Fast tracking a year aboard - Charter?

[Jimbo1982]

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I are really wanting to buy a boat and live aboard for a year with our young son who is now 9 months. Original plan is summer on med then crossing the Atlantic.

I have been going over the numbers, preferred boats etc for a good while now and I think that it will be 3 or 4 years to get the kind of boat we really want and a good cruising budget. Boat budget would be around £100k at that point. A Hallberg 36 would be right near the top of the list for that money. Yes I know would need some additional tankage but still a great boat.

Being really impatient and wanting to spend next year on the med from April I wondered if anyone knew of ways to buy a share or something that I could use for a year? Not sure this even exists as I know you normally swap weekends or months.

My budget available now is about £30,000. I have looked to see if there is something available at this price to buy but am not having much joy. Probably due to my lack of knowledge on older boats.

Anyway, if anyone knows of a way to do a year long charter, boat share where you can take a whole year - OR a 36'+ boat in this price range I would love any help.

Thanks!!

 

[Resolution]

A cautionary tale.
On Resolution we have spent much of this summer sailing in the Med in company with a friend in his Oyster 53. He and his wife had previously done the Atlantic thing and loafed around in the Caribbean for a couple of years. Now they have a son who was by coincidence 9 months old when we started in May. Despite having a sailing nanny to help, they found that onboard life with the young fellow was not as enjoyable as BC*, and when he was seasick it was downright unpleasant. So they packed up and have sold the boat.My friend vows he will be back but doesn't know when.

*Before Children.

 

[Jimbo1982]

Thanks Resolution - Really appreciate that heads up.

We have tested the little fella out for a couple of weeks living aboard in the Solent and he loved it...other than getting the number of layers right to keep him at the right temperature at night he laughed the whole time. He is a massive fan of baths, swimming and boats luckily for us.

And a "sailing nanny"? Never heard of that! Probably not in our budget just yet though

Any thoughts on a 36' for ~£30k? The Bavaria 36 Holiday seems appropriate for our med needs from around 1996-99 but need to research the keel as I know some Bavarias had a bad time with Keels in mid 90's.

Last Q. With the family taking a flight would you do Biscay with this boat to get her to the Med with a crew of 3 experienced sailors?

 

[Tranona]

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I are really wanting to buy a boat and live aboard for a year with our young son who is now 9 months. Original plan is summer on med then crossing the Atlantic.

I have been going over the numbers, preferred boats etc for a good while now and I think that it will be 3 or 4 years to get the kind of boat we really want and a good cruising budget. Boat budget would be around £100k at that point. A Hallberg 36 would be right near the top of the list for that money. Yes I know would need some additional tankage but still a great boat.

Being really impatient and wanting to spend next year on the med from April I wondered if anyone knew of ways to buy a share or something that I could use for a year? Not sure this even exists as I know you normally swap weekends or months.

My budget available now is about £30,000. I have looked to see if there is something available at this price to buy but am not having much joy. Probably due to my lack of knowledge on older boats.

Anyway, if anyone knows of a way to do a year long charter, boat share where you can take a whole year - OR a 36'+ boat in this price range I would love any help.

Thanks!!

Welcome.

Couple of observations. First, Med and Atlantic in one year is very ambitious, even more so with a small child and seemingly no previous experience of living aboard. You have to decide if your main aim is sailing or travelling for pleasure - ie visiting places and enjoying local life. If the former then not sure a child would enjoy that - nor parents if they are like most parents I have known! If the latter, you would only scratch the surface of the Med, let alone do justice to an Atlantic crossing in a year.

You do not need a boat as expensive as an HR, nice though they are. If it is just a year and then sell the boat, something much more modest is perfectly adequate, particularly if you confine yourself to the Med. There are plenty of older boats in your £30k price range available in the Med, often from people who have done their cruising and are returning to land. You could easily buy a boat in, say Greece and cruise the eastern Med for a season - but remember it is only realistically 7-8 months of the year, although it is possible to winter afloat in a marina. You may find a charter company that would do a deal for a season long charter, but you would then be confined to just one country. It would have to be a commercial charter as a private deal unless you bought a share would not be legal.

Just a suggestion, but why not take a month charter in April/May next year to find out what it is really like living and cruising on board with a small child in a hot climate. It would be money well spent as it will either crystalise your ideas or save you from a very expensive and painful mistake.

 

[Wansworth]

Having sailed with a small child I suggest you abandon the idea of such an adventure and settle for daysailing in UK waters.

