Disgusting waste, The Hamble...........

[GC1]

The Hamble seems to me having spent more than a month on my boats in and around there a graveyard of boats, what a disgusting waste! Hardly any of the boats there have moved since I have been there, Port Solent was much the same, so why do people buy boats and leave them to rot?

Is something happening in the boating world? It wasn't just mobo's but yachts as well.

I've had fun with less pratts on the water

 

[Scubadoo]

Maybe becuase August has not been a great month weather wise and many boaters do have a very busy life between work and pleasure.

 

[Kawasaki]

It,s all over GC!

Sorry I don,t mean it,s all over for us boaty,s I mean its all over the place.
Grieves Me cos unused vessels are seen everywhere.
Taint just where you,ve been playing of late, believe Me.

Can not get My head round it. Most expensive item We purchase after Our Homes is probably Our boat. Unless your into aeroplanes /Race Horses /or similar.

So why do peeps let them sit and rot?
Don,t know is the answer. It,s not that old hulk in the corner of the marina that confuses me ,it,s £50,000 to £150,000 Stuff that doesn,t make sense.

Ok the Half million quids worth that doesn,t move explains that the bod who owns it may also have an aeroplane/race horse/or similar so He don,t give a monkeys.
Maybe use it 3 times a year whilst said aeroplane is getting serviced or the horses are being shod.

Sometimes wonder about peeps that lavish money on expensive autos that depreciate faster than you buy gadgets but most of them use the flippen things from time to time!

It,s the "miidle of the road" stuff that confuses me(rules of the road confuse every body!), Ok if the boat is being used as a floating holiday home/weekend retreat etc/great.
Strangeley this evening ,on My way home I popped down to The marina to check The Boat (as you do)
Chatting to one of The Marina staff(as you do) We broached on the very subject(as you do) both commenting on how little use (as they don,t) a lot of the berth holders put their boat to.
As we where pontificating on the pontoons(as you do)we did a head count.
"He does,he doesn,t he does occasionally ,he NEVER moves etc etc.
Our consensus was that 30% had not moved in 12 months 20% hadn,t even visted in12 months,30% were at it all the time(boating) and 20% spontanius/fairweather/now and again types.

Wouldn,t be surprised if the aformentioned scenario is UK Typical.

Suppose why I notice this stuff I see that desirable £150,000 Grands worth of nice kit languishing and I wan,t to cherish it and go play on it.

Frustrated and Jealous signs off !

 

[[2068]]

We don't really know how often boats are used.

Just because you didn't see it move while you were there doesn't mean it didn't move. Maybe they went for a short daytrip after you left and returned before you did. Maybe they use it during the week or evenings when you're not around. Maybe it gets used "only" for a couple of two-week stints each season, but who's to say that gives less pleasure than a series of weekends away ?

I only say this cos another berth holder once said "I only ever see you washing down your boat". That would be because he kept coming back 30mins after I did and only ever saw me after I had put the covers on and was washing the salt off with the hosepipe, and never at sea.

It would fascinating to get the accurate stats.

dv.

 

[Medskipper]

Its gonna get worse Pete when the fuel doubles in price! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I'm starting the think the unthinkable, Iv'e been looking at the yachts that are for sale today! you get a lot of yacht for 100k /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Barry

 

[halcyon]

Same down our way. At Mylor 20 years ago average boat cost £15,000, average car £500, boat used weekly, August weekend 90% of boats out. To-day average boat £150,000, average car £35,000 boats rarely used, August weekend 10% boats out.
Differance, in the old days they were people who traded up boats and loved sailing. Today it's the next thing you need after your BMW / Merc, you buy new, and you may use it for a weeks holiday.

Boat owners have moved from people who love boating, to people who have money, it's now 2006.

Sorry to the few that use there boat.

Brian

 

[Major Catastrophe]

dvinell, I can assure you that Kawasaki and the marina staff are correct. The other week I was sat in marina office using the CCTV and going through all the boats that hadn't moved for a year and in some case three years.

The biggest boat in the marina, £2m worth of hardware (I am not going to tell you more about it) went out once this year, for three days.

Incidentally, this is part of my campaign with the harbour trust, as many of these boats are sat in freshwater, haven't moved for yonks, but are still being charged harbour dues, even though they are berthed outside the jurisdiction of the trust.

 

[aviator]

[ QUOTE ]
We don't really know how often boats are used.

[/ QUOTE ]
An instructor on the Hamble told me that a Southampton Uni student did a survey as part of his/her degree course and found the AVERAGE use of all boats on the Hamble was 3 hours per year, which means most are just sitting there.

 

[GC1]

I have been on my boat for a good month mostly in the marina getting the new boat fitted out, it has been this experience which has shown me the pure waste of unused boats.

It's not just the weather as there are thousands of unused boats, so do people buy them as a status symbol and then are scared to drive them, I had three days like that but have overcome it and now cruise and moor up alone with 37'9" no problem at all.

