Cruising on $500 per Month . . .

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Triton318

Virginia --> Azores --> Portugal --> Morocco --> Canary Islands --> Cape Verde Islands --> Gambia --> Bissagos Islands, Guinea-Bissau --> lha de Fernando de Noronha, Brazil --> Ilha Grande, Brazil --> Rio de la Plata --> Namibia --> South Africa (arriving around mid-February, 2013)

The idea of waiting until I've been out there for a while to decide whether or not I really need it is a great one -- thanks!

Hey... thats one nice trip you have planned there Triton... take your time round the Azores... lovely islands.. great if your into whales... just don't crap yourself if one pops up and blows a few metres off your beam and keeps you company a while... they're just being social... and they're considerate.. 9 times outa 10 its on the lee side so you don't cop for the fish breath....
if you hit N Portugal give me a shout and we can crack a few bottles of Sagres...
I sail out of Figuiera da Foz.... have a grand time mate...

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Triton318

The idea of waiting until I've been out there for a while to decide whether or not I really need it is a great one -- thanks!

I see. yeah, an interesting route.

One problem is that their ain't no chandelry from when you leave Virginia till maybe South Africa.

The chandelrys in the Canaries were expensive. Like what you would pay $1 for in the US would be 1 Euro in the Canaries.

I really can't remember what the candelries were like in Rio. It was 12 years ago.

By the way, try to stop in Salvadore de Bahia in Brazil. Sensational!

[racing8989]

some peope say to me that a less than 15000 us sailboat is no able to cruise seriously around the caribeam. Can you explain to me is that is true. Which are the minimum instrument or upgrades needed? I am new and I want to buy a sailboat and do not know from where to start. Buying in Rio Dulce Guatemala can be good??? I have no US visa at the moment to go there for buying Thanks

[osirissail]

There are sailboats for sale in just about all of the Caribbean Islands and Central American countries including the Rio Dulce.
- - Since these countries are independent sovereign countries you do not need a USA Visa to visit them.
- - You only need whatever Visa the individual country requires based on your home country passport. This information can be obtained by using Google to access the Visa requirements of each country.
- - Beyond that you need the knowledge contained in the earlier portions of this thread to be able to evaluate whether the vessels will fit your needs.
- - Also you can Google the manufacturer and model of any boat you might be interested in buying to find out the current market value ($$) of that vessel. The Price that a particular vessel sells for is normally significantly less than the price the owner advertises. Especially in 3rd World countries they will ask US$15,000 for a boat that will finally sell for US$1,500.

[callmecrazy]

Originally Posted by racing8989

some peope say to me that a less than 15000 us sailboat is no able to cruise seriously around the caribeam. Can you explain to me is that is true. Which are the minimum instrument or upgrades needed? I am new and I want to buy a sailboat and do not know from where to start. Buying in Rio Dulce Guatemala can be good??? I have no US visa at the moment to go there for buying Thanks

Buying in the Rio Dulce is a good idea since that is a place where a lot of cruisers stop cruising. There are other places around the Caribbean as well (look at craigslist.com for each country/city). I'd look at Panama and Columbia too.

[racing8989]

Can I expect to pay more in Rio Dulce for a sailboat in similar conditions than I would be paying in the USA for she? Is it going to be more expense or less? finaly without any knowledage of sailin (nothing) How long will it take me normaly to make and learn how to firstly sailing around the caribean? -thanks

[racing8989]

Can I expect to pay more in Rio Dulce for a sailboat in similar conditions than I would be paying in the USA for she? Is it going to be more expense or less? In Panama and Colombia where I cna buy do you know?

[callmecrazy]

Originally Posted by racing8989

Can I expect to pay more in Rio Dulce for a sailboat in similar conditions than I would be paying in the USA for she? Is it going to be more expense or less? In Panama and Colombia where I cna buy do you know?

Yes.

I just had a quick look at craigslist, it appears it's not as popular down south as it used to be. Anyway, Last year when I was looking around, I believe the boats in the Caribbean were a lot more expensive than the boats in the US. The boats in the US have gotten even cheaper since then...

I've seen some good deals from the Rio Dulce though, which is why I said it's a good idea. But they are probably not very often.

Usually, people put a bunch of money into their boat, sail to the caribbean, then give up (for whatever reason) and try to sell it for as much as possible to recoup the cost. So they will tend to be more expensive, but they may also be very well equipped and ready to cruise.

the US boats will alway be much cheaper right now, but they may need more equipment and fixing up. But, it's probably cheaper to fix up a boat in the US than it is to fix one up in the Caribbean because of the cost of parts and shipping and everything....

So yeah, could go either way :P

[racing8989]

Thanks my friend for your answer, and the last part of my question: without even sailing one minute a sailboat....how long will take me to learn the basic to just starting my noew life? }Give me a clue of time, please

[callmecrazy]

Originally Posted by racing8989

Thanks my friend for your answer, and the last part of my question: without even sailing one minute a sailboat....how long will take me to learn the basic to just starting my noew life? }Give me a clue of time, please

that's a tough question...it will depend on a lot of different factors. Have you studied sailing at all from books?


