Complete Novice...Where to start?

[richiefinger]

Hello All,
Please feel free to laugh at me here.
Boating Experience: 1 week canal trip with the school aged 11
several cross channel ferry journeys. Balancing a moped amongst a herd of goats on a ferry in India, various fishing day trips.
Boats Owned 0
Boats Driven 1 "speed boat" in turkey for an hour.

After visiting Croatia on my epic drive to Turkey in a Fiesta last year I vowed to return to the Istrian Coast.
My girlfriend and I are heading to Croatia on a 4-6 week long camping trip in the summer hols. I would like to buy a small boat in the UK and tow it behind my 16 year old Ford Fiesta down to the Istrian Coast.
Goal 1:
Poodle around in the boat staying close to the coast and doing a bit of fishing off the boat and finding the odd less crowded beach/cove. Staying overnight in campsites on the coast.

Goal 2:
Perhaps the above but in a boat big enough to sleep in.

I have no idea what sort of boat/licence/laws/mooring fees etc there are and how possible this is.

Please could someone point me in the right direction on where to start.

Max price of boat for poodling £600
For sleeping in £2000

Many Thanks
Richie

 

[Nealo]

No-one's laughing at you Ritchie, I suspect they're all trying to catch their breath...

What you are wanting to do, from my limited experience of this forum, is probably well outside most members sphere of experience, given that boating on that sort of budget is probably a distant memory. However, I'm a great believer that if you really want to do something, the cost is a minor consideration.

First, I suspect you might get more reaction from the yachting forum, where the folks are more used to doing things to a budget and probably have more experience of the foreign waters you refer to. Second, towing a trailer of any sort isn't much fun, and you may be restricted by your licence and the weight of your car to a towing limit which might narrow down your options. Plus, the wear and tear on a small car is significant - how old is your clutch? Towing is the quickest way to wear out a clutch so if your car is on it's original trust me it will probably give out on the journey. You also have to bear in mind that you get caned on the ferry as they charge by the vehicle length, ie car and trailer combined. Third, to get a small motor boat and a trailer to tow it for two grand is really pushing it, and the quality of the trailer if you're towing it across Europe is probably as important if not more important than the quality of the boat. I reckon you would have to be looking at a small sailing boat with a tiny outboard at a "get rid" price - dodgy territory to say the least, but you do see stuff on ebay and it's worth looking round local boatyards. One near me has a 21' cruiser which is theoretically seaworthy, with a pull start o/b for £2,000, and a small trailer sailer with o/b for £3,000.
Have you considered the possibility of buying a small boat when you get to your destination?

Those are just a few random thoughts, I hope you get a few more. I'd be very surprised if you didn't find someone on the Yacht forum who has done something similar to what you are proposing.

 

[kingfisher]

How about a second hand inflatable and a smallish outboard? That can get you to goal1 for 600£. It will fill the trunk of the car, leaving the back seat for luggage.
With a small outboard, you don't need a permit, allthough I would get insurance (theft + third party), it will allow you to "nip round the corner" to that secluded bay, with 2 persons, pick nic hamper, tent, sleeping mats, ..;

But multy-day dinghy trekking? Less then comfortable, I'd think. Plus these things use quite a bit of fuel, there are more economical ways of discovering the Dalmatian islands. With your level of experience, I think a bbq and a night under the stars in a neighbouring bay would be a fine start. Anything else would require a minimum of navigational skills on ICC level.

hint: I use google earth to find inaccessible bays with deserted beaches.

 

[Philiz]

Just in case you were wondering, ICC stands for International Certificate of Competence. The only way to get one so far as I'm aware, is to do an RYA course.

 

[sarabande]

perhaps consider a Wayfarer, camping version.

Quite a lot around within your budget.

eBay for starters, or here:


http://www.wayfarer.org.uk/forum/



Wonderful boats, and very suited to the sort of adventure you are describing.

 

[richiefinger]

I have passed the entrance test to get on the forum and I am now greeted with all these helpful answers Thanks one and all I will start to look into all of your replies. Please forgive me If I have placed my questions on the wrong board.
Many Thanks
Richie

 

[rafiki_]

Note a (German) friend of mine bought his ICC in Croatia for €50. He had no previous experience.

He hired a boat, 30 footer, for €1000, and had a great holiday, with his 3 children.

This may be a better bet than dragging a wreck across the continent, only to find you have no spares to coax it into life when you get there.

I am in no way condoning buying an ICC by the way, you should do the RYA courses here before you go.

 

[Kawasaki]

I have passed the entrance test to get on the forum and I am now greeted with all these helpful answers Thanks one and all I will start to look into all of your replies. Please forgive me If I have placed my questions on the wrong board.
Many Thanks
Richie

Post all you like on here Matey.
Sounds like yer up fer a bit of Fun
Hactually
Still laughing at the moped balancing Gig

I wouldn't try the cheap(sleeping) speedboat behind the Fiesta lark all that distance though!

