I'd be really careful with that muriatic acid. Even in the jug that stuff can do some damage to the metal in the locker. I had brand new bottle left over from a project I did sitting on a shelf in my garage for about a year or two. Moved it a few weeks ago and the wire rack under it and the metal frame around it were rusting. I'd hate to see the hardware or struts start to go down hill on you. Thanks for the detailed breakdown and all the information you guys are putting out. I'm working hard to make the dream a reality in about 5-6 years.
Wow. Thank you for your comment and especially that tip. We had no idea it could wreak havoc in the bottle! We are so glad you are right behind us in the journey and that our video has been helpful to you!! Thanks again!
Kudos! 👏👏👏 With all staying on course, hope to C-Yall one day out on the water. Appreciated you sharing your experiences and knowledge gained. Great presentation with humor only possible from real folks who've been deeply into it. Simply priceless. Looking for a Leopard 50 at this stage. Thanx. 👋👍
Thank you so much!! We are working hard to make it happen. We are glad what we have made is helping you! We LOVE the L50s but they are huge!! The L45s dwarf us even!!
Thank you so much for watching and your kind comments. We are so glad that our videos are helpful and informative. This is our hope! We want to help others like we were helped. Thank you again!
Great information on setting up a boat. I admire that you dragged everything out to present for this video - lots of work by you to inform us. Thank you!
Thanks so much for watching and your comment. Ha - I couldn't imagine talking about all the spares and parts without showing them. Thanks for acknowledging our effort! :) We appreciate it! And, we are both very visual so it was much easier to talk about things with them sitting in front of us! Thanks again!!
Hi. I don't know if I should say this. I am new to sailing, and I bought an ex-charter boat. Everything you mentioned, I felt needed to be done on my boat. I feel good. I thought I was going crazy. One thing I have learned, I trust my gut feeling, and I do not trust those "psuedo" marine experts any more.
Wow!! Congrats on getting started on sailing and buying a charter boat! I am so glad you can resonate with our videos! I agree. Trust your gut!! Well done!! We are in this together.
It's amazing to get information from you guys. To equip the sailboat it's almost $158,350. I think the price is about the same to buy a monohull sailboat. But this is all for the sake of convenience and safety so the price may be reasonable. Thank you for your very detailed explanation.
Thank you so much for watching and your comment. We are so glad that the information has been helpful! Yes, for us to upgrade & equip the boat it cost 158k. I know others who have done it cheaper because a) they do the work themselves and b) they have not chosen all the bells and whistles we wanted. A monohull was not an option for us. You are so welcome.
Holy cow! I was figuring on an additional $150K and sounds like that isn't far off. So much stuff! Thanks so much for breaking it all down. You guys sound like just the nicest folks and would be a hoot to hang out with :) Thanks again and safe travels :)
AW!!! Thank you for your kind comments! And, great job on the estimate! You were SO close! YES, SO MUCH STUFF...I think we have gotten to the bottom of the list now! HA...for today, anyway. Thanks so much for watching and we would love to hang out with you all! Brown is the fun one...HA HA!
Very good video - such interesting and useful information. Only suggestion - really need a wind noise eliminator on your microphone. Hope you keep doing these video’s - just subscribed. We lived aboard our 42’ cross trimaran for 2 years and sailed from Northern Calif, thru Panama canal to Florida
Daniel! Thank you so much for watching and your comment. We appreciate it. And, thank you for the suggestion. We agree. We are using a GoPro 99% of the time and trying our best to stay out of the wind, but it's not effective. We will definitely look into it! My brother owned a corsair trimaran which was one of the main things that reignited Brown's love of sailing and propelled us into this lifestyle! What a journey to go backwards from Cali to Fla...that must have been quite a journey! We are so glad you found us!
Ha ha. Yes!! We have it on board. Need to learn how to use it! We just had it run through the engines and now we need to run it through the AC but haven’t had the time to sit down and research the process!!
Would you care to donate a motor with the bucket? Ha ha. We would be happy to feature it on a video! I know we aren’t as big as Nick and Megan but hey, we know them! Ha ha.
@@SailingBlownAway Very cooland glad to hear. We are really enjoying your videos, great channel. If you need advice regarding Barnacle Buster, let me know and I will gladly walk you through the process over a phone or video call.
Thank you so much for your kind words and offer to help us out. We would really appreciate it once we get some research under our belt to at least have
Absolutely fantastic show guys ......WOW good few 💵💵💵💵💵💵 spent on upgrades but I am sure it’s money well spent ......You only have 1 life and need to enjoy it ⛵️⛵️⛵️⛵️😎😎👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
OMG and I thought you just got on your boat and sailed away to tropical islands and had wonderful adventures . It sounds like alot of work and money . Happy sailing.
Oh my... Almost went into overload shut down mode lol. Your advice is very helpful for a monohull guy like me preparing to take the plunge. Thanks for sharing 😊
HA HA. Yeah, so did we! That is exactly why we split this video into two...we probably could have made three videos! We had WAY too much information, but we wanted to share it all for those interested. And, we assume you want the good, bad and ugly. I am glad that the video was helpful! Thanks for your comment. Take deep breaths now! HA HA!!
Watching this episode again,there was no outlandish additions to getting your charter boat to liveaboard ready ,just sensible additions ! Wish I lived in a country thats currency wasn't so de-valued ,you upgrade would cost me R2,5 million .excluding purchase of the Leopard. 😭🤯,if i did the same .Thank you for the whole series uploaded and to the detailed ones too come inthe next weeks and what it takes to enjoy a life on the water..
Louis, you are always so kind and supportive. Thank you so much for your comment! I also wish we could beam you up to the US and get out of SA. Hang in there! Thank you for being a faithful viewer and supporter!! We are grateful and appreciate you so much.
Hey Guys. Great glimpse into the realities of boat ownership! Thanks for being so transparent. We have a new Leopard 42 that just went into the Moorings fleet. We are strongly considering keeping the boat and going down the same path as you did once our contract is up, so this is great information. Cheers!
Great idea! I would take that beautiful Leopard 42 out of charter at the time of maximum depreciation and then upgrade the heck out of it! Love that boat! Also, there shouldn't be any broker's fee which will save you at least another 50k?! Thanks for watching and commenting. Let us know if you have any questions in the comment section!
@@petercarley9260 We did not own in the Moorings program. We bought out of the program. It's hard to make a generic statement about it as what we have learned is base and base maintenance makes all the difference. We bought our boat out of Grenada and would NEVER buy another boat out of that base....They were either a) they were so busy that they didn't have time to repair things properly or b) they were incompetent/didn't care. We have had so many more issues on our boat than our friends that bought out of the BVIs or Belize. If only we had known this in advance, we could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble and money. So, choose your base VERY carefully if you go into the program. Other than that, you are guaranteed a good return and Moorings has proven faithful in paying the monthly payout even during Covid!
