Cheapest way to transport boat from FL to Costa Rica?

Question
Hi Mr. Blanchet,

I'm a (prospective) new boat owner. I'm strongly
considering buying a 1985 27' Bayliner Ciera in Florida and
bringing it down to Costa Rica.  However, the transport
costs seem awfully high.  So far I have received quotes
between $4000 and $9700 from a few companies.

So I had a crazy idea:  What if I brought it down under
its own power?  Basically, I would find a captain, and he
could instruct me as we go.  I've read that the distance is
somewhere around 1200 miles.  I would look for a qualified
individual on findacrew.net

The boat has GPS and a radio, a nice galley and sleeps 4.
It has a single 260 HP motor, which was recently rebuilt
and has only about 15 hours on it.

So my question is: Is this a feasible idea with this size
and type of craft, or am I just asking for trouble?  
Corollary questions are:
- Is June a bad month to do this?
- Approximately how much gasoline/expense would I be
looking at?

And if it is a bad idea, do you have any other
recommendations for cheap transport?

Answer
Hi Dan

Thank you for selecting the undersigned to reply to your question. Sorry for not responding earlier, but I have been away on assignment.

So long as you ensure the engine is in tip top condition, including all drive/pulley/timming belts, and there's not obstruction within the water cooling system, and the cutlass bearing is in good shape, you certainly could undertake the task.

Bear in mind that you will require to carry onboard extra fuel (do the math for quantity based on worst miles per gallon usage) and fresh drinking water, and perhaps carry along a satelite phone to ensure communication at all times, since a vhf radio has minimal limits. It's vital to have dinghy of sort in case of an emergency.

Departure is dependent upon the hurricane season, so be guided accordingly. Once you get south of the carribean area, you're pretty well out of the affected zone.

Safe Boating
Ron Blanchet