westpalm beach to bahamas??????

[freiertpc]

i have a boat and a radio i understand it's about 100miles to sail and 20 to 30 hours on the water i have lost everything due to the economy except my boat and 1000 dollars i have saved up i will be throwing away everything that says
i'm a u.s citizen and going to bahamas never to return to the mainland i'm doing this because i want to and will not let anything stop me is there anything i should prepare for during my trip?

[MoonSailer]

Desperate acts are usually unwise.

[CaptainForce]

Long before the current Haitian disaster thousands of impoverished Haitians have been saturating the Bahamas. What you should prepare for is less economic opportunity than you have here, a loss of entiltlement to social services, and no right to be legally employed. You will also have no means to be legally in the Bahamas without documentation as a US citizen and you'll be subject to fines and the confiscation of your boat. It's not 100 miles from West Palm Beach to the Bahamas, - it's 56. I understand that you insist that you want this and will not let anything stop you,- good luck.

[BlueWaterMD]

"Is there anything i should prepare for during my trip?"

I would be prepared for large fines and possible jail time. You can't just renounce your citizenship and then travel around the globe freely. Sounds like you have been through some hard times, and a trip to the bahamas may be just what you need to clear your head. Just make sure you do it safely and legally. I don't know your reasons why you don't want to be a US citizen, but the current economy has affected places well beyond our borders... especially neighboring island nations that heavily rely on tourism. Many of these countries have very strict work visa requirements, made to protect the jobs of their own citizens, making finding work there very hard for foreigners. Have a great time on your trip if you decide to go, but think very carefully before you make any impulsive decisions, especially ones that may prevent you from returning to the US.

[fiberglass1]

And be prepared to spend about a third of your savings on customs, immigration, fuel and water!

[MC1]

You haven't lost everything due to the economy. You have some knowledge, some experience, some abilities, some talents - and these are worth something in the coming recovery. You've suffered a very painful but TEMPORARY setback. It's possible to recover from this even though it may be your darkest hour right now.

When you recover (and you will), you will make some changes that protect you from having the same thing happen again in the future. It's like what we see with our grandparents who lived through the great depression; they're very frugal even when it seems like they don't need to be. This is because they've learned that when things are going well, they may not always be that way and we've got to prepare for the hard times.

Likewise, it's also true that just because things are really bad now, that doesn't mean they will always be this way. When you're at the bottom, you can only move up from there. As a temporary aid, consider taking advantage of the safety net this country has in place - you've been contributing to it in your payroll taxes and it's there for people who really need it when they really need it. Accessing it in this circumstance is far different than what some people do to take advantage of and abuse it. It's using it as it was intended, and it's what you've been paying for.

This will buy you time to regroup and reposition yourself to ride the coming recovery into a better situation. Don't listen to the doomsdayers - they've never been right. The economy has always recovered, even after the great depression, and there's a place for you in it. You may have to change the type of work you do, or where you live, but that can and does happen to any one of us.

Sail for the mental break it provides, sail because you love it, and sail because it reminds you of the things that are important to you. But sailing to run away is a mistake because it won't really solve your problems and will make some much worse.

These problems may be really big right now, but they ARE solvable - there's a better way.

[sailortjk1]

Wow, I don't know what to say except that the grass is not always greener.
These people here have given you thoughtful advice.
My suggestion is that you carefully read these posts and give it a lot of thought. Do not make this decision hastily.

[nolatom]

If you have only a radio, and don't know the distance, then you ought to have a GPS, and a chart, and know how to read and apply both. Also, an EPIRB. And a sea anchor. And a decent weather forecast. And a passport and registration certif or document for your boat.

That said, I agree with the posts above.

[bellefonte]

Originally Posted by freiertpc

is there anything i should prepare for during my trip?

Punctuation maybe?

[bellefonte]

Originally Posted by MC1

When you recover (and you will), you will make some changes that protect you from having the same thing happen again in the future. It's like what we see with our grandparents who lived through the great depression; they're very frugal even when it seems like they don't need to be. This is because they've learned that when things are going well, they may not always be that way and we've got to prepare for the hard times.

I feel so bad to have posted such a silly reply after reading this one, so I thought i would pass on what a kind soul passed to me. 72 pages. The best read i've had in a very long time.
The Richest Man in Babylon
http://www.bizbuildersusa.org/files/...nInBabylon.pdf
Thanks to wind_magic for the source