No Experience, but Need to Make a Voyage - Advice Requested

[atoll]

madagasgar is a fantastic place to live,once you get over the fact that nothing works,their are no roads on the east coast that are passable during the rainy season,nov-april,no electricity,no running water,no health care to speak of,cerebral malaria,thyphoid,and occasionally the plague in majunga.

on the posative side the locals are very friendly,beer is cheap(thb or three horses beer),rum about $2 a liter,zebu meat(ox) $2 kilo,fish plentiful,crayfish and tiger prawns ,crab for the taking.
other staples being rice and manioc and bannanas.

good to learn some french as not many people speak english.
reccomend getting there by ship if the op is serious about going there.
having a yacht there can also be a bit of a liability as they have a very active cyclone season every year and not the best hidey holes unless you are very shallow draft.

if i had $100000 in the bank and a yearly income of $12000 i would consider retiring there with my family..........

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Some of you (lots) actually answered with paragraphs.

I have replied with some longer than necessary posts, and have mentioned that I think the OP is a troll.

I will admit that when I first thought of going full time on a boat I had vissions of heroic solo ocean crossings to Europe and even through the canal to Austrailia. Over time the limitations I have in seamanship, experience, physical, and economical have all shown me that these vissions may not be doable. This may change as my experience grows, but my physical limitations (bum knee) may forever take that challange away from me. However, I now know that if I have to sit in a marina or at anchor the whole time, I am going to the boat. (I think the marina is more probable though.)

Because nobody here actually told me, "Don't do it, you'll kill yourself!" I felt that the OP deserved at least the curtasy of a serious answer, even if he was a troll. And Yes, this is a fun thread.

[sneuman]

Frankly, I would have to question the sanity of anyone who would seriously suggest what the OP has.

I don't mean to be harsh, but if I had said I wanted to climb Everest with a group of seven other people in shirt sleeves, with no experience, no guide and fixed ropes I bought at WalMart, you'd say I was crazy. And rightfully so. In one's wildest initial daydreams, this would not be the starting point for a sane individual.

Even if I backed off after getting advice and decided to instead take my time and prepare "very prudently" you'd still be right to question my sanity and wonder if any encouragement whatsoever was profoundly misguided.

[hummingway]

Whatever anyone's thoughts on the OP's mission please make the usual efforts to be nice. Thanks.

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by atoll

if i had $100000 in the bank and a yearly income of $12000 i would consider retiring there with my family..........

Most countries will take you if you can show that you would not be a drain on the economy. Having a life-long sustainable income without joining the (non-existant) job market is one of the factors they look for, also paid up health insurance. Even supplying a service otherwise unobtainable is not always enough (A doctor? OK. A nuclear engineer? Not needed so much in Madagascar.)

[Khagan1227]

Wow, a lot of threads to just say "no".

There is plenty of land in the Western U.S. and Alaska, where he could "get away from it all" and not see another human unless he wanted to.

[Tingum]

8 people on a $10,000 boat with no experience! Forget it!!!!!! You would only annoy whomever had to rescue you! If you were that lucky!

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Khagan1227

. . . There is plenty of land in the Western U.S. and Alaska, where he could "get away from it all" and not see another human unless he wanted to.

Heck, there are swamps here in eastern Florida where folks live and nobody, cops, etc. go anywhere near them. I think you can find those isolated "havens" in almost all of the States.
- - But it sounds like he had a irrational (or maybe rational) fear or disgust with the media portrayal of the US society. Too much Fox News, maybe. But anyway, if isolation is not your bag, then there are plenty of communities in the States and elsewhere where "old-time" living and values still exist. You just have to get off your duff and move to one of them.

[WarmBreeze]

Originally Posted by sneuman

Frankly, I would have to question the sanity of anyone who would seriously suggest what the OP has.

I don't mean to be harsh, but if I had said I wanted to climb Everest with a group of seven other people in shirt sleeves, with no experience, no guide and fixed ropes I bought at WalMart, you'd say I was crazy. And rightfully so. In one's wildest initial daydreams, this would not be the starting point for a sane individual.

Even if I backed off after getting advice and decided to instead take my time and prepare "very prudently" you'd still be right to question my sanity and wonder if any encouragement whatsoever was profoundly misguided.

This was my thought and also made me smile.

How on earth would anyone even attempt to do such. I hope that if I ever even thought, and I know a little bit about sailing, but if I even just thought of doing such a thing and with MY CHILDREN, someone would slap me and say...Hey lady, wake up and hire a charter with a full crew and make sure the boat you get is big enough and has at least 2 bathrooms.

[capn_billl]

Still no OP.

Don't like airport scanners, there are lots of airports that haven't insalled them yet.
Drive to Mexico, or Canada and fly from there.
Take a charter from Florida to Bahamas, and fly, take a boat, or just live there, or hop to another island that will give you a residence.
Drive down central america, pick a country, or fly from there to anywhere in the world.

All doable for less than $10,000.00, and no airport scans.

[Piglet]

Ahh, Mosquito Coast...haven't seen that one in a long time...Netflix here I come.

[rover88]

First, your plan is understandable and doable, but in serious need of some studious review and significant modifications.

Take it from someone who has been there... done that. Africa is not the place for you or your children (and Madagascar is part of Africa). So perhaps you should take a look at Central America, with Belize on the top of the list, Panama and Costa Rica following. Nicaragua is perhaps the cheapest country in the region to live (ironic that "Mosquito Coast" has been mentioned) and has its appeal. Check out International Living - Since 1979, but remember that this site is always pointing out the positive with little focus on the negative. And there is always lots of negatives.

$10k for a 30' - 35' seaworthy boat to meet your needs is very, very slim. But they are out there and if you search hard enough and get lucky you'll find one. But then add another $10k for a repairs/upgrades, watermaker (which I see as essential in your case), solar/wind, battery bank and decent sails. Add maybe another $5k for provisioning and equipment such a a dink and outboard. Then you need money. For each country you visit will have entry fees, visa fees, vehicle import fees and other expenses. I won't even mention bribes - but be prepared for a new way of life dealing with government types.

A sad fact is that the word has become so overly-regulated that escaping America is simply swapping one set of problems for another. As stated, wherever you go you'll need visas, work permits, etc. You'll need income and that means fighting with locals over scant, underpaying jobs. Don't let that dissuade you though. Problems will always be encountered in life and most can be overcome with a bit of tenacity and imagination.

If you decide to go the boat route, first you'd better learn to sail. Then learn to fix anything and everything on the boat. Learn to navigate, forecast weather, attend to the health and medical needs of your charges and how to educate your kids. Then find a way you can bring in money to feed a family.

Big job, but if this is important to you then find a way. Good luck.

[MarkJ]

When one is looking for a new country, under certain circumstances, one may need to research to see if there is extradition laws with the original country. Or Family Court Laws that may be reciprocal.

[Don1500]

mark, We are all hoping that the OP was trying to do this leagally and was not trying to circumvent any law enforcement agency, or avoid any court ordered living conditions (Child custody, probation, support, etc.). Even without that his proposal to buy a boat for $10,000 (Whatever the size) place 5 adults and 3 children in it and sail (in 1500 mile jumps) a total of approx 8500 miles is fool hardy in the extream. If I knew about someone trying this for real I would call the CPS if not 911 to prevent him from killing the lot of them. It sounds as if he woke up and said "I guess I'll take the family on a little boat ride. The weather looks good today. Where can I gat a boat?"

[hummingway]

I believe the OP has taken from this what he's going to:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post742835

Thread closed.