Hello, and how to get started...

[BobGrenada]

I live in 2 places. By the Thames in London, and in Grenada in the caribbean. I love fishing, and have some caribbean friends who spend a lot of time messing about on their boats diving snorkelling, beach and small island visits etc etc. I think i want to join them, but this raises some questions.

Firstly, i do want to be safe but i know almost nothing... I think for a start i should do the rya powerboat level 2 course and vhf course, am i wrong? Do i need something more or else? I intend to join a local london club soon.

Im thinking i could buy something like a 20-25 ft cubby, moor it in a london marina (yes i know the cost) for a year while we get to know each other, and i and my significant other wander the thames. Then we containerise it with trailer, and use it down there. So the 2nd question, what to buy? This is for day very possibly occasional overnight use, 2 people, tropical proof (if thats a thing) dual engine or big one and backup? Given the engineering down there, i think seaworthyness and outboard 4 strokes are the order of the day?

Anyone buy one somewhere like trinidad, or even miami and send it down?

All advice gratefully received. Noon or newbie alert provided....

 

[rafiki_]

Bob, we need to break this down into elements. Firstly, a Cuddy is for very occasional sleeping. The cabin is tiny, like a coffin, and to use the toilet, you would have to clear anyone out of the cabin. For not a lot more money you can get a proper sports cruiser, around 25 foot, sleeping 4 in 2 cabins, small galley and heads, good cockpit for chilling and fishing. Lots of these in Florida for not a lot of money.
On the Thames, a small American sports boat would work well too.

 

[M1800R]

Hi Bob, welcome to the forum. I am a newbie myself. Just got my first boat, a Sealine 215.

Rafiki is right, buy the biggest you can get for your money. Don't get me wrong, I love my 215, but a big lad like me needs some room and when you add wife and son to the equation, the surface area will get a bit smaller.

Good luck on the hunt and ask as many questions as you can, there is a lot of experience and good people around here.
All the best,

Anibal

 

[henryf]

You need someone who can spend a bit of time, probably a month or two, with you. Holding your hand, guiding you through the art of navigation, enjoying the fruits of a days fishing on the BBQ, necking a few ice cold beers, gently swinging in a hammock to the Caribbean rhythm and generally making sure you don't come to any harm.

Being the caring soul I am I consider it my duty to undertake this hardship for you. I won't hear another word about remuneration save for the first class return air fare and modest 5 star accommodation during my 2, sorry I meant 3 months in your wonderful country


Would you be better basing yourself on the south coast if you want to acquire the skills consummate with Caribbean usage?

Are you better to buy in the UK and ship out or buy locally? Possibly outboards rather than inboard. Easy to beach, reliable, ease of service / availability of spares. Boston Whaler ?

As has been said already sleeping on board will require a decent sized craft. Would you be better off with a day boat?

Henry

 

[Bajansailor]

Hello Mike,
I live in Barbados, and I know Grenada and the Grenadines reasonably well.
Are you looking for a boat just for pottering in the sheltered lee side of Grenada, or maybe something capable of heading up the south coast to Prickly Bay and further east, or a boat that can easily handle a passage up to the Grenadines in typical tradewind conditions like what we are currently experiencing (easterly 20 - 25 knots every day recently)?

I did a search on Yachtworld for second hand power boats in the Caribbean under 30' - and 63 turned up..... here is the link to the search I did.
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...0&city=&rid=115&pbsint=&boatsAddedSelected=-1
You can subsequently 'fine tune' this search to include additional constraints.

Alternatively, have a look in Florida - boats are generally VERY cheap there, and the cost of shipping to Grenada is not exhorbitant.

Re fine tuning, if you find yourself comparing a boat with outdrives vs a boat with outboards, in general I would go for the outboards (all else being equal).
I have seen too many very sorry looking outdrives on boats out here.
And a boat with a diesel engine (or two) on a shaft (or 2) would probably be better still.
Inboard diesels are a lot more reliable than inboard petrol engines out here generally.
Especially if you are considering a boat that might have originally been designed for fresh water lake use in the USA.

 

[Jurgen]

Think outboards are the order of the day.

As many have previously said you need to be clear on how you plan to use the boat.

Do your rya pb2 course and join a boat share scheme in the UK until you decide to buy a boat, then buy in the US and ship from there

 

[Nick_H]

There's quite a difference between cruising the Thames and fishing in the Carribean, so any boat will be compromised for one or the other. I think you'd be better to buy a small cruiser here, then sell it and buy a sport fisher in Grenada

 

[TQA]

I live in 2 places. By the Thames in London, and in Grenada in the caribbean. I love fishing, and have some caribbean friends who spend a lot of time messing about on their boats diving snorkelling, beach and small island visits etc etc. I think i want to join them, but this raises some questions.

Firstly, i do want to be safe but i know almost nothing... I think for a start i should do the rya powerboat level 2 course and vhf course, am i wrong? Do i need something more or else? I intend to join a local london club soon.

Im thinking i could buy something like a 20-25 ft cubby, moor it in a london marina (yes i know the cost) for a year while we get to know each other, and i and my significant other wander the thames. Then we containerise it with trailer, and use it down there. So the 2nd question, what to buy? This is for day very possibly occasional overnight use, 2 people, tropical proof (if thats a thing) dual engine or big one and backup? Given the engineering down there, i think seaworthyness and outboard 4 strokes are the order of the day?

