Absolute beginner

[Guest]

I am at the time of life whereby boating could become a reality - i.e. financially and familywise. Could I please have some advice on the realities of running costs, how I can try it out to see if I like it, practicalities of maintenance, obtaining moorings, training I need and so on. I live near the Sharpness-Gloucester canal and would hope to have a boat nearby and be able to do both inland and coastal cruising. The advice I've had so far suggests a moderate sized cruiser between say 27-34 feet, twin diesel for the nominally best of both worlds. Any thoughts?

 

[ccscott49]

Try chartering a boat somewhere first, you can try a canal cruiser, or the norfolk broads or somewhere else, the Shannon in Ireland is magnificent! You can then expand your horizons. Training can be obtained through any RYA training base, try your local night school, are there any yacht/boating clubs near you? a good starting point. By the way welcome to the water! Colin.

 

[trev]

After a holiday or two on a hire boat you then need to set yourself a budget and go boat hunting. The brokerage in the magazines is a good place to start. then while your going around looking at boats you can also see what moorings are available and at what cost.- It all varies.
Above all be practical (so far as this hobby permits) and make sure you buy a boat that does the job you require. DONT buy a boat which is too small for your needs even if it might 'do at a pinch'. Talk to the boating types at the marinas you visit and also to the owners of boat models which take your interest( other than the vendor). It's not absolutely necessary to have any formal training but I would advise some instruction before going to sea.
Definitely go for diesels !!
We enjoyed the whole experience of boat buying and getting afloat, now on our fifth boat after over twenty years and love every minute of it (even the bad times are good).
Best of luck

Trev

 

[Twister_Ken]

Start modest

then the mistakes cost less!

 

[johnt]

Sorry friend ....27/34ft, twin diesel ? If you need to ask ....You cant afford it !

at that size its £3/4000 per year or it just dont go anywhere and its a floating caravan!

you will most likely get 3 or 4 miles per gallon if you are carefull ........very carefull! open the throttle and you could be talking gallons per mile, not miles per gallon

 

[BarryD]

johnt - forgive my ignorance, but what is the burn rate / fuel flow of a standard (as if) twin diesel? On the plane at 20kts a friends 31' twin V6 petrol is burning about 10gals per hour - say about 2nm per gallon. At 96p a litre this is a noticable expense for a weekend, so a diesel at 30p litre would be better - but not if its fuel flow rate is worse by a massive magnitude.

Whilst the old joke of "if sir has to ask he can't afford it" is funny - please don't assume just because someone doesn't have a boat yet, that they can't afford to run one - so its a serious question. Besides they are a damn sight more comfortable, cheaper and family friendly (read usable) than a light aircraft. Which also costs about £30k to buy, £6K per annum to have sitting on the ground irrespective of use, 97p a litre to run (fuel burn about 5gals per hour), £5,000 to learn how to fly one then about £1,500 per annum to maintain your flying status - and even then you can't fly in the rain or poor vis!!

Signature on a computer?

 

[Guest]

OK Barry and Ian here goes

If you want to do river and sea work, IMHO you need twin diesels. Forget petrol, it's too expensive, they're less efficient than diesels and more to go wrong.

Outdrives or shafts? Two camps, each think they're the best. Personally we've got an 86 Fairline Mirage with twin diesels on outdrives and I like the way it handles. Wanders a bit on the river, but you get used to it pretty quickly and both my kids can get it into the locks (6" wider than boat) with few problems Mind you my son's 22 and daughter's 20 so not exactly babe's, but I hope you get the point.

Re fuel burn, on the river we use about a gallon an hour. can't convert it to mpg, it's meaningless. At sea at 20 knots we burn 10 gallons an hour. In total so far this year, including three weeks holiday to Holland and back, we've used 500 gallons or as near as dammit and at £1.20 ish a gallon, well you can work it out. To my mind not a lot of money for an awful lot of fun.

I agree about courses and all that, but why not start on a river first to get used to the handling and then progress to the sea later when you've got a bit more competence, especially with the little 'un involved? Oh and mines up for sale too, we now want something bigger.

 

[ccscott49]

Alright guys! stop trying to frighten the man. If you are burning that amiount of fuel you are probably going too fast! and if you burn a gallon an hour of diesel on river/canal you have some very inefficient diesels. Remeber there are other types of motor boats, remember displacement. You do not need to be going at twenty knots, I suggest a planing boat is not really what is needed for river canal, estuary work. Which is what we are talking about. Lets get the guy afloat first. i agree diesel is the way to go. Remeber if you ask a question like this in a forum such as this you are going to get some difference of opinion. Best of luck, Colin

 

[gus]

And when you do eventually progress to 'going to sea'. For goodness sake take your fenders in.

 

[lyc]

Re: OK Colin

This time last year it would have been "I have been to Great Yarmouth and back". How 12 months have changed you, congratulations on your exploits. Keep it up I enjoy reading about your every trip.

 

[BarryD]

Re: OK Barry and Ian here goes

Colin - not sure if the private message things works as it's not showing my post. Can you provide me some additional details of your boat - assuming of course that it's in my price range.

Thanks

Barry D.

 

[Guest]

Re: OK Colin

Thanks Elsie for your kind comments and you're absolutely right. This time last year I was considering my very first trip to sea with some trepidation, no apprehension actually terror would be closer to the mark. Now I'm an expert!! Crossed the channel (4 times), pah kids stuff. Been to Holland and Belgium, done that, crossed the Thames easy peasy, round the dreaded East coast and Norfolk,.. trashed the T shirt. Moored up at Kings Lynn on a flood tide at springs and ...... absolutely shat myself. worst part of the whole thing.

Not getting blase really. Just that now I've got some confidence in my, and the boat's, capability. Course next trip'll probabl;y be a disas....., no I'm not even going to think about that.

 

[Guest]

Well, we've provoked some lively debate here chaps....thanks all for your thoughts and wisdom. Notwithstanding the varying views on cost, if I wanted a twin diesel that would not be out of place on a river or canal, but could also hold its own around the coast and maybe a hop over the shortest bit of the channel albeit not at rocket speed but not thrown about like a cork either, does this sound like anything anyone out there owns and swears by? If so, what size boat, engine output and hull shape are we talking about?

The advice on trying out and talking to seems eminently sensible, and I will certainly do more of that. But at some point I will have to make a decision and I would like to do so based on what seems to work best for others who do the sort of boating that appeals to me. Any views on that?