Ft Lauderdale To Caribbean

[henery]

I am moving to florida and want to buy a boat I can take from Ft Lauderdale To the Caribbean when the mood strikes me. I have 0 experience on the ocean and plan to take some classes. I also wondered if it is possible to go along with a cruise ship or if there are any groups that travel together in a "Convoy"

Sample boats I am looking at include

1984 Carver For Sale In Cape Coral, Florida - BoatTrader.com

1984 Mainship Double Cabin For Sale In Florida, Florida - BoatTrader.com

1977 Chris-craft Catalina for sale in Labelle, Florida - YachtTraderOnline.com

1989 Sea Ray 310 Sedan Bridge For Sale In MIAMI, Florida - BoatTrader.com

with the plan to get a mechanic to gov over it and make sure everything is in tip top shape

Any comments would be appreciated

[ActiveCaptain]

A couple of comments come to mind...

- You said you have no ocean experience. Do you have boating experience?

- You're looking at motorboats. Do you have mechanical abilities and can you do all maintenance and emergency repairs to a diesel engine on your own?

- You said "Caribbean". Do you mean anything further than the Bahamas?

As a general rule, you should probably spend a fair amount of time learning about boats and trawlers. The boat you think you want today is probably not the boat you'll really want when you know more about them. It isn't that any of the boats you listed are bad - it's just that I'm sure there are many, many things you haven't even thought about.

A couple of other very important questions to consider:

- How long do you think you'll be on the boat at a time?

- Do you mainly want to stay at marinas or will you anchor out?

- How many people will be on the boat?

To answer your questions, yes, there are "buddy boat" link ups when people are going to the same place to travel in groups. Some people like traveling that way. Some people hate it. Like everything you'll find with larger boats, it's all about tradeoffs.

[slomotion]

The conventional route to the eastern Caribbean from Ft. Lauderdale would be leisurely island hopping your way through the Bahamas and then jumping off to DR or PR. This is a multi week trip with frequent stops for weather and fuel. Alternatrively, you could run the Windward Passage in a straight shot to Jamaica in the western Caribbean. But that is a multi day trip and none of the boats on your list have the fuel capacity. A slow, heavy, diesel engine trawler is a better choice for off shore cruising.

A cruise ship usually averages about 21-22 kts. You would not be able to keep up with one for long in open seas.

[henery]

Originally Posted by ActiveCaptain

A couple of comments come to mind...

- You said you have no ocean experience. Do you have boating experience?

- You're looking at motorboats. Do you have mechanical abilities and can you do all maintenance and emergency repairs to a diesel engine on your own?

- You said "Caribbean". Do you mean anything further than the Bahamas?

As a general rule, you should probably spend a fair amount of time learning about boats and trawlers. The boat you think you want today is probably not the boat you'll really want when you know more about them. It isn't that any of the boats you listed are bad - it's just that I'm sure there are many, many things you haven't even thought about.

A couple of other very important questions to consider:

- How long do you think you'll be on the boat at a time?

- Do you mainly want to stay at marinas or will you anchor out?

- How many people will be on the boat?

To answer your questions, yes, there are "buddy boat" link ups when people are going to the same place to travel in groups. Some people like traveling that way. Some people hate it. Like everything you'll find with larger boats, it's all about tradeoffs.

I have some boating expierence on lakes that is it. there will be at most 2 adults and 2 kids or 4 adults on the boat though the usual will be 2 adults. I would stay in the marina. This something that would happen maybe 3-4 times a year

[slomotion]

The Bahamas are NOT in the Caribbean, but in good condition any of the boats on your list could easily make the crossing from Ft. Lauderdale.

[ActiveCaptain]

Originally Posted by slomotion

The Bahamas are NOT in the Caribbean, but in good condition any of the boats on your list could easily make the crossing from Ft. Lauderdale.

Well, technically, the Bahamas are in the Caribbean even though they aren't in the Caribbean Sea. Here's a description of the "Caribbean":

The region consists of the Antilles, divided into the larger Greater Antilles which bound the sea on the north and the Lesser Antilles on the south and east (including the Leeward Antilles), and the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, which are in fact in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba, not in the Caribbean Sea.

The Bahamas are also a member country of the Association of Caribbean States: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associa...ribbean_States

I know what you mean though. It's not the REAL Caribbean. I had a feeling he was mainly referring to the Bahamas and not the actual Caribbean Sea especially considering the boats he had highlighted.

[slomotion]

Hmmm. The way I learned it, the northern boundry of the Caribbean Sea was the Greater Antilles period. But I guess the "Caribbean" is something more than that. So I stand corrected - sort of.

[ActiveCaptain]

Originally Posted by slomotion

So I stand corrected - sort of.

Actually, I kind of agree with you - the Bahamas shouldn't be in. It's a good trivia thing to bet a "dark & stormy" over sometime!

[speciald@ocens.]

I have seen "convoy" of small power boats leave from Bahia Mar in Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas in late Spring. Going further to the "true"" Caribbean would probably be beyond the capability and saftey of the boats you have listed especially with young children and little off-shore-rough water experience.

[henery]

Originally Posted by speciald@ocens.

I have seen "convoy" of small power boats leave from Bahia Mar in Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas in late Spring. Going further to the "true"" Caribbean would probably be beyond the capability and saftey of the boats you have listed especially with young children and little off-shore-rough water experience.

I am fine with the Bahamas. Like I said mostly just a few day getaway type thing. I would prefer until getting enough experience to cross in a group in case anything were to go wrong. Thanks for the replys

[CSY Man]

Before you even think about buying a Carver, read this surveyer's opinion of Carvers....

Boat Review by David Pasoe - Carver 370

[osirissail]

I have taken and escorted power yachts/trawlers down island. The suggestions for getting a heavy displacement version is quite good. If you want to do the whole route have active hydraulic stabilizers can save a lot of "feeding the fish". Range is a major factor (and safety factor). You need to be able to 500 to 1000 nm at normal cruising speeds - or - you need to be able to carry a half dozen (+ or -) 55 gal drums on the aft deck with provisions for refilling the main tanks.
- - There are quite a lot of small and large sport fishermen boats that are taken down island to sportsmen living in the islands. So the route can and has been done in just about anything. It is all a matter who whether you want to tough it out as you crash and bash into seas and headwinds, or enjoy the ride with a larger heavier boat equipped for heavy seas.