Cruising for an idiot

[moschop]

Please excuse any errors within this posting as it's my first attempt and my knowledge of the subject matter is very sparse.

I'm looking at buying my first boat, an off shore sports cruiser, somewhere in the region of £60k and i'd like some advise, please . I've never owned a boat before, so as stated above my knowledge is limited, a blank canvas so to speak. Any advise would be appreciated, key areas i suppose would be around buying new or second hand and also importing if anyones done that. Equally good would be any web sites or publications people could recommend.

thanks in advance and please go gentle with me

martin




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[tcm]

Hi there.

I think you need three things

1) buy a boat very near to where you plan to use it. I would say it should be secondhand, otherwise ther will be a lot of heartache as it won't be as fault-fre as a new car. if yiou only have 60k, see what you can get for 50, cos the fixing and safty gear and mooring will eat a few k. This means look at boats asking 60 and offering around 50.

2) win full drooling approval from friends/family wioth whom you plan to use the boat. No point otherwise, and failure to pay attention to this factor is a primary reason for so many near-new boats being for sale.

3) to hire a salty old seadog to take you far and wide for two weeks. Yes, everywhere that you plan to go for the next few seasons, including the longer trips especially, and in/out all local likely harbours, (just a qucik look in/out is worthwhile) , gettim to take you there or thereabouts. This is loads better than entry-level RYA courses which generally pootle about the local area on someone else boat. And it takes ages to overcome the fear factor of a more distant trip. Again, being a bit scaredy is a big reason many pack it in


good luck, lettus know how you get on


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[Wiggo]

What tcm said. Plus, sort out a mooring before you get a boat. From Bucks, I am assuming you want South Coast, and I'd guess Solent and points West... Moorings can be scarce. Safety gear may well be included on an entry boat, but work on the basis that your budget will creep up...

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[syd]

Hello, welcome to the forum.

When you've chosen your ideal boat make sure you get a full survey before parting with any sheckles.

I think all on the forum will need more info, like where your gonna be using the vessel, sea/river, both? Before they can point you in any direction on which style of boat would be best, also, how many of you will be staying on the boat and are there any youngsters.

Theres some good examples in the boats and yachts magazine, plus an excellent website link from MBC home page.

Good luck, like tcm says, let us know how you get on.

Syd

<hr width=100% size=1>Seasicksid... The artist formerly known as Syd

 

[Canboria]

You can find a selection of boats for sale at these Web sites

http://www.theboatexchange.net/Searches/boatsearch.asp

http://www.marineeurope.com/index.php

<A target="_blank" HREF=https://www.apolloduck.com/classifieds.phtml?cid=142>https://www.apolloduck.com/classifieds.phtml?cid=142</A>

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[trev]

Are you sure you want a Sports Cruiser ? For starters ask yourself what you want the boat to do - weekends or day trips - how many to sleep - catering and general amount of space required - power and running costs etc.. Then buy MBM and MBY magazines and look at the nice pictures of boats around your price range, get the appropriate boat reports from the magazines. Next step is to go to where you intend to use the boat and chat with other boat owners, see what they own and what they do with it.
My advice would be as per tcm for gaining experience - join the local club and get a friendly owner with local knowledge to show you the ropes.
If your starting off boating at sea don't take any chances - if your not comfortable, don't do it!
Its a wonderful pastime, but can be expensive it you do it wrong, especially if you frighten the very people you want to please.
And DONT buy petrol engines - go for twin diesels.
Good luck and keep us posted.


<hr width=100% size=1>Trev

 

[Wiggo]

Cheers, Derek! You've just given me a bunch of extra places to advertise...

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[RDL]

www.boats.com

www.boats-for-sale.co.uk

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[moschop]

Thanks one and all i appreciate your comments. Only £60k, didn't think that was bad for a starter . Anyway to answer a few questions, the boat would be for off shore/sea useage mainly for my other half and me, plus friends and our daughter. Although at 13 don't suppose we'll see her much. So i suppose 4 berth is about what we're looking at. Been down to the boat show and seen some decent craft, may even push to £90k but i'll haver to sweet talk the missus a bit more.

Mooring, well south coast would be good, we have friends who live and moor in Hamble so ideally around that area would be best. Although from what i'm told mooring there is very sparse.

As i say thanks for the post, i'll check out the web sites etc a few courses and i reckon i'll be ready to roll.

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[tcm]

Re: NOT courses

We have the RYA to thank for this. On an RYA course you essentially do a sailing course and test - on a powerboat. So, lots of pootling about in the coastal sea, and bring it back to the harbour. Very good. NOT.

Powerboating can take you very far, very (relatively) quickly. People who buy them plan on medium length passage making fairly early, not one day sometime. But where did the powerboat or day skipper courses take yoiu? Not very far. Bimbling round 10 miles out max. Same with even yachtmaster on a powerboat - which you can get without ever going abroad.

