Do small boats still do more ??

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Re: Age and boat size ???

I'm sure you're right Nigel; I was speaking very much in generalities. Thinking about it, there's a lot in common with younger people setting out on their boat owning and sailing life and the retired yachtsman who wants to get out whenever he or she can without bothering about crew and indeed, may not want huge amounts of capital, more than likely depreciating, tied up in something which is rarely used.

An elderly friend of mine got rid of his impresive 65ft. mobo some years ago and now has the most delightful little wooden gaffer, a small fishing launch and a 30ft. cabin cruiser, all of which he potters about in and enjoys the maintenance too. Sadly, he never seems to have time to help me with mine !!!
 
Re: Age and boat size ???

Another elderly friend (Iseem to collect old buffers!) sold his Halberg Rassy (42 I think) after his wife died and bought himself a Cornish Shrimper which he keeps at Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne and often sais accross the Channel in it.
 
This season so far I have done about 900 miles in an 8M and about 500 miles in my 11 M .as I was on the 8 M for a month starting May, and doing Eng channel, North sea and Baltic. I wish I had Been on the bigger boat for that trip.
 
Re:Daysailing

I would have always agreed with you on daysailing, but I got a bit bored with sailing along the usual Solent-West Country, Brittany weekend and annual cruising routes and keeping sails set the same way for hours on end. Felt I'd been there, done that on turning everything into a voyage.

It might not last but at the moment I'm rather enjoying setting out just for a wander round Portsmouth harbour or out into the Solent trying out sailing without a motor (or rather, with it off almost immediately even if there's very little wind), stemming tides, playing with spinnakers and exploring channels.

It also helps that I can just put a day aside, or an evening aside for sailing, not a whole weekend which means I can sail a lot more often. This is my first season sailing this way, and I'm more likely to take up a bit of club racing when I want a change rather than start voyaging more.
 
Re:Daysailing

My first boat was very old,40ft(!) scarily fast but drew7feet-oh God the harbour fees everywhere. It was not particularly sound so we never even ventured across the channel.
Second boat was 20'9'' Corribee ,went everywhere in all weathers in that,sailed in and out of anywhere, crossed an ocean,ditch crawled,always if we were going out for a couple of hours in the evening,where ever we were,(all right ,to some waterside pub and back), with friends from bigger boats , you just could not get them off the helm,big silly grins and just'messing about an' mudlarking..
Next boat was 26 ft fin keeler ,residing in Florida we sailed it a lot and informal Sunday racing BUT the options were so much more limiting ,and not sure it was THAT much more seaworthy..Sold it when keel rusted(thats my excuse) but really,the impromptu small boat trips were the most fun of all,and the maintenace and ''systems'' cost peanuts to keep going.......Which puts my wife and I in a real dilemma as to what boat to get next.
 
Lots of truth in this and in the suggested explanations. My move from 30ft to 36ft a couple of years ago produced a temporary dip in activity but the level has come back up now that I have set the boat up to be single-handed easily.
 
Re:Daysailing

Ah well, we've decided on our next boat - a Lagoon 410 catamaran to keep somewhere a cheap flight away - Canaries or La Rochelle are our current thoughts. Would love the Caribbean but we'd never get over often enough.

Was going to be next year, but we're having more fun than we expected with the little boat for relatively little money so we'll delay it a bit longer.
 
I think there are other factors here. Firstly, when people start boating they tend to start with a small boat and, because the whole boating thing is new and exciting, they tend to use their boats at every oppurtunity. I know I was like that, out in all weathers, winter or summer. Most people tend then to move onto bigger boats and become a bit more choosy about when they go out. Again, I have become like that; basically if it's chucking it down and blowing a hooley, I'm not going out. I've been there, done it and got the T shirt. So, its not that big boats go out less per se, its that bigger boats tend to be owned my more experienced (cynical, perhaps) owners who know how miserable it can be to go boating in rotten weather
Then there is the other factor of being asset rich/time poor. Bigger boats cost a lot of money to buy and run. Anyone who can afford to run a bigger boat probably has to work bloody hard to keep it and thus less time to use it
Yes, bigger boats have more systems to go wrong but fundamentally that does'nt stop them going out. Its still down to an engine or two or sails
 
Sound's like there's a new theory starting up here: Do boats with less gadgets sail more than those with lots?

