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Old 02-13-2012, 07:56 PM   #1
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Question Hello, We are Newbees going to travel the World!

Hi to all,
We live in Manitoba Canada and our plan (two years from now) is to buy a motorized yacht and travel the world. We will start in the North American continent (probably Florida) where we will be able to learn all we need to learn, from how to operate the vessel (we end up buying) to how to travel from one continent to the other. So far we seem to be leaning towards a 70+ foot yacht which is equipped in all ways to do long open water journeys. We are interested in scuba diving (We are with Padi) and basic site seeing (not real big "touristy type") of different cultures, lands, hiking,shopping, animals, food and of course fun. Our last adventure was driving our van through Canada, USA and down around Mexico, we had about 4 months of fun times, and only had to bribe one set of cops in Mexico ( There was no LIGHTS yet alone red???).
I am so glad to have found this site to educate myself on how to prepare for the voyage(s) of a lifetime (we probably will go for 9 months come home for 3 and then go again, or something like that). Learn how to communicate (what do I need satellite phone, is there internet, whats the best? ) properly when on the ocean, navigate ( gps, radar, what if all electricity is lost) a yacht, (twin engines, back up generator), language oh the list goes on.
So first things first please. If you were doing a long trip from continent to continent what would you ( I am counting on your experience) suggest for a yacht's equipment? Can one drop anchor away from a shoreline and take a dingy to shore or does it cost money each port to moor (park) ones yacht, is it $100 USA a day or $10 USA a day (trying to determine a budget) I have so many questions but this is a great start and thank you for all your help!
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Old 02-13-2012, 10:08 PM   #2
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Welcome aboard, Jordana,

It sounds like you have a lot of research to do as you plan your travels. Right off the bat, I'm thinking that you might wish to tie down your cruising plans and budget. The purchase of a 70' motor yacht and the cost of fuel to operate it and then the maintenance...those far exceed any worries you might have about slip fees in foreign ports! You're talking about a very, very costly vessel if it is seaworthy.

Where to start--Do you have any boating experience? You do realize that a 70' motor yacht is quite large and costly by most cruising standards? How did you decide that such a large motor yacht would be "the" cruising vessel for you? There are numerous folks out there cruising the world with 50-some-ft trawler type motor yachts and there are many, many more folks cruising with 40-some-ft sailing yachts. There are very few cruising on larger vessels--and those who do cruise on the larger vessels tend to have a deep pocketbook to deal with added costs.

I look forward to hearing more about your plans, your experience and why you're thinking of using such a large boat.
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Old 02-13-2012, 11:08 PM   #3
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Default The reason for a 70 foot yacht is....

In talking to a salesman we were told smaller vessels only hold about 500 gallons of fuel which is not enough fuel capacity unless you modify a smaller yacht to cross the ocean which would take about 2 weeks depending on speed. Furthermore a smaller vessel would not take the bigger waves as well as a larger one, stability is better in a larger one. Smaller ones do not offer twin generator system which would be nice in the case one goes down. The price range we were looking at is between 200-350 thousand USA for the boat. We were told 1200 gallon gas capacity would be enough. With a larger boat we could use a small boat to get to shore and leave the yacht in a "free parking" place. We are trying to figure out a ruff daily cost for traveling after the initial investment of the yacht. Do you have a motorized yacht or sailboat? Have you travelled around the world? Thank you so much for answering our questions.
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Old 02-14-2012, 12:15 AM   #4
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Gracious. Never trust those yacht brokers!

You should ask that salesman/yacht broker what kind of reliable and seaworthy 70 ft motor yacht you're going to actually be able to acquire for that small amount of money?

We own a sailboat. Our boat is not a typical cruising boat. It is a rebuilt pre-WWII schooner 54' on deck length (69' sparred length). Interestingly, one of the "features" of it back in the day was that it would motor cruise as well as any motor yacht.

Ah--and there's something for you to consider too, there are numerous sailboats which are well equipped with motors capable of propelling the boat at hull speed (power alone). Those are regular sailboats that just happen to have large enough engine. There are also some motorsailers out there (shorter mast and not expected to just sail but rather will always use the combo of sail and motor) worth consideration.

There are numerous evidence that displacement sailing hull shapes themselves and even having a mast in itself provide a greater level of seaworthiness than that found with a typical displacement motor yacht hull. So, even if you do not presently sail, you should not automatically assume that you're better off in a motor yacht rather than a sailboat for your intended travels.

