Getting ready to sail off. Need advice, tips, etc.

[Paul L]

To answer or at least suggest on a couple of your questions.
Saint Brendens Isle in Green Cove Springs, FL is an excellent mail handler. They will scan your mail and you can view it online. Much better than trying to get relatives to handle it. All at a good price.

Don't use your debit card to make purchases. You need this for ATM withdrawals and don't want some bank shutting it down on a fraud warning. Use a credit card with no foreign transaction fee.

Your refit budget is too low for a boat like that. No point in starting out with budget anxiety.

If you are really planning a circumnavigation you really should reconsider your plan to have a loan on the boat. This will require that you have insurance and may further limit what insurance is acceptable. Right now insurance for offshore Mom and Pop cruisers has few companies making offerings and very expensive. There maybe passages that you choose to not carry insurance while you complete the circle. You also may find that on certain passages you have a very limited choice for insurance and that choice may not be acceptable to your bank.

Be aware that if you carry a US passport you are limited to your time in the EU Schengen countries. Basically 90days out of 180, so plan appropriately.

No reason to register the boat in any state now. Just have it USCG documented. Worry about state registration if you ever get it back to tbe states.

[slug]

Originally Posted by Paul L

To answer or at least suggest on a couple of your questions.
Saint Brendens Isle in Green Cove Springs, FL is an excellent mail handler. They will scan your mail and you can view it online. Much better than trying to get relatives to handle it. All at a good price.

Don't use your debit card to make purchases. You need this for ATM withdrawals and don't want some bank shutting it down on a fraud warning. Use a credit card with no foreign transaction fee.

Your refit budget is too low for a boat like that. No point in starting out with budget anxiety.

If you are really planning a circumnavigation you really should reconsider your plan to have a loan on the boat. This will require that you have insurance and may further limit what insurance is acceptable. Right now insurance for offshore Mom and Pop cruisers has few companies making offerings and very expensive. There maybe passages that you choose to not carry insurance while you complete the circle. You also may find that on certain passages you have a very limited choice for insurance and that choice may not be acceptable to your bank.

Be aware that if you carry a US passport you are limited to your time in the EU Schengen countries. Basically 90days out of 180, so plan appropriately.

No reason to register the boat in any state now. Just have it USCG documented. Worry about state registration if you ever get it back to tbe states.

In Europe you should look in northern Europe for brokerage boats. These northern boats are always better spec , in better condition

Med boats are typically neglected and sunburnt

After You purchase the boat in northern Europe, do your sea trails, get to know the boat ... for 90 days
You then sail the boat to England ...outside the schengan zone
You do all your refit prep work in English shipyards
Good marine industry in England and they speak your language

Once the works are complete, and your visa clock has been reset you depart England for points south

With any boat the initial sea trials and mini cruise are critical when specing future work

Catamarans are always a pain in the ass... when planning your move be certain that cats can be accommodated

Only use the high class. Ports..avoid cheap ports when doing refit and prep work

Best to hire a ships agent if you desire to reclaim vat on exported works

[ol1970]

If you have 5 years, I would say work your butt off and save about $1.5 million additional dollars to what you currently have allocated for this adventure/style of boat.

In about 3 years once you've got close to $1M saved and can pay cash for this depreciating money hungry asset, then you can begin the process. Or if you wish to live below the poverty line, and be constantly stressed about crap breaking on the boat, and not be able to enjoy the amazing areas you are cruising by stick with your basic plan you'll be fine.