If you have no mains, no fridge, no radar, no chartplotter etc. etc. then are you left with nothing to do but untie and get going?
 
I don't think so. I think Deleted User has got it, certainly as far as we are concerned, being self employed can seriously affect the bank balance and we do everything to keep the boat going, often to the detriment of the house, hols, meals out etc.
It seems to be getting harder to make good money, especially in my game, engineering, but the alternative, to sell the boat, is an absolute last resort, having worked like stink all my life to get where we are then to lose it all at the last post seems to bad to contemplate! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
"to quote khyber"
"Having said that, I've only been out on my perfectly managable 30 footer seven days this season - but that's down to pressure of work and other obligations "

this absolutelty amazes me, it is now rapidly approaching the back end of the season and that is how much you have used your boat.
there is no way i could bear that, what is the point of owning it, you may as well charter, then you wouldnt need so much money, you could work less and sail more.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Bigger boats cost a lot of money to buy and run. Anyone who can afford to run a bigger boat probably has to work bloody hard to keep it and thus less time to use it

[/ QUOTE ]Sounds to me like a strong argument in favour of the smaller boat.

There is also a consideration of age. Jissel is 35 and I seem to be spending a weekend working for a weekend sailing at the moment. I hope that will be reduced as I get her up to spec, but... Still, I suppose it all comes under the heading of messing about in boats /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It's well known that work expands to fill the time available plus 10%. I have a theory that it's the same with boats and the budget for most people, so everyone (or nearly) struggles to meet the running costs, whether it's on an old Leisure 20 or a brand new HR 40. Where I get better value with my little MAB is that I have to DIY, so I get to spend more time messing about abord. It's even possible it makes me less likely to call for help, because I'm getting to know the systems on my boat better than anyone else, so I'm more likely to be able to cobble something together to get me home than the guy who calls in the boatyard whenever something goes wrong or needs a service.
 
[ QUOTE ]
It's well known that work expands to fill the time available plus 10%. I have a theory that it's the same with boats and the budget for most people, so everyone (or nearly) struggles to meet the running costs, whether it's on an old Leisure 20 or a brand new HR 40.

[/ QUOTE ]

'spect there's some truth in that Steve...

As affording the boat becomes easier... you go and buy a bigger one...../forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
doin' a fair few miles in a 42, but enjoyed the first dinghy, 18, 22, 26, 32, footers all different types are all fun.
I don't like size snobs just like you nige,
lots of little boats rotting away all over the place, just like the big ones.
It is possible to handle Asterie single handed, just needs more planning earlier on when going in somewhere!
cheers from down here, two weeks 'tilll further south another 650 miles in one hop last one was just under 1000, and done a fair few miles locally.

ian
 
Messing about in small boats ...

Baotman ---- I have to agree .... my 19ft'r was used at every opportunity .... went creek crawling, sailing around Langstone or Chichester harbour .... plus of course the usual Solent stuff. But funny enough - the greatest fun was inside the harbours .... typical on the doorstep stuff ....

Langstone and Chichester hbrs are large enough that you could potter around for days with such a boat ..... and have a lot of laughs ...

Present boat is slower and a little bigger 25ft ....... but still suitable for similar ....
 
He may have only had 7 days ...

Me ... my UK boat under my skippership has jad 4 days ..... due to work etc.

Charter is not an option - as I like MY boat ...

To quote another - who used to crew my boat ..... "Nige I love sailing with you - its great fun, and to charter ... yeh OK .... but it's not your own boat .... I HAVE to get my own boat ..... !!"

QED
 
Ian ... you lucky so and so !!

I hopew all is going well and you are enjoying it ... I know you are probably like a cat with a saucer of cream .... lapping it up !!!

Wish I could be there !!

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Re: Agreed.........

The other problem with chartering in the UK is the weather. You've paid the best part of a grand for a long weekend and the forecast's iffy....

If it's your boat you're going to think, "Oh well, there's always next week. I'll fix that (insert one of the hundred jobs on your list here) instead."

On the charter, it's too tempting to think, "Buggrit, bluddy Met Office's been wrong before. I'm not wasting all that money!" Which is the first step down that slippery slope towards becoming a statistic...
 
I think that if a boat can be used singlehanded or with one crew then it tends to get used more. When you need more crew, outings have to be a bit more organised. This is probably why boats under 30' are used more often as it is easier to use them on your own or with your partner.
 
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