| Author | Thread |
|
|
02/12/2010 09:47:44 AM · #1 |
------Final edit to this original post:
As  Bear_Music mentioned below, it's a done deal. Bear_Music and  PennyClick will be joining me and Ramona on a 42' Hunter for 10 days this July in the British Virgin Islands.
This is going to be a blast!!!
-------end of final edit--------
My girlfriend and I went to the opening day of the Miami Internaional Boat Show and we were inspired to start ogranizing a vacation on a catamaran this August. We would like to share the fun and expenses with two or three couples. I live here in South Florida and I have been to the Bahamas once and the Florida Keys and The Virgin Islands many, many times. The photographic opportunites are endless.
I sent an email listing the details of three options for this 7 day trip in the first half of August to a couple of my friends. Although this sounds like a great idea, the economy might not allow some of them to join us so I decided to offer this trip to the folks here at DPC also to increase the chances of rounding up the other two or three couples.
Here is the email that I have sent to a couple of my friends:
----------------------------------------
Hey Guys,
Ramona and I went to the Boat Show yesterday and Ramona now has the sailing fever that I have been suffering from since before I lived on my sailboat. She and I would like to share the expenses of a comfortably sized catamaran for a week with two or three other couples in the first half of August this year.
Bareboat chartering of a sailboat is an affordable method of traveling around the islands with the convenience of bringing your âhotelâ with you. The freedom to choose your itinerary and then adjust it during the trip is priceless. Imagine island hopping through crystal clear waters in the British Virgin Islands or from Key West through the Marquesas and to the Dry Tortugas, stopping along the way for some paddleboarding, snorkeling on beautiful reefs, lounging on the beaches of isolated islands, and kiteboarding along the way, etc., etc., etc. I especially look forward to relaxing with a glass of wine while watching the sunset and then seeing the stars without the interference of light pollution. Sharing this trip with others offers the opportunity to have an incredible vacation at a fraction of what it would cost to do it alone. Taking a large catamaran affords a central area for socializing as well as the privacy of separate staterooms (two hulls, two ends of the cat), some of which have four heads (bathrooms) also. With full kitchens and BBQâs on these boats we can take turns as chef cooking up great meals with the food that we bring and catch while fishing, spearfishing and lobstering along the way.
Chartering a catamaran with a Captain for a week adds over $3000 to the cost. However, having lived on my sailboat for two years, skippering sailboats for Shake-a-leg, chartering other sailboats, and delivering boats for charter, I am more than able to handle these vessels and save us those charges.
We were considering taking this one week trip sometime between August 1 (start of low season) to return before school started again in late August.
I have researched a lot of options and listed three of them, below. I have also listed URLâs so that you can view pictures and more details of these cats. The second one, Dreamcatcher, is my first choice. Although there is the cost of airfare (currently $420 for August) I think that this is the ideal place to cruise around and Dreamcatcher is large enough for four couples to split the cost to help make up for the airfare.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Diamond Girl
44' Lagoon Catamaran 3 cabins / 3 heads / 8 guests
Rates:
$4,500 per week / Low
$5,275 per week / Mid
$5,975 per week / High
$7,950 p/wk includes Captain
Plus expenses
For three couples the low week cost per couple is $1500.
For seven days accommodation and sailing this equates to $214 per couple per day.
Food, drinks, and other related expenses are additional (fuel is minimal).
Location: Miami Beach, Florida, Bahamas
From Miami Beach we could sail to either The Bahamas or to The Keys and back.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dreamcatcher
45' Leopard Catamaran 4 cabins / 4 heads / 8 guests
Rates:
$4,350 Aug 1- Oct 31
$4,995 May 1- Jul 31
Nov 1- Dec 14
$5,750 Jan 6- Jan 31
Apr 1- Apr 30
$6,550 Dec 15-Jan 05
Feb 1 -Mar 31
For four couples the low week cost per couple is $1088 plus approximately $420 airfare p/p for a total of $1928 per couple.
For seven days accommodation, airfare, and sailing this equates to $275 per couple per day.
Food, drinks, and other related expenses are additional (fuel is minimal).