That sounds more like hassle than fun

Yep, ask away there's loads of experience on here.

There seems to be quite a bit of boat hire stuff in Croatia at the Mo.

Think doing an RYA course in the UK would be a good move for You.
Then rent a smallish day boat whilst enjoying the Episode

However, I think the inflatible in the boot etc ain't a bad idea too.
But heck, where yer gonna stick the Booze?

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Given the budget and the age of the car etc, I'd consider an airdeck inflatable rather than a trailer - we had a Quicksilver 3.1m with 10hp on the back, great fun, big enough to be useful, small enough to be transportable. I shouldn't think you'll get it inside the car with all your other stuff - but it would certainly go on your roofrack. Keep the outboard inside the car though otherwise it'll walk.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[Morpheous]

If you are looking for boats at the cheaper end of the spectrum the boats and outboards web site is quite good, also eBay can be worth a look.

 

[EastCoastChris]

Please feel free to laugh at me here.

I saw a man in Largs Marina frying his tea on a camping stove in a tiny fishing boat that he was presumably exploring the Clyde in. The boat was obviously his pride and joy and probably sees more action than 90% of the boats in the marina.

That bloke with his frying pan looked like one of the happiest most contented people you could wish to see.

I wish you ever success

Chris

 

[Chas25]

Given the budget and the age of the car etc, I'd consider an airdeck inflatable rather than a trailer - we had a Quicksilver 3.1m with 10hp on the back, great fun, big enough to be useful, small enough to be transportable. I shouldn't think you'll get it inside the car with all your other stuff - but it would certainly go on your roofrack. Keep the outboard inside the car though otherwise it'll walk.

Cheers
Jimmy

I'd agree with Jimmy, we had a 3.0m Quicksilver airdeck, even with just a 3.3hp 2 stroke it was good fun, and I think it was rated up to 15hp which would be very entertaining!!

 

[gordmac]

Another vote for tent inflatable and outboard!
If you tow something your car will use a lot more fuel, maybe enough to buy a boat in the first place. May be cheaper to buy a bigger car to fit a decent inflatable into?

 

[BartW]

Hi Richie,

we have been towing a boat for 10 years new from Belgium, all down to Dubrovnic Kroatia 1800km ! and will do it again this year !!!
The first three years it was a 5m inflatable boat (SIB), with a 50hp engine,
With our 4 kids and their freinds we had memorable moments !
We really enjoyed the discovering of all these coves and bay's and visiting interesting villages and places, all with our own boat.
IMO a rented boat can never compete with this.

About the paperwork, don't worry too much,
yes for a planing boat you need a boat driver license, but any license; Day skipper, Coatsal skipper, or ... will do, you don't need ICC for a rubber boat of 4 or 5m, the authority's are not critical on that, but they ARE critical about insurance, you MUST have a boat insurance in Croatia. (approx. 100 euro)

You also need the vignet, but thats also sheep, you can buy that in any port, something like 15 euro for one year for a boat of that size,

You don't need a crew list if you don't sleep on the boat, but you must anounce your visit to police in the village or city where you sleep the first night of your holliday.

I would only be concerned about the 16year old Fiesta, are you sure this car can still do this trip while towing a boat ?

Don't hesitate to do the trip, but make sure the car, trailer and boatengine are OK if you want a "enjoyable" holliday

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Have a look at one of these http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/php/browser.php3?broker_id=&category_id=16&county_id=&wantedflag=0&sequence1=date_updated+DESC&price_from=&price_to=1500&kword2=&Submit=Search to set your expectations from a sailing craft. You can get a boat and trailer for £1000 less which leaves you some change to sort the car issue by trading for a bigger model - maybe temporarily.

I don't know if it's possible to buy a cheap boat out there and re-sell before coming home?

 

[oldgit]

Err......

Sorry to be such a kill joy but your venerable Fiesta especially if its a 1.3 or similar is gonna struggle with you and your holiday gear,let alone with a boat and trailor being dragged along behind.
Is the cluch new or as I suspect of the same vintage as the car,will the trailer be new ish or a bit ancient with bearings/tyres to match.That,ll be six tyres to worry about and all.
Have done that journey(when it was still Yugoslavia) with very similar wheels,some of the hilly bits will def be a challenge in the engine cooling dept lugging that trailer and boat.

Do have a go by all means and good luck, but being forced to abandon your car boat combo half way down due to broken something or other cos cost of recovery more than the whole shebang is worth will be a right %$£* pain.

 

[ryds-steve]

I'd also go with an inflatable, we had a 3m bombard with a 9.9hp 2 stroke and it was great fun, not the most comfortable in lumpy conditions though.

If you buy a boat on a trailer i would at least budget to replace the wheels, tyres and bearings and possibly the hubs and suspension units.I had to do this on my first 3 sub £2k boats.

lastly i think the max towing weight of a Fiesta will restrict you massively....

Best of luck...