In article akCzf.8906$Dh.6808@dukeread04,
"Glenn Ashmore" wrote:

Anyone see the program on Super Servant on Discovery channel tonight? Very
interesting show but I thought it only ran trans Atlantic routes. That run
was Ft. Lauderdale to St. Thomas. I can see Calais or Gibraltar to Antigua
but an average fee of $7,000 to transport your boat on a route that can be
made on your on hull in 2 or 3 weeks with lots of nice stops on the way?
Even out to 65W it is only 10-12 days.

I was going to agree with you, but stopped and visualized the trip to
the VI, even as described by van Sant. I've been dreaming about it for
years, so have read many of the cruising accounts of the trip.

I'm not sure that $7k is out of line.

That's more than I believe our boat is worth and about double a
bareboat for two to the BVI, but for that, you get not-unreasonable
conditions to the southern "half" of the Caribbean and/or a downwind
romp back to the States that I know our Xan can handle comfortably.

Bashing a boat to there can easily cost more than that. Sailing out to
65W and heading south is out of the question at this time with our boat
and experience.

Since our next "big step" is the Bahamas or Caribbean, but it's likely
to be just a few months, I will consider the Super Servant option. If
my lady has fun, we might go further afield, probably in a bigger boat;
if not, we won't. Xan would look just fine at the end of our retirement
home's dock and would satisfy our needs for up to a month or three of
"local" sailing at a time.

The cost of ensuring that my lady need only sail downwind may be well
worth it.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/