The latest dream

[cs]

The latest dream is to buy a 60-70' schooner with a home port of St. Augastine FL. I would need to hire a first & second mate along with a cook. About 6 times a year I would take her out on a 2-3 week cruise. The crew would be made up of folks that paid for the privalage of working the ship. They would live in the forcastle and work watches in the traditional sense. We would carry a cargo to some out of the way island to help offset the cost of the trip.

The way I figure is running about 6 knots which would average out to about 165 miles a day with just a little of 1100 miles in a week. A week out, 3 days in port, and a week back. What small out of the way island would be in that area when you figure St. Augastine as your home port?

Some other things that would be available is a ration of grog at the end of the day. Certified dive masters, leasable sailboards and sunfish. Fishing would also be an option. Dining would not be high class, but rather good hearty food probably served by a retired army or navy cook. Meals could agumanted by what fish you caught. Extra adult beverages could be purchased, but with an eye on restraint, being as your watch would be coming up shortly.

When not out on a cruise, the ship would be in home port and all day charters would be ran.

What do you think of the plan?

Chad

[John Bell]

I think you'll need a press gang... ;)

[cs]

You think it would be that tough to get a crew?

Chad

[Norman Bernstein]

I think the plan is fine... but very highly dependent on your own personality and dedication.

The 'windjammer' fleet out of Rockport and Camden ME are full of guys with the same dream. I've known a few who did it, worked it for a few years, and then sold the boats.... the lifestyle wore a bit on them, and the money (after maintenence and insurance, advertising, etc) was a living, but not much more.

I suspect it has to be a labor of love for ya.... and if you have any doubts about doing it day in / day out, dealing with a$$hole passengers, earning relatively little money, etc., then you might want to reconsider. If none of this scares ya, then go for it! :D

[cs]

I have the dream, the desire and the drive. What I don't have is the capital.

Chad

[geeman]

how much is liablilty insurance for a venture like that?

[John Bell]

My only thought is why do it on the cheap and cater to other cheap folks? The best place to make money is by catering to those who have money. I wouldn't pay you to go to work on a cargo-hauling vessel, in return getting to live before the mast, having to clap on to a line when I didn't feel like it, all the while avoiding the end of the bosun's rope, all in hopes that I get my ration of watered down rum and hardtack at the end of the day. No thank you Tom Sawyer! You can paint that damn fence yourself! ;) :D

[Meerkat]

Chad, I have a suggestion for you: book a barefoot cruise for you and your wife. You should have a whale of a good time (might even see one or two) and you can talk to the crew about the ins and outs of operating a sailing cruise ship.

You might also look into these sailing ships that charge working passengers to sail segments on their circumnavigations. Recall there was a young lady who visited us that was looking for $ to finance her voyage on such a cruise?

I recall reading about a guy who wanted to do something similar, albeit more modestly. He wanted a 50' ketch with a center cargo hold to use as an inter-island floating store (more or less) for use in the western Pacific. He planned to supplement his income by carrying mail and a few passengers.

Keep in mind that maintainence and replacement costs grow just about exponentially with size, not linearly.

[Art Read]

Got the five, (plus) years of experience in a similar vessel/similar waters to qualify for the Coast Guard, 100 ton, Offshore, Master's licence yet, skipper? Passed the rules of the road, navigation, deck seamanship, safety and regulatory exams? Passed the physical, first-aid and radio certifications? That vessel inspected and insured to carry passengers for hire? Hull built in the U.S.? You want to cross borders? Talked to the Bahamians about that yet? Got prime, dedicated, walk-on dock space lined up at both ends? Talked to your insurance agent?

Don't mean to rain on your parade, but it ain't as easy as just buying, or building, a boat and printing flyers...

http://www.sheehanworld.com/KSimages/license.gif

[Paul Pless]

damn Art:eek:

[paladin]

when you anchor for the night do you have problems with your charters walking around in the buff.....even if you have a no smoking rule below decks and some s.o.b. drops his lit weed on your recently sanded and varnished cabin sole...,
then a couple of hours after waking up and checking the ground tackle because you felt the boat swing, the charters wife or girlfriend (whatever the arrangement) comes and wants to squeeze into your bunk with you because her partner is pi$$&d, then HE corners you in the morning and wants you to "fix" it with your cook 'cause he wants her in the sack.....both of them are sowsed all the time and are bugging you about more booze and insist on going swimming in an inebriated state...
Do you really wanna do this?...are you insane? and the liability insurance is crazy...

