Decison time - sell, store or carry on

Athene V30

Athene V30

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After 2 very poor seasons I am thinking about Karouise's future. Do I sell her, kep her ashore next season and see what happens or carry on and put her back in the water in 2013.

Working in Yorkshire during week, back home to family (who dont sail) at weekends I have managed only 3 trips this year (1 WE / 1 Wk / and 1 LWE) and not much more in the previous season.

If I put the cost of mooring / insurance / maintenance etc it does not make boat ownership a viable option. However Karouise is a 40yo Cutlass so not a huge capital asset and I doubt she would sell quickly as she is a bit of a 'specialist' craft. Annual costs are about £2k so again not huge.

I was thinking about keeping her ashore next season and want to understand the possible pitfalls from someone who has done it. The other option is to slap on antifoul and launch again next season, just in case!

I used to be indecisive, now I am not so sure. :o
 
Karouise said:
If I put the cost of mooring / insurance / maintenance etc it does not make boat ownership a viable option.
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Since when has it ever made sense? Viable compared to what?

I haven't done what you are proposing but if you did have more time and it is the boat that you want then keep it. Sell it, feel miserable, look round for something else that isn't quite right. If you like it then keep it for at least another year - your circumstances might change, the weather might improve, your family might........

Act in haste, repent at leisure.
 
My 2peneth would be take her out, put her on the market at a price you couldn't resist. Then if she sells you're happy, if she doesn't, oh well still got me boat.

With the money you might save on moorings, insurance etc buy a cheap daysailer for fun.
 
Roger is right - getting close to a Star Trek moment - applying logic to this situation ain't logical. I suspect that if you did sell you might not find anything that matched the pleasure you currently get - and would certainly cost you more than you would get. I suppose there is a middle ground - store her ashore, put a daftish price on her that means if someone was interested you'd do well on the deal (unlikely I know), get a solid day boat which you keep closer to home - Wells/Blakeney - until your circumstances change back to 'proper' cruising.

But what do I know? I have an old fashioned boat that can't point to windward, is slow in comparison to most things around and costs a fair bit to keep and maintain. Yet she is comfortable and probably matches me - slow in comparison to most people around and costs (the NHS) a fair bit to keep going.

And just to heap up the mental pressure; don't this look pleasant
 

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Simonpk said:
With the money you might save on moorings, insurance etc buy a cheap daysailer for fun.
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Daysailing isnt my thing so dont think I would by a smaller boat. Cruising and longer distance stuff is more me. 2010 was a great season - my main trip was 5 weeks away covering about 1000 miles - the boat earnt her keep that year!

Just goes to show we should have our retirement before we give up work.
 
Karouise said:
Daysailing isnt my thing so dont think I would by a smaller boat. Cruising and longer distance stuff is more me. 2010 was a great season - my main trip was 5 weeks away covering about 1000 miles - the boat earnt her keep that year!

Just goes to show we should have our retirement before we give up work.
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The same thoughts have briefly entered my head due to non sailing family commitments .......but I really love my boat and I certainly couldn't afford another one if I sold her. I always said Habebty was a "keeper" so it shall be.
 
Have been through the spell where family were not as interested. Now kids are grown up and have their own lives although my son also has a boat on the Deben so I see a lot of him. The girls and their husband/partner now do come down as the boat is big enough to accomodate them and they enjoy boating.

I have seen many a chap give up and they end up shoping/gardening/DIY at the weekends and most would say "I wish I still had my boat". Working away during the week cannot help.........................perhaps you should give that up?:eek::eek::eek::D
 
My (new to me this season) boat is almost ready for next season, and I have never had a bad season in the 7 years I had my previous boat on the water.

Next year the sailing weather is going to be just fabulous, from mid April right through to late November.

Concentrate on having your boat ready for April!
 
MrCramp said:
Have been through the spell where family were not as interested. Now kids are grown up and have their own lives although my son also has a boat on the Deben so I see a lot of him. The girls and their husband/partner now do come down as the boat is big enough to accomodate them and they enjoy boating.

