House Sold, Cash in Hand, About to Buy . . . Now What ?

[SS Little-Devil]

Okay. I'm in Banff hauling my enclosed trailer to Vancouver and should be there around the 29th. I'll be staying in a hostel while shopping for boats. I might even fly to LA to look around California.

Question is, I really want to do the coconut milk run beginning in April-May, so what kind of red tape can I expect before I set out?

I sailed a bit 22 years ago, but I'll need some refreshing. I'm probably going to try and find some crew to come along, both to help with the boat and because I hope to do some filming in the hopes of producing and later selling a TV series about the trip and could use some help with that. If I don't find crew, I still want to go solo. The boat will be clear title and I'll have cash in the bank; however, do I really need some kind of certification to cruise off shore, and if I do, is it realistic to get this before May? I'm willing to take some training in California where it's warmer, but I've been told just to moor there you have to have all kinds of certifications, show 3 years income taxes, etc. Plus, I have to worry about registering the boat and the logistics of getting that done depending on where I find it, etc.

I'm a little overwhelmed with all this, so if anyone can give me some hope or just snap me back to reality so I can get the trip out of my head and replan, it would be greatly appreciated. Dang. I have the money now all I want to do is get the boat and get started learning the ropes. Plus, I'm homeless right now and need a boat to live on! Lol.

[zeehag]

NOONSITE.COM is best site for that kind of info..for veterinarian concerns, for regulations regarding checking in and panama canal should ye be interested in that, many different details needed for cruisers.
inkali--ye buy a boat that ye take out of the state and is for use outside of this state, document it and sail out if here and no taxes are begged for. within 30 days ye have to remove boat from state boundaries. if documented, boat needs not be state registered. dinghy onlyneeds registration if youy intend to provide engine kind of propulsion rather than manual propulsion. you are allowed to row but not motor without state registration.

[atoll]

hi in the last 25 years,sailing over 100 000 miles and visiting over 90 countries iv never been asked for any type of sailing certificate,mind you ive never had an accident.
most places assume as you have got there,you must be competent.
a lot of marinas will ask for 3rd party insurance,also cheap and easy to arrange.

as for registration,a bill of sale is generally accepted as proof of ownership,though for a us boat i belive this is a bit more envolved but not difficult,a bit like transfering car ownership.
in the uk we have the small ship registration,not proof of ownership but cheap ,quick and can be done online.

have also seen people make up their own registration certificate and get it laminated!!!
good place to get a bit of experiance is www.crewseekers.co.uk
have fun atoll
atoll

[skipmac]

No certifications, licenses or training required to moor in CA. The problem is finding a mooring that is 1. affordable and 2. allows liveaboard.

Also, as Zeehag mentioned. You buy in CA you will be asked to pay sales tax of 6% or more unless you take the boat out of the state within a short deadline.

[SS Little-Devil]

"The stuff boating from van is: customs. You go to the border port, you need the reciept for the boat, insurance. They might inspect sea worthiness and everything else we can think of.

The marina will ask the same questions, as well as 3 years of tax returns! Ha, bet you never would have thought! It's a bitch to get in, but it's so lovely here, I think it's worth it."

I've been talking with a guy from my home town of Winnipeg who moved out there and is living on a boat in Marina Del Rey. Advantage for him is he was born in USA. Above is what he wrote mne a few days ago that freaked me out.

I had planned to take a 2 month film school intensive in LA. The plan was to drive down with my motorcycle and some gear inside a trailer, towed by my truck. The student visa allowed me 1 month on either side of the two months course, or four months. I wanted to buy a boat there and then live on that boat while taking some lessons, going to school and then sail out from there. I planned to leave my truck and trailer in storage and at some point fly back to drive it back to Vancouver, or drive back to Vancouver and leave them there and fly back to the boat and sail out.

Now because of border issues and trying to get across with too much stuff, I'm thinking it might be easier to buy a boat in Vancouver area, load my gear and sail south to school. Only issue is I would not have a vehicle to use while there if I do that. Connundrum!!

The broker I've been dealing with assures me he can get me moorage there for a pretty reasonable cost that will let me liveaboard. If I had a vehicle there, a bit of a commute to school wouldn't be a big deal.

Now the bit he wrote above has me concerned. If I'm reading some of you right though, provided I get insurance and own the boat, it should not be an issue? Do I need some kind of certification to get insurance?? What about radio licenses? Obviously I'd like to get them but are they required before I even start? It would really suck to get the boat, sail to LA and then be refused entry or moorage for lack of proper documentation or certification. Ugh.

[SS Little-Devil]

Oh and buying in CA and sailing to Van to load is an option I considered too, but then I hear it's like a month of sailing to get there, vs. 5 days or so going from Van to LA. Is that true? I also heard you have to go through Hawaii or might as well. Maybe a trip to Hawaii wouldn't be so bad provided I could get down to PV in time for the milk run. I'll skip film school if I have to...

Oh and keep in mind I'm a Canadian citizen, not US.

[High Heels]

Hey, Congratulations! on selling your house! That is huge in this economy. Don't forget to breath.

You will be fine.

I am not much help in regards to all the logistics but just take it a step at a time. Don't get fixated on the coconut milk run unless you feel like it is falling into place with your boat purchasing.

