On the Hard

[glenroger]

We have friends who cruise 4 months a year... and spend the rest of their time as "normal" people back home in suburbia. We are a year from retirement and planning to emulate their lifestyle. One couple keeps their boat on the hard in Trinidad - out of the hurricanes - during the summer. Another stays closer to home and starts out from Florida (Indian River) every year.

I'm interested in hearing from others about good dry storage - from Florida to Venezuela… cost, convenience, security…

[Giulietta]

Get a boat in Portugal...and sail all year round whenever you want.....with flights as low as $600 from Newark.

[USCGRET1990]

Originally Posted by Giulietta

Get a boat in Portugal...and sail all year round whenever you want.....with flights as low as $600 from Newark.

How does your cost of living compare with ours? Like say...what would it cost me to have a slip to moor a 25' sailboat there?

[USCGRET1990]

Originally Posted by glenroger

We have friends who cruise 4 months a year... and spend the rest of their time as "normal" people back home in suburbia. We are a year from retirement and planning to emulate their lifestyle. One couple keeps their boat on the hard in Trinidad - out of the hurricanes - during the summer. Another stays closer to home and starts out from Florida (Indian River) every year.

I'm interested in hearing from others about good dry storage - from Florida to Venezuela… cost, convenience, security…

I would be interested in talking to the folks that keep their boat in Trinidad. Are they on the sailnet or do you think they might email me some info?

[Giulietta]

Originally Posted by USCGRET1990

How does your cost of living compare with ours? Like say...what would it cost me to have a slip to moor a 25' sailboat there?

Food is 50% more (eating out good and such), gas more expensive almost 3 times, a 25 pays in my marina in Cascais 4000 Euros a year, including water light, sewage, etc. Mind you there are cheaper marinas, but not as nice.

[USCGRET1990]

Originally Posted by Giulietta

Food is 50% more (eating out good and such), gas more expensive almost 3 times, a 25 pays in my marina in Cascais 4000 Euros a year, including water light, sewage, etc. Mind you there are cheaper marinas, but not as nice.

What the heck is an Euro worth vs. a dollar??

[Faster]

Originally Posted by glenroger

We have friends who cruise 4 months a year... and spend the rest of their time as "normal" people back home in suburbia. We are a year from retirement and planning to emulate their lifestyle. One couple keeps their boat on the hard in Trinidad - out of the hurricanes - during the summer. Another stays closer to home and starts out from Florida (Indian River) every year.

I'm interested in hearing from others about good dry storage - from Florida to Venezuela… cost, convenience, security…

We too, have friends that enjoy the same lifestyle, except they are retired and do it 6 months south and 6 months north. They leave their vessel (36'sail) on the hard April to November in the yard in Tyrell Bay, Carriacou (about 40 nm north of Grenada).

They are extremely happy with the conditions and service in this smallish yard. Despite the location being below the "hurrican belt" and satisfying the insurers requirements, they have been hit by a couple in recent years. The efforts put forth by the crews to secure the yachts has been amazing, with no damage reported. The boat is a Bene 367, not exactly sitting low to the ground.

We have found Carriacou to be an extremely laid-back place, low keyed tourism (the odd B&B and restuarants, no cruise ship visits etc), with little to no crime reported. Theft and vandalism have not been issues for our friends - quite the opposite.

As far as costs go I have no details but got the sense that it was not exhorbitant.

Other acquaintances doing a similar routine have left their boat in Venezuala (afloat) the last two summers with good results as well.

[Waymar83]

4000 euros = $5324 USD (1 USD = 0.7513 euros...for now)

Alex, is this for 12 months? Does'nt sound too bad...

Thanks for the pics Val.

I think I saw a spot for the BBQ....


and give Fred his knife....My kids have had their swiss army knives since they were 8...adn they still ahve all their fingers.

[brak]

To sail in Portugal, or anywhere in Europe for that matter, you need a license. And it's not all that easy to get, though not impossible. It ain't no US - you can't just jump into a boat and sail off into the sunset. Portugal is one of the cheaper countries in Europe, but still - it is pretty darn expensive, and the fact that $ keeps falling against the euro does not help. Notice how same boats are 1.5-2 times more expensive over there than they are here. Same goes for boat parts and such. Also, lately, for an american to stay in europe for any period of time, since we don't have universal medical insurance here, they started requiring having private medical insurance. All that makes a prospect of long term sailing in those parts less than practical. The mediterranean is beautiful, though - but it is not for those in fixed income

[Waymar83]

oops sorry wrong post for most of the info

There are a few folks (ok 2) who keep their boats up the Essequibo River. (look at google earth. Its near Bartica). They actually bought land and built houses.

Fresh water all year round. reasonably safe and no hurricanes...ever.

But there is no real infrastructure (nothing organised anyway).