 

[Jimbo1982]

Welcome.

Couple of observations. First, Med and Atlantic in one year is very ambitious, even more so with a small child and seemingly no previous experience of living aboard. You have to decide if your main aim is sailing or travelling for pleasure - ie visiting places and enjoying local life. If the former then not sure a child would enjoy that - nor parents if they are like most parents I have known! If the latter, you would only scratch the surface of the Med, let alone do justice to an Atlantic crossing in a year.

You do not need a boat as expensive as an HR, nice though they are. If it is just a year and then sell the boat, something much more modest is perfectly adequate, particularly if you confine yourself to the Med. There are plenty of older boats in your £30k price range available in the Med, often from people who have done their cruising and are returning to land. You could easily buy a boat in, say Greece and cruise the eastern Med for a season - but remember it is only realistically 7-8 months of the year, although it is possible to winter afloat in a marina. You may find a charter company that would do a deal for a season long charter, but you would then be confined to just one country. It would have to be a commercial charter as a private deal unless you bought a share would not be legal.

Just a suggestion, but why not take a month charter in April/May next year to find out what it is really like living and cruising on board with a small child in a hot climate. It would be money well spent as it will either crystalise your ideas or save you from a very expensive and painful mistake.

Thank you Tranona!!

I replied earlier mentioning that we have done a couple of weeks aboard with the little guy and he loved it. Still waiting for a moderator to approve though.

If we wait a few years for a more expensive vessel we certainly would not be selling after a season. We eventually want to circumnavigate slowly and with many stops so looking in the long term for a boat that can manage that. Saying this, I did watch a film of a 14 year old doing this in a 1979 Gin Fizz so anything is possible wight the right plan

I get what you mean about the timing. If we were to do med/crossing in 1 year it would be 6 months med, cross then a few months in BVI. We still both have the need to earn so don't have the luxury of more than a year off. We know the med very well so would hit our favourites in the west then head off.

As it stands I think we will go for a cheap med cruiser in early 2015 and see how we go from there.

Oh and Wansworth. Don't be so negative. Our son is as happy aboard as on land!!

 

[ribrage]

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I are really wanting to buy a boat and live aboard for a year with our young son who is now 9 months. Original plan is summer on med then crossing the Atlantic.

I have been going over the numbers, preferred boats etc for a good while now and I think that it will be 3 or 4 years to get the kind of boat we really want and a good cruising budget. Boat budget would be around £100k at that point. A Hallberg 36 would be right near the top of the list for that money. Yes I know would need some additional tankage but still a great boat.

Being really impatient and wanting to spend next year on the med from April I wondered if anyone knew of ways to buy a share or something that I could use for a year? Not sure this even exists as I know you normally swap weekends or months.

My budget available now is about £30,000. I have looked to see if there is something available at this price to buy but am not having much joy. Probably due to my lack of knowledge on older boats.

Anyway, if anyone knows of a way to do a year long charter, boat share where you can take a whole year - OR a 36'+ boat in this price range I would love any help.

Thanks!!

I have enough trouble sailing with my dog ! .. some manage with kids and weve met plenty of them , but few that young , take a look for Mollymawk blog they did well .

30 k for a budget is pretty low , by time you buy the kit youll need and spares etc ...30 k is GONE pretty fast, I spent close on 40k getting my boat ready to leave and have leeched money at an unbelievable rate in the last two years , maybe charter for a month but then youll lose circa 12k out of what ever deposit you have

buy a camper van try living in that with a youngster... its easier to sell and less expensive to park !

 

[tcm]

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I are really wanting to buy a boat and live aboard for a year with our young son who is now 9 months. Original plan is summer on med then crossing the Atlantic.

I have been going over the numbers, preferred boats etc for a good while now and I think that it will be 3 or 4 years to get the kind of boat we really want and a good cruising budget. Boat budget would be around £100k at that point. A Hallberg 36 would be right near the top of the list for that money. Yes I know would need some additional tankage but still a great boat.

Being really impatient and wanting to spend next year on the med from April I wondered if anyone knew of ways to buy a share or something that I could use for a year? Not sure this even exists as I know you normally swap weekends or months.

My budget available now is about £30,000. I have looked to see if there is something available at this price to buy but am not having much joy. Probably due to my lack of knowledge on older boats.

Anyway, if anyone knows of a way to do a year long charter, boat share where you can take a whole year - OR a 36'+ boat in this price range I would love any help.

Thanks!!

