lawyer moving to island; pets; moving a sailboat; friends

Hi smilie! I am not an expert on this forum, just wanted to say hello. IMO I think you have been thinking things through. I read alot of posts on here and even ones that did not pertain to me, and learned more than I could have hoped I could. Just like most people say on here, the Settlers handbook is like gold!! Sorry I can't be more of a help.

Good luck!

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Hi Smilie,

I'll leave the STT specific questions to the experts, but wanted to welcome you. We moved from Arlington to STX two years ago (with three kitty kids in tow) and love it -- we could NEVER go back to DC living after being here.

I had to laugh when I read the "DC and it fabulous congestion" line-- that, the code red days, cold weather, and post 9/11 stress are what brought us to the islands. You should be forewarned that there is no lack of traffic congestion in Charlotte Amalie; in fact, it's been a bumper-to-bumper parking lot almost every time we've been there. There's one nice difference in CA, though: there's beautiful blue water, blue skies, green mountains, and wonderful red roof tops to gaze at while you wait. Beats the heck out of sitting in parking lot trying to get to/off of the 14th Street Bridge.

Best luck on your second interview -- hopefully we'll soon be pointing others to your moving story.

--HC

Welcome Smilie. If you need anyone to help crew your boat down to STT, let me know, I'm a decent sailor.

Welcome to the board. I'm quite not there yet, myself, but I've managed to make it about a third of the way so far. I just purchased a 58' Hatteras in Miami. So, my jump from Atlanta to Miami is about a third of the way - another 1,500 miles to go!!

I've been studying the charteryacht business for about two years now, including costs of mooring a boat. Mooring your boat in a marina is going to be fairly expensive - more expensive than in a marina in Miami. I have a rate sheet from 2004 from American Yacht Harbor in Red Hook in front of me. Although the rates have likely gone up since 2004, the rates at that time were .90/foot/month on a monthly basis, .80/foot/month on a seasonal basis, and .75/foot/month on an annual basis, PLUS water (billed by the gallon), and electric (billed at three times the rate of most marinas in the states). Maybe someone else on the board can recommend, to both of us, another marina that is not quite as expensive as American Yacht Harbor. Otherwise, I think I'll be living on the hook, myself, but who knows.....

Keeping the boat on a mooring, on the other hand, is quite inexpensive ($5.00/foot/year for the the annual permit, plus the cost of your ground tackle which is a one-time expense), but you give up the ammenities of electric and water - you'll have to run your generator to charge the inverter system more routinely, and have a water maker (if you don't have one, make one, unless you have an extra $10,000 laying around doing nothing - it's cheaper than buying one - it's just a series of filters and a pump).

If your older sailboat is made of wood, you may want to rethink bringing her to the warm Carribean waters. The toredo worms can eat her like a piece of lumber thrown onto a termite bed.

I am also in the legal business for now (paralegal), but hopefully, I won't have to go back to that kind of work when I get to the islands. 🙂

I can't really comment on your other questions - I have a cat, so his life really won't change much from one place to the other - he never leaves the boat anyway. I'm not sure about how your dog will feel about the change. For safety issues, all I did was make sure my cat could swim - he's not much of a swimmer, but he does float, and I taught him how to climb up the boarding ladder on the back of the boat. He did not appreciate the lesson, but I had to know whether he was going to swim or sink if he fell in. Well, he floats and paddles very slowly.

Ang

Funny story about the cat Blue. I hope to live on a moored sailboat eventually and have me cat as a companion. I guess I'll have to give him the same lesson. Most cats hate water but I have met a few who actually like it.

Hey MGo
I'm not sure if they've told you, but the few marinas that allow live aboards almost always have long waiting lists for their slips. Not trying to damper your enthusiasm, but I just thought you would like to know if you already don't.

Thanks for the info. This boat is going to be a crewed charteryacht, which means I'll be gone for a week at a time here and there, so I might not be classified as "liveaboard" (well, that's the way it works a most marinas in south Florida, anyway - if you're out of the slip for 4 week/year, you're not a liveaboard). Anyway, I doubt I'll want to spend the $$ for a slip that I'll be out of so much anyway. It's likely that if I do moor in a marina, it will be on Tortola - for a lot of reasons related to the yacht's business aspect. However, I should probably put my name on the lists at some STT marinas, just in case! Thanks for the heads up. I don't think there is anything that can damper my enthusiasm - when someone says "no", there is always another way to find "yes." Just have to be creative! That mindset has gotten me to this point, so far.

Ang

I have found my cat ("Tom") to be an awesome companion on the boat - cats are good pet choices on a boat because they don't need to go to shore for bathroom breaks! The only thing he really hates is when I start the engines. Hopefully, on this new boat which is much, much bigger than the last, it won't be so bad for him.

Hi! I'm not in the legal profession (used to be a probation officer though!) but did live on STT about 2 years ago and am planning on a return move around end of August. I'm 31, single, no kids...returning to the islands to pursue a new education track in nursing and would be happy to give you a heads up on island-life if you'd like. I also had a friend who was a lawyer when I lived down there but didn't stay as the person she was hired by was a real sleeze. If you'd like the name I'd be happy to divuldge at a later date by email. I'll also post this message to your email so don't think I'm nuts if you see it twice! Rachel

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Thanks! Will check out the book you mentioned.

S

Matt:

Thanks for the offer - a cheerful crew is always welcomed on my boat, especially in new waters. Will have to wait to see what the future holds.

S

Ang:

Congrats on the Hatteras! That is some boat! And I thought my 36 Cheoy Lee was a lot to handle! I may yet have to just take the plunge and sail her to STT myself but will have to wait and see.

My boat is all pleasure - no business. Nevertheless, I am getting the picture that what I use to think was an expensive hobby just got a lot more expensive! Currently I have private dock access in Deltaville, VA for $100 a month (includes water/electric etc..) so VI prices are a shocker. A mooring is sounding more my style as I have a portabote dingy that I can move around w/ ease. Still - it is hard to beat a marina for ease of access. Decision, decisions, decisions! Ugh!

As for wood - not a chance! Though there is enough teak on her to build a second wooden boat if push came to shove! Regardless, I appreciate the toredo worms warning.

All in all - thanks for responding and good luck in your new business venture!

Cheers and Fairwinds,

Smilie

LIFES A BEACH (A USVI BEACH) LOL OK THAT WAS CHEESY

Hello again. Tried to send you a PM. Wouldn't go through. Let me know when it is up and running if you would like to chat!

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Pink -

I assume you were talking to me (not Adam?) in you last post ("tried to send PM but XYZ not working"?

I have received several off forum e-mails on my PM (all really helpful - thanks everyone) so you might want to try again. My main chat points are: what don't you like about island life; are you a lifer (or just passing through); if you have lived state side - what is the biggest regret you have about leaving the main land; what do you really think about "town" - I know the ocean and beaches are fab, but unless things change I have to work everyday for my living (and as a lawyer I seem to have to work a lot) SO (and I know I am convoluting things with my parentheticals but I just can't freaking help it - sorry) your impression of "town" is really important (is it happy, pretty, trashy, noisy, easy going, etc...) as it will be the bread and butter of my days.

Anyway, I am to the point where the more I think about things the more confused I become; I have created a circular loop that my mind can't break free of. I really hate that! With logic and emotion in a "knock-down drag out" and a limited amount of information the only remedy I see is first hand experience (I just have to go to STT and the sooner the better). But just in case anyone out there know how to work a crystal ball? I mean, if someone out there has an "in" with the spirit world and/or can read my future - that would be most helpful. 🙂

Smilie