Trading Goods from Florida to Caribbean

oceanbluesky · #1 (**permalink**) 03-31-2011

Hi, just wondering...friends of mine from St. Vincent (a very southern Caribbean island) have expressed interest in the following venture:

Purchase a modest sailboat in need of refurbishing in Florida, then fill it with items such as TVs and construction tools, then sail it to a dry dock in St. Vincent where inexpensive laborers would refit it while the shipped items were sold to local stores. After two or three weeks the freshly painted, newly equipped boat would be sailed back to Florida for resale.

My friends are thoroughly trustworthy and know personally the store owners to whom we would sell shipped goods. They are not however experienced businesspersons or traders.

If anyone has suggestions as to how to check the profitability of such a scheme -- or experience with such working vacations -- your advice would be appreciated. Perhaps eventually we could share contacts and tips. Thanks!

RichH · #2 (**permalink**) 03-31-2011

Your friends will have to add the import duties and if they intend to do this themselves they will also need an import/export license which is usually a 'monopoly' of patronage in most island countries. Import duties can be as high as 50% of the value.

Id advise them to check very carefully for the 'legal problems' that they will be encountering, especially since such import activities are usually 'closely held' through each country's 'patronage system'.

Boasun · #3 (**permalink**) 03-31-2011

I hope you have manifests for said cargo. And you will have to pay customs in any country for goods you import into that country. The small amount that you can carry, IMO, isn't worth the hassle of dealing with Custom Officals of any country. The cargo that is normally shipped into this and other countries have Agents to deal with all of the paper work and duties charged. Yes you have to pay duties on anything, item, animal that you import anywere. Failure to do so is considered smuggling and they fround on that very much. And it brings heavy fines and jail time.

oceanbluesky · #4 (**permalink**) 03-31-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boasun

manifests for said cargo

Ah thank you, these replies are very helpful...what would an official manifest consist of? A list of items and their purchase receipts? I would want this to be entirely legal and above board...if transporting a dozen televisions and such just paid for the trip's expenses that would be ok.

Also, is the idea of sailing moderately sized ships in need of refurbishment down to dry docks in the Caribbean semi-coherent? Friends suggest purchasing furnishings, paint, and refitting equipment at far less cost in the States, then using less expensive labor and facilities in the Caribbean...

Any recommended forums/websites on refurbishing boats in such a manner?

thanks again

JaredC · #5 (**permalink**) 03-31-2011

What is it about sailing that encourages some of the most bone-headed schemes and ideas?

oceanbluesky · #6 (**permalink**) 03-31-2011

what is it about forums that encourage posts from boring simple minds with nothing constructive to add???

look at your recent posts JaredC:
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/search...earchid=532594

do your cheap one line quips help anyone???

talk about bone-headed, thanks for nothing (abuse deleted)

LandLocked66c · #7 (**permalink**) 03-31-2011

Sounds like a lot of legal crap to go through. But from my experiences in the Bahamas you could probably give the customs folks a TV or two and be good to go.

What size and kind of boats are you looking at? It sounds like a fun trip overall, but a lot of hoops to jump through to be legit.

oceanbluesky · #8 (**permalink**) 03-31-2011

thank you LandLocked for your encouragement...the reason this kind of "working vacation" seems worth further analysis is the trustworthiness of my friends and their lifelong contacts in the islands.

Workers retrofitting the boat, store/shop owners to whom we would sell the goods, even custom agents would be all very well-known by my friends (as former students, neighbors, colleagues, relatives, etc.)

I definitely want to make sure manifests and so on are legal, as Rich and Boasun point out, but the custom agents would be helpful insomuch as they would be willing to work with us to suggest for example declarations be staggered per week or in a different district and so on. Part of the reason to ask on this forum is to ensure everything is legal.

As for the boat size -- any suggestions? (This _is_ 49% bone-headed...no boat yet ; )

LandLocked66c · #9 (**permalink**) 03-31-2011

I'd look for a boat with no interior for starters!

The Bigger the better right?

JaredC · #10 (**permalink**) 03-31-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by oceanbluesky

what is it about forums that encourage posts from boring simple minds with nothing constructive to add???

look at your recent posts JaredC:
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/search...earchid=532594

do your cheap one line quips help anyone???

talk about bone-headed, thanks for nothing (abuse deleted)

ouch!

My point is that if it was profitable to conduct international trade in busted-up fiberglass sailboats, you wouldn't have to ask these questions because your neighbors would be doing it. In fact, there would be a shiptv'sonsailboats.net forum to post on.

The Snuggie was an exception to the stupid-idea rule.