Here is a little about me. About a thousand years ago, I grew up with boats mostly canoes, and then kayaks and some fishing boats. In my early twenties I started sailing with a windsurfer, (I still think that if someone really wants to understand the dynamic of sailing they should learn to windsurf). This led me to being invited to sail on an actual sailboat, IIRC a freedom 40. I had dreamed of sailing since i was a kid, it was a pivital moment for me, I had found what I was ment to do. Sail. Later a friend with ninty year old wooden sailboat invited me to join his crew for the racing season. I did. Going below in that old sailboat the first time was like intering in to the holy of holies of the temple of the most high paternal and sacred order of the wooden boat. I was converted, I was in love, that was my moment on the road to Tarsas. From then it was wood for me. So more sailing and racing, I was an avid sailor of OPB's(other peoples boats) tons of racing and then cruising came in to my life, when I got my own sailboat, and racing became any time I was sailing in the same direction as another sailboat, whether they knew it or not, then cruising the west coast of north and central America. And some time spent as a charter Captain. along the way my preference went from sloop to ketch to schooner.
About five years ago, I ran into another sailor who was looking around Nicaragua for rare and exotic hardwoods. He told me about how several years ago he had sailed in to Brazil and while there he bought four pieces of exotic hardwood, a 12"x12"x36", a 12"x24"x24", a 12"x12"x48", a 12"x24"x36". After wrestling these on board he left them on the cabin sole in the saloon and in the berth for the rest of is trip up through south America and the Caribbean, and on to Florida. Where in Miami he put an add in a local musical instrument magazine to sell the wood. He sold it all the first day the magazine was out, for $24,000. I was a little incredulous, after a little math I said 'that's about $117 a board foot!' 'Yeah' he said, 'but wood like this you don't sell by the foot this stuff you sell by the pound and it is heavy!' apparently these several species were very sought after for flute making and other wooden musical instruments. He had done his home work and knew that they were not normally imported. The funny part was that in every country that searched his boat when he checked in, climbed all over the wood looking in the cabinets and asking if he had any thing to declare, apparently assuming the wood was for the boat. And paid it no mind to it at all. Now this sailor looks for special and rare woods as he sails around and sales them when he gets to Miami. Which is about every two years. Even if this sailor's tale is inflated for the purpose of incurring a second round of cold and bubbly, it still got me to thinking, and a little googling I found several accounts of sailors starting to haul freight. A schooner sailed from here with a load of cacao beans to Boston. Some other schooner hauling French wine to the UK and Scandanavia. Another in the Craribbean hauling from Florida to the smaller islands. Another from Hawaii to asorted islands on the way to Karabati, and then back to Hawaii.
So on the surface there appears to be something here. I next looked on the Internet to see if the navel architects were designing any schooners to carry some freight. And sure enough there were several. Our own Tad Roberts here on the WBF has a really nice looking one, It's a 60'LOD if you haven't been to his websight check it out http://www.tadroberts.ca/services/ne...argoschooner60
although it is steel construction not wood. Ted Brewer Also has a steel one, that's 53' LOD only his design is a knockabout ergo it has no bow sprit. http://www.tedbrewer.com/sail_steel/albatross.htm
And I just cannot see myself in a boat without a bowsprit. Classic Yacht Design's 44-40 has such sweet lines, and I read some where that one of the owner/builders had left out some cabins or had in some manner rearanged the space for freight. She is 59' 2" LOD http://www.classic-yacht-design.com/...-40/44-40.html
And my favorite so far is the KastenMarine 66' schooner. One of the really fun things that my family and I did with our boat was the 'Tall Ship Challenge" we loved it the crowd the other ships the events, my favorite was sailing out with about 15 to twenty passengers and having a cannon battle with the other ships that had cannons. We once had a cannon battle with a reenactment group set up on the shore. All the ships with cannons lines up in order of battle (in this case largest to smallest, I was the smallest) and sailed past where the shore battery was set up and we would fire our cannons as we bare on the gun placement, and they in turn were trying to reload fast enough to keep up a return fire as we gave them our broadside. It was so cool. I was thinking that this "Sulawesi Privateer" would be perfect for the Tall Ship races in the EU. and the US. and she more then the others could mount swivel guns on her rail in style. She comes in at 66' LOD http://www.kastenmarine.com/sulawesi_privateer_66.htm
Prior to arriving here in Nicaragua my wife and I had done some chartering with our boat. We had really enjoyed sharing sailing with others, there were a few knuckleheads, and even one young man I had to but ashore. All in all it seemed like a good to way to supplement our cruising kitty. So part of the rebuild was making two nice staterooms for guest, and a sleeping area for a cook, as I had come to the conclusion that I could not both run the boat and serve the kind, and quality of food I wanted. So I needed a full time chef.
(My wife cannot work in the galley while underway except in the most gentle of weather.)
But now I'm wondering if this freight idea might not be a more advantages. Take for example 18year old Flor de Cana rum here can had for about $20 and sells in some Asian countries for over $100. If I sold it there and bought some rare Saki and then sold that when I got to the Med. I think you get the picture. What's wrong with this idea. I realize that if I sailed into a country with ten tons of rum there would be some duty and tariff issues. But what if you kept the amount of each item small enough and mixed the load, some rum, some hardwood, some cacao beans, some coconut oil, so that it didn't look to suspect. Or maybe you hire an agent who will pave the way before you arrive. I am trying to think of the pros and cons of the difference between accessional charters or trading goods from port to port while sailing around the world. This is where I hope we can have a lively decision to help me think this through.
Areas that I can think of is
1. Feasibility
2. Risk/reward
3. enjoyment (I don't want this to become something that takes the joy out of sailing.
4. Size of schooner (the ones I've listed above are described as being handled by husband and wife crews.
5. what freight and to where.
6. At the tall ship festival in Tacoma WA. In 2005 there were one million one hundred thousand tickets sold at the gate, every available three hour cruise and evening cruise were sold out. Many of the boats had hats, cups, teeshirts, keychains, etc, for sale, the stuff sold like hot cakes, what if the boat had stuff for sale that the ship had brought from around the world. Rum, hand made crafts from the islands, other dodads and geegays, would it make more money then hats and coffee mugs?
Well if your still reading you've made it to the end. I really appreciate your effort to follow my ramblings. So what do you think. Have I gone round the bend? Where are the pitfalls. Is the high prices of fuel and the consumers desire for carbon free transported goods, going to continue to raise. Is this a passing fad or a real opportunity for the right person. Is freight a better way to augment income then chartering, while sailing around the world? Capt. Zatarra
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