Wow, this is great. Currently shopping and plan to buy next year and was wandering how mush $ aside I need to upgrade and fix a use boat. Now I’m sure I cannot afford a catamaran. I’m an experienced sailor and agree with your upgrade a 100%. Including the washing machine. Just to avoid scarring people away, you don’t need all that on day first, the safety gear and engine main spares, yes, but the rest, you accumulate over time. You must have done a lot work on your boat to have all that already. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting. We are thrilled that you are out shopping for a boat and ready to buy something. That's great news. You are right - we have accumulated and made upgrades in one year that most people take 5 years to complete. Safety and engine spares are critical and the rest is optional especially if you near the US and can easily get parts/spares sent to you in a couple of days. We didn't have that luxury. Case in point, we have been waiting for one month for parts from the US (here in the Bahamas)! As for how much $$$ to put aside for upgrades, it's difficult to say. Do you have to have a water maker? Are you happy to turn on the genny to make power vs. using an inverter? Will you cook with only propane on the stove top? Will you do the work yourself? I think you CAN afford a cat if you can do the work over time and live more simply until your budget allows you to make the upgrades. It's all about deciding what's important to you. And, as a skilled mariner, you could buy an older cat which have an even more reasonable price.
Wow guys, super-duper info. As I start the process of my boat buying, kind of shocked me. I think you guys said you paid $345,000 for the boat. Now I see another $160,000 for the "add-ons"...That's $500,000 !. I have to wonder, do most catamaran cruisers have boat loans? As for the rudder bearing issue. Since it appears it's common for Leopard, why have they not changed that design from the factory? They say they listen to their cruisers and that's what makes them (and their model refinements) such a hit. Or, have they addressed this in newer (what year?) models? Thanks again for all your sharing and light-hearted videos. You both are doing a great job and are appreciated.
Hi Douglas!! Thank you for your comment and questions! We are happy to provide this information to you as you start the boat buying process! We paid 315k for our boat, so in total we spent 475k, BUT remember we had to start from scratch with all tools and equipment. We literally had nothing. When we owned a house, we had 80% of the tools and things we needed to move on board. That makes a big difference. To answer your question about cat cruisers having loans, we have not met any that do. Most buy a cat and upgrade it within their budget. Many of our friends say, "That's an upgrade we planned in year 2 or year 3." And, they do the upgrade themselves. That alone would save probably 75k in labor costs for us. You can really do this on any budget. It all depends on how you want to live. Many of our friends have chosen not to have a washing machine to reduce costs, use of water, etc. This was a non-negotiable for us. A key fact is the bigger you go on a boats overall length, the cost rises exponentially. Keep that in mind. BUT, remember that you can upgrade for a much cheaper price than what we did - AGMs vs. lithium, using genny vs. solar/inverter, smaller dinghy, no cushions/helm enclosure, allowing more things to wear before replacement, etc. It's all possible. As for the rudder bearing issue, we do not know if Leopard has changed their factory design. We know that our friends in a 2018 Leopard have the same shafts/bearings we have. But, I cannot speak to the new L42. I hope they have adjusted. We still need to grease the bearings during haulout every two years. Leopard is great about receiving feedback and re-designing. Thanks again for your kind words and feedback. We really appreciate it.
This has been a great video. You could have done each section in one video with the amount of information you shared. Much appreciated for the info and all your hard work putting this together.
Thank you so much for your comment! You are SO right that this could have been broken into a couple of videos!! We didn’t even think about it! We are learning!! We are so glad it’s helpful!
Just come acrossed y'all's Channel recently really enjoy the approach y'all take and how y'all look at life on the boat really hope to make it out there one day myself keep enjoying yourself look forward to the next videos
Hello Michael!! We are so glad you found us and Brown loves that you are clearly southern with all those y’all’s! Thanks for watching and commenting! We hope you make it out here too someday and we get to share an anchorage!! It’s a great life!! Thanks again!
@@michaelanderson2742 Thank you so much!! We will definitely do that. It would be a pleasure to meet you! Hampton is where the Salty Dawgs left from for the Caribbean rally we participated in...though, we left from Deltaville as we were delayed!
Hello guys!!! How are you? That is crazy. So much information. It is like paying for another boat at the same time. As always, such a great video. Hope you are doing ok. Stay safe. Cheers from Canary Islands ❤️
Hello my friend! We love hearing from you each week. Thank you for your comments and for being such a faithful viewer. Yes, it is a lot of information, but we hope it's helpful in the right ways. Upgrading IS like buying another boat. We are well. We are enjoying the Abacos. Hugs to you both!
What happened to the Antlers? Please grow them back. The world needs more antlers and cow bell 🔔. Great videos and thanks for helping others who might want to do the same.
Great video as always. Just wanted to know if either of you get “sticker shock” from the price of certain items. Thanks for the incredible detail and organization. Can’t imagine the time this video took, but it was worth it!
Thanks so much for your positive feedback! We really appreciate it. Initially, the sticker shock was almost paralyzing. A year later, nothing surprises us and we don't even blink at what things cost! It's amazing how quickly you adjust to significant spending. Ironically, this kind of spending is completely opposite to the way we lived our lives on land, but I guess that's why we now have the ability to do this!
Trust me. You can do it for much cheaper than we did especially if you have time to plan. We jumped due to living in china and Covid at the time and this was our solution.
All is very nice and very informative, only I wish you were also showing the items you pay for, then everything would be very colorful, that is what I would like to see and just wanted to share. Al the best ♥️♥️♥️
Ali, thank you for watching and your feedback. We appreciate it. We ran out of time which is why we didn’t get go pull video of each upgrade BUT every upgrade has been covered in previous videos so it’s possible to go back and review them! We should have split this video into two and then I would have had the time to insert videos of each item…thanks for your feedback. It’s important!
Great question. We don't know much about the rainman other than it's a cheaper, portable watermaker. We didn't consider it as we wanted an installed watermaker and were wiling to pay for it. There are much cheaper DIY watermakers, if cost is an issue. I think you have to decide for yourself what you are looking for. We wanted a long term solution and didn't think that a portable watermaker was the solution. I hope that helps!
Hey Jason! Thanks for your comment and encouragement!! We appreciate it so much! I think the answer to your question is we bought it at the PERFECT time. It was just before the market dried up and boat prices skyrocketed, the 44s were all being phased out of charter and they wanted to get rid of them! Amazingly we were a year earlier than our plan! Thankful for that! A year later we couldn’t afford to buy a boat!
@@SailingBlownAway well I’m 100% disabled vet so I have a pretty healthy pension despite only being 43. I’ve been nagging my wife for about a year now that we need to get out of America where my pension would go a lot further. She has finally agreed and I’m in the process of selling my side-by-side. We’re planning on selling everything that is a reoccurring charge and saving everything we can for the next three years. Plus we feel that would be a good time since right now our kids are only two and three. We really want to create memories they’ll never forget.