Location: British Virgin Islands
Having been to the Virgin Islands numerous times, this is my first choice for cruising grounds. The islands, beaches, and The Baths at Virgin Gorda are just some of the reasons to choose this destination. The downside is the airfare which is mitigated somewhat by sharing the expenses of the Cat with a fourth couple. By the way, of all of the catamarans that we saw yesterday, a similar catamaran, the 46â Leopard, was by far our favorite.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Starry Night
38' Leopard Catamaran 3 cabins / 2 heads / 6 guests
Rates:
$3,360 p/wk 08/01-09/30
$3,780 p/wk 05/01-07/31 10/01-12/20
$3,990 p/wk 01/06-04/30
$4,200 p/wk 12/21-01/05
For three couples the low week cost per couple is $1120.
For seven days accommodation and sailing this equates to $160 per couple per day.
Food, drinks, and other related expenses are additional (fuel is minimal).
Location: Key West, FL
Iâve found a great suggested itinerary for a seven day trip from Key West to the Dry Tortugas via the Marquesas Islands. This catamaran is a fair bit smaller than the two others, but having been on one of them yesterday I can attest to how nice and comfortable the Leopard 38 is. This is also a more economical trip than the BVI trip but still with beautiful waters.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
So, what do you think about this vacation idea? Let us know and also discuss with us any other options or variations that you would like to consider.
-------------------------- end of email
For me, two of these trips begin with a short drive, either to Miami Beach or Key West. For those who do not live here in South Florida you might need to add in the cost of airfare to Miami or determine the cost of flying directly to Beef Island, BVI for that option. Currently, the airfare from Miami to Beef Island for August is $420.
How about it? Any takers for an awesome vacation and tons of photo ops in paradise?
Let's discuss it.
edit to add our new preferred option below (as of March 10)...
After much research I have found what I think is a fantastic deal out of the British Virgin Islands.
42' Hunter with 2 cabins and two heads. This one has air conditioning and 110V power which is super nice. I have chartered this model before for 11 days and it is an awesome boat!
The price is $2499 but we can get it for 10 days instead of 7 for the same price. Here is how it breaks down for comparison to the previously mentioned options:
For two couples the low week cost per couple is $1450.
For ten days accommodation and sailing this equates to $145 per couple per day.
Food, drinks, and other related expenses are additional (fuel is minimal).
I used the same format for comparison's sake, but I now know the specific total of the extra expenses for this charter which includes insurance, cruising permits, National Parks permits, dinghy fuel, and required cell phone card. This totals $400 for everybody...so that's an additional $100 per person.
The only other thing that I can think of is food (I have some good ideas for provisioning), drinks, ice, spending money, and airfare of course. Airfare out of Miami is currently around $440 per person.
Add it all up:
..$2499 boat
..$400 other boat fees
+$1760 airfare for all
$4659 total...or
$2329.50 total per couple
plus food and spending money
Again, this is for ten days of luxury sailboat accomodations and transportation around the British Virgin Islands. A great deal for less than $120 per person per day (this figure includes the extra fees).
Message edited by author 2010-03-21 18:23:07. |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 10:11:12 AM · #2 |
| If I win the lottery I'll see if I can talk a certain C-TR into joining me, and maybe join you :-) |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 10:17:13 AM · #3 |
| Well, get your lottery tickets and win. The point of this type of trip, however, is that it is pretty affordable for what you get out of it. Hopefully, winning the lottery isn't going to be necessary. |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 10:44:42 AM · #4 |
Sounds like fun.
When does hurricane season start? |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 10:49:38 AM · #5 |
Originally posted by Dr.Confuser:
When does hurricane season start? |
At departure. ;-) |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 10:56:38 AM · #6 |
We have a definite interest, you betcha. My sailing resume is much like yours, except you can add to it that I used to be a sailmaker for North Sails. I was a west coast guy, and did my chartering in the San Juans. I have a brother who lives on St. John in the USVI, a meetup there would be a blast.
We're open to discussion on this, PennyClick and I. She has sailing experience as well. And of course I'm a cheffy sort of dude; any discount available if I agree to do the cooking? Jejejeâ¢
R. |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 11:00:56 AM · #7 |
Hurricane season starts on June 1st, two months before the start of low season. Yeah, I'm sure there is a correleation between the two.
However, it's nothing like making a haphazard roll of the dice type gamble, especially as the time of the trip approaches. I can't assure you right now that there won't be any hurricane activity at the exact time and place of our trip, but I will be sure to have a pretty good idea of what to expect of the weather at the beginning of the trip and keep myself udated on the weather.
