KenF
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2011
- Messages
- 38
*** reposted as a new topic from original Newbie on board" thread" ****
THANK YOU ALL for the wonderful responses! Just as I expected - sage advice from seasoned veterans with the experience.
We decided to take your advice and put the "training" money towards a 2 week charter next May/June. Amy has already spoken to her boss about taking that much time off consecutively as there is often a schedueling problem to someone to take her patients and it's easy for me as a self-employed IT headhunter.
Since our chosen cruising grounds for the liveaboard dream are the Bahamas/Caribbean (completely sold after reading Lavigne's book) we determined that our choices are the Bahamas or the Virgin Islands. Both easy to get to from Atlanta, lots of facitlities for boarters, great cruising grounds etc. Would love to hear y'alls (that's Southernese that I picked up, the Canadian in me would say "you guys' ") opinions - pros/cons of each.
Our initial research has come up pretty dry in terms of charter companies offering trawlers in either location...
- USVI - Trawlers in Paradise website seems to have been hijacked by a charter broker website - I remember stopping at their docks once on St. Thomas and touring a GB. Are they still around? CYOA appears to have a 39' Mainship and a 44' cat - we prefer monohull since that's what we'd buy - BVI - looks like bareboatsbvi has a 36' Heritage and a 43' cat
- Bahamas - Florida Yacht Charters appears to have a base in Abaco but I can't find any of the Mainships they supposedly have only a big Lagoon cat. Great Harbor has a charter program to help sell their vessels but not our style at all.* Southwest Florida Yachts in Ft. Myers doesn't allow their boats to go there.* Chitwood Charters in Sarasota does but it would take a week to get there via the Okechobee (sp?) waterway.
Any suggestions/experience?
Finally, since we are big users of VRBO.com to book vacation rental properties from the owner we thought there might be something similar in the trawler world. Perhaps a couple finishing up a winter in the islands wanting some shore time and having their trawler generate some cash for the cruising kitty. I imaging the insurance issues preclude this type of arrangement.
Regards, Ken & Amy
THANK YOU ALL for the wonderful responses! Just as I expected - sage advice from seasoned veterans with the experience.
We decided to take your advice and put the "training" money towards a 2 week charter next May/June. Amy has already spoken to her boss about taking that much time off consecutively as there is often a schedueling problem to someone to take her patients and it's easy for me as a self-employed IT headhunter.
Since our chosen cruising grounds for the liveaboard dream are the Bahamas/Caribbean (completely sold after reading Lavigne's book) we determined that our choices are the Bahamas or the Virgin Islands. Both easy to get to from Atlanta, lots of facitlities for boarters, great cruising grounds etc. Would love to hear y'alls (that's Southernese that I picked up, the Canadian in me would say "you guys' ") opinions - pros/cons of each.
Our initial research has come up pretty dry in terms of charter companies offering trawlers in either location...
- USVI - Trawlers in Paradise website seems to have been hijacked by a charter broker website - I remember stopping at their docks once on St. Thomas and touring a GB. Are they still around? CYOA appears to have a 39' Mainship and a 44' cat - we prefer monohull since that's what we'd buy - BVI - looks like bareboatsbvi has a 36' Heritage and a 43' cat
- Bahamas - Florida Yacht Charters appears to have a base in Abaco but I can't find any of the Mainships they supposedly have only a big Lagoon cat. Great Harbor has a charter program to help sell their vessels but not our style at all.* Southwest Florida Yachts in Ft. Myers doesn't allow their boats to go there.* Chitwood Charters in Sarasota does but it would take a week to get there via the Okechobee (sp?) waterway.
Any suggestions/experience?
Finally, since we are big users of VRBO.com to book vacation rental properties from the owner we thought there might be something similar in the trawler world. Perhaps a couple finishing up a winter in the islands wanting some shore time and having their trawler generate some cash for the cruising kitty. I imaging the insurance issues preclude this type of arrangement.
Regards, Ken & Amy