In terms of actually cruising and crossing oceans, most people go the route of sailboat for a combination of reasons. The reasons center on operating cost, safety, and comfort during long ocean passages. For straightforward coastal cruising, a trawler type motor yacht may serve you well, though.

You can anchor and use a small boat (the yacht's "tender") to go to shore no matter how small your primary vessel is. There are people cruising on 27' sailboats who anchor out and dingy to shore. Realistically, if you're a family (not just a couple) you'd likely want something bigger than that, though it might not be much bigger.

I agree that stability increases with size, yes. However, if you don't have mega $ to spend on the boat and its maintenance, then making do with something as small as possible is what ends up happening. There are some general consensus on maintenance costs associated with boat ownership. One of those is you should budget to spend an average of between 3% and 6% of the purchase price of the boat in maintenance every year. Some years very little, other years more but that is the average. So--that's a min of $3K maintenance per $100K spent on your boat. Every year. Save it so you'll have it to spend on the big items when they break.

I've sailed on other people's boats in other countries, but we have only coastal cruised here on the West Coast. The only motor yachts that I've consistently seen cruising here on the Pacific are things like the Nordhaven trawlers. Given that and a few other bits of insight, I don't really think you're going to find a 70' motoryacht that is capable of bluewater cruising for less than about $700K. You are likely to spend more than $2M to get a well-outfitted vessel of that large size. There are some very large boats on the market for less than $300K, but they are not passage making motor yachts no matter what the sales man tells you.

Here's a Yachtworld listing of Nordhaven Trawlers for sale around the world right now. Note the prices. Now, there are certainly other boats out there--I'm just saying that this is a good example of a maker of 70' motor yachts known to be capable of world cruising.

When you have a boat that large and valuable, you'll be insuring it. You won't be able to obtain insurance unless you have a good resume of prior boating experience in similar vessels. Do you? This is another reason that many people end up with smaller boats--so they can actually insure them.

OK, enough of that. Back to you--have you considered sailboats? Which motor yachts have you looked into?
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Old 02-14-2012, 06:54 AM   #5
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One more thing--whether you're looking into cruising under sail or by motor yacht, you would do well to pick up a copy of Nigel Calders Cruising Handbook. Here is a link to it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Nigel-Calders-.../dp/0071350993

In this book, you'll find a variety of information useful in the selection of bluewater cruising boats and the important systems on those boats. There is a brief discussion of size and costs as well.

Fair winds,
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Old 02-14-2012, 08:08 PM   #6
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Default Absolutely no experiance in sailing or motors!

Thanks for your answers, suggestions and links, this is why I joined this site, to gather information so when it is the right time our decision will be based on knowledge, thanks for your time. I will definitly get a copy of the book you suggested. We are looking at an older yacht capable of long journeys to cross the ocean not just coastal cruising although to start with that would be the safe way to go. We are a couple who would travel with guests/crew members/visiting kids but primarily by ourselves. The reason we thought motor is because we have no experience with sailboats and believe it would be easier and more suited for us to go with motors even with the cost of gas etc. With that said I do understand assumption can be a deterrent to what might be the better of the two! Ignorance can be bliss and I am more comfortable right now with the idea of an engine but that does not mean once we educate ourselves our outlook may change. My boyfirend is extremely mechanical and has a McIvor quality that I do believe would benefit and help save on maintenance and general up keep of the yacht.
Is it common practice to use the yachts tender and leave the yacht unattended, is it safe or is there a lot of theft in certain areas?
I will definitely have to look into insurance and may need to take some courses or "practice" to meet the insurance needs, this is one of many reasons we are starting looking now although our travel plans are 2 years away at least!
We have been viewing yachts on various sites
Repo Boats & Luxury Yachts For Sale - Boat Liquidators - Yacht Financing
The older yachts do not intimidate us as long as we have the right person/people who can help us to make sure it serves our purpose keeping in mind we may need to upgrade some of the equipment.
I went on your site and had a look about, your schooner looks gorgeous, there is definitly a romance and adventure associated with sails I will admit! I do appreciate all the info thanks Jordana
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Old 02-19-2012, 09:27 PM   #7
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Default Great read

This thread was a great read! I have been looking at sail boats just to see the prices, because it is my dream on day to own one and travel from island to island country to country and live the dream, being free! Dive places only you have been or chances are only you have been! Good luck with your boat buying hope you get the boat of your dreams!
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Old 02-20-2012, 02:30 AM   #8
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Jordana--about leaving the boat and theft while you're away in your tender. That's a big worry of many people but not as much of a reality as a worry. Some parts of the world are worse than others. You will have to pay attention and research each area that you go to. Also, it depends on when you go. Some places which were "safe" 10 years ago aren't now. Others which were full of thieves a couple decades ago aren't that way now. Current information is what you will need.