Have you done a lot of research in regards to what kind of boat you want?

I am envious of your position...we still have a house to sell and another boat...Hey, are you interested in a fin keeled Westerly Fulmar? ;0)

Have fun shopping and reveling in your new found Freedom!!!

[SS Little-Devil]

Hello High Heels.

Yes |I've been researching boats for quite a while. I'm particular to Morgan 382-4s, and some of the C&C rigs like the 36 sloop.

This Pearson looks interesting even though it's a little plasticy looking for me. It looks well rigged and maintained for an older boat:

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...g_id=1569&url=

[bljones]

Welcome aboard.
Here's my advice. Slow down. You are starting to suffer from analysis paralysis. This leads to either no decisions or BAD decisions.

Get your priorities straight. Reading between the lines, it sounds like the clock is ticking- you have a course you want to take, visas to acquire and oh yeah, that means you need a boat NOW so you're getting itchy...
that's a bad, expensive move when you are looking to buy a home that floats.
If you are going to Ell Ay, and plan to head further south from there, don't buy a boat up here. Yeah, you'll pay 6% sales tax in Cali, but boats up here are 10-15% more expensive, plus the time and cost of getting your new home down there. Don't even bother looking until you get there.
Spend a few days walking docks, and look for FSBO boats. often the slips are assumable. prepay your slip for a year and nobody will care about tax returns and credit checks.
Now about your trailer full of stuff. heres what you do;
pack it all into addressed boxes, get an address in LA to send it to, and ship it by ABF, UPS or one of the other freight companies. Load up your bike into your truck and start driving. Sell your trailer- you don't nneed it on a boat anyway. You will get there before your stuff, and no border hassles.

[djmarchand]

SS-Little-Devil:

Non US citizens cannot get a US federal title for their boat. You can get state registration as a non citizen but then you have to pay sales tax. If you plan to sail downwind to ??? you really need federal documentation.

You could buy in California, but title the boat in Canada. That would work but I don't know about sales tax. Contact a California broker and ask.

I live in SoCal and don't know of any long term moorings that you don't buy and none allow liveaboards anyway. There might be some slip possibilities in LA harbor at about $12/ft. All you will need is proof of ownership and liability insurance.

If it were me, I would look for a boat in Canada or in close by Wash state. Stay in Canada over the winter and cruise the next spring and summer to become proficient. Then if you want to head south and west, leave at the end of the summer.

David

[High Heels]

Originally Posted by SS Little-Devil

This Pearson looks interesting even though it's a little plasticy looking for me. It looks well rigged and maintained for an older boat:

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...g_id=1569&url=

She is a clean, sweet boat!

I am with bljones as far as take your time. Don't do anything rash because of self imposed timelines...try to be flexible with your thinking so as to get the right boat for you and your needs...It sounds like you have been researching it all for awhile though. Don't forget to trust your gut too.

Good Luck! Sounds like 2011 is going to be a banner year for you!

[zeehag]

out canall then to hawaii almost then in to north-- or vash the beejeeziz outta self and boat.except sometimes.. ouchies. also laways remain more than 10 miles off shore--is stuff under water-- rocks, stuff not marked on charts. best safer-- go at least 100-300 miles off then come in- is more comfortable.dont have to go all the way to hawaii unless ye reallly wanna avoid kali altogether.\
for assistance in papers for boat --ir from out of country-- call dona jenkins--is a document and boat titles expert-- does it for business- also checks liens and other impediments. i know she is in point loma, san diego on rosecrans ...she is online and professional.--worth the money.

[KestrelBuck]

Here is an example of a Vancouver, Canada couple that bought in the US and registered in Canada. I've started you at the very beginning of their blog: The Slapdash | Monthly Archive | August
The moral is that you don't need to feel confined to the West Coast and you can be rest assured that others have gone before you.

[CarlF]

I think you'll have an easier time and save money if you do the boat after film school. Nothing about a boat in Southern California is cheap or trouble free. Find a cheap place to live for two months, throw yourself into the film school and then find the right boat.

You're likely to find the ideal boat at a great price by going farther south. Mexico, Costa Rica, and especially Panama are full of boats from broken dreams. Or even better - after film school fly to Hawaii and buy your boat there. They're all equipped for ocean passage (or how else did they get there?) and there's a great supply from people who didn't want to keep going (often because their significant other jumped ship after the first leg). Cheaply ship your stuff to Hawaii in a container using someone like this:

Hawaii Service - Ocean Services - Matson

Carl

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by SS Little-Devil

Oh and buying in CA and sailing to Van to load is an option I considered too, but then I hear it's like a month of sailing to get there, vs. 5 days or so going from Van to LA. Is that true? I also heard you have to go through Hawaii or might as well. Maybe a trip to Hawaii wouldn't be so bad provided I could get down to PV in time for the milk run. I'll skip film school if I have to...

Oh and keep in mind I'm a Canadian citizen, not US.

Vancouver to LA in five days is not realistic. It is over 900 miles and some of the area can be pretty rough. When I came down the coast it took us a lot longer then that. If you had a large boat and a full racing crew it is possible to do it in Five days but not likely. Study Ocean Passages of the World, Charlie's Charts, and some of the other guides to get a better idea.