Wow! First of all, thank you for your service to our country. We are so grateful for freedom because of your sacrifice. Your plan sounds like a great one. We are excited that your wife is on board, pun intended! Yes, you are right that your $ will go a lot farther out of the US. Your kids will love this experience! What a great way for them to grow up…in nature, on the water, away from phones and social media! Stay in touch and keep us updated on your progress!! Let us know if you have any questions as you prepare!
@@SailingBlownAway thank you so much you guys are pretty awesome. Stay safe out there on the water and keep cranking out those videos people like me will keep watching them. You’re literally fueling my dreams. Haha but for what it’s worth as a small family of four we love the layout of your boat. I know you had to put a lot into it to get it up to speed but definitely a good choice. We’ll see you out on the water hopefully.
I have spent HOURS on your upgrades videos (+ all the rest), I'm preparing for possibly the same purchase experience (Leopard thru Moorings/Sunsail). Your experience is invaluable to me (I'm sure to countless others as well). THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Question: The only upgrade/maintenance item you mentioned that I couldn't find the price for was the Engine Anti Syphon Loops and the Helm Seat Foot Rest. Can you please share/re-share? Thanks again and enjoy your new home!
Wow thank you so much for your kind comment and boy, you are so thorough!! I hoped no one realized that I forgot the footrest and the anti syphon loop! I am so impressed. The anti-syphon loops were $130 each for the Vetus and the hoses and clamps. The footrest was $687. We are so glad you are right behind us!! Let us know how else we can be of help!! Thanks again!!
Also, the figure you mentioned on SCUBA tanks. Is that all in? Tanks, rack, and compressor? I'm a PADI Divemaster and I'd love to do something similar once I get a boat.
Yes it is! Check out this video to see how we managed to modify a European compressor to work with our 110 boat so we can run it off solar. ruclips.net/video/ez6i4NYy6SU/видео.htmlfeature=shared
Hey there! Thanks for watching and commenting. We had a ditch bag in the safety part of the equipment video. We do have whistles on the PFD. They are tucked in a pocket.
Thanks for your encouragement and for watching! That’s a great question. My GUESS is that prices in Ft. Lauderdale are high as a result of extraordinary demand and easy accessibility in a lucrative market. Since there is potentially a lot of $$$ involved, I’d recommendation taking the time and effort to get quotes from various places and have a flexible timeframe if possible. If possible, I’d consider Sint Maarten 🇸🇽 as there are few place on earth 🌍 the resources within a ten minute walk as well as a lovely industrial work dock not to mention the great cruising in the area. Check out what we had done there in this video and stay tuned for our solar system release this Saturday. ruclips.net/video/mmbo5-Wj7W4/видео.html
@@SailingBlownAway I saw that video already haha. It looks like they do very good work. I recently saw the dragging anchor video... What a sketchy evening. We love how you guys show your progression from taking sailing lesson to cruising up N/E from the Caribbean. Our dream is to one day sail to our home country Dominican Republic. We are chartering in Spain next May for my 50th and I hired a Captain to help my wife be compentent crew member for now. Heading down the southern coast of Spain from Malarga across the Straits of Gibrator to Morocco.
Great story and we LOVE ❤️ the DR. Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you live in Spain or somewhere near the Mediterranean? If that’s the case, then I would buy your boat in the Mediterranean where used boat prices are some of the best in the world and then I would prepare it just enough for a transatlantic sail to Grenada and then work your way up the lesser Antilles and have most of your upgrades done in St. Martin and you’ll have great adventure and should save a lot of $$ getting things right. Good thing at FKG is that they allow outside contractors to also work on your boat at their dock. Here’s another good FKG video and make sure to check out the one this Saturday. ruclips.net/video/71X2AbaFQ-M/видео.html
Wow, a really informative video, thank you so much. Have you any idea how much weight you have added to the base boat with all those spares and upgrades?
Thank you so much, Richard for your comment and for watching our video! We are so glad that it was informative! We have no idea how much weight we have added. We thought we would know during haul out, but their scale was broken. Our only form of comparison is water line and shockingly she does not sit much lower in the water than when we bought her. Ironically, she keeps a good pace in the water even loaded down with fuel and water.
👍👍👍Great video! It is apparent that you two are focused on your mission of around the World cruising and you’re off to a solid start. When are you headed to Panama and the gateway to the Pacific?
Hey!! Thanks for watching and commenting. We appreciate it! We talk about heading to Panama every day. The key is getting a year longer visa to French Polynesia which is in flux due to the new variant but we are ready to make the BIG crossing in March if all goes according to plan!
@@SailingBlownAway have not done it, but have seen and heard what goes on via RUclips (LOL). I’m hoping to retire or semi-retire soon, so would be willing to take time off to help out.
@@justsmy5677 OH Wow!! Thank you so much for your willingness to take time off to help us. That is so kind! YAY for almost retiring soon! Congratulations!
Just found your channel and I'm so appreciative of this series of videos. We plan on buying a cat and living aboard in 5yrs and these things are all burning questions that we have! I'm surprised that you upgraded/equipped the boat for so little (relatively speaking). Hard to know what we'll be able to find 5yrs from now, but it's good to have this information when we begin to look for our "new" home. Also, our initial plan is to live aboard for 2yrs (more if she agrees to it). Would you recommend buying a used cat? Or are there other options we should explore? Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to produce these and I'll be eagerly awaiting the next video!
Hi John! We are SO glad you found our channel and are able to glean from our videos especially this series! You have a GREAT vision and plan for the future. We are thrilled for you! I am glad you thought that our equipping and upgrading cost was reasonable! We blew our budget, but we knew it while we were doing it as we saw things we wanted (that we didn't plan for) and learned new things from cruisers that would keep us safer...Anyway, in 5 years you can buy our boat! HA! I hope your partner will agree to living aboard full-time as that makes a huge difference in reducing fear, level of comfort and familiarity, etc. Check out the video previous to this one where we answer would we recommend buying a used cat. We would never buy a new boat. The number of issues is similar and you face the depreciation head on. The basic answer to buying a used cat is YES, either private or charter, but there is a lot of good information in that video for you to digest. For us, we would not consider anything but a cat. Thanks again for watching and for your comment! We look forward to seeing you out on the blue in the future and hopefully sharing an anchorage!
I have the same plan and been working toward saving and planning for the last 6 years. I'd like to cruise for at least 2-3 years with the option to go back on land if we choice or keep going if we wanted. Going for a mono would be so much affordable but I know we would be more comfortable on a cat. Both for stability in the water and the space they give you. Personally I care more about creature comfort than being able to point better in the wind and go faster. I'll definitely be going used to save with the depreciation and you'll get some upgrades previous owners added on. Even if they're not exactly what you want you'll have something to get you started in the right direction.