[cs]

Do you really wanna do this?...are you insane? and the liability insurance is crazy...

To answer your question, YES.;)

Art brings up some good points that I have been thinking about. This is not something I would just up and do, it would require a lot of pre-planning. All his points are good and valid and I've already started thinking about that. I could hire a Captain to run the ship till I had all the certifications.

Chad

[TomF]

Chad,

Well do I remember working in restaurants etc. going through university. The tourism industry can be fun, but I was always VERY happy to leave it and go back to school.

I'd be inclined to scale down a bit, perhaps buy/build one of the Colvin pinky schooners in his book Steel Boatbuilding. It's got a central hold, big enough to do some small-scale trading and carrying ... which might be enough to pay for the boat's upkeep, and live an Annie Hill cheap livaboard lifestyle.

Homeschool the kids, and go sailing ...

[cs]

I keep thinking that when I win the lottery I will retire further south and start a charter service. It would be more for my pleasure rather than the money. The charters would help me offset the cost a little.

Chad

[Matt J.]

OH! This is a lottery winning thread!? OK... In that case, I want a fleet of b-e-a-utiful 12 metres and a coupla buds who are el capitans to run them with/for me... Oh, of course I'd have bought IYRS and would be scouring the unwanted prizes from around the country and keeping half in my NE marina and half in my El Caribe yacht club. J and I would spend our time casually sailing between on a boat comfortable enough to not miss any of our cool beach front bungalos too much and could bring a few of our best furry friends.

;)

Chad, it's a cool idea, but in today's legal world, you'd really have to not need the money. If you had a boat you lived aboard for enjoyment and occasionally did a lucrative charter for good guests, it'd be OK. Better start logging your sea days. 360 or 365 4 hour stints afloat, documented and logged, and then you can sit for atest or two or (Art? how many?)...

I'm barely 25% through that sea day requirement because we never logged days until a few years ago.

[Matt J.]

Oh, I spoke with a fella in the Bahamas this spring looking at buying what looked like a WWII landing craft to import cars from mainland US with... apparently he and his bud, who we chatted extensively with, thought it was a great way to make a living. no sailing, but days afloat making the 60 mile run repeatedly. We gave that one a lot of lip service before other things fell apart this spring.

[uncas]

Matt J.
Ya know, I should keep track. I mean I have a log but not a lot of specifcs relating to hours. Just notes, where I am, where I'm going, interesting weather observations etc.
By the way, how is Jenny feeling?

[Matt J.]

Jamie,
I'm not familiar enough to offer suggestions, but I'm sure Art is. I am under the impression that sufficient evidence is acceptable - a trip from MD to Conn., and then from Conn. to Newfie, etc... there are certain assumptions that can be made. Dates and approx. loc'ns are probably enough.

Thanks for asking about Jenny... she's OK for now, though the lack of a specific diagnosis/identifiable cause sucks and isn't helping.

[Steve O'Connell]

The USCG is pretty damn casual about accepting people's claims of sea time and tonnage. I know of several "captains" who faked time and tonnage to get their tickets. The exam is pretty ridiculous as well. All in all it seems to be a flawed process.
The overheads to keep even a small charter operation ticking over are impressive compared to the return. A big boat with crew would just gobble up money at an unbelievable rate. You would need deep pockets. And the USCG regulations can just take the joy out of things if you are operating as an inspected vessel. If you are in the right place with the right vessel then you can do okay. But the right places were found years ago and to get a place to run from in a desirable harbor is not easy and certainly not cheap.
When you do your research and crunch the numbers you might just discover that running off to sea in a little cruiser could be a lot more enjoyable - and affordable - than playing the charter game.