Ready to set sail!

Hi Milton,

Actually. its not complicated at all. Vessels engaged in chartering which are flagged outside the Territory may pick up and drop off PAX in the BVI up to seven times; if PAX are picked up outside the Territory, crewed-charter operators may operate within the BVI an unlimited amount of times. (There are daily, per-head fees which must be paid to BVI authorities when chartering, which mostly go toward worthwhile programs, such as VISAR, the BVI equivalent to the USCG, for rescue at sea.)

Amongst sailors, the "monohull vs. catamaran" debate is never-ending. As a monohull owner for many years, I never saw myself owning a catamaran. And then two years ago I bareboat chartered a Lagoon 440. The following year, a Leopard 46. Game over. IMO, you can't beat a large catamaran for live-aboard comfort and safety. YMMV.
 
Hi boatfishandnature,

Thanks for your comments, and congratulations on moving into ER! As a boat owner, and given your username, I'm sure you appreciate all that the boating lifestyle offers; given your ER, now you'll really be able to enjoy the time on your catamaran! Although I've only walked on power cats at boat shows, I'm sure they're great vessels for cruising and living aboard, and you don't have to worry about clearing bridges! Safe boating!
 
To the OP : your plan sounds great. Looking forward to more pictures. Welcome to to the forum.
 
Obgyn65, thank you for taking the time to read my rather lengthy plan, and for your comments. This site is an excellent resource; although at the end of the day, our decisions are our own to make, IMO, it's always worthwhile to listen to those having knowledge and experience in the FIRE arena.

A for our life in ER: Leopard 48 - YouTube
 
That looks like the perfect boat for your plan. I have also recently heard good things about Thunderbolt Marina. I used to occasionally go out of their on fishing trips with friends who kept boats there. I think it has changed hands and also business plan since then. I will check into it a little more closely in coming weeks and post again if I hear anything of interest.
 
I like a Cat for where you are going. Flying low level around the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos and on down towards P.R. I remember seeing LOTS of shallow coral heads.
 
carib bound, this sounds like an excellent adventure. Best of luck.

You wrote that you have employer provided healthcare. Is the coverage extraterritorial?

The thread title brings to mind this song

Blind Faith - Sea of Joy - YouTube
 
WOW... what a great plan. Congratulations on following the dream.
My BIL (landed immigrant, Canada) has a bike tour business in Cuba, and also offers sailing cruises (out of Trinidad on a Benitau 36.). Niece now runs the business, and until recently she and her Cuban husband also operated their own (power boat) island cruise business there.
Those of us who are quietly retired in small town America will vicariously share your spirit of adventure.
Hoping that you will have time to share your experiences as we go forward.

Best wishes for fair winds and safe harbors.
 
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Hi MichaelB,

Medical coverage extends through the USVI. Also, cost effective policies covering accidental injuries and med-evac are available through Divers Alert Network ("DAN", BTW, you don't have to be a diver to be a member; worth checking out if you travel) and American Express. Thanks for sharing "Sea of Joy," its already on my playlist. I wonder if younger people today even know who Clapton, Ginger Baker and Steve Winwood are, let alone appreciate them for their true musical talents!
 
Hi imoldrnu,

Thanks for your comments regarding my plan! As you know from talking to your BIL and niece, living in third-world countries, and running businesses there, present real challenges, but offer great (intrinsic) rewards. As for DW and me, we hope to do as many other full-time cruisers, who spend most of their year in the Carib do; that is, get involved in the needs of a local community, and donate talent toward making a difference in peoples' lives. Despite years of receiving varying amounts of USAID, many of these islands still lack enough books and supplies to operate schools, libraries, etc. A little help from those who love to cruise their pristine waters makes a big difference. Here's an example of how one sailing couple really made a difference:

Hands Across the Sea
 
carib bound said:
Hi boatfishandnature,

Thanks for your comments, and congratulations on moving into ER! As a boat owner, and given your username, I'm sure you appreciate all that the boating lifestyle offers; given your ER, now you'll really be able to enjoy the time on your catamaran! Although I've only walked on power cats at boat shows, I'm sure they're great vessels for cruising and living aboard, and you don't have to worry about clearing bridges! Safe boating!
Click to expand...


