Newbies & South Pacific island tour

[Hobiehobie]

We have a 2007 54 grp boat. I’d estimate that once the boat is launched and in cruising mode on average we spend 4 hours per day on cleaning and maintenance tasks. Getting her ready to cruise at the beginning of the season and decommissioning at the end is about 2 weeks of 10 hour days.

BUT. We know many who maintain only what is broken, have never used a toothbrush to clean their stainless and whose winches never get stripped. And you probably can’t see your face in their topsides.

[El Pinguino]

NZ imposes quite strict ... some would say very strict ... Cat. 1 requirements on NZ flagged yachts wishing to leave the country. These requirements involve not just the yacht herself and her equipment but also crew qualifications.

Buy foreign... sail her or have her delivered to NZ.... sail her in NZ for two years and then sail away again... thus avoiding the cost of importing her......

[NNK]

Hobiehobie - thank you, I was imagining 2-4 hrs per day whilst away.

El Pinq - thanks, I shall look into that, I didn't realise quals/experience had to be proven. We were expecting to take crew when we leave NZ

[El Pinguino]

I have made the bold assumption that you are not NZ citizens.... if you are then when you turn up in NZ with an overseas boat you will be hit for duty when you arrive... however you can still.. in many cases... leave her 'foreign flag'.

[NNK]

I'm a citizen (dual with UK) and wife a returning resident.
I did just look at import rules and couldn't see a way of dodging, don't fancy having boat seized as we are setting off

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by NNK

I'm a citizen (dual with UK) and wife a returning resident.
I did just look at import rules and couldn't see a way of dodging, don't fancy having boat seized as we are setting off

I'd be sitting tight.... watching and waiting ... for a suitable UK flagged yacht ( mine? just kidding ) to turn up in NZ after the present business settles down...

Maybe there are some there already... I think it is a buyers' market...

Buy it, import it, leave it under the UK flag.. go sailing...

[dickfred]

Suggest you budget for a dingy w. outboard and lifeboat a well. Read William F Buckley's "Racing through paradise" about his sailing in the South Pacific and perhaps his "Airborne". Both available from Amazon for less than a US dollar. Your seasick comment makes me wonder if you have even sailed before. Do that first and frequently to
find out before pondering your big purchase.

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by NNK

May I ask why you would avoid an NZ registered boat ?
I thought we would have to as the plan is to liveaboard here for a while.

My reasoning for the size boat straight away is that nothing sells quickly in NZ unless you give it away. Cars, bikes and (I presume) boats sit around for ages unless they are the cheapest (in my opinion).
We don't want to buy something then struggle to get rid of it without taking a massive hit when its time to go.
My understanding is boat dealers/brokers don't take trade ins and if one did I'm pretty sure they would want a huge margin for their risk.

The seasickness was humorous , I don't think either of us suffer.

Yep, boats just don't sell quickly anywhere. Get the one you want upfront and fit it out the way you want it, you've got plenty of time to learn to sail and maintain the boat given your timeline. Maybe consider a fiberglass hull in the 45' range which work well for two couples. Caution; many marinas have the majority of their slips in the 35' to 50' range so if you add davits or a bow sprite, you'll be over the 50' limit in a 50' boat. And don't forget the water maker if you're doing the Pacific. The island nations will have fresh water (of sometimes dubious quality) but the atoll countries are all on catchment - meaning they won't be giving you any water. Catchment systems only work when it rains.

[NNK]

El Ping - I will look futher into registration and what being NZ reg entails. We do want to do this properly, courses, qualifications, etc so there may be no reason for us to cheat the system but ……

Dickfred - yes both items are in schedule, figuring anything boat doesn't have or that's getting old will be replaced in the 12m we are on her in NZ

JoelH - Thanks for that, handy to know about marinas. A watermaker is on my 'essential' list but I wanted confirmation from others. Plus you get a medal for agreeing with us buying a far too big boat first off !

This is all good/helpful stuff everybody, thanks for putting in the time its really appreciated.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by NNK

El Ping - I will look futher into registration and what being NZ reg entails. We do want to do this properly, courses, qualifications, etc so there may be no reason for us to cheat the system but ……
................
This is all good/helpful stuff everybody, thanks for putting in the time its really appreciated.

If you hold a British passport you are not cheating any system by owning a boat under the red ensign.

[NNK]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

If you hold a British passport you are not cheating any system by owning a boat under the red ensign.

Sorry, no offence intended, cheat the system was probably the wrong term.
Another reason my wife and I need such a large boat is that I know how irritating I can be.

[LAGO]

I would highly recommend joining a rally for your first ocean passage. https://www.islandcruising.nz

[Bundyon]

Doesn't matter whether you buy a boat made from fibreglass, timber or steel or Ferro, they will all require maintenance constantly and they all have their own problems associated with the material they are made of. GRP built boats that are in good condition to start with, are probably the easiest to maintain. Regardless of build material, the fittings, engines, systems etc are all pretty much on par and will require ongoing maintenance.
I have owned several fibreglass boats with timber as the core, dry rot can be a problem, but a good surveyor can advise if the boat is solid or a lemon. I now own a 42' steely, when I first bought it, the boat looked terrible, rust stains, faded, dead paint, a couple of pin holes in the cabin roof but upon a thorough look, the boat wasn't too bad and it's "bones" were very good. Lot's of hard work in the boat yard over several months by my partner & myself, we couldn't afford sand blasting at the time, so we rubbed the hull, topsides & deck by hand using orbital sanders. We painted with top quality primers and finish paint, replaced windows and seals, sorted out mechanical & electric/electronic issues etc. Like any boat, maintenance is ongoing, but at the end of the day we have a vessel that is strong, can handle most rough weather and other cruisers always pay out nice compliments on how good "Mystic" looks.
Don't write off looking at steelies, their are still a few good ones left!

[NNK]

Cheers Bundyon, good to hear.
When we do find something that we think will work we will get it surveyed, wont be relying on owner or broker for condition report.

I'd rather pay for five surveys than buy one lemon, especially as we have time on our hands.

[Dougtiff]

I like Steel for it's strength, more than one boat has been saved after running aground, where as if other wise would have been lost, and no matter how careful you are, if you sail long enough, you will end up on the bricks, especially in the tropic's, and as far as maintenance, i recall year's ago meeting a owner built Steel boat, that was Bristol, the owner carried a small sand blasting kit, powered by a SCUBA tank for compressed air, any rust would be blasted and painted immediately.