Abandoned boats

[weustace]

I have just noticed that the well known IT magazine "The Register" has done a bit of a series on abandoned boats. They are, in the tradition of the publication, packed with slightly groan-inducing puns. I thought they might amuse some residents of the fora:

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/04/12/man_guilty_fly_tipped_boat/
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/03/27/boat_full_rubbish_dumped_in_southampton_street/
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/11/02/boat_on_doncaster_roads/
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/05/18/sunderland_crews_sent_out_to_blazing_flytipped_boat/

"It is hoped that the latest charge will act as a deterrent and bring these incidents to an end – the schooner, the better."

 

[davidej]

Come to the waterfront at West Mersea if you want to see abandoned boats.

 

[fredrussell]

...or indeed, any boatyard in the world.

 

[JumbleDuck]

...or indeed, any boatyard in the world.

Half the boats in any given marina never seem to go out, so they should probably count too.

 

[DownWest]

Half the boats in any given marina never seem to go out, so they should probably count too.

Ah, but that is because they are made of plastic, instead of a superior material and the owners are too scared to go out.

Sorry I will get my coat...

 

[guardian]

This is going to be a huge problem going forwards, especially when in a lot of cases these boats can't be given away. What with demographic shifts over the next 20 years and an uncertain economy hobbling along at best - boat ownership will not be a priority for future generations.

My local marina - apart from being half empty - is a ghost town and what few boats there are tend to have algae beards growing from them. Interesting times..............

 

[JumbleDuck]

This is going to be a huge problem going forwards, especially when in a lot of cases these boats can't be given away. What with demographic shifts over the next 20 years and an uncertain economy hobbling along at best - boat ownership will not be a priority for future generations.

True dat. I don't think it's a priority for many of the current generations - I am in my fifties and rarely meet people younger than me on the West Coast. I think they sail, but I think they have the sense to sail in nice warm places in hired boats.

My local marina - apart from being half empty - is a ghost town and what few boats there are tend to have algae beards growing from them. Interesting times..............

I think that traditional looking boats will retain some value, because (a) there aren't as many and (b) their appeal is timeless, but in due course I suspect that modern JenBenBavs ("twin-wheeled cheese wedges", in Dylan Winter's wonderful phrase) will seem as passé as these eighties things with small transoms sloping forwards and those niceties things with sugar scoops. Most seventies and eighties yachts are now effectively worthless, and later ones will get there even faster.

Of course that gives opportunities to those of us at the cheapskate end of the market, but in much of the country the spread of marinas will form another barrier to entry. And so we end up with places like Bangor - half empty and, as you say, half of the occupied berths showing beards from years of unuse.

 

[weustace]

I think they sail, but I think they have the sense to sail in nice warm places in hired boats.

Not all of us have so much sense

I think that a lot of younger sailors tend to race, ideally on somebody else's sporty 35'+ boat—the appeal of going cruising in a tiny boat (which is more compatible with the budgetary scale involved) sadly doesn't affect everybody...

William

 

[[70521]]

A few years ago an engineer, a recycling expert and an accountant sat round in the cockpit of a boat on the hard and worked out of there would be a living in scrapping old GRP and steel hulls, there is not.

 

[fredrussell]

All great news as far as I’m concerned. In about 5 years I’ll be looking to buy a mid 30’s JenBenBav to live on. I reckon by then some will be sub £20k. It’s true my 26’ MAB will be worthless by then, but hey ho, I didn’t spend an epic amount on it.

 

[guardian]

In a bout ten years time i reckon my last-of-the-line Westerly Oceanlord should be about £30-40K the way things are going. Just hope theres a place to put it equally cheap.....................

 

[Seajet]

My club has become extremely fed up with abandonded boats, the cost of leaving boats on shore is ratchetting up all the time, last heard £50 a week.

As a result there's a Cobra 750 twin keeler going for £1.00 - no connection or knowledge of the boat, but I'd expect she needs a new engine and sails...:apathy:

 

[[3889]]

Sorry I will get my coat...

Got a wooden boat? A coat's not a bad idea. And that's before you go on deck.

 

[maby]

.....

My local marina - apart from being half empty - is a ghost town and what few boats there are tend to have algae beards growing from them. Interesting times..............

Ha, that's what you get for being in the back of beyond - come to the Solent and most marinas are full. We decided to move from Gosport last year and phoned around most of the big chain marinas - most had a waiting list for our size of boat. Admittedly, our boat does have an algae beard despite being almost permanently occupied - it's our seaside cottage, but rarely moves.