Bahama sailing newbie

[ejbeaty]

Hello all,

My wife and I have gone back and forth about living aboard for years now. We get real close to committing, then back away because of the commitment/cost of ownership/not knowing if we'll love it enough. Each time we get a little closer to committing. We jumped head first without looking into full-time RVing a few years before the pandemic and loved it until everyone started doing it during the pandemic. Now we have a home in Arizona and only RV for a couple months at a time. Once again the pendulum has swung towards wanting to get a boat and cruise around the Caribbean. I plan to take the RV to either Baja, Texas, or FL this winter and start working on my boating certifications.

My question for you is this: is a sailboat worth considering for island hopping in the Caribbean if we don't actually have an interest in sailing itself? I've owned numerous old diesel engines in my RVs and don't like the idea of relying on one as my only way to get around or having one to maintain from Arizona when not in use. I DO love the idea of not being restricted by our fuel range and not having to go from dock to dock to fill up. I'm not worried about the actual cost of fuel, just what I perceive as the increased headache. With our RVs, we pretty much only boondock and avoid campgrounds. That's what we desire in a boat too.

We have about $100k budget for a boat and I would rather have a well maintained/outfitted sailboat than a project cruiser that is just another, more expensive version, of the motorhomes we've owned. Said differently, I want to spend as much time playing and as little time maintaining as possible. Am I on the right track thinking a sailboat is the right direction for us given our budget?

[MicHughV]

There is no specific boat suitable for the B'mas as many options exist.

But above all, would limit draft to around 5'-6" to really enjoy the B'mas.

The perfect B'mas cruiser imo, would be a Wharram Cat. Simple, easy to maintain, shoal draft, etc, etc. and you could certainly pick one up for under $100K
They do tend to be rather basic, but you get a lot in return.
Most all are powered by outboards of various horsepower.
You could also, if so inclined, trailer it somewhere.

[Ixium]

I have no real interest in sailing, but it’s my plan. Couldn’t care less about sailing itself. Just about getting to the new places in a relaxing manor

A means to an end.

Got a boat that is simple to sail. Not much to play with. Just works. Learn on it while I finish working until 45 years old and then cast off and go.

[Hoosiersailor]

I thoroughly enjoy sailing especially when I have no where to go. However, on the way to a destination, it sort of becomes like driving. It's just a way to get from here to there.

[markxengineerin]

What is your (and your wife's) sailing experience?

is a sailboat worth considering for island hopping in the Caribbean if we don't actually have an interest in sailing itself?

There is a lot of "crap" to put up with, living on a boat, and enjoying the sailing part is a good % of why all the crap is worth it, to many people. You'll have some understanding of this if you've slept on a boat for an extended amount of time, dealt with non-ideal weather, etc, but if not, much harder to get perspective on it.

[ejbeaty]

Originally Posted by markxengineerin

What is your (and your wife's) sailing experience?

Almost zero - with the exception of a couple hired day trips while on Vacation. I'm only drawn to it because I perceive it as a more cost effective/less headache way to explore the Caribbean.

In my head, $100k gets me a reliable and comfortable sailboat that's fairly easy to maintain and I can feel good about only using it for 2-3 months at a time and keeping it at a marina the rest of the year. The reason I'm asking for help here is because I have no clue how accurate my assumptions are.

[markxengineerin]

I think it would be cheaper and easier to Air B+B or do some kind of house-trading arrangement.

I did the vanlife thing before sailing, so I can compare the RV lifestyle to boating. Boating is order of magnitude more inconvenient. No boat is maintenance free, even if brand new and high end, stuff is constantly constantly failing because of the salt environment, wetness, constant motion (waves), and sun exposure. You have to love and have the skill to repair things, or you'll run out of money quickly paying others to do it for you.

I suppose the inconvenience could be minimized if you plan to stay in Marinas ($$ and feels like a floating trailer park) vs. anchoring out, and if you rarely moved, but that doesn't seem fun, to me. The point of having a sailboat is to.. sail! I am something of a masochist and love the challenge aspect of this lifestyle, probably more than sailing itself, so there can be other reasons for it to work out. But seeing beautiful places on the cheap doesn't seem like a realistic primary motivation to me.

