type of boat should i be looking for?

A BIG ONE ???? Just having a little fun,hope it all works out for you.

You have lots of time to do the research, and there are plenty of web sites you can use and books you can read.

I'm "in the same boat," so to speak, relocating to St Croix in 2 weeks and trying to decide whether to live on a boat or in a condo. I've been doing lots of research and will do more on the water after my arrival.

The first decision you need to make in deciding "which boat" is sail or power. My choice is sail. Looks like yours is power.

I want to cruise the Caribbean and don't want to run out of fuel. With sail, that is rare (no wind). With a power boat, when your motor stops for whatever reason you stop. That would be a bad day.

Take a look at www.sleepingwithoars.com. There are many good sites for both sail and power.

Good luck!

Edward

A big, beamy catamaran is very stable, roomy and sails upwind better.

Come down and sail a few different ones. Start with a captained charter then move on to some bareboats. Try out a few and you will find what you are looking for.

I can help set you on the boats. PM me and we can talk.

Pamela

make sure it floats:D

watch your draft. i think the water is deep enough here but i could be wrong. maybe some islands you need to have less draft. i know in the keys you will need less draft because the water is shallower, here it appears to be deeper.

jasaro,

First, decide what you want to really do on the boat. Visiting other islands is vague. If you want a "stink potter" - oh, can you see the way I lean on this decision - you are limited to how many gallons of fuel you can carry. Going through the BVI as far as Anegada is great as there are a lot of places to refuel along the way. Same with the Spanish Virgins (Puerto Rico). Your cruising limit down island is a little smaller.

If you get a sail boat then you have farther range and have an almost unlimited variety of places to go.

So, go for sail and then you have to decide monohull or multihull.

As I said, come down and experience several of them.

Where are you? We are bringing S/Y Catatonic up to New England this summer. There are a lot of charters you can start with up on the Great Lakes, etc.

Let me know what you want and we can fix you.

Pamela

actually I'm currently in Missouri, and from the way I've heard people describe things I really think that sail would be the way to go, as far as mono-hull or multihull goes I'll most likely just have to try some out like you mentioned and see what is the best fit. I appreciate all the helpful tips from everybody! Making decisions such as these just gets me one step closer to the island life I've dreamed of!

Thank you all SO much!

jasaro

Take a look at www.sleepingwithoars.com. There are many good sites for both sail and power.

Good luck!

Edward

Thanks for that link Edward. I read the entire blog, very entertaining and informative... and I'm not a sailor.

http://www.sleepingwithoars.com

jasaro: If you're planning on making any really long passages, like trans-Atlantic, then go with a monohull. If you capsize in a storm, a monohull (with weighted keel) will right itself, whereas a catamaran will remain upside down. That's the only bad thing about a catamaran that I can think of.

STXBob you just stepped into it with both feet! LOL!!!

Big enough to take all of your new best friends that post on this board.
LOL

Hi jasaro, I'm from St Louis as well. I currently have a 32' Sea Ray and I had a 29' Tornado Catamaran when I was in college. I have grown up boating all may life and I am working on getting my inland waterway Captain license. I too am looking at a live aboard in STX. Having had both sail and power boats I have been looking at trawlers 30 - 40 foot range. I have found that the initial cost of used sail boats and used power boats of the same size (usable square feet inside) that sail is generally quite a bit more expensive with the initial cost and also the cost to maintain the sails and rigging. The cost of maintenance of the hull and other equipment is the same for both types along with your gen-set too. You do have the added expense of having a larger engine with a power boat but you still have a smaller engine with sail boat. And you can buy a lot of fuel for your power boat with the cost savings from your initial cost along with your yearly maintenance too.

Hello! I"m looking to more to STT in about 5 and 1/2 years and was considering living on a boat when I do. I would like it to be dual powered and have decent ability to get around, as I'd like to visit other islands as well. What kind of boat should I be looking into with theses capabilities? and about what price range?

I would think a 50' Lagoon catamaran would do the job nicely. 🙂