Hey Corey! Thanks for your comment and for sharing your plan. We also bypassed a mono, even tho it’s more affordable, for the total comfort on the water. We are not as much sailors as we are condo movers. Ha! We hope to see you out here! We are glad to support your dream through information!!
Mr. Brown, I know this a dumb question probably, but I'm curious about this. Does the washing machine run on12V, or does anyone make one that does? Also dishwasher and aircon that will run on 12V? Do they exist?
Not a dumb question at all. Thanks for asking. The washing machine is 110V. I don’t know if one that’s 12v for a boat. The only dishwasher on board is the human one! I believe Mebru 12V but it has a bad reputation. Let me know if you have other questions!
Where some of these fixes identify in the survey when buying from the charter company? Why did they not fix it like the gooseneck? Or was that used to negotiate the purchase price?
Yes and no, Nick!! Great question. The gooseneck was identified on the survey, BUT the surveyor "suggested" that we have a professional welder fix it and not the base. As newbies, we took his advice. Now, it could have been one of those "home cooking" deals that he knew the base didn't want to fix it so he encouraged us in another direction. The surveyor also said we could wait a year too. We did negotiate the purchase price, but since we didn't know the cost of the repair, we lost out. It was a lesson learned, but ultimately, we are glad that it was repaired correctly and don't have to worry about it. For the davit bushing issue, we had no idea what was causing the banging as it pulled in the dinghy. The base said, "it's normal and all the davits sound like that." We didn't have experience to debate them, but they all MIGHT bang like that because they all have the same issue. Ours was a number of things - the dynema was worn, one of the blocks was not turning, and bushing had eroded. We were so overwhelmed by the whole process and didn't have anyone (due to covid) that could be there to help us. Yes, we could call people, but it's just not the same. The base was SO kind and helpful to us. They fixed a ton of things in the weeks after we closed, gave us a captain to take the boat out for a 2 hour black water tank dump because we filled the holding tank (we had no clue!) taught us much about the boat and the systems, and they also allowed us to stay on the super yacht dock for free - water, electricity and dockage for 3 weeks. That cost alone was almost $1000 (I asked). As new cruisers, we were walking a fine line and tried to find a good balance. If we were to buy the same boat now, with our knowledge and experience, we probably would do a lot differently. But, we were so grateful for how we were treated when we were so green!
We lived very simply for many years, never spending more than one of our salaries and invested the rest and the market did the rest of the work. We also sold our house, cars and everything we owned 7 years ago when we moved overseas. We had no expenses living internationally. It is a very expensive lifestyle.
The video has lots of information but unfortunately you didn't film what you were talking about, so for people like me that doesn't know almost anything, it doesn't help much. Actually, after the middle of the video you show the items, so that's great.
Thank you so much for watching and for your comment. We appreciate it. We wanted to include photos and/or videos of each item, but this video took us close to 80 hours to put together and frankly, we ran out of time. Adding photos or videos of each item was not possible if we were to publish in time and keep our sanity. Asking you to look at previous videos of each of those upgrades is not ideal, but it was the best we could do at the time. You can see all of our upgrades in the videos that I listed on the screen as we give you a tour of our boat and what we have done to make the boat safe and blue water ready. Thanks again!
Thank you so much!! Your feedback is so appreciated. It was the same as what my sister said - ha - our toughest critic. I hope you enjoy our other videos. If you have any specific questions, I am happy to answer them!!
@@scottysscandinavia5793 Thanks for watching and commenting. LOL on the cushions! Yeah those things are crazy expensive even using the cheapest source we could. Hey, we just learned how to sail, why not learn how to sew also!🤣🤣🤣. That Sailrite sewing machine would pay for itself pretty fast!
@@SailingBlownAway We have talked about getting a Sailrite, and think that would be best in the long run, but since you were in a place that does quality work at a great price and had so many other jobs to attend to, including supervising the other work on your boat, I think there were probably not enough hours in the day to have done that work yourself. Maybe plan to include that in your budget to buy in the next 3 years when the cushions wear out or the enclosure needs repair. Then we will look forward to your cushion making video 🙂
@@toshiespeaks2609 Your comments are spot on! If we're going to get one, we need to do it in the US where they are powered by 110 because once we leave, we'll be out of luck. One more thing to add to the list! Yes, and when we do our first project, I want to practice on something a bit more low key like dinghy chaps; however, I hear they are really technical when it comes to making pattern pieces. All in all, sailing is about having a growth mindset and wanting to try new things!
Great walk through all the details!
Oh thank you so much!!!
I'd be really careful with that muriatic acid. Even in the jug that stuff can do some damage to the metal in the locker. I had brand new bottle left over from a project I did sitting on a shelf in my garage for about a year or two. Moved it a few weeks ago and the wire rack under it and the metal frame around it were rusting. I'd hate to see the hardware or struts start to go down hill on you.
Thanks for the detailed breakdown and all the information you guys are putting out. I'm working hard to make the dream a reality in about 5-6 years.
Wow. Thank you for your comment and especially that tip. We had no idea it could wreak havoc in the bottle! We are so glad you are right behind us in the journey and that our video has been helpful to you!! Thanks again!
Kudos! 👏👏👏 With all staying on course, hope to C-Yall one day out on the water. Appreciated you sharing your experiences and knowledge gained. Great presentation with humor only possible from real folks who've been deeply into it. Simply priceless. Looking for a Leopard 50 at this stage. Thanx. 👋👍
Thank you so much!! We are working hard to make it happen. We are glad what we have made is helping you! We LOVE the L50s but they are huge!! The L45s dwarf us even!!
I am getting SO MUCH great information from you guys.
Hey Scott!! Thanks for watching and commenting. We are so glad you found us!!
LOVING this little series. I am planning to follow in your footsteps as soon as the kids are gone! This is so helpful.
Thank you so much, Thomas! We are thrilled you are following us. Will send you an email as we are THRILLED to see you have become a Patron!!
This is the most informative sailing channel on RUclips! After your sailing careers are over, you could start a prepper channel.
Thank you so much for watching and your kind comments. We are so glad that our videos are helpful and informative. This is our hope! We want to help others like we were helped. Thank you again!
Great information on setting up a boat. I admire that you dragged everything out to present for this video - lots of work by you to inform us. Thank you!
I agree! My wife said "man, what a lot of work unpacking all that stuff"
Thanks so much for watching and your comment. Ha - I couldn't imagine talking about all the spares and parts without showing them. Thanks for acknowledging our effort! :) We appreciate it! And, we are both very visual so it was much easier to talk about things with them sitting in front of us! Thanks again!!
HA HA - It was, but imagine how boring it would have been having us ramble on without the props or with pictures! You are SO welcome!!
This should have 100k views. So much great info
Aw, thank you so much!! Your comment made our day!! THANK YOU!!
