Boating on a budget - Scottish boat show talk

[dylanwinter]

I am doing one of the Q and A sessions at the Scottish Boat show this autumn

http://www.scotlandsboatshow.co.uk/

othere get to be experts on engine maintenance, some on buying a boat, some on sailing overseas

the subject they have chosen for me is

Boating on a budget

at first I was a bit surprised as it seems to me that my budget is stupidly out of kilter and I spend far more on this particular pecadillo than I ever should

I have ocme up with a few subject headings and I am open to more ideas - sensible, insane or witty


Don't eat ashore

Drive a small crap car

Drink less -

buy the shortest boat you can live with

make sure it is a twin keeler so that you can use cheap drying moorings or cheapish drying marinas

don't spend money on anti-foul - just run her up the beach and scrape her every now and again

when you come to buy a boat - don't take your significant other with you - this will cost you money and you will end up buying a bigger boat that you need. There is no need to buy a boat that is big enough to accomodate your children and your children's children

old sails are nerly as good as new ones

learn to sail solo

when hitching around carry a life jacket over your shoulder - easier to get lifts that way

the best way of making your saiiling days cheaper is to sail more often - so many of the costs associated with sailing are fixed costs so the more you sail those fixed costs are spread over more days

any more?

D

 

[lpdsn]

Drink less -

Or you could just encourage them to get cans of Tennant's Super from the offie.

 

[fredrussell]

Fix it yerself.

 

[Avalon]

If you haven't already done so you should read "Voyaging on a Small Income" and "Shrimpy".

But I expect you have.

 

[NormanB]

If onboard overnight in cold weather

Huddle round a candle.

 

[sailorman]

Does the OP have a scottish phrase book

 

[doug748]

My biggest expense is winter boatyard storage; buy a boat you can lift onto a trailer so you can put it into any ole farmer's field or, even better, shed.

 

[FullCircle]

Have a nice anchoring setup to avoid lots of cost.

 

[ProDave]

Include lifting keel boats as well as twin keelers for drying harbours.

Buy a trailerable boat, so you can take it home for winter so no winter storage fees (kind of negates the "smallest car" bit, but I have a larger car anyway as I tow other things)

 

[ShinyShoe]

The list starts rather negatively. "Don't eat ashore" "Drive a small crap car" "Drink Less"

Turn that on its head. "Why would I pay someone to cook for me ashore?" May be worth pointing out the typical restaurant works a 25% cost of goods model. So you should be able to eat the same meal for 1/4 of the price.

"Why do I need a Mercedes, if I am spending time at sea? Why would I buy a 2.5litre car and pay insurance for it when I'm not suing it?" (Erm perhaps because I'm driving 1100 miles to the boat! Cough!)

"Why do I need to drink so much?" - It only makes it harder to get up in the morning and go sailing...

The counter arguement is if you buy a MUCH BIGGER boat you could be out sailing even more on it... It would be more comfortable, the Mercedes is needed for the Royal Whatever Yacht Club Car Park and one simply must have a glass of Champers after a day of polishing the chrome work

 

[jordanbasset]

Sail on some one elses boat

 

[ShinyShoe]

On some more serious points:

- Bowsprit and Mizzen increase sail area without increasing berthing fees
- Look for equivalents without "Marine" written all over it. Its usually cheaper
- Rope does not need to be dyneema ultra light super strong blah blah - it needs to do a job
- Blocks don't need to be branded if they do the job
- Gear doesn't need to be Musto. Decathlon gear generally scores quite highly in reviews but is far cheaper than competitors
- Make sure everything has two purposes.
- Shop around for Gas Cylinders. I've paid double in some places what I've paid elsewhere.
- Refillable Gas may be an option but if you have no experience may not be something to be talking too much about.

 

[Tammany]

Fix it yerself.

Thats the biggest money saver their is. DIY can save you a fortune if you are reasonably competent.

 

[Tammany]

Stay away from chandelrys based in marinas, they tend to be well over priced.

 

[dylanwinter]

Fix it yerself.

my rider to that is not to fix it until it breaks

D

 

[dylanwinter]

If you haven't already done so you should read "Voyaging on a Small Income" and "Shrimpy".

But I expect you have.

I have read and relished both

 

[dylanwinter]

My biggest expense is winter boatyard storage; buy a boat you can lift onto a trailer so you can put it into any ole farmer's field or, even better, shed.

Katie L is currently in our garden

she does not cost a penny to keep when out of commission

 

[dylanwinter]

The list starts rather negatively. "Don't eat ashore" "Drive a small crap car" "Drink Less"

Turn that on its head. "Why would I pay someone to cook for me ashore?" May be worth pointing out the typical restaurant works a 25% cost of goods model. So you should be able to eat the same meal for 1/4 of the price.

"Why do I need a Mercedes, if I am spending time at sea? Why would I buy a 2.5litre car and pay insurance for it when I'm not suing it?" (Erm perhaps because I'm driving 1100 miles to the boat! Cough!)

"Why do I need to drink so much?" - It only makes it harder to get up in the morning and go sailing...

The counter arguement is if you buy a MUCH BIGGER boat you could be out sailing even more on it... It would be more comfortable, the Mercedes is needed for the Royal Whatever Yacht Club Car Park and one simply must have a glass of Champers after a day of polishing the chrome work

excellent point about the don'ts

I shall be more positive

eat on board

cheap booze has the same effect as expensive stuff

 

[dylanwinter]

Sail on some one elses boat

this is a good point and I may well set this up as number one only to knock it down because

"I WANT TO BE IN CONTROL"

 

[Tidewaiter2]

Buy Services surplus/mountaineering/canoeing kit- tends to be better and cheaper than 'marine'.
If you get to France, everything is cheaper in the Fishermens Coops at St Malo & Paimpol than UK.
Even with £/Euro at moment.
Get a one ring electric cooker when Nisbets are having a sale-saves a fortune on Gaz 907's, or switch to Calor Gas.
Ditto for an electric kettle.

Never go to a boat jumble/Show, or if you do, only take £30 or so, and your debit card, not yer credit card!!!!!!!