Mind you it would be an absolute nightmare if all the boats were to move at once, well impossible I guess, I would like to know the reasons they are not used as there are a good few I would not mind buying.

SIBS is coming, and yet more boats will find themselves being bought and dumped in the Hamble graveyard.

 

[oldgit]

Distance? The Hamble,being a rather attractive place apparently,appears to attract folks from all over the country.Postings on here indicate that boat and owner can be hundreds of miles apart in some cases and would imagine that after a couple of 6 hour journeys spent stationary on M6/4/25 etc and to arrive finding only wind or rain,the urge to just jump in car and go boating fades a bit.
Eventually only worth going down to boat when loads of time available,so no odd days out anymore.

 

[jhr]

Yes, this is not a problem restricted to the Hamble, it's just that the density of boats moored there makes it more evident. There's also the weekend cottage syndrome, which is also evident in Poole. Why spend £2m on a house in Sandbanks when you can buy a boat and keep it round the corner at Parkstone for a fraction of the cost? You don't have to go anywhere.

Oh, and the weather's been rubbish recently. Between holidaying in France and lousy weather, we haven't been out anywhere since the end of July, though part of the pleasure of the boat for me is sitting on board, tinkering with things (usually until I break them) and admiring the view of the multi-million pound riverside residence 20 yards from my mooring. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[mainmarine]

How much would it cost for a weekend cottage, with a sea or riverside view, in the Hamble area?
a bit more than a 30ft boat, that you can use for the same purpose, I think thats why all the marinas are full and some boasts never move. My boat is 250 miles away down the M42 ,M5, I try to use it whenever I can but am resticted by the tide.

 

[rickp]

I wonder why people care what other folks do with their boats? Jealousy perhaps? Or perhaps they want everyboat to go out every weekend so they can enjoy the marina all to themselves? I dread to think how busy the Solent would be if more boats were out and about - so I'm pretty happy that those who chose not to go out (or even go down to their boat) make that choice....

Rick

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

[ QUOTE ]
How much would it cost for a weekend cottage, with a sea or riverside view, in the Hamble area?

[/ QUOTE ]

There was a house with mooring for sale on the Hamble in one of the papers last weekend - £1.5m.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[Aardee]

I can see why you might think it's a waste, but what makes it disgusting???

As rickp says, what people choose to do (or not do...) with their boats is their choice.

Which is more wasteful - having a boat which you rarely use taking up a single mooring, or having a nice new boat which you then sell within weeks (possibly to someone who will not use it...) only to buy another one - 2 moorings!!

"SIBS is coming, and yet more boats will find themselves being bought and dumped in the Hamble graveyard." pot...kettle...black methinks.

 

[DERF]

GC1,

For many who have been boating for many many years, there is a natural "fall off" of use. From personal experience and annecdotal evidence, the first 3 years of boat ownership gets the most use, then there is a slow and inexorable decline of use, until one finds a status quo with the "other things" in ones life.

There are indeed many who buy and never use more than a few hours per year, and theose who find that 75 - 100 hours is their use. To each their own!

It is also true that many who can afford larger vessels have other interets, cars/planes/property/travel etc and the boat is just another one of their interests.

So whilst you are so enthusiastic about your new boating lifestyle enjoy it, but it will be interesting to see if you have and maintain the same enthusiasm in 10 years from now.

 

[Kawasaki]

People can do what they want with their boat,no prob with that but why let them rot? As GC asked.
My Marina is jam packed, I,ve spent some time on the hard and some time agin the dock wall doing a refit.
Time to go back into my origional berth,which I,m happy with.
No chance, because of the Marina is chokker The Harbour master has had to juggle craft about to fit everybody in.
So right now I,m paciently waiting to be told I can go back to "My Berth".
Fair play to the marina bods they try to put the boats that get used most often in the prime positions where possible, hence the awarness of the Dockmaster I spoke to Yesterday ref the subject of boat usage.

Marina still gets paid whether the boat is used or not. So ineffect why should they care?

I am somewhat jealeous,more frustated really,cos I want me berth back!!! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[jhr]

[ QUOTE ]
Marina still gets paid whether the boat is used or not. So ineffect why should they care?

[/ QUOTE ]
I imagine they'd like you to be out on your boat, so that they can moor a visitor in your space, and get paid twice over for the same thing! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Hurricane]

I'm retired so I dont tend to go down to the boat at the same time as the majority.
Indeed, this year, we have stayed clear of the marina throughout August - just as well, really - the weather's been appauling.
Schools will soon be back so we are planning our next trip after the crowds have gone - looking for the indian summer - looks good for about midd September through my crystal ball.
Got to be back in time for SIBS though.

I believe that the guy next to me with a Squaddie 52 uses his boat a lot but we hardly ever seem to be there at the same time.

So I think a lot of it is just different pattens of usage.

 

[Aardee]

Don't confuse "not going out much" with "left to rot". Most little-used Hamble/ Solent boats are in the first category, more like a floating seaside cottage.

Very few have genuinely been left to rot on their moorings.