I live here in the paths of hurricanes and I have been in many of them, including three category fives and I'm not too concerned about them. My experience with them makes me comfortable knowing that they start developing far away first and we can get a good idea whether the coast will be clear or not. I'll feel even better about it when I get the last forecast before departing on the trip which, based on the odds, will probably indicate tropical disturbance free weather for the relatively small amount of time that we will be sailing. |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 11:12:06 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
We have a definite interest, you betcha. My sailing resume is much like yours, except you can add to it that I used to be a sailmaker for North Sails. I was a west coast guy, and did my chartering in the San Juans. I have a brother who lives on St. John in the USVI, a meetup there would be a blast.
We're open to discussion on this, PennyClick and I. She has sailing experience as well. And of course I'm a cheffy sort of dude; any discount available if I agree to do the cooking? Jejejeâ¢
R. |
Interesting that you should respond...Ramona was hoping for another friend of mine to be able to come along but he can't. He is an outstanding cook as I hear that you are. I have been to his parent's house in St. John that has a great view of Tortola, BVI. I slept in a hammock on the wrap around balcony for four enjoyable nights.
I'm a pretty good cook but surely not as good as my friend or you. Even though meal preparation on a catamaran should be a group event and part of the socializing of the crew, there is ultimately one person who heads up the chef's duties and takes on a little more of the workload. I believe that there should be some sort of compensation for the people who take on the additional workload and I am open to discussion with the other guests as to what arrangements should be made. Actually, the configurations on some of these vessels provide with some staterooms to be slightly superior to the others and Ramona is claiming 'dibs' on one of them due to the responsibility that I will be taking on for this trip. I'm happy to just be going but I've got to keep her happy too. The point is that I recognize the contribution that a Skipper and a Chef make and I think it might be right to make it up to them somewhat. We have to make sure that whatever arrangements and/or discounts made are agreeable to the rest of the crew.
Also, althought I'm confident of my abilities to handle a boat with the help of anybody else,I surely would appreciate the experience of another seaman for a seven day trip.
I saw your PM arrive while composing this. I'll check it now. |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 11:21:00 AM · #9 |
Incidentally, from a budgeting point of view, either of the trips leaving from FL is much more attractive to us. I'm partial to Key West, myself, having spent some time there in the 60's (OMG, so long ago) and I know it's changed a lot but still... On the other hand, it's conceivable if we did the BVI charter I could get my brother to join us, I'm not sure about that. But then we'd have a local on board, he actually used to run a charter boat himself... Lot of permutations here.
But it's just pipe dreams at the moment, let me caution you, the idea has *just* occurred to us, there's a lot to factor in...
R. |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 11:34:03 AM · #10 |
BVI sounds great, but the trip from Key West to the Dry Tortugas is a lot more economical and it would still be a fantastic trip. It would also be for six people instead of eight so that makes it that much more possible.
You're right about all of the permutations. This is an idea that I've been thinking about for a long time but we just started discussing it last night. The possibilities and variations on what we've discussed so far are almost endless and I'm very open to other ideas. |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 11:34:39 AM · #11 |
Originally posted by yakatme:
...Interesting that you should respond...Ramona was hoping for another friend of mine to be able to come along but he can't. He is an outstanding cook as I hear that you are. |
Take it from someone who has had the pleasure of meeting Bear_Music(Robert) in person, his culinary abilities go far beyond the nomenclature of "cook" ... his abilities, in my humble opioning, are more aligned with those of a "Cordon Bleu" chef. :O)
Ray |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 01:20:33 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by yakatme:
BVI sounds great, but the trip from Key West to the Dry Tortugas is a lot more economical and it would still be a fantastic trip. It would also be for six people instead of eight so that makes it that much more possible.
You're right about all of the permutations. This is an idea that I've been thinking about for a long time but we just started discussing it last night. The possibilities and variations on what we've discussed so far are almost endless and I'm very open to other ideas. |
I'd actually lean towards the Key West version myself. If my brother wanted in he could hop over, but it's not that likely anyway; he does, after all, live down thataways...
R. |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 02:40:55 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
We have a definite interest, you betcha. My sailing resume is much like yours, except you can add to it that I used to be a sailmaker for North Sails. I was a west coast guy, and did my chartering in the San Juans. I have a brother who lives on St. John in the USVI, a meetup there would be a blast.
