Building in South Pacific

[creakyboy]

wild idea feel... free to shoot it down

basic idea---want to sail south pacific islands,not real keen on bashing into trades to get there from Aus or doing 3000 mile passage from USA

Aha...build small boat in say..tahiti or tonga an go from there

pros/cons anyone...we're talkin bout real simple an quick to build ply boat

heres a hint check what i currently sail

so,availability of ply/epoxy in such places?

[imagine2frolic]

How about the Philippines? There are several yards that specialize in cold molded. I do know a contact of the West System on Luzon. Instead of ply why not build in strips? It will be stromnger too? PM me if you like......i2f

[creakyboy]

only prob is phillipines are the wrong way,i'm thinking sail east to west through islands such as tahiti,vanuatu,tonga,fiji etc (yeah i know that list is out of order east to west)

[barnakiel]

Tahiti "expensive" (different taxation system plus you are on an island where everything has to be taken in on a ship or plane). If you are Aus or Usa then also stay limits.

Tonga still 'bashing into the trades' to get to the islands. Unless you want to sail Tonga / Samoa / Fiji / Etc.. But then it is not upwind from Aus either.

b.

[Boracay]

I built a Van de Stadt 6.5 near Wewak in New Guinea quite a few years ago. I brought the ply, the timber, the outboard and the paint locally but the rest had to be imported from Australia. Took about a year.
As most of the countries that you mention have fairly stringent visa requirements I doubt if you would have enough time to complete your project.
I also doubt the wisdom of sailing between Pacific Island nations in a 20' cat. The distances are enormous and subject to major storms.

[creakyboy]

time would be definetely my major concern,was thinking more 26ish ft cruised a 21ft cat up QLD coast,was safe enough but too small for comfort, but it depends on how accurate designers build estimates are...all a bit pie in the sky dream type scenario anyway,was curious if anyone had done similar or was planning similar

[barnakiel]

Maybe you can build a Wharram somewhere out there? I met a guy sailing a 40' Wharram. She looked OK and he did not have any more weather challenges than us in our monohulls. A Wharram looks easy to build, so if you have the skills and a lot of plywood and epoxy then maybe.

BTW In some islands they have small boatyards to build fishing craft. I believe such a yard (seen one in Aitutaki) can build an alu craft in no time, say couple of weeks. Won't be very cheap though.

b.

[Polunu880]

Forget the building, Hop a plane to Hawaii and buy a used boat there. It's faster and a lot cheaper.
Knowing what I know today thats how I would do it.

[Wotname]

CB,

If I understand your situation correctly, you want to avoid the windward bash from Oz or the long haul from the Americas.

If so, rather than build on the Islands, why don't you ship your existing boat to the Islands, re-assemble and sail home downwind.

I am thinking that most Wharrams (that I have seen) disassemble pretty easily and should pack up quite well. Given that all infrastructure is shipped to the SP Islands anyway, getting a couple of hulls and deck shipped to them might not be that hard.

I once had a 28 carvel yacht shipped halfway around Australia as deck cargo - I thought it would be a big drama but it wasn't. One call to a shipping company and the rest was easy. I did have a bit of trouble getting it off the destination wharf due to some union issues but that was over 20 years back and the waterfront has changed since then.

[creakyboy]

now theres a good idea i hadnt thought of,i'll have to look into that

[Wotname]

Let's know what eventuates .

[cathyoz]

being French/Australien
i was thinking too to buitd a cata or tri and ship it to French Polynesia, in a container.
at this stage i am more looking into bying a boat in the States , they are so cheap.
but if you want some infos of French Shipping line doing Australia/French polynesia , let me know.i got few contact in Brisbane.
and a mate did it with a cata , i could ask him again who was his shipping agent.
because , it is better to get an agent to deal with the paper work..
And the French loveeeeeeeeee paper work..
one of the raison i could never live again over there, happy to go just as a tourist now !!!!

[creakyboy]

Originally Posted by cathyoz

being French/Australien
i was thinking too to buitd a cata or tri and ship it to French Polynesia, in a container.
at this stage i am more looking into bying a boat in the States , they are so cheap.
but if you want some infos of French Shipping line doing Australia/French polynesia , let me know.i got few contact in Brisbane.
and a mate did it with a cata , i could ask him again who was his shipping agent.
because , it is better to get an agent to deal with the paper work..
And the French loveeeeeeeeee paper work..
one of the raison i could never live again over there, happy to go just as a tourist now !!!!

Cheers Cathyoz

did You get as far as getting a qoute at all? would love to know rough prices,or alternatively a point in the direction of where to start researching shipping companies?

[cathyoz]

2 years ago
a ruff idea was around $ 3000 for a container to tahiti
i got contact and infos in files 'somewhere"
i did have quote through French shipping compagny Delmas, and an other ne i forgot the name , but you can phone the French chamber of commerce in Sydney.
will get back to you latter if you want with number.

[cathyoz]

CMA-CGM
www.cma-cgm.com

their site is in english too
they specialise shipping from Australia to the world and particulary French pacific..

the French chember of commerce www.facci.com.au

hope it helps
if you contact them , let me know the idea what are the quote today ?
let me know how you going, I got mate with their boats in Tahiti , and got some friend there, and we could share some space in the container,
I will love to get my Kayak there..and surf board ..ect..
why not a little Trump trimarant too ?? to play around between Moorea and Tahiti..I will love to have that ..

good luck
Cathy