Anyone buy one somewhere like trinidad, or even miami and send it down?

All advice gratefully received. Noon or newbie alert provided....

I live out in the Eastern Carib. Not much mobo experience as I do the sail thing. Learn how to handle the boat in either the UK or the Carib. either place will do. It is not rocket science.

IMHO the locally built [Trini] high bowed pirouge is possibly more seaworthy than a flattish bottomed 25 ft sports boat. I often se the pirouges being driven between islands as I am on passage. But either will do for messing about in the lee of Grenada. Whatever you buy needs to have two engines. Make sure it has shade or it can have a bimini added. Shipping a boat from Florida or Trini will not be expensive. However you need to explore the tax position on importing. I do not know about Grenada and boats but the islands often have weird rules and very high duties eg 100%

There is a RYA course center out in Grenada, I don't know if they do a powerboat course.

If you have not visited Grenada Yacht club I would do so and look around on the pontoon. Good place to keep a boat.

Buy something with Yamaha outboards, that is what the locals use out here so spares and mechs are commonplace.

 

[salar]

Free book "Angling Boats" can be downloaded from www.boat-angling.co.uk Although this was written for UK anglers new to boat ownership, most will be the same for you except US buoyage and possibly VHF references.

 

[Bajansailor]

As TQA has suggested, the Trinidadian pirogues are hard to beat for excellent seakeeping, good fishing ability and also pretty good fuel economy.

If you are not planning on a trip up to the Grenadines, a Calypso 23 would probably work very well for coastal fishing - http://calypsomarine.com/pirogue.html
And you might well find that the cost of a new boat is still very reasonable when compared to the cost of shipping in a boat from overseas.

 

[BobGrenada]

Wow, thanks for all the useful info, i'll be browsing for a while....

Yes i had got the trini pirogue thing, there are a number being used in Gda, and i'll be over to trinidad later this year to investigate. NB i know a few owners who regularly use them for longish journeys. Err how shall i put this, funny story, i was once offered (about 20 years ago) a 50% share in a 750hp beast, with a 150% payback of my investment after 6 months, but i wasn't happy with its planned cargo arrangements or my safety.

I will look into florida and shipping too.

Im guessing theres going to be a lot of debate about hull shape. Boston whaler?

Definitely sunshading is a big requirement, bimini and small cabin.

I am primarily going to be on the south and west coast, the north occasionally, further north if the weathers acceptable ) the use cases (an it term, the things I'm going to use it for...) are:

Day fishing - lots
Day coastal spear fishing and diving base - lots
Blue water game spearfishing base occasionally
Occasional days out to local islands / places
Occasional overnighters for 2 in sheltered locations
Normally not more than 4 on board, 2 fishing

I absolutely agree dual outboards, 4 stroke for economy/noise? not hugely powered, but as rolls royce say sufficient plus 50% And the loudest thing in the boat is the ... (they used to say the clock was the loudest bit, then once i think bentley said the porsche 911 you are overtaking...)

Whilst i said a lot of use round the sheltered parts of Grenada, it aint necessarily always so. I have dived round isle a ronde and the small islands up to Carriacou, know there is great fishing up there, and i can see me wanting to go there, and anyway my peace of mind demands great seaworthiness (though my natural timidness will keep me safe most of the time i suspect.)

I will join the Gda yacht club, seems the natural thing to do, i know a few members, but need to get into that.

Financially, I'm guessing Florida or Trinidad is going to be cheaper than a boat in a container from the uk, (about 4k for a container) though like a car i guess I'm going to avoid UK/EC duties and vat on export.

 

[Bajansailor]

Re your 'funny story', we used to have a roaring trade with cargo coming up here from St Vincent in relatively small pirogues and deep-vees with lots of power - they could leave St Vincent at sunset, get up to Barbados, off-load their cargo and be back home by midnight - not bad for a 190 mile round trip.....
However the Authorities here now have very efficient radar systems (and 3 x 42 m Damen OPVs for intercepting these cargo vessels), and not so much cargo is making it to Barbados (hence demand here has increased....)

Calypso Marine boats are popular here - I know of two each of their 23' pirogues, and 32' deep-vee, and at least 3 of the 34' pirogues.
They seem to be happy to do customisation, hence I am sure they would be keen on building a reasonably comfortable cuddy cabin if desired.
http://calypsomarine.com/deepv.html

Just having a look around the brokers in the Caribbean, here are a few interesting vessels :

A 35' Triton in the BVI's with a nice cuddy cabin for US$ 89,000 :
http://bviyachtsales.com/core/listi...er&&hosturl=bviyachtsales&&ywo=bviyachtsales&

Or how about a Super Cat 37 built in Trinidad for US$ 100,000 :
http://www.crackajacksailing.com/boatpictures.asp?boatid=64

Or a 32' Boston Whaler Conquest with a nice cabin, for sale in Antigua with Paradise Boat Sales for US$ 70,000 :
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...url=paradiseboatsales&&ywo=paradiseboatsales&

Quite a few other cuddy cabin and centre console boats for sale with Paradise - http://www.yachtworld.com/paradiseboatsales

 

[Nick_H]

Based on that brief, I think a sport fisher with a cabin will meet your needs nicely. Have a look at the Boston Whaler Conquest range as an example, though these are top end and there are loads of other makes to suit different budgets. There will be zillions for sale in Florida, and probably quite a few already in the carribean.