Hi. I don't know if I should say this. I am new to sailing, and I bought an ex-charter boat. Everything you mentioned, I felt needed to be done on my boat. I feel good. I thought I was going crazy. One thing I have learned, I trust my gut feeling, and I do not trust those "psuedo" marine experts any more.
Wow!! Congrats on getting started on sailing and buying a charter boat! I am so glad you can resonate with our videos! I agree. Trust your gut!! Well done!! We are in this together.
It's amazing to get information from you guys. To equip the sailboat it's almost $158,350. I think the price is about the same to buy a monohull sailboat. But this is all for the sake of convenience and safety so the price may be reasonable. Thank you for your very detailed explanation.
Thank you so much for watching and your comment. We are so glad that the information has been helpful! Yes, for us to upgrade & equip the boat it cost 158k. I know others who have done it cheaper because a) they do the work themselves and b) they have not chosen all the bells and whistles we wanted. A monohull was not an option for us. You are so welcome.
Holy cow! I was figuring on an additional $150K and sounds like that isn't far off. So much stuff! Thanks so much for breaking it all down. You guys sound like just the nicest folks and would be a hoot to hang out with :) Thanks again and safe travels :)
AW!!! Thank you for your kind comments! And, great job on the estimate! You were SO close! YES, SO MUCH STUFF...I think we have gotten to the bottom of the list now! HA...for today, anyway. Thanks so much for watching and we would love to hang out with you all! Brown is the fun one...HA HA!
Just out of curiosity, hit the thumbs up if you actually know who the character Radar is on Mash 😁
Very good video - such interesting and useful information. Only suggestion - really need a wind noise eliminator on your microphone. Hope you keep doing these video’s - just subscribed. We lived aboard our 42’ cross trimaran for 2 years and sailed from Northern Calif, thru Panama canal to Florida
Daniel! Thank you so much for watching and your comment. We appreciate it. And, thank you for the suggestion. We agree. We are using a GoPro 99% of the time and trying our best to stay out of the wind, but it's not effective. We will definitely look into it! My brother owned a corsair trimaran which was one of the main things that reignited Brown's love of sailing and propelled us into this lifestyle! What a journey to go backwards from Cali to Fla...that must have been quite a journey! We are so glad you found us!
Great video, the only thing missing is some Barnacle Buster :)
Ha ha. Yes!! We have it on board. Need to learn how to use it! We just had it run through the engines and now we need to run it through the AC but haven’t had the time to sit down and research the process!!
Would you care to donate a motor with the bucket? Ha ha. We would be happy to feature it on a video! I know we aren’t as big as Nick and Megan but hey, we know them! Ha ha.
@@SailingBlownAway Very cooland glad to hear. We are really enjoying your videos, great channel.
If you need advice regarding Barnacle Buster, let me know and I will gladly walk you through the process over a phone or video call.
Thank you so much for your kind words and offer to help us out. We would really appreciate it once we get some research under our belt to at least have
Some basic knowledge of the process! We will be in touch!!
Absolutely fantastic show guys ......WOW good few 💵💵💵💵💵💵 spent on upgrades but I am sure it’s money well spent ......You only have 1 life and need to enjoy it ⛵️⛵️⛵️⛵️😎😎👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you SO much, Ian for your always encouraging feedback. We appreciate you so much.
OMG and I thought you just got on your boat and sailed away to tropical islands and had wonderful adventures . It sounds like alot of work and money . Happy sailing.
Ha ha. Ha. What Work? What Money? Lol. Hugs to you!! Hope you guys are well.
Oh my... Almost went into overload shut down mode lol. Your advice is very helpful for a monohull guy like me preparing to take the plunge. Thanks for sharing 😊
HA HA. Yeah, so did we! That is exactly why we split this video into two...we probably could have made three videos! We had WAY too much information, but we wanted to share it all for those interested. And, we assume you want the good, bad and ugly. I am glad that the video was helpful! Thanks for your comment. Take deep breaths now! HA HA!!
Watching this episode again,there was no outlandish additions to getting your charter boat to liveaboard ready ,just sensible additions ! Wish I lived in a country thats currency wasn't so de-valued ,you upgrade would cost me R2,5 million .excluding purchase of the Leopard. 😭🤯,if i did the same .Thank you for the whole series uploaded and to the detailed ones too come inthe next weeks and what it takes to enjoy a life on the water..
Louis, you are always so kind and supportive. Thank you so much for your comment! I also wish we could beam you up to the US and get out of SA. Hang in there! Thank you for being a faithful viewer and supporter!! We are grateful and appreciate you so much.
Hey Guys. Great glimpse into the realities of boat ownership! Thanks for being so transparent. We have a new Leopard 42 that just went into the Moorings fleet. We are strongly considering keeping the boat and going down the same path as you did once our contract is up, so this is great information. Cheers!
Great idea! I would take that beautiful Leopard 42 out of charter at the time of maximum depreciation and then upgrade the heck out of it! Love that boat! Also, there shouldn't be any broker's fee which will save you at least another 50k?! Thanks for watching and commenting. Let us know if you have any questions in the comment section!
How has your experience been with owning within the Moorings program so far? I’m considering it, just looking for objective points of view
@@petercarley9260 We did not own in the Moorings program. We bought out of the program. It's hard to make a generic statement about it as what we have learned is base and base maintenance makes all the difference. We bought our boat out of Grenada and would NEVER buy another boat out of that base....They were either a) they were so busy that they didn't have time to repair things properly or b) they were incompetent/didn't care. We have had so many more issues on our boat than our friends that bought out of the BVIs or Belize. If only we had known this in advance, we could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble and money. So, choose your base VERY carefully if you go into the program. Other than that, you are guaranteed a good return and Moorings has proven faithful in paying the monthly payout even during Covid!
Sounds like the boat yards see you coming cost wise.
Yes! They do. It’s a great point. Happy New year!
Wow, this is great. Currently shopping and plan to buy next year and was wandering how mush $ aside I need to upgrade and fix a use boat. Now I’m sure I cannot afford a catamaran. I’m an experienced sailor and agree with your upgrade a 100%. Including the washing machine. Just to avoid scarring people away, you don’t need all that on day first, the safety gear and engine main spares, yes, but the rest, you accumulate over time. You must have done a lot work on your boat to have all that already. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting. We are thrilled that you are out shopping for a boat and ready to buy something. That's great news. You are right - we have accumulated and made upgrades in one year that most people take 5 years to complete. Safety and engine spares are critical and the rest is optional especially if you near the US and can easily get parts/spares sent to you in a couple of days. We didn't have that luxury. Case in point, we have been waiting for one month for parts from the US (here in the Bahamas)! As for how much $$$ to put aside for upgrades, it's difficult to say. Do you have to have a water maker? Are you happy to turn on the genny to make power vs. using an inverter? Will you cook with only propane on the stove top? Will you do the work yourself? I think you CAN afford a cat if you can do the work over time and live more simply until your budget allows you to make the upgrades. It's all about deciding what's important to you. And, as a skilled mariner, you could buy an older cat which have an even more reasonable price.
