Major Works - Where is the best place in the Caribbean ?

[waverunners]

Hi all, I'm looking for where in the Caribbean would be the most cost effective for our 50' Beneteau

Haul out
Engine replacement or rebuild
New rigging
Thru hull fittings replaced
New sail drive seals
Radar fitted

Any experiences or recommendations would be much appreciated

Cheers

[neilpride]

St Marteen...

[dohenyboy]

More so if parts will be a significant amount.. The place is duty free.
There are lots of yards. Woodwork, English. Harbour area in Antigua has good craftsmen but it will cost you

[henryk]

Definitely St Martin

[donradcliffe]

Definitely Ft Lauderdale.

[henryk]

Didn't know Ft Lauderdale is in the Caribbean.

[colemj]

Definitely Guatemala if you plan to do a lot of the technical work yourself. Cheapest haulout you will find, ship all parts in duty free for $14 square foot of package. Labor for any non-technical work you don't want to do is $10/day. Excellent woodwork and canvas work for 1/4 of the cost of anywhere else we have been. Technical skills for electronics and rigging are available, but I imagine the price is probably the same as elsewhere in the Caribe. Engine work is good and inexpensive, but you will need the parts.

Mark

[lorenzo b]

If your draft is 6.5 ft or less, the Rio Dulce is good.
Also, Cartagena is known for great craftsmen at ridiculous prices.

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by henryk

Didn't know Ft Lauderdale is in the Caribbean.

Most of what the OP wants done is technical work, and Ft Lauderdale is the closest place where you can trust SOME of the technical workers. Most of the parts needed will have to be shipped in from the US--why not go to the source.

[colemj]

The OP used the terms "cost effective" and "Caribbean", which at the surface would rule out Ft. Lauderdale. However, he didn't define or expand on "cost effective". If he is looking for the least expensive yard in which he can do most of the work himself, and employ non-technical inexpensive labor, then that also rules out Ft. Lauderdale. If he simply wants somewhere to dump his boat while other people do all the work, then Ft. Lauderdale would be as good a place as, or better than, many others.

Mark

[sy_gilana]

St Maarten, Martinique, Trinidad.

[neilpride]

Originally Posted by sy_gilana

St Maarten, Martinique, Trinidad.

Martinique my friend is out of this league in terms of tight budgets or cost effective...

[henryk]

Lived in Martynique for one year on the Boat. The filthy boat yard in Le Marin is more expensive than any other boat in the US and cost of parts double.

[Wolfy]

Unless you can stay with your Boat until ALL work has been completed....forget Trinidad.
Expensive / Poor quality Labor, expensive Parts.
Keep an eye on everything on board....NEVER leave it unattended for any length of time....things will go missing!!!
I've been stuck on the hard for 2 and a half years, everything has been stolen or "lost"....no closer to getting back in the water than I was 18 months ago....their great at taking stuff apart...but putting it back together again is an impossible task.......they do like to take your money though!!
IF and WHEN I leave Trinidad.....I will certainly NEVER return!!!!

[waverunners]

Thanks to all that replied, St Martin is looking to be a good location so far and fits what I'm thinking, I can do most of the work myself, fly parts in prior and labour hire the dirty works