I think you'd need to advertise for this kind of thing - a small ad in one of the yot mags perhaps... but they would be looking for transat experience if you plan to transat ... but it sounds perhaps this is a first time sorta thing?

Fraid i kinda think that med or hot places with tiny kids who yerknow just sit there ... is a bit self-indulgent, really. But maybe you have good experiences?

I do know that the big charter co's will rent out a boat longish time ... but in the carib a full season on a moderate 40ish ft cat was about $10k a month.

You a kinda oddball cos most people are time-rich (and cash poor) or cash-rich .... and time poor, and you're a bit of both!

1 year for bit of med from say late May and atlantic circuit is a reasonable crack - i did Alantic circs for five years but never got further into the med than france- italy border and balearix starting from (say) from Gib at end of June .quick in/out of med .. cos it's time to go to Gib in midlate august to get nice weather to canaries, goof around there till Nov (say) or ARC late Nov allows nice cheap marina at Las Palmas, or since rushing perhaps move south to CV's then Brazil to shorten the transat and dodge south of possible hurricanes in sept/oct.... then move north to carib islands in late Oct through Nov-april all the way to st martin or BVI area... then early eastbound early May via Azores returns to Europe late May + 1 year.

Er...that's a point - your plan went to the med then carib ... but then what? Dump it in Grenada I spose? ...

Anways back to the issue ... as I sed you are slightly time-AND cash-poor. You can live cheap on a boat, BUT it's gotta be a cheap boat that doesn't move too much , nice long-term deal at a marina - whereas you have to rig a boat with trans-ocean stuff (which can't be the usual ooer done that - you have to come back too...or have you?.) and keep moving with boat maint/safety costs and you'll either need a decent (ie not laughable uk-type 2hp rollaway thing) dink for the carib... or again be skinflinting, no restaurants for you etc etc....

INSTEAD You can do a charter/race transat for about £3k per person with an ARC boat late Nov (see the mags...) and that might feel that to be "done"for the time being and you'd still have £24k for the rest of the year after flights just for you. That means you need to take her and baby on experimental BVI sailing trip for 2 weeks which burns another £10k in Feb. So you have 14 k for the long summer trip around the balearics plus maybe a short Greek charter and you're still working , and no need for all the rubbishy b its of carp sailing in between these nice places PLUS you'd know what's what when doing your own boat which er let's face it has gotta be 40+ feet. Forget the HR or other such cold-weather wonders - wooden decks (like nice big pilot-house windows) are no-no for the carib heat - you need to spend all your money getting the longest boat you can afford - 40ft is MUCH better than 35 and 45 or 50 MUCH better again. White decks, known mass-market stuff. Stay simple - "increased tankage" sound dead swish, but easiest is a bunch of jerrycans stashed down below, plus lots of engine spares.

From the style of your query and the half-thought through plan ... I am guessing that you've done some solent sailing (partly hence the HR fave) ... and she's "in" cos you've just done a late-season cheap Greek charter, yes?

 

[ribrage]

I think you'd need to advertise for this kind of thing - a small ad in one of the yot mags perhaps... but they would be looking for transat experience if you plan to transat ... but it sounds perhaps this is a first time sorta thing?

Fraid i kinda think that med or hot places with tiny kids who yerknow just sit there ... is a bit self-indulgent, really. But maybe you have good experiences?

I do know that the big charter co's will rent out a boat longish time ... but in the carib a full season on a moderate 40ish ft cat was about $10k a month.

You a kinda oddball cos most people are time-rich (and cash poor) or cash-rich .... and time poor, and you're a bit of both!

1 year for bit of med from say late May and atlantic circuit is a reasonable crack - i did Alantic circs for five years but never got further into the med than france- italy border and balearix starting from (say) from Gib at end of June .quick in/out of med .. cos it's time to go to Gib in midlate august to get nice weather to canaries, goof around there till Nov (say) or ARC late Nov allows nice cheap marina at Las Palmas, or since rushing perhaps move south to CV's then Brazil to shorten the transat and dodge south of possible hurricanes in sept/oct.... then move north to carib islands in late Oct through Nov-april all the way to st martin or BVI area... then early eastbound early May via Azores returns to Europe late May + 1 year.

Er...that's a point - your plan went to the med then carib ... but then what? Dump it in Grenada I spose? ...

