Buying a boat & home base: Canada or UK?

[bpbpbp]

Hi,

I am 44, single, based in the UK, with both UK and Canadian passports.

I'm researching my first liveaboard cruising boat (£10-20k budget) for next year, and it appears up to 50% cheaper to buy in Canada, so I'm now considering the option of being based in Canada instead of UK.

Are there common "snowbird" routes that would allow me to be in Canada in summer, and outside in winter?

Regards

[Kettlewell]

The short answer is yes, many Canadian boats head south every year. I am based on the East Coast of North America and we see many Canadians headed south each fall and north each spring. I've been anchored in the Bahamas in the winter and it seemed like there were more boats from Canada than the USA. You can day hop from Canada all the way to the Bahamas if you want to, though a few strategic one- and two-overnight hops can speed things up considerably. I've made the run from around Newport, Rhode Island to the Bahamas and back many times, using the Intracoastal Waterway from Norfolk to Miami (mostly). The ICW is about 1100 miles of inland rivers, canals, and generally protected waters, though there are many inlets so you can combine the inside with outside runs. I anchor out almost every night, often as the only boat in some secluded creek. Many times we have been anchored with no light of civilization in sight.

[bpbpbp]

Thanks Kettlewell! I didn't know about the ICW.

I could start off in Halifax.

Quiet creeks is my kind of bliss.

My estranged father lives in the Bahamas...

Would the east coast be better than west for a newbie sailor liveaboard?

[Kettlewell]

Would the east coast be better than west for a newbie sailor liveaboard?

The East Coast is much more forgiving than the West Coast for those snowbirds headed south. In the west you are basically in the Pacific Ocean from Puget Sound to Mexico, with relatively few stops and adverse winds much of the way. In the east you can literally day-hop all the way from Halifax south to the Bahamas. I have read there are more harbors and anchorages in Maine than on the entire West Coast. But, you do get a real winter in Halifax, and your snowbird trip is determined by the change in seasons. I would recommend being south of Cape Cod by September, south of Norfolk by November 1, and north of Norfolk by June 1 in order to avoid hurricane season in the south. The Bahamas are wonderful cruising from about December 1 through April or so. Start heading north in May.

[bpbpbp]

Thank you that is very helpful

That means looking for boats for sale on the Great Lakes through to Halifax I guess, as I can sail from the lakes to the ocean.

That said, it looks even cheaper to buy in east coast USA than Canada!

[Kettlewell]

Don't forget Lake Champlain too. Many Canadians from Montreal and Quebec keep their boats there in the summer, then sail south through the Champlain Canal to the Hudson River and south. Unfortunately, you do have to take your mast down to do that. Keep in mind that there are pretty hefty taxes for importing a boat to Canada. Here's some information from a non-official source: https://canadianvesselregistry.ca/bu...ers-to-canada/

[JPA Cate]

Always good to take advantage of exchange rates.....

Ann

[bpbpbp]

Thanks again

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by bpbpbp

Thank you that is very helpful

That means looking for boats for sale on the Great Lakes through to Halifax I guess, as I can sail from the lakes to the ocean.

That said, it looks even cheaper to buy in east coast USA than Canada!

Kettlewell has it pretty much nailed down.

As to Canadian boats being more expensive than US boats ... Most Canadian boats have never seen salt water and are worth 25% more because of that. The Canadian dollar is in the toilet so $1 US dollar buys $1.36 Cdn.

If you are not familiar with the difference between a salt water boat and a fresh water boat, check this out ... Salt Corrosion

[sv_pelagia]

A view from Canada's west coast: it doesn't freeze up here on the British Columbia coast, and people liveaboard all year round. Not to say there aren't some COLD days/nights.



(We used to sail all year round, but our 2 years in Mexico kind of ruined us for winter sailing in BC... BUT people do sail here all year round.)



Fair warning, though, liveaboard marinas with space are scarce in southern BC.

[bpbpbp]

I'd love to spend more time in BC, on the water this time. Last time was in an RV.

1GBP = 1.74CAD vs 1.25USD atm, so I should find a good boat in my budget in Canada yay.

[bpbpbp]

What are the best sources of boats for sale by owner? In the UK it is a website called apolloduck which also features broker boats.

[Enfant Du Vent]

Ahoy bpbpbp:
You asked. " Are there common "snowbird" routes that would allow me to be in Canada in summer, and outside in winter?"
Kettlewell is quite correct about getting south from Canada to the Bahamas. I did that myself 3 times.

But for returning to Canada for the summer consider Bahamas-Bermuda-Halifax.
In June the weather is fine--and no hurricane threats LOL.


But it will depend on the boat you buy, the experience you have, and the experience of any crew you can shanghai.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by bpbpbp

I'm researching my first liveaboard cruising boat (£10-20k budget) for next year, and it appears up to 50% cheaper to buy in Canada, so I'm now considering the option of being based in Canada instead of UK.

Are there common "snowbird" routes that would allow me to be in Canada in summer, and outside in winter?

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

The short answer is yes, many Canadian boats head south every year. ... I've made the run from around Newport, Rhode Island to the Bahamas and back many times, using the Intracoastal Waterway from Norfolk to Miami (mostly). The ICW is about 1100 miles of inland rivers, canals, and generally protected waters, though there are many inlets so you can combine the inside with outside runs.

Originally Posted by bpbpbp

Thanks Kettlewell! I didn't know about the ICW.

As Kettlewell says, lots of Canadian boats are usually snowbirding up and down the US east coast.

One AICWW "thing" to pay attention to while boat shopping is mast height... but I think your budget will do that for you anyway.

-Chris

[Kettlewell]

One AICWW "thing" to pay attention to while boat shopping is mast height... but I think your budget will do that for you anyway.

The overhead clearance maximum is 65 feet, though in reality there are a few bridges that rarely offer more than about 62-63 feet of clearance. If you are under 60 feet high you usually have no problem. There is one 56-foot bridge down in Miami, but it is easy to bypass by going on the outside. The controlling height on the West Coast of Florida is 55 feet. At the other end of things staying under 6 feet of draft really helps to make an ICW trip more pleasant.