Boat swap for week or more

[Hans Grasman]

Hi Folks
Several years ago when I was an associate editor I suggested that we swap boats for a few weeks.
The article was in Mainsheet. I found out that most sailors rather swap their spouses than their boat.
Anyway I am trying it again. This summer we and a friend of mine who is a sailing instructor and his spouse would like to exchange a boat in the Pacific North West.
In return I am offering my Catalina C350 to somebody from the North West to come and sail this fall and winter in Punta Gorda Florida on Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico. Location is a 24 hour sail from Key West.
We are looking at the month of August to sail in the Pacific Northwest to get away from the heat here in the south. You can have any 2 week period in Florida.
Any takers?

[Chanticleer]

Hans,
awesome idea. if i could get my boat to the northwest, i'de swap in a second. I too would like to cruise the san juans, etc., but i would also love to cruise in your neck of the woods. I'll offer you cruising on the tennessee river, but if i'm not mistaken, you are in the nashville area anyway. Tempting?
Alex

[Hans Grasman]

Alex
Alabama is as hot as Nashville in the summer. I have sailed on Lake Pickwick before I took my C320 down the Tombigbee to Florida.
Not exactly the place to be to escape the heat.
But thanks for the offer.
Hans

[gibwanasi3]

Hans,
As a brand new owner of a MKII am not quite ready for 2008 but keep Lake Ontario (Kingston, Thousand Islands, Bay of Quinte & Cape Vincent to Sacketts) in mind as an option for summer 2009.

Dave & Joan
Gibwanasi3 (#461)

[Hans Grasman]

To: Dave and Joan,
Great for summer 2009! Let me know when you want to do Florida. I am currently "summarizing" the boat here in Florida. She will be ready again for sailing by middle of Oct.
Let me know when you want to do Florida. We will be here in our condo from about Oct.15 thru April 30. So pick a week or more. You will also meet the couple we would take with us on your boat. They have a Hunter here in Florida.
Glad to have found another adventurer. Make sure you talk with your insurance broker about coverage. We will add you to our policy. Liberty Mutual is very accomodating. When time draws closer we will work out the details.

[Hans Grasman]

Hi Folks
We just finished the first segment of a "boat Swap"
Dave and Joan White owners of Gibwanasi Hull # 461 out of Kingston Ont. Canada completed a two week trip on my boat Belcourt #165. They also brought another couple with them.
The first 2 days I accompanied them with another boat to show them the way around Charlotte Harbor and the ICW in SW Florida.
Unfortunately they experienced 4 days of very cold weather in Florida but the rest of the time was nice and sunny. Dave and Joan will submit an article to Mainsheet about this first leg of the "boat swap"
My wife, Ria, and I with another couple from Florida will be sailing on Dave and Joan's boat for 2 weeks during Aug.2009 in the eastern part of Lake Ont.
This is our answer to expensive charter arrangements and dealing with the economic down turn.

[gibwanasi3]

Hello folks,
The swap with Hans worked out super!! Looking forward to doing more of these. Using the same boat sure made things easier and another couple for crew shared the load and concerns. If anyone has questions before we get an article out just drop us a line.

[Triumph]

Hans, charting in the San Juans is about the least expensive place to charter. I do know that there is a Catalina 350 up there for charter too. There are so many boats, and companies to charter with up there that the prices are very competitve. This past Sept we chartered a Hunter 41, two cabin, two head, with another couple. The boat was about $2200 for the week. Southwest Air had a deal, and we did most of our own cooking. It came out to about $1700 per couple including airfare, rental cars, and booze. When we went in Mid Sept, the weather was beautiful. Don't wait if this destination is on your bucket list.

Bill
S/V Triumph

[Hans Grasman]

Hi Bill
Yes, we have chartered in the San Juans. Great place and reasonable but for 2 weeks the charter cost is still about $4500.
Since part of our pension comes from Nortel, a previous employer now on the ropes in Chapter 11, we do want to carefully manage our expenses.
Besides we now have four new friends from Canada. One is also from The Netherlands.
At this point I do not encourage this discussion board to pass the hat for us. We will manage.
I told my children (ages 44 and 47): "The bad news is this recession will last for at least another 2 years but the good news is that they do not have to worry about us. We lived thru WWII in Europe and the lean years after that so we planned for this time."
There are 5 Catalina 350s in Burnt Store Marina. Two are for sale.