Fair winds,
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Old 10-21-2012, 03:54 AM   #9
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Default Keeping in touch is the real chore :-)

one of the issues I had when I sailed around the world was to keep my (in some cases overly worried) friends and family updated on my whereabouts and conditions. Back then, the only tool was a SSB radio! If I were to do it again (and I will sooner or later), I would definitely buy a satellite phone and rely on one of those services (Squidd.io comes to mind), which allow you to post your position and a brief message via a geo-tagged SMS from enywhere on the globe. You can even have the message and position posted to your Facebook page, which really makes things simple, inexpensive and doesn't burden anyone with the task of relaying the information to everyone else. Good luck
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Old 10-21-2012, 06:13 AM   #10
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Hi and welcome coupdemistral. The advances in satellite technology have been amazing, but those who still believe that geography is the justification for exorbitant pricing still make the use of the satphone relatively expensive.

As I understand it, the technology is a minor marriage between GPS tech and cellular phone and, as such, the handsets should be just a couple of hundred bucks. The voice transmission costs are equivalent to cell costs also.

The position markers though seem to be quite inexpensive and I am going to use one on my forthcoming ocean trek. For instance the Spot Messenger is less than $250 including 12 months contract. Cheap price to pay for peace of mind for those back home.

Of course the new generation of SSB can now link direct to email and to online map tracking for a pittance. It's all good news for those of us disposed toward chasing horizons.
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Old 10-21-2012, 03:24 PM   #11
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How far off are your long term cruising plans?

I would suggest starting out on a smaller scale. Since it will be some time before you anticipate ocean crossing and will be doing coastal and near-coastal cruising for quite a long time, perhaps your best option is to start learning on a smaller and less expensive boat.

East coast of the US and the near Caribbean offer a lot of cruising possibilities without requiring so much equipment. This will give you an opportunity to discover what you really like and to learn on hardware that doesn't cost you as much when you make mistakes. You will also develop skills that will serve you well and will start to meet people from whom you can learn.

You might find yourselves invited to participate in cruising for short periods on larger yachts and may discover that you don't really want what you think you want.

You could potentially start sooner on a small boat. There is nothing like actually being out doing something to find out what you really want and will really do.

You will also start learning boat handling skills that will serve you well.

I used to fish on a Bayliner 26 that we would live on for as long as a week in southern california. It was cramped for three or four men, but we had a lot of fun. This boat was in tip-top condition mechanically and sold for somewhere around 20K. Something like that would be a nice starter and would get your feet wet relatively inexpensively. It didn't have the range, but you wouldn't need that at first.

If you hit a rock, it's not 50K in damage.

After a couple years you could easily sell a small boat and move up. Large boats are much harder to sell.
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Old 10-23-2012, 06:26 AM   #12
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Jordana
I don't want to be a cold shower here, but have you any idea of the cost of fuel these days? Here in Grenada, we just paid upwards of ec$17.00 per imperial gallon. That's about us$6,200 for your 1200 gallons. Most 70 foot motor yachts I've been captain aboard burn between 40 and 80 gph, (I ran a 73' Hatteras w/ 2 8v-71's that burned 88 gallons an hour @ 20 knots and more than half that @10) depending on your speed and engines.
Are you a good enough engineer to maintain 1 or 2 large diesel engines, 2 generators, your watermaker, 5 air conditioning units, the stabilizers, the bow thruster, etc?
Most countries charge you cruising fees based on your length and they do figure the bigger, the richer.
I'd not worry at all about the expenses of being anchored, but the realities of operating a huge piece of complex equipment that a 70' motor yacht entails.
A $300,000.00 motor yacht that you want to prepare for ocean voyaging will probably cost you more like a million in upgrades, repairs and preparation for the voyage you are intending.
As mentioned above, there are quite a few "long range cruisers" in the 40 to 55 foot range that might suit your needs, but these boats sell for a premium, being highly sought after for adventures like you are planning. They are fuel efficient, but they are also rather slow boats, around 6 knots. Most are round bottom boats which roll a lot under way. Stabilizers work very well to reduce this, but they cost about a knot in speed and increase fuel consumption considerably.
I would suggest you try to find a forum for power cruisers and get your advice from them or even hire a very experienced motor yacht captain to help you find a vessel suitable for your needs and stay away from the "used car salesmen of the water"; yacht brokers.
Good luck and do invite Nikki and I over for a cold one when we're anchored in the same lovely tropical anchorage.
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Old 11-22-2012, 10:26 PM   #13
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Default Wow thanks everyone for all the input!!!

