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jimbnz · 10-02-2016, 16:39

Hi,

Looking at planning a sailing trip to the Caribbean next year about February and have quite a few questions, would appreciate anyone's help with some local and general sailing knowledge.

1. Where is the best place to travel to and buy a yacht in the area; Florida? Haiti? Cuba?

2. What size yacht would be needed for a crew of around 5 to safely live and sail throughout the Caribbean Sea on? Traveling shortest distance island to island.

3. Is $15000-$20000 USD realistic amount to purchase the vessel described above, it does not need to be luxuroius just livable and sail-able.

4. Do you need specific tickets or requirements to purchase a vessel in the US or to enter the countries in the Caribbean?

Appreciate any help

LLCoolDave · 10-02-2016, 16:58

There are couples out there that sail the Caribbean on $20k boats but they are in the 28-35ft range. That is a great size for couples. If you want to comfortably sleep 5 you are looking at a 50ft boat and a boat that size for $20k is probably going to need a refit that costs more than the boat itself to make it seaworthy.

With your budget I would say it isn't possible without some real safety risks so other questions are moot. Just my opinion

jimbnz · 10-02-2016, 17:16

Thanks mate,

In terms of comfortable it is for a group of 25 year old guys so as long as there is somewhere to lie down and sleep wed be happy id say. Could stretch the price to $25000.

Would appreciate if you shared some info on other questions so I could do some further investigation.

Cheers

monte · 10-02-2016, 17:20

Sure it's doable. Given the euro to usd value, the euro islands might be a good place to start. Also Grenada and Trinidad probably have a lot. If you're on a timeline I'd probably search for something that's been cruised recently, rather than on the handstand for a couple of years which may require a lot of work and a lot of waiting around. Something like this might work
http://www.leboncoin.fr/nautisme/899701758.htm?ca=24_s

wayne.b · 10-02-2016, 17:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbnz

Thanks mate,

In terms of comfortable it is for a group of 25 year old guys so as long as there is somewhere to lie down and sleep wed be happy id say. Could stretch the price to $25000.

Would appreciate if you shared some info on other questions so I could do some further investigation.

Cheers

You could no doubt get by with a 40 footer, and you could probably find one in Florida in your price range. It will need a huge amount of work however to make it seaworthy enough for the kind of cruising that you propose. I'd be surprised if you could find a decent 40 footer ready to go for less than 50 to 80K$. Sailing to the Caribbean is not a walk in the park and you will no doubt need to budget a fair amount of money for repairs and upgrades along the way.

monte · 10-02-2016, 17:34

Don't worry too much about lack of space. Pretty soon one of the guys will get seasick and hate it, one will meet a local girl and jump ship, one will realise he hates the rest of his mates after living in close quarters and it will be just you and your mate left 🍻✌

tuffr2 · 10-02-2016, 18:12

There are a ton of boats for sale already located on the Caribbean. I would look there.

Now finding the right boat in that price range is not going to be easy. But remember an asking price of 40k might sell for 20k.

Maybe look at Cats. They will have sleeping quarters separated in each pod. But they will cost more.

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jimbnz · 10-02-2016, 18:35

Where is the best place to look at boats? I live in Australia so can only really check out on the net. Is it worth getting someone on the ground to have a look around for you so there are a couple of options to look at when we arrive? Dont want to spend a month looking for a boat to buy when we arrive.

lindabarzini · 10-02-2016, 19:52

With 5 guys, I would think a Catamaran would be best because it has lots of room, but they are usually expensive.

If you don't mind some hard work, there is this old one for $9,000 in Alabama. These Geminis have 3 separate rooms, plus the saloon table folds down to a double bed. You could probably buy it and fix it up for $15-$20k, but it would take some hard work. With that said, splitting the work between 5 guys might not be too bad.

1976 Performance Cruising Gemini sailboat for sale in Alabama

Alternatively, search sailboatlistings.com for boats between 40 and 60 feet for $20,000 or less and see if one of those fit your needs.

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/54971
http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/55466

hamburking · 11-02-2016, 08:52

The Canadian dollar is super low right now. Buy a boat on the great lakes and take it south. Its only a 3 week trip if you rush, and will be lots of fun. Also, most great lakes boats have never seen salt water, so you get a rust free boat, usually in much better condition for its age.

For a crew of 5, you'll want a big boat.
For Caribbean, you'll want shallow draft.

Here you go:

Toronto Yachts for Sale, New & Used Boat Sales, Powerboats & Sailboats - Toronto Yacht Sales

Toronto Yachts for Sale, New & Used Boat Sales, Powerboats & Sailboats - Toronto Yacht Sales

Toronto Yachts for Sale, New & Used Boat Sales, Powerboats & Sailboats - Toronto Yacht Sales

To convert from CDN to USD:
USD = CDN x 0.7

hamburking · 11-02-2016, 08:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbnz

Hi,
What size yacht would be needed for a crew of around 5 to safely live and sail throughout the Caribbean Sea on? Traveling shortest distance island to island.

What is the relationship between the crew members...this will help determine your optimum layout. Is it 2 parents and 3 kids? 2 couples and a butler? 5 friends? IMHO, girls demand much more privacy...and most guys don't care about privacy at all.