@Cooper #28
Coupla more points:
Ballito is, IIRC, a distant suburb of Durban. 50 clicks, or so. I keep my boat 150 clicks away, right on the briney, while I live in the "inland reaches" of the "Lower Mainland" of
British Columbia. So take it from me - 50 clicks in small potatoes. I can't, from here, see that there is any satisfactory solution other than to keep your boat in Durban
My Brother-in-law built an Atkin Ingrid on the lands of HMCS Discovery, a "stone frigate" bang-smack in the middle of
Vancouver. So it can be done. But remember that Ingrid displaces 25K lbs., call it 12 tons. You don't muck about with a 12 ton hammer!
Remember also that NEW construction, owner built, is the same
price as decent beef - about $10/lb. And many a man has broken a marriage, his bank account and himself by biting off more than he could chew in that department!
On the other hand, an existing, floating, proven, surveyed, reasonably well-found cruiser LISTS for about $2/lb and the settlement
price is usually about 60% of the listing price.
Annual
maintenance costs - exclusive or moorage
fees and
insurance - is about 10% of acquisition cost.
As others have said, do not start a building
project unless you get you jollies building rather than sailing, and be aware that if you do build, once you start, you are in for the duration, and there isn't a snowball's chance in Natal that you'll ever see your money again! Remember also that in a "started but abandoned" situation the hulk will be dealt with at YOUR expense, and that ain't cheap!
If you have Can$75K (say ZAR750K) to blow on a boat, get some sea-miles under your belt
crewing in other peoples' cruisers so you know what you are about. And blow some of that money on a
shopping trip. Joeburg to
Vancouver is about twenny five hunnert return, 1,800 one way. We have LOADS of wonderful cruisers that haven't moved for years and are PINING for a keen owner. Coulda picked up a 50Ft
Samson designed
Ferro ketch last year for seven grand. She'd been "blue water" alright, and her rig was fairly good, but I wouldna touch 'er wi a barge pole! People cross to
Hawaii and to Oz from Vancouver all the time. So get those sea-miles under your belt, then fly here, buy a decent boat and sail 'er 'ome! Mind you, for Durban you might have an easier time
buying in
Florida and following the old sailing ship
route down along the South American Coast till you pick up the westerlies in the South Atlantic.
My boat would be fine for the voyage either way about, though you wouldn't get ME to do it for all the tea in China! And you can't 'ave 'er :-)!
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