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[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Fearnow

. . . The broker said that, I would have to work pretty hard to get caught in a bad situation.
I know, I know, he wants me to buy a boat. . . .

Actually the broker is quite correct especially about coastal and island cruising. With the radios, SSB, WiFi weather charts, Weather services like Chris Parker, etc. you would have to work pretty hard or be pretty dense or foolhardy to go out in conditions that would be a "bad situation."
- - Most of the passages are day passages from island to island and so long as you don't subject yourself to a "deadline" (I have to be there by . . .) you can wait for good conditions. At worst you may make an overnighter but still the forecasts are pretty accurate for at least a couple of days into the future.
- - There are geographically induced "local conditions" that could be construed to be "bad situations" but you would normally be clear of them in a couple of hours at most. And if you are willing to inquire around to folks who have done the route before you, especially "old timers" in the islands, you will learn about even these situations and can avoid them.

[Weyalan]

I reckon that a lot of people do tend to make the mistake of trying to calculate how big a boat they can manage, and how many gadgets they can install where they should be asking themselves how small a boat with how few gadgets they could manage with. It seems to me that the expense of running a boat is not proportional to the length, but at least the square of the length... i.e. double the length = at least 4 x the cost to maintain (get a quote for, say, a new mainsail for a 24 footer and for a 48 footer). Berthing charges generally go by the foot and in general a cat will be charged more than a mono of the same length.

Physically handling a large boat short handed (typically as a couple) can be a real handful, particularly when it is windy, around marinas and jettys. We have a 40' mono and mostly sail it 2-up. Frankly, I'm not sure that we could handle anything much bigger (sure, you can have bow thrusters, but thats just another expense that can go wrong!).

Good luck with whatever you choose. Sounds like you have a whole lotta fun and adventure coming your way (and a steep learning curve).

[Teeto]

Originally Posted by Fearnow

Back to no charters, for now. Thanks again to all of you, for taking time to offer up information that I didn't find in other threads! Tim, I didn't mean to make light of your charter. I just didn't realize how the business worked. So far, I plan to go with Osirissail's advise, and get to know the area for a year or two. I don't know the Caribbean very well by boat, and will be spending most of my time on the windward islands. Going with a smaller boat makes sense too. I want to be able to solo when I want, if necessary. My experience as a sailor is minimal. I've spent most of my life with power boats, and day sail cats on the Chesapeake. I have been caught in storms, but not in the ocean. I've never experienced seas over 10' and don't think I want to. The broker said that, I would have to work pretty hard to get caught in a bad situation.
I know, I know, he wants me to buy a boat.

Any other general thoughts are greatly appreciated. Any special places to go see? Good harbors that beg you to stay? Places to stay away from? Kat, my wife, and I were anchored in a river off the Chesapeake, when some guys tried to rob us at night. Lucky for me I had a flare gun, pointed right at his chest. Glad he used common sense and off boarded my boat.

I hope to find "the boat" in the next few weeks and be out on the water by January. Not sure where everything is going to go. The storage will probably cost more than my mortgage payment.

Teeto, you're not doing the charter anymore? If I can ask why, and what are you doing?
Thanks again, you guys for your help and time.
Fearnow

Hi Fearnow, no the charter business was a few years ago. Currently semi-retired and living on a 44' sailing cat cruising the east coast of Aust. Much more pleasant having the boat to ourselves. Charter work was on the whole a stressful experience, just the whole deadline thing is not conducive to safe/ pleasant sailing.
Good luck with your boat search - should be fun.