Did/Do you regret buying your boat?

[Sidedrum]

I bought what I could afford 20 years ago. Not the exact specification I'd drawn up, but she ticked the more important boxes. We're still together, plannng a long summer cruise to celebrate our 20th anniversary.

 

[Lakesailor]

I love getting a new (to me boat).
I tend to buy cheap and spend as little as possible and sell at about the same value.

So, no. I don't regret any boat. They are all fun. I even bought 2 of them back, and sold them again after another season.
There is one (different) boat I would buy back again if it came up on the market.

 

[stevebrassett]

I've had my boat for nearly eight years now, and the only regret is that I don't seem to have enough time to sail her enough.

 

[Flapjack]

When we were going through the refit: many, many, many times.
The sacrifices, financial & otherwise, we had to make ...
Now, it's just a distant, bad memory.

One thing is certain, I'm never going through something like that again.
We're keeping the present boat till I drop or become too old and decrepit to enjoy her (whichever comes first).

We are just about to start on that road, the boat comes out of the water on the 6th April and then the real work starts, I have had moments where I’ve wondered if I should have kept the old little boat (with all the associated costs being less) and not bothered getting anything bigger but we wanted to go further so….
But once all the work is done this boat will probably last me until as Guapa says I die or am no longer physically able to sail her.

 

[upcountry2]

No, but i most definitly regret selling my last one, i still dream about owning that boat, when i wake up the angst is almost palpable. i knew i had the best boat i would ever own, and when she sold within a week of my advertising her, that confirmed it...
Why did i do it? you tell me....

 

[Babylon]

No, but i most definitly regret selling my last one, i still dream about owning that boat, when i wake up the angst is almost palpable. i knew i had the best boat i would ever own, and when she sold within a week of my advertising her, that confirmed it...
Why did i do it? you tell me....

Met a guy last week who'd sold his old boat after about 7yrs ownership and bought another one, but still hankered after his old boat. He later saw a curiously similar one advertised but it had a different colour hull. When he contacted the seller, it turned out that it was in fact his old boat - which he bought back!

 

[MissFitz]

First boat bought for us both to learn on & definitely the wrong one - not nearly enough fun to sail, HWMBO didn't take to the aquatic life & unforeseen running costs became a huge source of domestic friction. Then hung on to it for a year too long because I couldn't bear to give up on the boat-owning dream, making another big hole in the budget. And then sold at a hefty loss because we'd overpaid in the first place.......

But regrets? More like lessons learned, I'd say, & fairly cheap at the price really. In no particular order: don't buy a boat because you like the colour/name, don't buy in a hurry at the start of a season, do try out as many boats as humanly possible before making a choice, do drive a hard bargain, do cut your losses if it's not working out & don't listen to people who say 'the best boat is the one you've got'.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Many years ago I bought a boat without consulting SWMBO.

I was in BIG trouble for years. She refused to go near the thing. Sad really as it was a lovely little Sadler 25 bilge keel.

We now choose our boats together - in fact she comes up with a list of requirements and I go find them. We also sail together very happily which is a let off when I hear what happens to other couples... Our current boat ticks all the boxes, so there's no prospect of changing it for a while - short of a major lottery win.

 

[Searush]

No, but we have only had her 25 years, so I suppose there is still time yet . . .


This is why I try to point out to newbies that you NEED to be sure what you want & how you will use her. And why I recommend getting something relatively small & cheap (and also easy to sell) in case things don't work out!

 

[Sybarite]

One of the regulars on Talulah has done just that. Next month he takes ownership of his river barge in the South of France. Six months in France, six months in UK.
The only downside is that his wifes health is now very much up and down.

Add a third destination so that he spends less than 180 days in each location.

 

[maby]

Not for a second! But our boats have been new, or reasonably new, AWBs - low maintenance and safe (well, reasonably). Classic wooden boats are absolutely beautiful - provided they belong to close friends who will welcome you aboard for a nice weekend of sailing!

 

[wklein]

I bourght an old wooden boat without knowing what I was REALLY getting into. She was sail-able but needed a lot of tlc.

25 foot, 1961, fine sea boat but lots to do (and get done).

