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Medium Term Charter options in Caribbean?

Posted By: BreckSailor

Medium Term Charter options in Caribbean? - 11/04/2016 10:15 PM

Hello Sailing Friends!

I'm searching for a "medium term catamaran charter" somewhere in the Windward or Leeward Islands for my family of 3 (me, wife and 7 yo son). We'd certainly have other guests onboard at times so I'd prefer a mid 40's foot cat but could go as small as 40' or as large as 50'. The exact timing of this charter is variable (and negotiable depending upon the options available) but might start as early as mid-March 2017 and run through August 2017. (We could do that entire period or some significant subset of this period.)

Given the time of year, I'll want A/C (and generator) and would MUCH prefer a 3 cabin (owners) version vs 4 cabin setup. I also need to have a relatively wide range to cruise (ie not just a small set of islands such as BVIs), though willing to discuss this given my sailing experience which includes 10+ day blue water sailboat deliveries, open ocean racing, and many weeks of sail chartering over 35 years (I'm 52). I'd much prefer a boat which is significantly upgraded from the baseline charter boat with sail inventory, electronics, etc. (I am considering buying a mid 40's Cat so part of my impetus here is evaluating a live aboard situation and what I'd need/want in my own boat.)

Please provide any thoughts you might have, including any from your own similar experiences! I've done some research on this board and others and find my needs to be challenging to fill. As information, I have contacted Ron at Seabatticals Long Term Charters, so already have that base covered and am evaluating other options. I'm happy to converse online or speak offline to anyone with particular thoughts!

Much thanks,

Kevin

(PS: I've posted this same message on a couple of the TT forums to cast a wider net.)
Posted By: StormJib

Re: Medium Term Charter options in Caribbean? - 11/04/2016 10:38 PM

Seth at Barefoot had a former liveaboard's boat similar that a few years back..

http://barefootyachts.com/

Most would get acclimated to the heat and humidity with a long stay. You may not need the expense, noise, hassle, and loss of space that comes with a generator. If you do venture far from the operator's base after early June you will have to come up with a storm plan. That is a long time on a boat? You may want to consider a contract that takes you to the start of the storm season. Once the low season starts there will be many, many, boat options if you want to consider extending your time on the boat. I would even consider March to June in the Carribean and June to August somewhere in Europe if I had that window of time?
Posted By: BreckSailor

Re: Medium Term Charter options in Caribbean? - 11/08/2016 09:39 PM

Thanks for the comments/thoughts. I recognize that my length of charter is unusual - I expect it will end up being somewhere 10 - 15 weeks. Moving the family to Europe is not of interest, however. I'll keep searching - interesting how challenging this effort is, even if its highly unusual. In the meantime, I'm interested in any opportunities that meet the above! Thanks!
Posted By: Orange_Burst

Re: Medium Term Charter options in Caribbean? - 11/08/2016 09:53 PM

Not sure they will charter for that long, but worth a shot.

Try Sabbatical - http://www.longtermcharters.com/
Posted By: BreckSailor

Re: Medium Term Charter options in Caribbean? - 11/09/2016 03:33 PM

Thanks, Orange, I am already in contact with Seabbatical so we'll see where that goes! However, still considering other options!
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