USA Boating

[Falcon71]

Well, we're finally off at the end of the week. We're meeting Arthur Wood whilst we're there. What shall we take to remind him of old blighty.... PGtips? Red telephone or post box? A burgee (oh no wont be ready on time)!!

 

[byron]

Take him a Fortnight, they don't have Fortnights in the USA they only have two weeks.

ô¿ô

 

[hlb]

Ah. But you wont be here, so you wont get yours on time either, will you. Maybe even disqualified!! On the grounds of playing hookey.

Dont forget to order your Burgee. PM me.

Haydn

 

[ArthurWood]

If I may be so bold as to ask for decaf tea bags - my wife would be ecstatic to receive them! (Can pay for them in sterling, if you wish). Like the beer here the tea is yuk, I'm told, as I don't drink it - tea, I mean. Fortnight is creeping into usage, by the way. I used to tell my managers that I had been sent as a missionary to teach Americans how to efficiently use a knife and fork, to introduce them to the handkerchief as opposed to using table napkins/serviettes to blow/wipe their noses, to wash their hands after using the toilet/lavatory/bathroom/restroom/head/comfort station(over 50% don't according to a survey I once read), to sit with both feet on the floor instead of on the furniture, and to use one word instead of a minimum of three to describe something, but they didn't think that was funny. I wonder why! Why do we live here, you might ask and that would be a good question. The answer is that on the whole it's better than most other places we've experienced. But I'm drifting...........
Temp today 85F and partly cloudy. Cooling to 70s by weekend. Hopefully bloke will have finished replacing cyl head gaskets and cyl head overhaul by end of day.
Looking forward to meeting you.
p.s. just seen plenty of red post and phone boxes in Argentina.
pps suggest you hire car in Orlando and drop it off at Sarasota(SRQ) airport on Monday - no extra charge - then do same for return trip. We can get you to/from SRQ. Will save you a few pennies, if you haven't already thought of it.

 

[trev]

Got back from Florida three weeks ago - went for the show and a trip to the Keys - absolutely fabulous for boating !
BUT pointed out to one skipper that the buoyage system was out of kilter with the rest of the world (they leave red to STARBOARD inward bound ??) and he just didn't believe me, said he was a fully qualified coastguard approved captain (I think they start at about 5 tons or something) and should know about these things.
I said- yes you SHOULD know !
All a bit worrying.

Trev

 

[duncan]

Also over at he keys 3 weeks ago (long weekend) and found it 'fantastic' - even better than Arthur W had led me to believe!
Had the same issue over boyage in Baltimore last year with a professional skipper who did not believe that the rest of the world had boyage the other way round.

 

[ArthurWood]

Re: Here I go again...

Duncan- pleased to hear you enjoyed the visit. There is not as much 'challenge' to boating over here compared with the UK, eg tides, weather(except in hurricane season), which, for me, at any rate, makes it that much more enjoyable. The 'captain' qualification, like many others over here (eg driving test), is a bit of a joke for Europeans. The US is that much more laid back which can be both +ve and -ve. An acquaintance of ours just bought a 30ft Sea Ray and was having lessons from a 'captain.' One lesson included a 18nm run up the Gulf of Mex in dense fog. He ran at 20+kt with no radar! When she related this to a couple of us Brits who expressed our opinions, she said she didn't feel comfortable at the time, but he was the captain and should have known if it was OK!!! The fact that she didn't question the captain's actions tells you something about her! We know another couple who are qualified 'captains' who used to have a 60ft Princess, but never dared take her out into the Gulf because they were afraid to go through the inlets, so they hired a 'captain.' Well, it makes the place less crowded if these and others stay in the marinas. All said and done it's a boater's paradise.

 

[duncan]

Re: Here I go again...

yep - really fantastic. I can also understand 'hanging about in marinas' - Key West was an example of one I could live in!

Hastily put together plan seems to revolve around buying a house around 10 miles inland of a marina complex and putting boat (30 - 35 ft sportfisher) in that. The area on the gulf coast just north of the everglades seems interesting from a price / property basis - the keys seem a touch expensive. All to be ready for use in 10 years!

Looking to come out for a longer look see either at the end of the year or next Feb.

Only downside I have come up with so far is that all my power tools won't run on 110 v! - oh and there really is no excuse for not catching fish.....

 

[ArthurWood]

Re: Here I go again...

Naples area is very nice but v. expnsv. If you are thinking of living here remember you can only legally stay 6mo out of any 12 unless you have green card. Re 110v, you can always buy a transformer!

 

[sprogster]

I know the Naples area well,through family connections.
My father brought out a Princess 315 from the UK and based it on the Gulf,in the 1980's. Created a lot of interest.
I kept a little Boston Whaler Rage out there for five years and sold it two years ago,because of the escalating rack storage and insurance costs.
Insurance costs in the USA are horrendous with my two year old Princess 38 in the Channel Islands,costing not that much more to insure than the Whaler did.!!
Marina berths in South west Florida also now in very short supply,but an excellent investment if you buy one.
Great place to go.Visit before it is ruined through over-development.
I am back there on Sunday.

 

[duncan]

Re: Here I go again...

Sounds like smaller place, bigger boat and more trips home to visit the grandchildren (that we haven't got yet but........)

Beging to see the atraction of the 'huts' with a berth/mooring!

I am assuming that green cards don't grow on trees - even for 'retirees'......

regards

 

[ArthurWood]

Re: Here I go again...

re: Green Cards, the US is a bit of an anomaly compared with some other countries in that even if you are completely finan independent, you can't get permanent residence.
Don't build your hut too near the coast - it might get blown away!