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| Just because you have a boat doesn't mean you're not on a budget! |
Yachting is Fort Lauderdale's biggest money maker! These mega-yacht owners spare no expense when it comes to their boat. The salaries for a couple full time crew alone can cost up to a million per year, not to mention yacht maintenance and slip fees! Fort Lauderdale is also known as the Venice of Florida because of the hundreds of canals that litter the landscape. One can't go far without seeing boats tied up behind every building and some spectacular million dollar homes. Being here is all part of our "master plan", which is of course, Project Motor Boat. We will be getting Felicity upgraded with some serious cruising equipment like wind generators, solar panels and a generator. Being here gets us much closer to all the connections we have made over the past 4 years with some of the best contractors in the industry!
But today, I bring you a little insider knowledge. Fort Lauderdale is often called the "Yachting Capital of The World" because it is home to thousands of marine businesses that cater to an international community of pleasure craft. What better place to begin to refit your boat, right? If you are a haggler, then yes! Let me let you in on a little insider's secret. These marine vendors are making a killing on the mega yachts! So when you need to rely on a woodworker or canvas shop, remember to ask for the "working man's price"! Many friends of ours have bad mouthed the area because of high costs and I can relate; sticker shock gets us all. I admit, having a licensed captain and engineer on board sure helps out so we do our own work. BUT Then there are times when we have more money than time or just don't have the professional skill/tools for the job. In that case we still pull the "working man's price" card because everyone has a budget! Most of the businesses we have worked with will negotiate, especially in this economy. Give it a shot, what can it hurt?
Fort Lauderdale seems to go by many names, for us, we are calling her home. Now we can only look ahead to the exciting projects to come.
For now, though, it's back to work!
For now, though, it's back to work!
2 comments:
We too found that to be true in Ft. Lauderdale when we were there with our boat named "Project Jersey". We are now in the north where it is very difficult to even find a reliable business that will show up to even furnish you with a quote for any kind of work. We hope to head south in the Fall of 2013, therefore, we are holding off on some of the projects that we cannot do ourselves and that are not urgent until we return to Florida.
I've been catching up on your posts and glad that ya'll are settling into Ft. Lauderdale and Gia is making friends at school. Good to know that haggling is possible over there! We're looking forward to hearing about your future projects!
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