Anways back to the issue ... as I sed you are slightly time-AND cash-poor. You can live cheap on a boat, BUT it's gotta be a cheap boat that doesn't move too much , nice long-term deal at a marina - whereas you have to rig a boat with trans-ocean stuff (which can't be the usual ooer done that - you have to come back too...or have you?.) and keep moving with boat maint/safety costs and you'll either need a decent (ie not laughable uk-type 2hp rollaway thing) dink for the carib... or again be skinflinting, no restaurants for you etc etc....

INSTEAD You can do a charter/race transat for about £3k per person with an ARC boat late Nov (see the mags...) and that might feel that to be "done"for the time being and you'd still have £24k for the rest of the year after flights just for you. That means you need to take her and baby on experimental BVI sailing trip for 2 weeks which burns another £10k in Feb. So you have 14 k for the long summer trip around the balearics plus maybe a short Greek charter and you're still working , and no need for all the rubbishy b its of carp sailing in between these nice places PLUS you'd know what's what when doing your own boat which er let's face it has gotta be 40+ feet. Forget the HR or other such cold-weather wonders - wooden decks (like nice big pilot-house windows) are no-no for the carib heat - you need to spend all your money getting the longest boat you can afford - 40ft is MUCH better than 35 and 45 or 50 MUCH better again. White decks, known mass-market stuff. Stay simple - "increased tankage" sound dead swish, but easiest is a bunch of jerrycans stashed down below, plus lots of engine spares.

From the style of your query and the half-thought through plan ... I am guessing that you've done some solent sailing (partly hence the HR fave) ... and she's "in" cos you've just done a late-season cheap Greek charter, yes?

Would an ARC skipper allow a nine month old child on board ?

 

[Jimbo1982]

From the style of your query and the half-thought through plan ... I am guessing that you've done some solent sailing (partly hence the HR fave) ... and she's "in" cos you've just done a late-season cheap Greek charter, yes?

"She's in" because she has sailed her whole life. I am in because I have sailed in the UK and Australia and having lived aboard for a couple of weeks with our son he really enjoys it.

Just because someone has less experience than you in an area there is no need to be presumptuous and obnoxious.

 

[tcm]

Would an ARC skipper allow a nine month old child on board ?

Can't speak for others but I think I would, yes, certainly boats have done it with small kids ... but I would probably take extra crew for the axshul transat - plenty of useful crew types to be found in Canaries (or by advertising on places like here...) and two extra allows (probably) mom to be dedicated to baby. Depends on mom, baby and boat really i suppose. Note that in this case baby will be almost 2yo by the time of a transat.

 

[ribrage]

Can't speak for others but I think I would, yes, certainly boats have done it with small kids ... but I would probably take extra crew for the axshul transat - plenty of useful crew types to be found in Canaries (or by advertising on places like here...) and two extra allows (probably) mom to be dedicated to baby. Depends on mom, baby and boat really i suppose. Note that in this case baby will be almost 2yo by the time of a transat.

Maybe just me , but I cant think of anything worse than someone elses small child screaming or crying on board , wouldnt be so popular with off watch crew on longer passages when little Johnie wakes up howling ....shudder , I do a lot of long haul flights for crew changes and one of my pet hates is small children or babies on planes

 

[Jimbo1982]

Maybe just me , but I cant think of anything worse than someone elses small child screaming or crying on board , wouldnt be so popular with off watch crew on longer passages when little Johnie wakes up howling ....shudder , I do a lot of long haul flights for crew changes and one of my pet hates is small children or babies on planes

You were once a screaming child that annoyed people - and so was everybody else in the work. What do you suggest people don't fly with their children until they are old enough not to cry?? Maybe we could all live in sound proof boxes and bring the children out when they are 18? Sure they will be recluse sociopaths but hey - your flight will be sweet.

You know what makes me shudder. Insolent and selfish adults that lack the empathy to understand that a baby cries.

Also, if you were a parent you would understand a child of nearly two but that point sleep through the night. Perhaps you should stick to posting on things that you know and understand as oppose to that which you assume.

 

[TQA]

Buy something like this 37ft Comet in Trinidad. Good facilities you can get ANYTHING fixed there that is why I will be hauling at at Trini this year.

Sail through islands for a year.

Finish up in Florida. Sell the boat fly home.

Much better than the Med for sailing versus motoring. Cheaper than the Med. If you were confident in your abilities and the boat you could sail back to the UK.

You will have a year of warm water sailing much of it with the wind over your shoulder.