On a powerboat, the hard bits are 1) moving the thing round the harbour in the wind and 2) Going rather a long way. So i reckon YM should be able to go round and about a harbour and thru a lock (with a twin-engined boat) in reverse. And i somehow reckon that the long er distance thing should be tested, somehow, in a way i haven't quite thought through, and anyway i have been out for lunch cos it is friday.

harumph!

 

[Wiggo]

Re: Quite right

Buy a boat, get someone to take you out a few times, then do the courses once you're comfortable with the basics and ready to move on.

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[hlb]

Well You've done the first thing right, coming here. Theres probably more experience here than in the rest of the known universe. It's free and unbiased. Well thats not quite true, but you know what I mean. First thing any newby that arrives on my boat thinks. Is that even though there ore loads of lumps and bumps on the land. They think the sea is like a bowl, and deap every where. It is'nt. Also they think, cos the seas calm here, it will be round the next corner. It's not necesarily so.

As others have said. You think you want a sports boat. Maybe you do, maybe not. Most folk buy about three boats before they find the right one.

Now if you want it capable of going off shore and cruising from place to place, you need to be looking at 33ft plus. Others might disagree. But it's not just about the ability of the boat at sea. Its also about comfort at the other end. This is where a small sports boat falls down. Also if cruising about, you tend to need alot mor gear, and space for every one. Cos you cant go home to bed!! So have to make do with whatever you have brought, whilst maybe spending the night at anchor or on a buoy.

Now I'm not big on training, but then I started about thirty years ago and before it was invented. Messing on Norfork broads and in dinghys, and just picked it up slowly.

Now you will have to get it right first time on the sea. So some training first is probably best. Buy some little books on navigation and boat handling and such. They wont teach you alot, but they will make you understand that its not all plain sailing../forums/images/icons/smile.gif And there are things that you really need to know about.
Dont compromise by finding what looks like a nice cheap big boat for the money. It's probably cheap for a reason. The main one being it's petrol and you will find the error of your ways when you come to fill it up with 200 gallons of £5 juice that is not available most places, even if you have got the cash.

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[jhr]

I suppose it would be out of order for him to say so himself, but if you think you can go beyond £60K then I would have thought that Wiggo's Targa (see above) could be just what the Doctor ordered.........

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[Wiggo]

Re: Had crossed my mind

and for reasons of propriety, fell out the other side... Happy to show the lad the ropes, though.

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[gjgm]

Id give a good long re-read of tcm point about approval from family. Maybe try get someone (of the forum perhaps) to give you all a taster first. IF kids get bored, wife gets scared,cold,fed up, its better to find out first and avoid losing lots of money and causing alot of domestic stress. Lots and lots of us love boating, but you dont have to spend too much time in dealers yards before you realise lots of people end up with shattered dreams( and a very unfunny bill to fuel further probs at home!).Sorry if you ve plenty of experience, just tcm point reminded me of a lovely three month old cruiser I saw for sale because boating didnt turn out to be quite like the brochures....

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[hlb]

Trouble with tasters at sea. What sort of taster do you get?? I,ve not had two similar days in 30 years.

Met one of those shattered dream types in Plymouth this summer.

He sent some one down to polish the boat before arival. Then another to check the engine. Came down one afternoon, went out for an hour or so. Came back, rapped the boat round the pontoon a few times, went home and put it up for sale again!!

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[duncan]

Re: Had crossed my mind

excellent site detailing and illustrating Arcadia though - impressive. Are you sure you want to get rid of that tender/ob as part of the package? I would have thought you would have kept it for the new craft given it's proven pedigree adn capabilities!

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[Wiggo]

Re: Had crossed my mind

Yes, cos I want a mini RIB, after getting thrashed in the Alum Bay World Tender Racing Championship by Questor...

Besides, the boat I've seen and want had a mini RIB with a 15hp lump on it, and that can do 23 knots, I'm told.

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[MedDreamer]

Why Not Petrol?

I dont think the blanket statement "don't get petrol" counts as good advice. There are circumstances where choosing petrol is exactly the right way to go.

Surely the petrol/diesel decision is part of the overall evaluation of the boats usage referred to by others on here. You have to use a lot of petrol to make up the difference in up-front purchase price.

I agree that for larger boats with many hours use per year diesel is (at the moment) the logical choice but for a budget of £50-£60K there are lots of very nice petrol engined cruisers out there.

By all means haver your prejudice but it is advice that is being asked for not opinions

<hr width=100% size=1>Martyn

 

[tcm]

Re: ahharr!

oi've just remebered, yer bilge rat - yer nicked!

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