves to the expensive east coast/carib area.

when cruising east africa a few years ago i met a guy who had bought a traditional 26 ft dhow rigged open boat for $1500 in mozambique and had sailed all the way up to lamu in northen kenya.

sheltered waters,lots of reef's to sail behind,easy to beach the boat to camp in between passages.

just watch out for malaria and crocodiles
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Old 18-11-2012, 04:50   #14
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Re: Taking a Gap Year

Quote:
Originally Posted by gapyearsailor View Post
... sail down the East coast, towards Caribbean, Cuba, Virgin Islands ect. ...
Where to go ...
Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, gapyearsailor,
You might go "down the East coast, towards Caribbean, Cuba, Virgin Islands ect. .."
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