To all those who have been replying to my thread I really appreciate the information. I am going to answer some of the questions and absorb all the answers as we continue our preparation for our journey
  1. Cost of fuel is expensive and we realize 8000.00 CAD budget to cover a cross ocean voyage is realistic, if not more. Then stay somewhere by dropping anchor or paying a mooring fee (250-800 month depending) or cruise the coast lines expecting to stay 4-6 months then cross ocean again. We will have our income from our rental properties to assist us in our finances.
  2. My other half is extremely gifted when it comes to engines, generators, air conditioning units he just seems to grasp how they work and go together, I can help in the computer side of things but not engine know how. If he had questions I may find the answers on the computer or from other people who have the knowledge.
  3. We have definitely changed the length of yacht we are wanting due to the cost both in mooring and initial price. The reason we were initially looking at 70 ft is due to stabilization, fuel capacity and general room, the more I learn the smaller I want!
  4. We have a friend who lives in Florida where we will go visit, see first hand the kind of yachts that will suit us as well as when we do purchase one we will stick close to USA and Caribbean to learn more about everything and when we are ready we will hire a Captain to help us learn everything we need to learn.
  5. Surveyer for our dream yacht . Before we buy we will pay for a surveyor so we are confident in our purchase ( any advice appreciated as to a good surveyor in Florida area)
  6. We are friendly out going people so yes we hope to meet people and enjoy a cold one so Capta look forward to meeting you and Nikki!
  7. Coastal cruising on a smaller vessel is definitely an option we will explore as long as it feels roomy enough and not squashed. Our intention is to spend time coastal cruising to learn about yachting, the mechanics, communications systems etc. We probably will stay in anchored for awhile just to get to know everything , then, day trips and work from there. Any long term we will hire a Captain.
  8. Yes we may find it is not for us and that is ok rather try then never know! Or, we may never come home!
  9. I would definitely buy a satellite phone and rely on one of those services. I totally agree coupdemistral keeping in touch with my family and friends is important more for their sanity then mine! I will be the one to learn all about the GPS and other technological devices out there. I love my Garmin and have used it in a vehicle during out driving escapades in USA, Canada, UK and Mexico and will learn all I need to about the devices required for safe journeys.
  10. redbopeep said "Jordana--about leaving the boat and theft while you're away in your tender. That's a big worry of many people but not as much of a reality as a worry. Some parts of the world are worse than others. You will have to pay attention and research each area that you go to. Also, it depends on when you go. Some places which were "safe" 10 years ago aren't now. Others which were full of thieves a couple decades ago aren't that way now. Current information is what you will need.

    Fair winds," Very true, one reads and hears the horrors in Mexico, we drove from one end to another and the only trouble was having to bribe the police (it was worth the 40. USA just for bragging rights) My thoughts are be smart, aware, research the areas, know the cultural expectations, prepare for theft etc by having a back up plan.
  11. We do not have an exact time frame due to it definitely being a step by step journey, the first step and on going is to learn learn learn and narrow it down to what we want, then probably in January 2013 we will take a trip to Florida and see whats out there and learn more walk on board yachts and get a more hands on idea of what we want as well as what training, licensing, insurance, and general costs. We hope to purchase within a year to two, sooner if the right ones comes along then we will moor it in Florida and spend 4-6 month intervals there to learn more about the whole endeavour. Then after numerous coastal cruises, Caribbean cruises and everything else hire a Captain (if not before) and possibly head out to the Mediterranean, Australia or where ever we decide at that time. Ok guess I have more of a plan then I thought! Love journal ling it is so therapeutic and insightful!
  12. Thanks to all for your input appreciate and look forward to more!
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Old 11-23-2012, 12:00 AM   #14
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Smile Boat shows

Need to attend some boat shows this winter. They can keep you focused and there are plenty of people and seminars to talk to and attend that have done what you are wanting to do in couple years. Also you can see boats and get the feel of what you like and what you actually need.
Enjoy the journey!
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