I have seen many a chap give up and they end up shoping/gardening/DIY at the weekends and most would say "I wish I still had my boat". Working away during the week cannot help.........................perhaps you should give that up?:eek::eek::eek::D
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agreed ;)
 
Full Circle has covered 12 miles this year.:rolleyes:

Next year MAY be different, we shall see.

I occasionally harbour thoughts of selling, but the thoughts are very transient, and I find myself at work thinking of boating to keep me going.

Next year will be better.
He said.

Knowing what you paid, and approx what you spent since, a repacement will be unlikely, and you will be off looking at horrible Hustler 30s again!
 
I used to have Telstar trimaran. I found I was sailing it very little because of the weather, I sold it, and bought an Enterprise. When I had the Trimaran and didn't sail it, I felt guilty about having it and just leaving it on the mooring rather than sailing

Sometimes now I think it would be nice to have another cruiser, but then that is only on very rare nice days. I always think of the saying that the two happiest days of yacht ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it
 
I'm in the same boat (:D) Workload has been heavy the last two years due to attempted sabotage (Rotten Swines!) by some ex employees. I decided to keep her as the prices boats are going for at the moment would give even me a loss (& I virtually stole her) The bright side is that the hard work is done now so I am even planning a cruise Tues / Weds next week. Hang on in there.:)
 
We had a rotten sailing season too. However, I never contemplated selling the boat because over the winter I will be having enormous amounts of pleasure planning next year's cruises. Next year there will be 3-4 winds from exactly the right direction, skies will be blue and the sun will always shine. It will be hot enough for SWMBO to swim off the back of the boat when we are anchored of Osea and she will finally get the hang of using the boarding ladder without a pull up from me. We may even see dolphins in the Estuary, but we will definitely be anchored in a deserted creek on a starlit night with the seals and herons as our only neighbours.

Should I finish exporing the Walton Backwaters? I haven't really done the Blackwater. Repeat visits will probably involve Pin MIll and the Suffolk Yacht Harbour. Maybe next year I won't go aground going up to Woodbridge and believe it or not, I actually look forward to mooring right in the heart of Ipswich and walking into town.

Of course, none of this makes any sense but as one of the previous posts points out, having a boat doesn't obey the rules of logic. Or economy......

And it might just, just happen........
 
Garden shed/beach but

I could not imagine life without a boat. Even on her berth she makes a great 'shed' just to sit and cogitate on life, drink coffee and sleep. Cheaper than a beach hut at Southwold plus you CAN sometimes, even sail it.

Keep the boat and hold on to the dream!
 
I had Micaralee 2 yrs ashore before launching this year in August , we had 1 family holiday of 10 days and a couple of day sails and now I've just asked the yard to take her out again :confused: work has been busy and I now find myself working at least one shift at the weekend but my thoughts are on next year now and where I can go either with or without the family , probably go further without :rolleyes: , couldn't imagine giving her up just yet tho ...
 
Keep it and keep it in commission!

You'll be sorry if you don't. Even a few days afloat on your own boat are worth it and things might change (especially the weather) so you get more use out of it.

I've managed to hang on to some kind of sailing cruiser over the last nearly 40 years through divorce, the dole, being transferred for work 3 times (200+ miles away from the boat each time), and then a broken hip and a hip replacement. Never regretted a penny it cost (might have worried about it at times) just to have that relaxation outlet available.
 
We, too, had a lousy season. It was at least partly due to the weather. There were a few times when with a bit of effort we would have got her out, but the weather history & forecast just didn't allow the enthusiasm to reach the point where you can be bothered to overcome the objections.

Next season it's going to be great.:rolleyes: We'll very probably try to get a mooring at Britelsea, 'cos my trailer park shed is becoming unavailable. Keep her for one more year, in the hope that this last season was uncharacteristically s**t.
 
It would be very hard to replace a nice boat like the Cutlass that you have cared for for anything like the same money.

If you lay her up you will save:
Commission on the sale
Possibly some of the insurance cost
Running costs, such as antifouling.

If you could shop around for somewhere inexpensive ashore it could come out fairly even, and you would still have your own boat.
 
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