Where is the best place in the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area to outfit a new boat ? I need liferaft,dingy,IPIRB,outbard ......and so on .... u all know the routine. Is there anyplace to rent a life raft? I just need it for the trip from fla to St Croix.
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G
George Lavoie
V
Victor Robert
Boat US and West Marine
Both Boat US and West Marine have several stores in MIA and FLL. Boat US is on US1 in North Miami, US1 near Atlantic, and Broward Blvd between US1 and I95. Also check Boat Owners Warehouse and Sailorman, both located on I84 just west of US1 (by the FLL airport). I don't know if they still have these plans, but ask about the discount card for new boat owners. These cards give you wholesale pricing for a month or two after buying a boat (usually want to see bill of sale). Both BUS and WM will ship to you if you place orders through their 800 numbers. Good luck, and enjoy Breaking Out Another Thousand (BOAT)
Both Boat US and West Marine have several stores in MIA and FLL. Boat US is on US1 in North Miami, US1 near Atlantic, and Broward Blvd between US1 and I95. Also check Boat Owners Warehouse and Sailorman, both located on I84 just west of US1 (by the FLL airport). I don't know if they still have these plans, but ask about the discount card for new boat owners. These cards give you wholesale pricing for a month or two after buying a boat (usually want to see bill of sale). Both BUS and WM will ship to you if you place orders through their 800 numbers. Good luck, and enjoy Breaking Out Another Thousand (BOAT)
J
Jack Tyler
Seek bids with WM, B/U.S. and others...
Hi, Tom - enjoy the trip down to St. Croix this fall! A suggestion since you have the perfect opportunity to use this approach: make up a list of all the big (and not-so-big but normal off-the-shelf) items that you want to purchase. State the brand/model of EPIRB, the back-up brand/model of handheld GPS, outboard, etc. Even foul weather gear, if you need it. This will force you into a bit of research up front but that's a good thing, and will pay big dividends when purchasing. Present this list to the WM store manager or asst. manager convenient to you, same at a nearby B/U.S. store, and don't overlook one of the other regional stores if it seems to offer the range of gear in which you have interest (e.g. Boaters World has a strong following in this part of Florida). Explain at each store that you're shopping for best price and are only seeking quotes from WM, B/U.S. etc., where merchandise return privileges are fairly standardized. Give them a few days to develop their quote and then reap the rewards. I think you'll be amazed at how much money you'll save, or at least that's been my experience when I did this and also when I've watched others use the same approach. Here in St. Pete this is viewed as a normal approach, especially when prepping for a cruise or buying a boat, and the stores don't grumble or begrudge the request for a quote - they welcome it. Re: liferaft rental, B/U.S. rents them and also EPIRBs, I believe. Another option is to visit one of the local airport FBOs (where the private pilots/biz jets park - Ft. Lauderdale Exec is a good airport to visit and is on your roadway map) and get a quote on renting one of their liferafts. Altho' a smaller package and lighter (so it can be carried by aircraft where weight consideration is a big flight planning factor), they will serve you safely in those waters (relatively warm) while the EPIRB summons help. You will need to ship the raft back, an added expense but less so if shipping a lighter-weight unit. Special shipping will be required due to the flares & compressed gas cylinder. Be sure to read the life raft testing results in the back issue of Practical Sailor. My wife & I tested 38 rafts in that last round (aviation and marine) and some were absolutely abysmal. You'd feel pretty disappointed, for example, if you properly deployed the raft and found you couldn't climb in! Jack jack_patricia@yahoo.com
Hi, Tom - enjoy the trip down to St. Croix this fall! A suggestion since you have the perfect opportunity to use this approach: make up a list of all the big (and not-so-big but normal off-the-shelf) items that you want to purchase. State the brand/model of EPIRB, the back-up brand/model of handheld GPS, outboard, etc. Even foul weather gear, if you need it. This will force you into a bit of research up front but that's a good thing, and will pay big dividends when purchasing. Present this list to the WM store manager or asst. manager convenient to you, same at a nearby B/U.S. store, and don't overlook one of the other regional stores if it seems to offer the range of gear in which you have interest (e.g. Boaters World has a strong following in this part of Florida). Explain at each store that you're shopping for best price and are only seeking quotes from WM, B/U.S. etc., where merchandise return privileges are fairly standardized. Give them a few days to develop their quote and then reap the rewards. I think you'll be amazed at how much money you'll save, or at least that's been my experience when I did this and also when I've watched others use the same approach. Here in St. Pete this is viewed as a normal approach, especially when prepping for a cruise or buying a boat, and the stores don't grumble or begrudge the request for a quote - they welcome it. Re: liferaft rental, B/U.S. rents them and also EPIRBs, I believe. Another option is to visit one of the local airport FBOs (where the private pilots/biz jets park - Ft. Lauderdale Exec is a good airport to visit and is on your roadway map) and get a quote on renting one of their liferafts. Altho' a smaller package and lighter (so it can be carried by aircraft where weight consideration is a big flight planning factor), they will serve you safely in those waters (relatively warm) while the EPIRB summons help. You will need to ship the raft back, an added expense but less so if shipping a lighter-weight unit. Special shipping will be required due to the flares & compressed gas cylinder. Be sure to read the life raft testing results in the back issue of Practical Sailor. My wife & I tested 38 rafts in that last round (aviation and marine) and some were absolutely abysmal. You'd feel pretty disappointed, for example, if you properly deployed the raft and found you couldn't climb in! Jack jack_patricia@yahoo.com
H
Hans
Sailorman
It's always worthwhile to shop for good used stuff at Sailorman (www.sailorman.com); also, check with WM or B-US what it takes to get a Port Supply / Wholesale account: the savings can be substantial. Good luck sailing the Caribbean – and don’t miss out to also visit The Bahamas – you may like it better here than further South! Cheers, Hans
It's always worthwhile to shop for good used stuff at Sailorman (www.sailorman.com); also, check with WM or B-US what it takes to get a Port Supply / Wholesale account: the savings can be substantial. Good luck sailing the Caribbean – and don’t miss out to also visit The Bahamas – you may like it better here than further South! Cheers, Hans
B
Bill Buckley
defender
Defender www.defender.com is also a good mail order place suggested to me by many as being competitive (bought my dinghy from them good price and fast shipping).
Defender www.defender.com is also a good mail order place suggested to me by many as being competitive (bought my dinghy from them good price and fast shipping).
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