Wow guys, super-duper info. As I start the process of my boat buying, kind of shocked me. I think you guys said you paid $345,000 for the boat. Now I see another $160,000 for the "add-ons"...That's $500,000 !. I have to wonder, do most catamaran cruisers have boat loans?
As for the rudder bearing issue. Since it appears it's common for Leopard, why have they not changed that design from the factory? They say they listen to their cruisers and that's what makes them (and their model refinements) such a hit. Or, have they addressed this in newer (what year?) models?
Thanks again for all your sharing and light-hearted videos. You both are doing a great job and are appreciated.
Hi Douglas!! Thank you for your comment and questions! We are happy to provide this information to you as you start the boat buying process! We paid 315k for our boat, so in total we spent 475k, BUT remember we had to start from scratch with all tools and equipment. We literally had nothing. When we owned a house, we had 80% of the tools and things we needed to move on board. That makes a big difference. To answer your question about cat cruisers having loans, we have not met any that do. Most buy a cat and upgrade it within their budget. Many of our friends say, "That's an upgrade we planned in year 2 or year 3." And, they do the upgrade themselves. That alone would save probably 75k in labor costs for us. You can really do this on any budget. It all depends on how you want to live. Many of our friends have chosen not to have a washing machine to reduce costs, use of water, etc. This was a non-negotiable for us. A key fact is the bigger you go on a boats overall length, the cost rises exponentially. Keep that in mind. BUT, remember that you can upgrade for a much cheaper price than what we did - AGMs vs. lithium, using genny vs. solar/inverter, smaller dinghy, no cushions/helm enclosure, allowing more things to wear before replacement, etc. It's all possible. As for the rudder bearing issue, we do not know if Leopard has changed their factory design. We know that our friends in a 2018 Leopard have the same shafts/bearings we have. But, I cannot speak to the new L42. I hope they have adjusted. We still need to grease the bearings during haulout every two years. Leopard is great about receiving feedback and re-designing. Thanks again for your kind words and feedback. We really appreciate it.
Great video! This is what I’ve been waiting on. Real numbers!
Thank you so much, Barry for your comments and kind words. We are so happy this is helpful to you!!
What a great video! What a great haircut! My only complaint is that Brown was not wearing the official swag Tee-shirt like eileen.
HA HA! Please complain to administration!! He is not committed to the cause! Thanks for watching and your comments!!
This has been a great video. You could have done each section in one video with the amount of information you shared. Much appreciated for the info and all your hard work putting this together.
Thank you so much for your comment! You are SO right that this could have been broken into a couple of videos!! We didn’t even think about it! We are learning!! We are so glad it’s helpful!
Just come acrossed y'all's Channel recently really enjoy the approach y'all take and how y'all look at life on the boat really hope to make it out there one day myself keep enjoying yourself look forward to the next videos
Hello Michael!! We are so glad you found us and Brown loves that you are clearly southern with all those y’all’s! Thanks for watching and commenting! We hope you make it out here too someday and we get to share an anchorage!! It’s a great life!! Thanks again!
@@SailingBlownAway yes I am I'm from the Hampton Roads area Virginia West Virginia if y'all are ever in the area please give me a call and stop by
@@michaelanderson2742 Thank you so much!! We will definitely do that. It would be a pleasure to meet you! Hampton is where the Salty Dawgs left from for the Caribbean rally we participated in...though, we left from Deltaville as we were delayed!
Great information as always!
Hey!! We always love hearing from you!! Thanks so much for your feedback. We appreciate it!!
Hello guys!!!
How are you? That is crazy. So much information. It is like paying for another boat at the same time. As always, such a great video.
Hope you are doing ok. Stay safe. Cheers from Canary Islands ❤️
Hello my friend! We love hearing from you each week. Thank you for your comments and for being such a faithful viewer. Yes, it is a lot of information, but we hope it's helpful in the right ways. Upgrading IS like buying another boat. We are well. We are enjoying the Abacos. Hugs to you both!
@@SailingBlownAway enjoy!!!
Waiting for your new videos. So much to learn👍👍
Great video Merry Christmas you two!
Thank you Missy. ❤️❤️❤️ Merry Christmas!!!
It’s not like you can stop at the hardware store and pick up what’s needed so spares and materials is a necessity
You are SO right, Ian. Getting spare parts on the water, especially in the islands is a challenge!
What happened to the Antlers? Please grow them back. The world needs more antlers and cow bell 🔔. Great videos and thanks for helping others who might want to do the same.
😂 🤣 We all need more cow 🛎! Thanks for your encouraging words buddy! Miss you!
Great video as always. Just wanted to know if either of you get “sticker shock” from the price of certain items. Thanks for the incredible detail and organization. Can’t imagine the time this video took, but it was worth it!
Thanks so much for your positive feedback! We really appreciate it. Initially, the sticker shock was almost paralyzing. A year later, nothing surprises us and we don't even blink at what things cost! It's amazing how quickly you adjust to significant spending. Ironically, this kind of spending is completely opposite to the way we lived our lives on land, but I guess that's why we now have the ability to do this!
@@SailingBlownAway I definitely got sticker shock watching! But still in my plans just a few year down the road/river
Trust me. You can do it for much cheaper than we did especially if you have time to plan. We jumped due to living in china and Covid at the time and this was our solution.
All is very nice and very informative, only I wish you were also showing the items you pay for, then everything would be very colorful, that is what I would like to see and just wanted to share. Al the best ♥️♥️♥️
Ali, thank you for watching and your feedback. We appreciate it. We ran out of time which is why we didn’t get go pull video of each upgrade BUT every upgrade has been covered in previous videos so it’s possible to go back and review them! We should have split this video into two and then I would have had the time to insert videos of each item…thanks for your feedback. It’s important!
Great info ! Thanks
Thanks for commenting, Whitney! We are so glad it was helpful information for you! Merry Christmas!!
What are your thoughts on a rainman water maker over one that is built into the vessel?
Great question. We don't know much about the rainman other than it's a cheaper, portable watermaker. We didn't consider it as we wanted an installed watermaker and were wiling to pay for it. There are much cheaper DIY watermakers, if cost is an issue. I think you have to decide for yourself what you are looking for. We wanted a long term solution and didn't think that a portable watermaker was the solution. I hope that helps!
Hey guys, love your videos we are planning on doing the same thing. I would love to know how you got your boat so cheap. It’s amazing.
Hey Jason! Thanks for your comment and encouragement!! We appreciate it so much! I think the answer to your question is we bought it at the PERFECT time. It was just before the market dried up and boat prices skyrocketed, the 44s were all being phased out of charter and they wanted to get rid of them! Amazingly we were a year earlier than our plan! Thankful for that! A year later we couldn’t afford to buy a boat!
