Doing A Power Skippy Thingy

[hlb]

Well nearly.


So How did you get into boating??

With me it started at a very early age. My parents were definately not into boats. But at age 3 or 4 and it was always late on a November night. (Well late and dark for a three year old) My parents would suddenly announce that they were going Boating. I used to screem the place down and ask if I could come. But it was a secret parent boating thing where I was never allowed to go. I was mortally wounded.. Latter we went to Butlins for every holiday, (My Father had a thing about cricket) Anyway at about age six, Butlins was bril. Now the trick was, to arive at the boating lake at the crack of dawn. A big bloke went out into the lake with waders on and gave the boats a big shove to the shore. Here you needed to be an expert, some of the boats were crap, or leaked and there was suitable oars to concider as well. Once a dream boat headed for the bank, the kid who could jump furtherest got it, having first knicked the best oars out of the box. The vast amount being worn through and most broke on first serious use. So having aquired the best boat and oars that did not break, you were cock of the boating lake and spent all day there !!
Back to the begining. My parents wernt going boating. They were going Voteing. Funny wot kids think!!

<hr width=100% size=1> Flags Solly MFBR</font color=red>
Haydn

 

[Magnum]

Dad had an Avon S400 with 40hp Merc when I was about 11. Used to trailer it to the south of Italy every year and we'd stay there for a month. Had great fun with that boat, and it was quick. No rigid hull hence very light. Real back to basics stuff.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.magnumyacht.net>http://www.magnumyacht.net</A> - Princess P42

 

[jimi]

Was looking after a shitty little bugger in a baby chair, sold him before it was too late to someone in Guernsey

 

[powerskipper]

First memory was of standing on the front of a boat with a long stick, pocking it down to see how much water there was , and see if we could get this little Dolphin type boat back to her mooring, I must have been about 8 years old. she was taken out of the water later that year and lived in this enormous garage [ another story] until she was sold, Kids are expensive I was Told.
That's my first memory of boating.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://powerskipper.mysite.freeserve.com/>http://powerskipper.mysite.freeserve.com/</A>
Julie

 

[DepSol]

Was in a baby chair on board my dads boat

<hr width=100% size=1>Dom

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.soltron.co.uk>the website</A>
MMS - Discount Chandlery

 

[halcyon]

About 13 years old on the Norfolk broads for a week, cruiser called the Bittern, 30 odd foot centre cockpit, first real boat I had ever steered. During the week We hit one boat twice and crushed his tender, used to remember it's name. We went to Potter higham (?), watched a yacht come up, spoted the bridge, did what could only be called a crash u turn, boom swung out and took the tops of a row of petrol pumps, bounced of the bridge over the entrance to the marina, and went of down river. Any way we decide to spend the night in the marina, well it was really just a large pond, father at helm, nose into shore, I jump of the bow gracefully with rope, take a few turns arond this rod in the ground, look up to see father engage reverse to stop hitting the bank. Now come the problem, he forgets to go back to neutral, so after a second there's this big bang, the criuser carries on sedately back, and I stand on shore with 10 foot of rope around this stake. Anyway we tie up, in the morning get up and find about 6" of water in the cabin, pump like mad and head back to boat yard, sprung plank. The other thing that sticks in the mind was the number of yachts, mostly at 90 degree to the bank, normally with the cabin top showing above the water, and the sails set. I remember trying to work out why the were parked in such a funny way. Load of other memoeries of that week, but the lot for now.
Still the best holiday we went on.

Brian

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[BrendanS]

Aged 10 or so onwards for many years, used to go and use family holiday home looking out on Newport Bay in West Wales. Used to go zooming out into Cardigan Bay in a Shetland, then troll lines on way back, or stop and jig lines with 20 or 30 hooks on a line with aluminium foil wrapped on em as bait, and catch buckets full of mackerel, some of which we'd keep to barbeque in firepit on beach with driftwood, the others we'd sell on the beaches to holiday makers (good money for 10 year olds, in a week or two, we'd make as much dosh as we had in pocket money for the year!). Then anchor just of Newport beach, mile long golden sands, and swim.

Later as a teenager/early twenties had use of a boat in Salcombe (girlfriends father's), and would decamp to the caravan that was kept there all summer, and just poodle around all the bays, swimming and fishing. No training, no safety equipment! /forums/images/icons/frown.gif, but never had any problems,. Originally kept on a mooring at Southsands, but it was wrecked in a storm, and after insurance replaced it, new one was moved to a mooring just off the main slip in Salcombe. Party trick in those days, as the dinghy had been left back at the mooring, was going ashore further along the coast for beer and supplies. Used to swim off to shore with wallet in waterproof bag, then swim back with 4 packs of beer and assorted supplies balanced on stomach and chest - never lost one! Mind you it was always flat calm and brilliant blue sunny skies in those days!

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

 

[SP2]

Father decided to return to boating when I was 13 (he sailed up to the time we kids came along) so dragged me to Earls Court where we sat in one of the seedy restaurants next to an old timer who told us that fibreglass was not the miracle everone said it was. Did he know about osmosis before the industry?

So we ended up with a wooden Coronet 27 with twin volvo petrols and my abiding memory was my poor mother hanging over the stern holding down the starboard drive leg with a boat hook whenever we moored as it would not lock in astern (interesting). Spent the whole first season lusting after a Tough Bros Cobra 33 sitting on the hard. Ended up buying one and spending the next season in a shed fitting out!