I paid £2, 750 (on ebay) and have spent over £12K on her so far. There is still more to do (I dont think it will ever end) but the bills shold start to come down next year, unless of course I need to change the engine or rig that is.

All in I expect that I will have spent about £20K on the project, over four years. The point is that I DIDNT expect to spend anywhere near that at the start. If I knew then .....

But then I couldn't have afforded much of a boat. And if I could have afforded £20K at the start, I would not have been able to justify it to the family / bank manager etc as I was the only interested sailor.

As for remorse .... well nearly every penny I have made in the last 12 months has gone on the boat. Its a good job it was a good year at work!

If I had not been able to make the money, I could easily have ended up like the OP's mate. Having acraft in need of work, no time and no money is a nightmare I somtimes have - so I fully understand.

I doubt that the boat will be worth what I have spent on her BUT, I now own a great looker, much better than I could have afforded if I had spent out in one lump sum. So, to me, she's worth it.

I plan to own this boat for ten years, so over the years its not a bad return.

I can also say that I fully understand EVERY part of my boat (except the internals of the engine) because at some point over the last 2 years i have handled it, adjusted it, and for a every part of the hull rubed it, sanded it and painted it.

To answer the question directly, I have no regrets, but I can see how one could easily have been in the same position.

What kind of boat is it? Just out of curiosity.

 

[Victoria Sponge]

I've see lots of boats that never go out of the marina, so I guess their owners are paying for something they either never, or rarely use.

We bought a brand new plastic boat, a Benny 323 and have never regretted it, as we use it all the time for sailing. Upkeep is minimal, so brilliant all round!

 

[Seven Spades]

Interesting question. I have learned a lot about boats that are not new! I love my boat as it sails so well and it will take me anywhere safely and quickly. But in 4 years I have replaced:-

Sails
Batteries (Twice)
Windlass
Taps
Internal Lights
Forward Navigation lights
Fridge (Best thing I ever did BTW)
Radio
Anchor
Seacock (1)
Curtains
Spray Hood
Life Raft (Another story)
Strengthened bulkheads aft to stop flexing(affected the autopilot)
Rigging
Coppercoated
Gas strut on nav table lid

With the amount of money I have spent I could have bought a second hand Arcona 40, a much newer boat and probably not needed to spend all this money. However, whilst it would be a much faster boat would I be as happy with such a light boat?

I can't say I regret my choice but was it a good decision, I really can't say.

 

[Frankie-H]

Not for one moment. I wouldn't have a roof over my head otherwise.

 

[viejo gringo]

i dont have any regrets about buying my boat, as its been a blast, a learning experience and the old thing has been a refuge a home and a hobby and even though weve only cruised around the boatyard for the last 6 years the only regret i have is that i could now buy the boat i,d really like cheaper in the states due to the economic crisis, but that wasnt in my control.i was going to go cruising when i bought her but i got brought back from retirement to go causing mayhem down in South America. its been fun , but now the boat is waiting and i,m on countdown !!! how nice is that, !!!!!

 

[PhillM]

What kind of boat is it? Just out of curiosity.

Cheverton Caravell Mk2 - I will get some pics when the tarps come off in a few weeks time and post them.

 

[wklein]

Cheverton Caravell Mk2 - I will get some pics when the tarps come off in a few weeks time and post them.

I only ask because i was bidding on a tumlaren which went for that amount about two years ago. Would have been interesting to see how they were getting on with it. I suspect they sold the lead and scrapped it.

 

[westernman]

Then it's time to get yourself a gentlemen's motor cruiser and head for the French canals.

Glass of beer in one hand and a throttle in the other!

Grand Banks or whatever they are...not cheap but there's room at the back for a table and chairs, a BBQ and davits for your mobility scooters. Life's not over yet!

That is my plan. But not for a long long time yet.

 

[Supine Being]

Nope, not a jot. I did get a little stressed about buying it as it was a big leap into the unknown as a relative newcomer to sailing and never having owned a boat before. And 9 months later there's still so much to learn. But I wanted my kids more involved in sailing and it has certainly done that. As we got on the boat last Sunday, No.1 son sighed and said "This is my favourite place in the world."

Plus, whatever happens, it's our first boat and we'll never have another one of those.