7-Month Sabbatical on Multihull in Carrabean

[ldrhawke]

That is the cheap way, but it will be tough to get seven months of family cruising out of a boat delivery for wmagnan1. Also I believe it may require a captains license to take on a boat delivery if you expect to get insurance.

Bottom line.....there is no real cheap way to sail a boat for seven months in the Caribbean even with the best deal. I guess that's why they can charge people 8 to 10K a week for a catamaran.

I take you own your SF44? Question off topic. Isn't the Knysna 440 the old SF44?

[wmagnan1]

Schoonerdog, You've painted a very clear picture of the costs associated this endeavor of mine. $80K is a fair chunk of change. Thanks for taking the time to spell it out for me.Pelagic, I'm not adverse to Monohull's if you think that there would be good cost savings at the end of the day. My girls are 11 and 13 so to keep Harmony on the boat I would need 3 cabins.I've been on Yacht World and I’ve entertained this option. There seems to be an abundance of Beneteau's, Hunter's and Dufour's that are geared for the Charter companies and that have 3 cabins. For a more recent model in the 48' to 52 the price tag seems to be in the $250K range. I know there's a difference of opinion out there wheter or not these boats are appropriate for some of the open water crossings and adverse weather conditions that we could come upon. I'd like to hear what you're opinion is with regards to monohulls that would fit our situation. Thanks, Wil

[Tropic Cat]

Originally Posted by pieter97

When it comes to houses, cars, boats: the younger= the better......
Just my .02

and women????

[David M]

I wouldn't look at the typical weekly rate times seven months as what it is going to cost you. I am certain that there are people out there who would charter their boat out for a solid seven months for less than the price estimate you came up with. Call a charter company and tell them what you want to do. I bet they can come up with a much better price for seven months than their weekly rate.

[Pelagic]

Just brainstorming here as others who are more active in the Caribbean Charter market these days could confirm.

Back in the 80’s and 90’s I remember that charter boats would go thru an ownership evolution:

Bought new, they were placed with high end charter companies
After about 4 years of income they were sold to either single users or 2nd tier budget charter companies.

You should research monos on the market, coming off the first tier, but sailed back to Florida.

If you find a good deal and buy it, see if you can make an agreement with a 2nd tier to purchase at an agreed upon price after your use with it delivered to them in good condition at their charter base, free of charge.

The same would apply to Cats but I guess they are more in demand.

[Boracay]

Have you considered a discontinuous charter?
I'm thinking: fly in, check weather, charter, rent holiday home, check weather, charter, rent holiday home etc.

Some possible advantages:
1) You ( and your family) would gain experience on a wide variety of boats.
2) Could be way cheaper.
3) Your charter company (and it may be easier to deal with one only) would give you a better rate as you are not going to be tying up their flagship for 7 months.
4) By choosing a location with attractions for teenagers harmony could be enhanced.
5) If the weather is bad it's going to be much more comfortable in a house/condo.
6) By negotiating you may be able to get your family to agree to a much smaller boat. Four on a 35' mono for 3 days could be acceptable if there are going to be restaurant meals, solid beds, hot showers, swimming pools, cappuccinos and discos at the end of it.
7) The charter company is going to happier if you are near. If a wider area is desired repeat this in a few other locations.
8) Might fit your budget.

[wmagnan1]

• David M and Pelagic, I'll check out what some of the Charter Company's have to offer and I'll post their replies.
• Boracay, We've chartered many times before and whenever were packing up after our set time on a boat my Family and I are extremely dissapointed that we've got to wrap things up. We're looking for the adventure of the exploring away from the crowds and hopefuly develope a groove that only a continous vacation can provide.
• Thanks, Wil

[capezio11]

wmagnan--I looked at the last issues of Multihulls and Cruising World last night and didn't see the article I remember reading.

Perhaps I saw it on the intertubes somewhere...sorry, I just didn't pay attention that closely, although I thought it was an interesting idea. I'll keep noodling on it and see if I can recall where I saw that.

One thing I do remember is that the article stated that the rates were considerably discounted from normal weekly rates due to the fact that the charter company was guarranteed a long term positive cash flow generated by the asset.

[wmagnan1]

Thanks for checking further capezio11. I called a Charter Broker today and he said that he set up a 7 month charter for a family 8 years ago for a similar timeframe and the total of ended up to be approx $50k, he also mentioned that it was with one of the larger charter company's and the advantage was that they could stop off at any of the bases for repairs.

[Cheechako]

Brokers fees might be $25000+ alone right? and you have to deal with returning it to the states, moorage and maintenance until sold. If you could get along term lease you would have more cruising time and less worry. Not sure what deal you can get, but if you are staying in the Trinidad to puerto Rico area, you dont need a huge cat. It's mostly daysails. If you do buy you really have to buy low to come out OK. The market is right now anyway. Search the internet on cats and look for old postings.. you can get an idea how long on the market and how the price moved down over time. I'd start about 30% less than asking price.

[Nordic cat]

I know that you can "lease" a boat for a year in France. There was an article in Multihulls World in the last 6 months. Maybe contact them and ask for details..

Alan

[Eleven]

If you want a comfortable boat have a look at the nearest Prout's to where you are now. These older boats can be bought for the price you'll be laying out, Survey recommended, there are one or two with problems.
Most are cruising boats and come with all the bits needded for a year.
Survey will report on state of rigging, sails, hulls and expected replacement dates.
Have the sails checked out by a local loft and repair or replace as required.
Cost of your year. About ten percent of what you spend on the boat!
ps Don't expect to come back until your are really old.

[hydrogonian]

Just for reference and in principle, tying up 200k plus in any asset to save 40K is a foolhardy way to think about investments and your money. The risk that you are taking with that 200k coming out of your pocket, in that you NEED to get it back in relatively short order, far outweighs a hypothetical 40k in savings.

For instance, being a novice, how can you be certain of the actual and true value of the asset at time of purchase? Having a survey is well and fine, but I would surmise that even the best surveyors could vary 20k in their value estimates for a used vessel. Additionally, what is your perspective of the used catamaran market? As a novice buyer, you have no way of knowing your chances of selling your particular vessel, in the shape that it will be in after your done, at the price and within the time frame that you require. It could sit on the market for a while, especially if you over paid initially and are asking too much (very likely).

Tying up $200K for a short time period, especially in a boat, is an extremely high risk way to try and save even much more than 40K. High value boat ownership is better suited, financially speaking, for longer term cruisers.

The only way that you should consider the route that you are proposing is if you should come across a deal for a vessel that is priced siginificantly under what its current market value is estimated to be (by a surveyor - not you). Only then could you expect to realize some sort of loss mitigation in the expense of your vacation and the expenses associated with your boat.In this economy, if you really put some effort into it, you may be able to find a deal like this. good luck..