Finally got boating in earnest in an Ocean 37 after mother moaned constantly that the Cobra would never be finished.

Mike

<hr width=100% size=1>That's Haswell - not hassle - www.spectrumtoo.org.uk

 

[hlb]

Ah. The norfolk broads and twenty five glorious holidays, mostly on a boat called Glistening Stream form Herbert Woods at Potter Higham. It had a petrol engine and we used to take a pair of pliers with us to move the stop on the throttle control. It went like hell!!

One time we came across this yacht stuck in the mud. So I tied this very long rope to it and my mate gave the boat full bore with about 40ft of spare rope. The Yacht leaped straight out of the water when the rope eventualy went tight. Never saw something come unstuck as fast in my life!!

Another time, we left the girls in control, they got argueing over the map. The boat shot straight out of the water and into a field full of cows!! We had three boats tied together, trying to pull us off. One got a rope round it's prop and drifted off down stream. We never saw it again!! Eventually with a series of jerks, we managed to get the boat back afloat. But that was after a Police boat came past and told us what it would cost us if we did'nt../forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1> Flags Solly MFBR</font color=red>
Haydn

 

[Tony7]

Last year, sold the plane, stoped smiling, got bored, bought a boat, started smiling!! still have a habit of trying to rotate and take off at 50knts.

<hr width=100% size=1>The Devil makes work for idle hands!!!!

 

[KevB]

5 years ago walking around a marina in Spain, SWMBO and myself thought, that'll be fun.......

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://static.photobox.co.uk/public/images/45/99/10714599.s.jpg?ch=97&rr=16:00:39>Nirvana</A>

 

[Peppermint]

Re: Desert Rat

1967 age 12 my life took a turn for the better. Dad got us shipped out to Tobruk Libya. Absolutely top place for young chap. Dust, heat, wind, fireflies, albacores and lots and lots of things that went bang. So in between a bit of light school work, my freelance bomb disposal work, dodging the riots, (the 6 day war had just kicked off and stirred up the whole region) we learnt to sail, waterski and dive.

Cruising started in October 1977. I took three, non-sailing, mates to Falmouth, chartered a Centaur and pottered about, learning by doing. Wet and windy but great fun. We returned to Mylor to find our car flooded to the roof. Still not cured.

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[longjohnsilver]

Re: Desert Rat

Well that must be a record, car flooded in 1977 and still not cured! Think I'd have given up by now!!

Maybe time for a new one......................

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[peterandjeanette]

Yep, flying habits die hard.

Still apply full throttle to the boat and wonder why it goes forward, not up!!

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[jhr]

Water in the Carburettor

<<car flooded in 1977 and still not cured!>> Well; some of these modern resins take a while to go off, y'know.........

First went out on a boat as a babe in arms but my first recollection of being afloat was on my Dad's East Anglian One Design, probably in the very early '60s. Then a succession of, ahem, elderly family boats, including a converted Naval Pinnace, torpedo chase boat and various others. Simultaneously, because dad was a y*cht br*k*r, a variety of (mainly American) powerboats. Also occasional trips out on the original Lutine (Lloyds YC) and Griffin (RORC) 'cos dad was a member of both clubs.

Had an Optimist (OP 287, sigh....) as a kid, and mucked around on the Hamble with a variety of knackered plywood dinghies with clapped out Seagulls and/or Evinrudes on the back. The rest is history.

On and off boats all my life, one way or another.

<hr width=100% size=1>Je suis Marxiste - tendance Groucho

 

[Admiral]

Post war 1940`s. My Grandfather had a motor launch and at that time B.O. A. C (B.A) flew Sunderlands out of Poole. We were passing a line of them when one started up, quite frightning for a four year old!! on and off various boats ever since
including sea going Chief engineer.

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[SmoothNBlue]

Bought first boat in 1982 old wooden Dolphin - sunk after 2 years! Ended up with a Sealine T47 in Spain in 2003 - sold last October, we decided to come out of boating for a while to do other things - lasted 6 weeks!!!! before purchasing a Targa 40 back in UK. We could not find the rehabilitation centre for this drug we call boating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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[EME]

Obsession

Obsessed by them ( and everything else with an egine) since I was old enough to see.

First ever trip on a boat was with a famous Welsh sailor ( Val Howell not Captain Morgan before you say anything).

Been looking for the 'Right' Boat ever since -

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue>I am WHAT I say I am</font color=blue>

 

[hlb]

Re: Obsession

No such thing as the right boat. Just a different one than wot youve got. But then if you have not got one. Any bloody boat will do!!!

<hr width=100% size=1> Flags Solly MFBR</font color=red>
Haydn

 

[jfm]

Snap, almost, Magnum. My dad bort a C-Craft C-120 (direct competitor to the S400) with a merc outboard. It felt frighteningly fast but was probly 30knots or so. It was a pure infaltable, not RIB. Ribs were not generally around in those days, there was only the Avon range that was just beocming mainstream. Trailered it to S. Ireland lots. He bort it new in 1974 (I was 10) and kept it till 1981. It was moored in a harbour 10miles from Fastnet in the August 1979 storm and survived!

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