A reasonably intelligent person can teach themselves the basics in a few weeks, I'd guess... But most of cruising is in the details... the docking, anchoring, navigating, changing sails/reefing, watching weather, etc... Lots of stuff to learn beyond the basics. A couple of good books and enough time, you can do it. But there is no telling exactly how much time.

If you can spare an extra $1500 you can take lessons that will give you an excellent start. Some people take the bareboat lessons ($1500 in the US) and start chartering boats rights away. others take the same lessons and still have no clue (and sometimes both!)

but since this is the $500/mo thread ;p - If you can't spare the money, you have to atleast understand the principals and techniques before trying them out. read read read...

I'd recommend taking some kind of lessons first, even cheap ones if you can find them, and then go from there. If you are near the ocean you can try crewing on yacht races, or asking around your local sailors for some tips and tricks, that should turn into free lessons eventually.

If you do happen to buy a boat without knowing anything first, make sure it's in the water and in a marina that you're sure you can afford to keep it in. Then you can take all the time you need to learn as you go.

[racing8989]

thanks, please give the name of the basic book which I have to read to learn the basics (if has Spanish version better please) and if I can buy on line and read online a lot better. Thanks for your help where are you now?

[callmecrazy]

Originally Posted by racing8989

thanks, please give the name of the basic book which I have to read to learn the basics (if has Spanish version better please) and if I can buy on line and read online a lot better. Thanks for your help where are you now?

These two are the books used for the ASA schools in the US.
Sailing Fundamentals
and
Cruising Fundamentals

And there's always the traditional Annapolis book of Seamanship

You can also check out NauticED for online courses.

I don't know of spanish versoins.. You'd have to look into that on your own.

You have a long way to go, I'd recommend taking your time... start with books, get some lessons, keep saving, then start thinking about getting a boat. The question of whether it can be done cheaply is addressed pretty well in this thread. The answer is yes, it can be done with very little money (relatively speaking). But it seems to be a very individualized thing. Some people can make it happen, some people can't.

[racing8989]

for example a sailboat like this would be ok: 1986 Catalina 25 sailboat for sale in Georgia

will it need what amount upgrades to be ready to sail the caribeam? it is 5000 us the correct price? or less?

and what about this one? 1996 Hunter 280 sailboat for sale in Florida (is it the right price? how much will you offer? For a beginner like me isit better a 28 foot or a 34 foot? what you recommend. THANKS A LOT

[Mark Johnson]

Originally Posted by racing8989

Thanks my friend for your answer, and the last part of my question: without even sailing one minute a sailboat....how long will take me to learn the basic to just starting my noew life? }Give me a clue of time, please

"Sailing" is easy to learn, It's "cruising" that takes years to master!!! It is multifaceted...

Many good "racing" sailors don't have a clew about "cruising" skills: ANCHORING, the hurricane drill, navigation, first aid, storm tactics, weather forecasting, fishing, boat repair, freediving the hull, other language/cultural skills, clearing in procedures, etc. etc.

I suggest that you learn as much as you can about ALL of these things first, so you can have a "good trip" rather than a "bad trip"!

Best of luck,

Mark

[Blue Crab]

I'd like to comment on a couple of things.

Your original question: $15,000 US will buy you a lot of boat nowadays, particularly in the US. In my view as a small boat sailor, you can buy many boats that are Caribbe cruise-capable for a lot less than that.

Panama has always been a good spot to buy a boat , I have read, because by the time you get there, you know if you really love sailing. Many start out with high hopes, dreams, and expectations (perhaps even you) only to find after a real passage experience or two that they are very uncomfortable being cramped up, cold, wet, scared, etc on a sailboat. It sounds like a really hip thing to do but the reality isn't for everyone. Imagine 2 Frolic is in Panama now, I believe, and I'll bet he can refer you to a savvy, Spanish-speaking person who knows what's what.

Sailing lessons: This is a yuppified thing to make money. For the teachers. I have little doubt you can find a guy or a gal in a bar on most any coast in the world that will teach you how to sail on their own boat for a few bucks and cervesas.

I suspect that sailing lessons are a big deal in the USA, if they are, I really don't know, because if you take the courses, you can save money on insurance. My guess is with your budget, insurance won't be a priority, and perhaps not a possibility. You can certainly teach yourself by reading and doing but it's easier with a friendly person there to grab the tiller before you run aground, to point out that it's this sheet not that one, and to show you around a chart.

To become a competent sailor takes experience. As Call Me Crazy points out, the devil is in the details. I was reading the blog (I'm no longer a blog virgin) by HillbillyFunk last night. He bought a boat and taught himself to sail. As he says, it's not rocket science. I mention this because you can look at Waltzing Matilda, and read that he has outgrown his current boat and is ready to move up. He has a very small but very capable boat, and is quite an adventurous guy. A case of Corona says he would sail the boat to your dock and teach you how to handle it.

Good Luck