Tell us where you are in your process!?
@@SailingBlownAway well I’m 100% disabled vet so I have a pretty healthy pension despite only being 43. I’ve been nagging my wife for about a year now that we need to get out of America where my pension would go a lot further. She has finally agreed and I’m in the process of selling my side-by-side. We’re planning on selling everything that is a reoccurring charge and saving everything we can for the next three years. Plus we feel that would be a good time since right now our kids are only two and three. We really want to create memories they’ll never forget.
Wow! First of all, thank you for your service to our country. We are so grateful for freedom because of your sacrifice. Your plan sounds like a great one. We are excited that your wife is on board, pun intended! Yes, you are right that your $ will go a lot farther out of the US. Your kids will love this experience! What a great way for them to grow up…in nature, on the water, away from phones and social media! Stay in touch and keep us updated on your progress!! Let us know if you have any questions as you prepare!
@@SailingBlownAway thank you so much you guys are pretty awesome. Stay safe out there on the water and keep cranking out those videos people like me will keep watching them. You’re literally fueling my dreams. Haha but for what it’s worth as a small family of four we love the layout of your boat. I know you had to put a lot into it to get it up to speed but definitely a good choice. We’ll see you out on the water hopefully.
I have spent HOURS on your upgrades videos (+ all the rest), I'm preparing for possibly the same purchase experience (Leopard thru Moorings/Sunsail). Your experience is invaluable to me (I'm sure to countless others as well). THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Question: The only upgrade/maintenance item you mentioned that I couldn't find the price for was the Engine Anti Syphon Loops and the Helm Seat Foot Rest. Can you please share/re-share? Thanks again and enjoy your new home!
Wow thank you so much for your kind comment and boy, you are so thorough!! I hoped no one realized that I forgot the footrest and the anti syphon loop! I am so impressed. The anti-syphon loops were $130 each for the Vetus and the hoses and clamps. The footrest was $687. We are so glad you are right behind us!! Let us know how else we can be of help!! Thanks again!!
@@SailingBlownAway Thanks! Look forward to meeting in some distant place some day!
We do too. Hopefully we crystal clear water and white sand!!
Also, the figure you mentioned on SCUBA tanks. Is that all in? Tanks, rack, and compressor? I'm a PADI Divemaster and I'd love to do something similar once I get a boat.
Yes it is! Check out this video to see how we managed to modify a European compressor to work with our 110 boat so we can run it off solar. ruclips.net/video/ez6i4NYy6SU/видео.htmlfeature=shared
Also see how we fill our tanks. ruclips.net/video/XvhcxQ3GRSk/видео.htmlfeature=shared
Here’s how you hot swap between tanks so you don’t have to shut off the compressor ruclips.net/user/shortswDaTf2qAurU?feature=shared
Excellent content!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting!!
Didn't see a ditch bag, a whistle on your PFDs,
Hey there! Thanks for watching and commenting. We had a ditch bag in the safety part of the equipment video. We do have whistles on the PFD. They are tucked in a pocket.
Much better hair style!!
Ha ha. Oh yeah!
Great video as are all the other videos you have put out. Would it have costed more or less to perform those same upgrades in Fort Lauderdale?
Thanks for your encouragement and for watching! That’s a great question. My GUESS is that prices in Ft. Lauderdale are high as a result of extraordinary demand and easy accessibility in a lucrative market. Since there is potentially a lot of $$$ involved, I’d recommendation taking the time and effort to get quotes from various places and have a flexible timeframe if possible. If possible, I’d consider Sint Maarten 🇸🇽 as there are few place on earth 🌍 the resources within a ten minute walk as well as a lovely industrial work dock not to mention the great cruising in the area. Check out what we had done there in this video and stay tuned for our solar system release this Saturday. ruclips.net/video/mmbo5-Wj7W4/видео.html
@@SailingBlownAway I saw that video already haha. It looks like they do very good work. I recently saw the dragging anchor video... What a sketchy evening. We love how you guys show your progression from taking sailing lesson to cruising up N/E from the Caribbean. Our dream is to one day sail to our home country Dominican Republic. We are chartering in Spain next May for my 50th and I hired a Captain to help my wife be compentent crew member for now. Heading down the southern coast of Spain from Malarga across the Straits of Gibrator to Morocco.
Great story and we LOVE ❤️ the DR. Thanks for sharing. Sounds like you live in Spain or somewhere near the Mediterranean? If that’s the case, then I would buy your boat in the Mediterranean where used boat prices are some of the best in the world and then I would prepare it just enough for a transatlantic sail to Grenada and then work your way up the lesser Antilles and have most of your upgrades done in St. Martin and you’ll have great adventure and should save a lot of $$ getting things right. Good thing at FKG is that they allow outside contractors to also work on your boat at their dock. Here’s another good FKG video and make sure to check out the one this Saturday. ruclips.net/video/71X2AbaFQ-M/видео.html
Wow, a really informative video, thank you so much. Have you any idea how much weight you have added to the base boat with all those spares and upgrades?
Thank you so much, Richard for your comment and for watching our video! We are so glad that it was informative! We have no idea how much weight we have added. We thought we would know during haul out, but their scale was broken. Our only form of comparison is water line and shockingly she does not sit much lower in the water than when we bought her. Ironically, she keeps a good pace in the water even loaded down with fuel and water.
👍👍👍Great video! It is apparent that you two are focused on your mission of around the World cruising and you’re off to a solid start. When are you headed to Panama and the gateway to the Pacific?
Hey!! Thanks for watching and commenting. We appreciate it! We talk about heading to Panama every day. The key is getting a year longer visa to French Polynesia which is in flux due to the new variant but we are ready to make the BIG crossing in March if all goes according to plan!
@@SailingBlownAway awesome! If you need an extra hand going to or thru the canal (line handler, etc.), I’m your guy!
Wow. Awesome. Thank you. Have you done it before?? Thanks for being willing to help us!!
@@SailingBlownAway have not done it, but have seen and heard what goes on via RUclips (LOL). I’m hoping to retire or semi-retire soon, so would be willing to take time off to help out.
@@justsmy5677 OH Wow!! Thank you so much for your willingness to take time off to help us. That is so kind! YAY for almost retiring soon! Congratulations!
Just found your channel and I'm so appreciative of this series of videos. We plan on buying a cat and living aboard in 5yrs and these things are all burning questions that we have! I'm surprised that you upgraded/equipped the boat for so little (relatively speaking). Hard to know what we'll be able to find 5yrs from now, but it's good to have this information when we begin to look for our "new" home.
Also, our initial plan is to live aboard for 2yrs (more if she agrees to it). Would you recommend buying a used cat? Or are there other options we should explore?
Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to produce these and I'll be eagerly awaiting the next video!
