S.america To East Coast N.america?

[jer]

Hey,

As I've written to CHA...I (we) are trying to get to Canada via Freighter/Tramp/Container Ship/Car Carrier/ whatever boat will get us there sometime this month from as far South in S.America as possible to East coast N.America (our final destination is Toronto to be exact).

Does anyone have any suggestions?  I'm familiar with Oldendorff and their tramp services (which seem good)...but my girlfriend and I are really looking for a bare bones ship...not a quasi cruise ship.

We'd really appreciate any help anyone can offer...Oh and any suggestions on cheap flights home would also be greatly appreciated.  Flights from Santiago or Buenos Aires (that we've come across) are over 1000 USD/person...one way!  Yikes!

Jeremy

[Steve]

Hi Jeremy

I don't know if you could find a 'bare bones' ship - I suppose you have to ask around in ports hoping for a miracle that someone will take you illegally (which I certainly wouldn't recommend by the way) - but I'm certain that even if you can do this, it will not be cheaper than Oldendorff

$50 per day is nothing for what you get in my opinion. You can't even get a decent hotel room for that in most parts of the world - but on a ship you get the room and food for $50 per day - plus free travel across the ocean thrown in at no extra cost!

The point of freighter travel is that it is a lifestyle option - not a budget option - if you want cheap, you need to take a plane unfortunately.

Steve

[jer]

Hey Steve,

Thanks for your reply...yes we are aware that a freighter may cost more than a flight home...I mentioned the "barebones" option only in case someone knew how this could be achieved and because we don't want a "freighter" with air conditioning and a swimming pool.  We want two beds, a window, and access to a kitchen...we'll even buy our own food in the ports we stop at.

I have a feeling the available information (that we've come across) on the internet is well-known and it has created a tourist market that is well...honed...and subsequently pricey.  

Anyway, each port seems to have a port authority, from which they have information on whether the ship docking can take passengers (as I understand it anyway).  

So...my thought is that if you can talk to a boat captain directly or somehow get past the tourist market, then maybe it will cost less?  So...this is what we are trying to do.  We asked today at the Port of Comodoro Rividavia and they're next ship isn't until May and it is going South...so it's a no go.  But, our search continues...

Thanks,

Jeremy

[Steve]

Jeremy

Captains will be unable to take you on board due to insurance requirements - unless of course you start approaching private yachts, which is an altogether different thing.

If you have any successs, I'd love to hear about it - but there are no such thing as 'budget' freighters that will cost less than $50 per day.

That said, it's not totally impossible to find a ship prepared to carry you illegally - just very very unlikely.

Anyway, good luck.

[jer]

Hey Steve

Well you paint a pretty bleak picture.  I can totally understand what your suggesting and it makes sense to me that the liability towards a shipping company of having an uninsured passenger on board would pose quite a risk.

But, hey, we gotta give it a try since we are here.  So, alas we will head to Valpairaso today and try our best to find a cargo ship on it's way to North America.  If not, we'll have to try and find a decent flight out of Santiago.

I'll certainly inform you if we do find anything.

Thanks for your help,

Jeremy