My husband and I are contemplating the purchase of a 1 year old catamaran in BVIs. Our plan is to sail it part time (8 weeks/per year)in the Caribbean for approximately 2 years (we are 2 years from retirement), then through the Panama Canal and if we are enjoying the cruising life, on to the South Pacific and if not then North up to the Pacific Northwest where we will sail that area until we have had enough sailing. We have a retirement home in the PNW.

We are trying to decide whether or not to put a boat into charter or simply store it while not in use. Of course it is appealing to place into charter as it offsets our costs while we are waiting to retire. If placed in charter, where - less use versus more use depending on the area - BVIs, Grenada or somewhere in between.

Would love to hear the pros and cons of putting a boat into charter short term. The appeal is the storage and "maintenance" of the sailing vessel, but there are negatives as well.

Any owners out there who would share their experiences with yacht ownership in the Caribbean, charter versus non-charter would be greatly appreciated. Or if anyone can point me in the direction of online resources available so that I can properly research before we make the plunge.

The other option is to wait until we retire and purchase the boat at that time. But we do charter 2-3 times per year and purchasing now saves us this cost. Any thoughts?