Hi John! We are SO glad you found our channel and are able to glean from our videos especially this series! You have a GREAT vision and plan for the future. We are thrilled for you! I am glad you thought that our equipping and upgrading cost was reasonable! We blew our budget, but we knew it while we were doing it as we saw things we wanted (that we didn't plan for) and learned new things from cruisers that would keep us safer...Anyway, in 5 years you can buy our boat! HA! I hope your partner will agree to living aboard full-time as that makes a huge difference in reducing fear, level of comfort and familiarity, etc. Check out the video previous to this one where we answer would we recommend buying a used cat. We would never buy a new boat. The number of issues is similar and you face the depreciation head on. The basic answer to buying a used cat is YES, either private or charter, but there is a lot of good information in that video for you to digest. For us, we would not consider anything but a cat. Thanks again for watching and for your comment! We look forward to seeing you out on the blue in the future and hopefully sharing an anchorage!
I have the same plan and been working toward saving and planning for the last 6 years. I'd like to cruise for at least 2-3 years with the option to go back on land if we choice or keep going if we wanted. Going for a mono would be so much affordable but I know we would be more comfortable on a cat. Both for stability in the water and the space they give you. Personally I care more about creature comfort than being able to point better in the wind and go faster. I'll definitely be going used to save with the depreciation and you'll get some upgrades previous owners added on. Even if they're not exactly what you want you'll have something to get you started in the right direction.
Hey Corey! Thanks for your comment and for sharing your plan. We also bypassed a mono, even tho it’s more affordable, for the total comfort on the water. We are not as much sailors as we are condo movers. Ha! We hope to see you out here! We are glad to support your dream through information!!
Would you mind sharing how you purchased your dinghy? Every dtore/dealership I go to wants to charge 20-30k for a 9ft dinghy 😅
We bought ours in St. Lucia. We paid around 8k. We ordered way in advance. It was shipped from St. Maarten. I am sorry you are struggling so much!
Mr. Brown, I know this a dumb question probably, but I'm curious about this. Does the washing machine run on12V, or does anyone make one that does? Also dishwasher and aircon that will run on 12V? Do they exist?
Not a dumb question at all. Thanks for asking. The washing machine is 110V. I don’t know if one that’s 12v for a boat. The only dishwasher on board is the human one! I believe Mebru 12V but it has a bad reputation. Let me know if you have other questions!
Most of those type of appliances are 110 because they use more power than 12 volts can provide.
@@SailingBlownAway that’s what I was thinking, but technology has come a long way in the past few years, so I figured I’d ask :)
Where some of these fixes identify in the survey when buying from the charter company? Why did they not fix it like the gooseneck? Or was that used to negotiate the purchase price?
Yes and no, Nick!! Great question. The gooseneck was identified on the survey, BUT the surveyor "suggested" that we have a professional welder fix it and not the base. As newbies, we took his advice. Now, it could have been one of those "home cooking" deals that he knew the base didn't want to fix it so he encouraged us in another direction. The surveyor also said we could wait a year too. We did negotiate the purchase price, but since we didn't know the cost of the repair, we lost out. It was a lesson learned, but ultimately, we are glad that it was repaired correctly and don't have to worry about it. For the davit bushing issue, we had no idea what was causing the banging as it pulled in the dinghy. The base said, "it's normal and all the davits sound like that." We didn't have experience to debate them, but they all MIGHT bang like that because they all have the same issue. Ours was a number of things - the dynema was worn, one of the blocks was not turning, and bushing had eroded. We were so overwhelmed by the whole process and didn't have anyone (due to covid) that could be there to help us. Yes, we could call people, but it's just not the same. The base was SO kind and helpful to us. They fixed a ton of things in the weeks after we closed, gave us a captain to take the boat out for a 2 hour black water tank dump because we filled the holding tank (we had no clue!) taught us much about the boat and the systems, and they also allowed us to stay on the super yacht dock for free - water, electricity and dockage for 3 weeks. That cost alone was almost $1000 (I asked). As new cruisers, we were walking a fine line and tried to find a good balance. If we were to buy the same boat now, with our knowledge and experience, we probably would do a lot differently. But, we were so grateful for how we were treated when we were so green!
Crazy prices. How do you afford this lifestyle?
We lived very simply for many years, never spending more than one of our salaries and invested the rest and the market did the rest of the work. We also sold our house, cars and everything we owned 7 years ago when we moved overseas. We had no expenses living internationally. It is a very expensive lifestyle.
The video has lots of information but unfortunately you didn't film what you were talking about, so for people like me that doesn't know almost anything, it doesn't help much.
Actually, after the middle of the video you show the items, so that's great.
Thank you so much for watching and for your comment. We appreciate it. We wanted to include photos and/or videos of each item, but this video took us close to 80 hours to put together and frankly, we ran out of time. Adding photos or videos of each item was not possible if we were to publish in time and keep our sanity. Asking you to look at previous videos of each of those upgrades is not ideal, but it was the best we could do at the time. You can see all of our upgrades in the videos that I listed on the screen as we give you a tour of our boat and what we have done to make the boat safe and blue water ready. Thanks again!
@@SailingBlownAway Thank you for your reply and for the explanation. I am watching your previous videos. Good luck
Thank you so much!! Your feedback is so appreciated. It was the same as what my sister said - ha - our toughest critic. I hope you enjoy our other videos. If you have any specific questions, I am happy to answer them!!
thanks for $$ reality
You are so welcome. Thank you for watching and your comments. We really appreciate it.
Wow, need another catamaran to tow behind to hold all that stuff! Ha ha
HA HA HA!! Yes, we do need a floating storage unit! :)
At 8 grand for a set of cushions, you'd better not fall overboard just after an argument.
LOL. I totally agree. I would save the 8k! Hilarious! Thanks for commenting!!
@@SailingBlownAway Very useful vids BTW. Thanks.
@@scottysscandinavia5793 Thanks for watching and commenting. LOL on the cushions! Yeah those things are crazy expensive even using the cheapest source we could. Hey, we just learned how to sail, why not learn how to sew also!🤣🤣🤣. That Sailrite sewing machine would pay for itself pretty fast!
@@SailingBlownAway We have talked about getting a Sailrite, and think that would be best in the long run, but since you were in a place that does quality work at a great price and had so many other jobs to attend to, including supervising the other work on your boat, I think there were probably not enough hours in the day to have done that work yourself. Maybe plan to include that in your budget to buy in the next 3 years when the cushions wear out or the enclosure needs repair. Then we will look forward to your cushion making video 🙂
@@toshiespeaks2609 Your comments are spot on! If we're going to get one, we need to do it in the US where they are powered by 110 because once we leave, we'll be out of luck. One more thing to add to the list! Yes, and when we do our first project, I want to practice on something a bit more low key like dinghy chaps; however, I hear they are really technical when it comes to making pattern pieces. All in all, sailing is about having a growth mindset and wanting to try new things!
EPIRB
Yes. Such a key piece of safety equipment