Where should I sail 45' ketch for interior refit?

[sanssouci]

After sailing her for 33 years, I am looking for a port to refit the deck and interior of my boat.

45' 1982 Dufour 12000CT (French)
Where should I sail her for a refit? Should I take her back to La Rochelle?
Somewhere in the Atlantic or Pacific?

[barnakiel]

Any sailing country will be good: Sweden, UK, Holland, France, US, etc.

Areas with good specialists and with good materials availability seem more expensive on paper but they are in fact most cost effective by far: you spend less time at the dock, workforce is more efficient and you save on lawyers. You end up with jobs done well.

b.

[hoppy]

I found this about refits in Sweden. Interesting video

I'm sure they should be open to other brands

http://reginasailing.com/refitting-your-hallberg-rassy/


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[JPA Cate]

Sans Souci,

There's another CF member here, El Pinguino, who has a thread going now about the major refit he's been having done on his Westerly Sealord in New Zealand, at Gulf Harbour. If you search on posts by him, you should be able to find the thread (sorry I don't remember its title), or PM him.

Ann

[hpeer]

Would Rio Dulce work?

I would think the labor might be substantially cheaper and the weather better?

[Steadman Uhlich]

Langkawi Malaysia

Oriental, North Carolina (USA)

Brazil

[model 10]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Would Rio Dulce work?

I would think the labor might be substantially cheaper and the weather better?

I have seen some really nice work done there. Gel Coat paint jobs that look perfect from the dock. Refrigeration, sails, bottom jobs. There is a rigging shop now too. I don't see anyone doing amazing wood work because how many people know how to do that anymore?, and they don't have the equipment. Varnish jobs really depend on what you want and are willing to pay for.. Things like deck repairs etc. need to be either done by the owner or under his supervision. Mechanical stuff, I do my own. Labor is cheaper but these guys are not fools, they want to share the wealth too. The only really cheap labor is unskilled and they usually work for about $5 hr.
Weather? It can really suck. Rain every day for months. Summer temp is off the chart. There are maybe a couple of months of nice working weather every year.

[sanssouci]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Would Rio Dulce work?

I would think the labor might be substantially cheaper and the weather better?

Rio Dulce would be a possibility, do you have information on port facilities and labor costs?

[sanssouci]

Which months would be best for weather?

[model 10]

Originally Posted by sanssouci

Which months would be best for weather?

Jan thru April, maybe.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Guy

I have seen some really nice work done there. Gel Coat paint jobs that look perfect from the dock. Refrigeration, sails, bottom jobs. There is a rigging shop now too. I don't see anyone doing amazing wood work because how many people know how to do that anymore?, and they don't have the equipment. Varnish jobs really depend on what you want and are willing to pay for.. Things like deck repairs etc. need to be either done by the owner or under his supervision. Mechanical stuff, I do my own. Labor is cheaper but these guys are not fools, they want to share the wealth too. The only really cheap labor is unskilled and they usually work for about $5 hr.
Weather? It can really suck. Rain every day for months. Summer temp is off the chart. There are maybe a couple of months of nice working weather every year.

There are good woodworkers & varnishers available on the Rio. Contact Captain John across from Tortugal and he can point you to some. Also Lupe (?not sure I have the name right) in the corner of Shell Bay.

$5/hour? Wow! Thats high in Guate. Unskilled is about Q65/day (less than $10/day). Local Guatemalan more skilled labor up to about Q150/day.

Several options for good diesel & outboard mechanics.

There is a thread here on CF discussing Cartegena vs Rio Dulce for a refit. Search for that.

I plan to sail back to the Rio in 2016 for a refit.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

$5/hour? Wow! Thats high in Guate. Unskilled is about Q65/day (less than $10/day). Local Guatemalan more skilled labor up to about Q150/day
I plan to sail back to the Rio in 2016 for a refit.

So you always go with the cheapest labor? Hardly anybody works a full day, you are lucky to get 4 hours of work per day out of a crew. You might be a little surprised on your return. Everyone has a cell phone now.
If some guy paddled up in his cayuca looking for work, you might get him to work a full day for $10 and he would be pretty damn happy about it too. These people can live on so little.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Have you thought about whether or not other systems onboard could be in need of a refit as well. Wiring for instance? Given the boat's age, coupled with the fact that such systems are often run behind a lot of interior woodwork... it bears consideration.

That, & likely you know as much, but some of the other posters & readers may not.
Having one's decks redone by an unskilled, untrained crew can cost you some real $$$$$ in the not to distant future.
So, initial cost (quotes) aren't always the end price. I'm just saying...

But if you can find a reputable crew, where the lumber is right there, & doesn't have to travel 10,000km, & get marked up 5x, then it kind of only makes sense (to go with that option).
If you do a search on here, you'll run across some threads akin to this one. Especially on deck/woodwork refurbishment.

[donradcliffe]

Phuket.

[hpeer]

I personally know nothing about Rio Dulce.

You might want to start here and look at the adds to get a sense of services available.

riodulcechisme.com - Home