[ejbeaty]

Originally Posted by markxengineerin

I think it would be cheaper and easier to Air B+B or do some kind of house-trading arrangement.

I did the vanlife thing before sailing, so I can compare the RV lifestyle to boating. Boating is order of magnitude more inconvenient. No boat is maintenance free, even if brand new and high end, stuff is constantly constantly failing because of the salt environment, wetness, constant motion (waves), and sun exposure. You have to love and have the skill to repair things, or you'll run out of money quickly paying others to do it for you.

I suppose the inconvenience could be minimized if you plan to stay in Marinas ($$ and feels like a floating trailer park) vs. anchoring out, and if you rarely moved, but that doesn't seem fun, to me. The point of having a sailboat is to.. sail! I am something of a masochist and love the challenge aspect of this lifestyle, probably more than sailing itself, so there can be other reasons for it to work out. But seeing beautiful places on the cheap doesn't seem like a realistic primary motivation to me.

I think the sense of adventure is what's drawing us in to the lifestyle the most. It's something new an exciting and a way to visit new countries. We miss those pre-pandemic days of exploring the US in an RV. Now it feels very mundane after 5+ years of it and the increased difficulty of getting away from the crowds.

As for maintenance... I'm capable for sure, but worry that living in Arizona may be a difficult hurdle to overcome. Fixing an RV is easy when it's in your back yard.

[markxengineerin]

There are plenty of people who only cruise for a season, then store the boat on land somewhere until the next year. If you have the money, it's an option. You'll find minor things need attention when you come back (pumps will be stuck and need rebuilding, batteries may have died, etc) but that part isn't a show-stopper. I would be more concerned with the learning curve, your patience for dealing with discomfort, and if you actually like the lifestyle once you're there. A longer charter seems like a good intermediate step, on a boat similar to what you're thinking of purchasing.

[OldManMirage]

I think it's a good plan, BUT - I think you should try a charter with your wife and see if you can learn to like sailing. Or at least like it enough to want to do it. I think a catamaran is probably a better choice because it does not sound like your wife would like the heel of sailing in a monohull.

But if your only going to do it for a few month a year I would seriously just consider chartering. At least a couple of times to see if you want to make the investment into a sailboat.

[mvweebles]

You sound like a good fit for a trawler. Plenty of 40 footers in the $100k range with a fuel range of 1000 nms. Bumfuzzle.com details 4-5 years in a Grand Banks 42 throughout the Caribbean.

My wife and I are having a great time with our 36 foot Willard 36 trawler. We started in Ensenada MX last October and we've just left the boat in Chiapas MX, just north of the Guatemalan border. We'll return in the fall to transit the Panama Canal and continue the adventure.

Feel free to follow us on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mvweebles/

[CSY Man]

Bahama sailing newbie

way to explore the Caribbean.

Keep in mind the Bahamas is not in the Caribbean.

I had a CSY 33 for Bahamas cruising, excellent boat for a couple, sturdy and stable with simple systems and fairly easy to maintain. (If previous owner took good care of it.)

[sailorboy1]

The only reason really to cruise on a sailboat is to SAIL. If you don't want to sail then get a power boat! Don't be thinking that you need a sailboat because you can not afford fuel as that really will not workout to the amount difference your think.

[flee27]

To piggyback off of what sailorboy1 is saying. Unless you are buying a sailboat that is truly well maintained, sail it to the destination(s) maybe for one season then selling it as is for whatever you can quickly sell it for, sailboats are not cheaper. There are a lot of sailboat expenses/complexities that you don't have on a power boat that IMO negates the fuel expense of the power boat.

And the complexity and skill needed to safely sail are too many IMO to over come if you don't care about the sailing.

Best
Foster

[boatpoker]

My opinion...
Does not sound like you are suited for a cruising life. Power or sail.
Take a look at this and see if you are up to it.
Marine Survey 101, pre-survey inspection