 

[ribrage]

You were once a screaming child that annoyed people - and so was everybody else in the work. What do you suggest people don't fly with their children until they are old enough not to cry?? Maybe we could all live in sound proof boxes and bring the children out when they are 18? Sure they will be recluse sociopaths but hey - your flight will be sweet.

You know what makes me shudder. Insolent and selfish adults that lack the empathy to understand that a baby cries.

Also, if you were a parent you would understand a child of nearly two but that point sleep through the night. Perhaps you should stick to posting on things that you know and understand as oppose to that which you assume.

Oh dear get out of bed the wrong side did we ?

"insolent and selfish" ...wow thats pretty strong, all because I said one of my pet hates was listening to babies on planes crying ....

Ok Lets start with....

selfish - I think its the PARENT that wants to fly their baby from country to country, not the baby thats for sure ... as an adult you can ammend the pressure changes in your ear when flying, do you think your infant baby can, NO the poor little sod has to suffer for 13 hours on a long haul flight ? so whos the selfish one ?

Insolent - what in my post was "insolent" I voiced an opinion , that makes me a lot of things , it doesnt make me insolent , Insolent is coming onto an open public forum and having a personal pop at someone, generally typing the kind of thing you wouldnt say to their face, I think you'll find you qualify for that !

What makes you think Im not a parent or dont have a knowledge of a subject ? you dont know me , you know NOTHING about me at all , you sit at a key board thousands of miles away and presume to lecture me, the assumptions are entirely yours !

 

[Jimbo1982]

Oh dear get out of bed the wrong side did we ?

"insolent and selfish" ...wow thats pretty strong, all because I said one of my pet hates was listening to babies on planes crying ....

Ok Lets start with....

selfish - I think its the PARENT that wants to fly their baby from country to country, not the baby thats for sure ... as an adult you can ammend the pressure changes in your ear when flying, do you think your infant baby can, NO the poor little sod has to suffer for 13 hours on a long haul flight ? so whos the selfish one ?

Insolent - what in my post was "insolent" I voiced an opinion , that makes me a lot of things , it doesnt make me insolent , Insolent is coming onto an open public forum and having a personal pop at someone, generally typing the kind of thing you wouldnt say to their face, I think you'll find you qualify for that !

What makes you think Im not a parent or dont have a knowledge of a subject ? you dont know me , you know NOTHING about me at all , you sit at a key board thousands of miles away and presume to lecture me, the assumptions are entirely yours !

Yes, it is selfish to lack the empathy and / or understanding that a baby cries. Selfish to fly with a baby? So you suggest people who live abroad should not bring their children home to meet their relatives who are too old to travel?

I live in London so any time you want to pop by for a cup of tea I will gladly send you my address and as you would like "say it to your face".

 

[sailaboutvic]

These posting get worst and worst as the winter month craw back in ,it's only just Oct and already people are borded .

www.bluewatersailorcroatia.webs.com

 

[crocks]

Got a good friend who was taken around the world for 3 years between the age of 1 and 4 years old, he cant remember any of it. Mum and dad divorced soon after getting back, stating how stressful caring for the child was during the voyage as the main reason. Everyone is different though.
My third post, haven't bothered much as a lot of threads , like this one, soon nosedive into personal abuse. Steve

 

[Jimbo1982]

Got a good friend who was taken around the world for 3 years between the age of 1 and 4 years old, he cant remember any of it. Mum and dad divorced soon after getting back, stating how stressful caring for the child was during the voyage as the main reason. Everyone is different though.
My third post, haven't bothered much as a lot of threads , like this one, soon nosedive into personal abuse. Steve

Imagine this as my initial question:

I am looking to buy a new "car", can't afford a really expensive "car" just something that will suit the family for school runs and long road trips.

Do you think that people would reply with parenting advice or talk about the "car".

I came to ask about boat advice not to get marriage counselling

 

[ribrage]

Yes, it is selfish to lack the empathy and / or understanding that a baby cries. Selfish to fly with a baby? So you suggest people who live abroad should not bring their children home to meet their relatives who are too old to travel?

I live in London so any time you want to pop by for a cup of tea I will gladly send you my address and as you would like "say it to your face".

This is a SAILING forum , not a forum for MOTHERCARE, your original post is ill thought out and stupid, if you cant cope with being told it by seasoned sailors or professional mariners fine , if you dont like my opinion or other peoples then dont ask a question on here, feel free to send me the address it'll be fun sitting on ship and wasting a few hours redirecting all my junk mail your way ,

Im sure you'll post again as youll be wanting the last word , but me Im done wet nursing you , good luck "sailor"