Your chosen boat looks great. The interior layout looks really good, especially the owner`s cabin. If you are going to be living aboard, you need a good cabin with a proper head, plenty of closet space and a table to work on... this model has it all. I am not familiar with this specific model, but I know that the Leopard 47 powercats were delivered on their own bottom from South Africa to the U.S., so they are clearly bluewater-ready. :)
 
jclarksnakes,

Thanks for the update on Thunderbolt. As for the shallow coral heads, a few years back I flew a C-210 from Florida to San Juan, landing in the Caicos for fuel. Lots of things in the water to look out for, including a light twin aircraft a mile or so off the runway, whose on-board fuel was just a little insufficient for the trip! (The perils of being overloaded with bales of ganji!) There is no rest for the captain when sailing that route!
 
That's quite a plan. Best wishes on your sailing adventures and future business.
 
Ready to set sail

Update: DW and I just returned from South Beach, FL, where we celebrated our 25th anniversary. While there, we drove up to Dania Beach, where we signed the contract to purchase our new Leopard catamaran, which will be delivered from the factory (South Africa) by mid-April, 2014. We are VERY excited, although this extends our w*rking until the end of February, 2014. (We had hoped to retire at the end of August 2013, but will use this additional time until our new "home" arrives to continue to earn income, and delay by six months drawing down our assets.)

As those on this site who have ER'd know well, it is one thing to plan for retirement, and another to execute the plan (retire). Having written the check and signed the purchase agreement, we are executing our plan for the next chapter in our lives. I must say, I slept well the night before our meeting with the dealer, and have yet to wake up in the middle of the night in a sweat thinking, "What have I done!" It feels great to now know we are moving forward with retirement, with dates now fairly set in stone.

Of course, now we have to decide on a name for our boat! Not an easy undertaking!
 
Agreed, sometimes I think it is easier to have one that comes with her name than to come up with it on the fly!
Rivals naming children in complexity, I imagine!

And congrats--those are AWESOME boats!
 
Congratulations on passing another big milestone!

And we've had four boats, and the names readily presented themselves each time. Never took more than a few days, and we always waited a few days/weeks to order graphics in case we had second thoughts - but we never did. Each name was meaningful and enduring to us. Hope the name becomes obvious to you when the time comes too.
 
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Congrats on your impending retirment and what sounds like a great adventure.

As for the name of the boat, I suggest "Onward."
 
I thought about running a charter business using my own boat and in the late 80s got a USCG 6-pack licnese in preparation for doing just that. I later scrubbed that idea and took a different tack. My wife and I kept working. The kids grew up and married. In 2004 at the age of 54 I retired. My wife and I bought a much smaller boat than we would have needed for charter guests. We kept our house and went cruising part time. The boat is a 1988 Pacific Seacraft 34; small (but adequate), inexpensive, manageable, and solid. The smaller boat left more of our capital invested where it earns the income we need, and it has much smaller annual costs than a larger and complicated boat. We cruise part time, maybe five months a year and spend seven months at home. We have a house where our stuff is in a town where our friends live. We have spent two springs in the Chesapeake Bay, one cruising the NC and SC coasts, and the last six years making trips to the Bahamas. It is not a bad set up.

www.irish-eyes-to-the-bahamas.blogspot.com is a blog my wife keeps for the kids while we are away. It answers the question, "It is 11 o'clock, do you know where your parents are?".
 
wsmurdoch said:
I thought about running a charter business using my own boat ... I later scrubbed that idea and took a different tack.... My wife and I bought a much smaller boat than we would have needed for charter guests.... The smaller boat left more of our capital invested where it earns the income we need, and it has much smaller annual costs than a larger and complicated boat.
Click to expand...
That plan appeals to me much more. If nothing else, it is more in line with the KISS principle.
 
Thanks all. And I appreciate the comments regarding naming our sailboat, although I believe Onward may be somewhat biased in his suggestion (although its a great name, and certainly applicable)! DW and I thought long and hard about selling our home and moving from the area where we have lived for the past 13 years. We considered continuing to sail half the year on the Chesapeake, and the other half in the Bahamas/Caribbean. Even considered buying an older catamaran, and leaving it on the hard in the Caribbean, while back in VA and sailing our sloop during the summer/fall months on the Bay. However, having few friends and no family in the area, and no reason ever to return here (we're only here because of our careers), we decided it was worth the experience to just cast off the dock lines, leave the area and our beautiful marina, and go cruising on a well-equipped catamaran for however long we enjoy the life style. As for the charter business, its an option only if we find ourselves too "relaxed," or our investment plan falls short. It's a dream we've had and planned for many years and, while certainly not for everyone, an adventure we're truly excited to embark upon! I'll pass along our BlogSpot, once its created! Thanks, again.
 
There's really no right or wrong cruising strategy; you are doing what appeals to you, and that's what matters. Enjoy the adventure and I hope it works out well.
 
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