We're open to discussion on this, PennyClick and I. She has sailing experience as well. And of course I'm a cheffy sort of dude; any discount available if I agree to do the cooking? Jejejeâ¢
R. |
Is there anything you don't do?
|
|
|
|
02/12/2010 02:43:38 PM · #14 |
| No he has done everything there is to do. And if you get a few drinks down his neck he will tell you all about it !!!!! =) |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 02:44:12 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by geinafets:
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
We have a definite interest, you betcha. My sailing resume is much like yours, except you can add to it that I used to be a sailmaker for North Sails. I was a west coast guy, and did my chartering in the San Juans. I have a brother who lives on St. John in the USVI, a meetup there would be a blast.
We're open to discussion on this, PennyClick and I. She has sailing experience as well. And of course I'm a cheffy sort of dude; any discount available if I agree to do the cooking? Jejejeâ¢
R. |
Is there anything you don't do? |
Lol, I was thinking the same thing ! Robt is a man of many talents !
|
|
|
|
02/12/2010 04:02:28 PM · #16 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
I'd actually lean towards the Key West version myself. If my brother wanted in he could hop over, but it's not that likely anyway; he does, after all, live down thataways...
R. |
Another good reason for choosing the Key West option is that I would be able to bring my two standup paddleboards and up to four kayaks. However, we do have to consider weight and how much clutter we are willing to live with on deck. Leaving from Key West gives us more flexibility with what we can bring since we are not limited by an airline and we can provision without having to suffer from the poor currency exchange rate. |
|
|
|
02/12/2010 10:49:41 PM · #17 |
|
|
|
02/13/2010 12:12:38 PM · #18 |
| Last bump...weekend viewers? |
|
|
|
02/13/2010 01:06:18 PM · #19 |
Here are some appetizers;
Tortugas and Keys, 07
Bahamas 06
I know Robert yakatme, and can say that he is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. This would be a fine trip and a great lifetime memory. I wish that I could get in on it, but I will probably be going fishing in the Keys at that time with my fishing buddies. It this trip works out, and the DPC gang is in the Keys, I may be able to show
up for a GTG in that area on shore.
|
|
|
|
02/13/2010 01:10:33 PM · #20 |
| A thought, if I may. What if, you got a smaller boat and then had it mainly just for transportation and camped out on the different islands. That would bring the cost down a lot |
|
|
|
02/13/2010 01:53:14 PM · #21 |
Originally posted by JulietNN:
A thought, if I may. What if, you got a smaller boat and then had it mainly just for transportation and camped out on the different islands. That would bring the cost down a lot |
Two problems:
1. You need a boat with some seakeeping ability, so you're not going to go a lot smaller.
2. BUGS! Bugs is the best reason to sleep offshore, on the boat. Not even to mention comfort :-)
R. |
|
|
|
02/13/2010 04:19:50 PM · #22 |
Why not go even bigger?
Alysia
Rates: â¬696,500 per week
â¬94,500 per day - VAT Exempt
Red Sea & Indian Ocean Promo:
â¬595,000 p/wk - 36 guests
â¬448,000 p/wk - 26 guests
Currency Euros
Plus expenses
Location: Mediterranean |
|
|
|
02/13/2010 04:38:01 PM · #23 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Originally posted by JulietNN:
A thought, if I may. What if, you got a smaller boat and then had it mainly just for transportation and camped out on the different islands. That would bring the cost down a lot |
Two problems:
1. You need a boat with some seakeeping ability, so you're not going to go a lot smaller.
2. BUGS! Bugs is the best reason to sleep offshore, on the boat. Not even to mention comfort :-)
R. |
Thanks BEar, I didn't know that, especially the bug thing! |
|
|
|
02/13/2010 07:42:12 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by MelonMusketeer:
I know Robert yakatme, and can say that he is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. This would be a fine trip and a great lifetime memory. I wish that I could get in on it, but I will probably be going fishing in the Keys at that time with my fishing buddies. It this trip works out, and the DPC gang is in the Keys, I may be able to show
up for a GTG in that area on shore. |
Awww, thanks Waddy. You make me blush.
Actually, I wondered if you might be interested in this knowing that you like sailing. But then again, you go fairly often on your son's boat. If this happens and we choose the Key West option, I hope that it coincides with your fishing trip and that you'll be able to meet up with us. |
|
|
|
02/13/2010 08:58:23 PM · #25 |
Originally posted by JH:
Why not go even bigger?
Alysia
Rates: â¬696,500 per week |
As long as you're thinking along that line, I understand you can hitch a ride on a Soyuz and spend a week at the ISS for "only" $20 million ... ;-) |
|
