Cruising destinations for economic refugees?

sailboy21 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-22-2008

I don't want to start a politickin thread... But just found out our "growing fundamentally sound" economy cut my wife's job. Say hypothetically it gets much worse... Would "world cruising" be a sound alternative to staying here and getting poorer? If fuel oil gets any more expensive we simply will not be able to heat our house through the winter. Hell, I haven't even paid for last years heating at $3/gal and winter is fast coming. I know how much it costs to cruise, and considering that would be less than my current minimum living expenses by as much as 70% it seems like maybe a sensible alternative. If we have to relocate to find work anyway may as well go global right? I refitted the boat to sail from Hawaii to CA and it is still in pretty good shape, just need some provisions and charts.

So what would be some good Pacific destinations? Everyplace seems to be tightening their greencard/guest worker regs and/or imposing hefty customs/cruising fees. Is the whole world going to shut down or is there some cruisers paradise where the storm here can be ridden out?

Valiente · #2 (**permalink**) 09-23-2008

I hope you have a trade...that way, you could probably barter and charge your way in the existing cruiser community.

Omatako · #3 (**permalink**) 09-23-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailboy21

So what would be some good Pacific destinations? Everyplace seems to be tightening their greencard/guest worker regs and/or imposing hefty customs/cruising fees. Is the whole world going to shut down or is there some cruisers paradise where the storm here can be ridden out?

A lot of the South Pacific is made up of French Polynesia which as the name implies is run by the French (God help us). That means EU passport or pay a bond to stay and spend Euro not US$. There is a lot of unemployment there so unless there is a way to make a buck from your fellow cruisers, not much chance of earning a living. There are a few people doing it but in truth, most cruisers are short of bucks and either DIY or do without. And stuff is EXPENSIVE in the island stores.

Further west are the Tongans, Samoans and Fiji but also not much room for employment. NZ, if you have the right qualifications is wide open but I suspect that the cost of living is probably higher than the US. That's not and educated statement, just my perception when we were stocking our boat in California that things were more affordable.

Andre

sailboy21 · #4 (**permalink**) 09-23-2008

Thanks... Kinda what I was thinking to about the S. Pacific. I am not looking for paradise, just somewhere to go. SE Alaska is extremely expensive. I thought we could make it up here after I got out of the Navy and my wife scored a good job, but that idea has been shattered. Now, we have no ties to anyplace specific and the only real asset we have is a well found boat. No sense turning the boat into dollars since that would get us about nowhere fast. I have an engineering background in the navy with a B.S. to go with it, plus I am a qualified welder so not real worried about finding work in more developed countries. Just seems like when I am going through the noonsite.com descriptions is seems like it takes and arm and a leg and then an act of God to spend any time anywhere else. I even thought about turning the old boat into a troller and fishing for Salmon. The economics don't really work out and there would be very limited space after converting her to hold a couple hundred lbs of fish. I guess I am at a loss of ideas. No where really to go, can't really stay.