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Williams, Ken
9/27/2009
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Goodbye Japan,, and traveling with a dog
In just two hours Roberta and I will close up the boat, and go to the airport for the trip home.
It has been a long trip, and a great trip. I'll miss Japan, but we're ready to go home. It seems like the last two weeks has all been devoted to getting the boat ready for our departure. I think everything is under control, but know that 5 minutes after the plane takes off I'll remember something I should have done.
Getting Shelby (our dog) exported from Japan turned out to be a big project. We had to apply for an export permit, and spent most of yesterday traveling to/from the Kansai airport, in order to get her officially cleared out of the country. We needed everything set up perfectly, so that we can get her back into the country as smoothly as possible next year for cruising.
We've also been working hard on figuring out what countries Shelby can go to next year. We'll be in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China. Thus far, it appears that she can only go to Japan! We've been rejected three times on our permit application to Taiwan. We're very worried about it, and there is a possibility we'll need to fly her home from Okinawa (the last stop in Japan), and then return to the boat for the last part of our 2010 cruising. What a pain!
Dogs are great, but cruising internationally with a dog is impossible.
-Ken W
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awfn35@yahoo.com
3/20/2010
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| Ken
Interesting point about taxes, especially being a homeless boat. I would have to look in to this idia at NordhavnDreamers.
N68 is the boat for me, I think.
But on another hand, Norhavn
owners are looking to build N68 Motorsailer, which is I would say, for me, like
a bone for a dog, me being a dog.
I am shore this new N68 Motorsailer will bring a lot of discussions.
Imaging that I am considering N68, with out seeing one in
real life.
Alexander | | |
Williams, Ken
3/20/2010
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| Alexander:
I forgot to mention property taxes, or other annual licensing fees.. which can be another big expense. For me, this is a non-issue because my boat is somewhat "homeless." In the US the property taxes are collected by the state, and although my boat is registered in Washington, it is not in Washington, and not likely to be there for a decade or more.
Personally, I consider the 68 the largest Nordhavn that can be operated with out crew, although I think there are some 76 owners who run the boat alone. The N86 definitely requires a crew.
-Ken W
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awfn35@yahoo.com
3/20/2010
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| Good morning to you to Ken
I don’t know if you answer to me or you had Andrew name in
mind when you write this mail. I am Alexander, can be Andrew in this case, HaHa.
Anyway, thank you for this links, I will definitely check
them out and post any responses or questions as needed.
I heard about 10% to. I guess it is true.
Over time, on average 10% is reasonable.
I will take crew, transport and upgrades out of my list. I don’t
think I need all of it, maybe.
As you comment on 10% which is seems high to you, tells me
it is bellow that.
Thank you again
Good luck to you and your crew with rest of the travel.
PS. Thinking about N86? She is a good looking for shore.
If I had any experience on circumnavigation I would definitely
consider to buy one.
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Williams, Ken
3/20/2010
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| Good morning Alexander. Sorry I missed your first posting last week.
Are you a member of the Nordhavn Dreamers forum? They have had several great discussions on the costs of ownership, including some long postings by me.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nordhavndreamers
I put together an index of the Nordhavn Dreamers site, which includes links to the topics about costs, which can be found at:
http://www.nordhavndreamers.com
Read through those posts, and then post any questions you still have here or there.
The quick answer to your question is that most people recommend you estimate about 10% of the purchase price of your boat per year. If you buy a million dollar boat, you should estimate around $100,000 a year. This seems high to me, particularly for a boat like the N68, but when you take into account the major upgrades I tend to do every few years, it might be accurate.
The big costs are:
Crew
Moorage
Transport
Fuel
Maintenance
Upgrades
Cleaning/Waxing/Bottom Painting
Insurance
It all adds up, but most are under my control, and can be dramatically lessened if I do things myself.
-Ken W | | |
awfn35@yahoo.com
3/20/2010
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| Hello Ken
Big fan of your blog, thank you for your time doing it.
I am looking in to N68, I like this boat, and I can say you
and your website, about 50% have some thing to do with it.
One thing I would like to know is operating cost if I want
to live on the boat and circumnavigate the word, what would be the amount I need
to have in the bank to have a safe travel? Maybe you can give me some number I can
start with.
I am not trying to count your money, just trying to count
mine.
I know it’s kind of a personal question, but, who would know
operating expenses on N68 better then owner of one.
You can send me your answer to my personal email awfn35@yahoo.com comfortable to put this on your blog.
Thank you
Alexander | | |
Williams, Ken
9/29/2009
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| Chris:
We are now back in the US! Shelby is with it, and came through fine.
We switched planes in Hawaii, mostly because we thought two flights would be easier on Shelby than one long flight.
At Honolulu airport, the Hawaii Humane Society operates a service for dogs and cats that are departing within 24 hours. It was terrific. Shelby was taken by Japan Airlines to the Humane Society office at the airport, where we met her. She was then loaded, from the runway side of the building, to our next flight, and we left the country.
We did investigate clearing her into Hawaii, and believe we could have done it with no quarantine. We will probably do so, and spend a week hanging out in Hawaii on our way back to the boat in March or April of 2010.
For information about importing and transiting Hawaii with pets:
http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/ai/aqs/info
As to Asia versus other parts of the world for cruising...
The easiest places are: Mexico, Central America and Southern Europe. They don't seem to care. We've been in and out of france with Shelby 20 times, and I can't remember them ever asking for her health certificate (which we always have). The same is true for Italy and Spain.
However, the toughest places are Northern Europe (we've given up on Shelby ever seeing the UK), Australia or New Zealand.
Somewhere inbetween are the countries where we can get her in, with lots of bureaucracy. Most of Asia fits into this category. We now think we'll get her into Taiwan, and maybe even China, but it will take LOTS of work.
And on a completely different topic...
We were able to meet up with, and fly home with, some friends who had originally planned to be GSSR participants; the Don and Sharry Stabbert, from the boat Starr. They decided to go direct to Hawaii, and told us all about their cruise (10 day passage from San Francisco). I was jealous when they spoke about anchoring on the north end of Kauai.
This is my first day at home, sitting at my desk.
It feels SO good.
Was it Dorothy who swore never to leave Kansas again?
-Ken W
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Hallock, Chris
9/29/2009
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| Ken,
Welcome back to the USA! Now you can go out and not have the taxi fares, can drive your own car, and enjoy ordering from the menu printed in English!
Traveling with pets is the pits, but I do understand you wanting to bring Shelby along as she is part of the family. Did she make it back into the country ok? Was it easier to travel in Central / South America or Europe than Asia with her?
Thanks,
Chris
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