Elephants' Graveyard

[pkb]

Elephants\' Graveyard

With so many new boats being purchased - reference previous posts about 200+ Bavarias at Southampton etc - what happens to the old bangers of the boating world - ie where do old GRP boats go to die?

I can't believe that the creeks, estuaries, mud berths, swinging moorings, marinas, back gardens, front gardens, boat yards in the UK have been able to swallow up all of the boats bought in the UK since the advent of GRP.

Equally I've never seen a boat scrapyard or anyone disposing of an old plastic hull. Come to think about it how would you get rid of a plastic hull.

Or is there some mysterious burial ground like the mythical graveyard in Africa where old elephants went to die.

This may sound whimsical but its really a serious question.

Peter

 

[Grehan]

Re: Elephants\' Graveyard

In a similar vein, I walked along the towpath in central Reading yesterday. Off quite a pleasant but ramshackle pontoon, outside a row of nice little cottages, was a mouldy old GRP cabin cruiser three-quarters listing and full of water. By her condition she'd been there, like that, for years.

Just can't work out why. Why bother to just leave her like that? Don't B.W care to take action, or can't?

An old person that just couldn't be bothered any more was my best guess.
But maybe, in the light of pkb's post it's because there's no graveyard to take it to.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Re: Elephants\' Graveyard

In the last few years yacht production has grown exponentially. I really don't think there is a large core of written off boats yet, however as space to keep them and the corresponding cost increases, we may start seeing the abandonment of some of the more run down examples.

For years we have seen the bones of wooden vessels littering the shore, there was something almost romatic about them. I don't think that abandoned GRP will be quite so photogenic.

As too which ones will hit the scrap heap first - I don't think it will be a case of old boats or Bavs - but the ones owned by uncaring owners who lavish neglect on them. Like cars - once the maintenance has gone down hill so far - its not economical to repair.

 

[zefender]

Re: Elephants\' Graveyard

I think maybe they sunk.....

 

[JeremyF]

Re: Elephants\' Graveyard

Maybe we need the equivalent of the START treaty, whereby old B52's are taken to a desert airfield, and chopped in half so satellites can verify the destruction.

If we could introduce an MOT at 15 years, as per the earlier posting, any failing boat is taken round to Langstone harbour, and chopped in half.

Imagine the relief we would get from the demand/supply pricing of Solent marinas.



<font color=blue>Jeremy Flynn/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif
Dawn Chorus</font color=blue>

 

[tcm]

Re: Boat decommissioing

I think this is a great idea!

Except that perhaps the chopping-up location should be Alderney, which would make it wortwhile actually going to Alderney for picking over chopped up bavs for chains, spare anchors, bits of hinges etc etc. Instead of erm eating crab salad.

 

[JeremyF]

Re: Boat decommissioing

Oi, I meant the destruction of 1960's stuff, leaving more space for Jen/Ben/Bav's

<font color=blue>Jeremy Flynn/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif
Dawn Chorus</font color=blue>

 

[webcraft]

Re: MOT for boats?

An MOT for boats at 15 years? Now there's a brilliant idea. What we really need is more regulation and licensing, isn't it? This is substantially lest justifiable than the regular and unwanted calls for licensing for skippers.

Go on, tell me this thread is a wind-up . . .

The age of a yacht has nothing to do with its seaworthiness, and the seaworthiness or otherwise of a yacht under 45ft has nothing to do with anyone other than those sailing on it - unless of course it is being used commercially under the Code of Practice, in which case the equivalent of an MOT already prevails.

Long may this remain the case.

The only grounds I can see for imposing testing on elderly yachts in private use would be environmental - i.e. emissions controls on older engines and (possibly) the existence and functioning of holding tanks.

I do agree though that unsightly hulks would be better disposed of if no-one is going to rescue them. Can GRP hulls be recycled in any way?

- Nick


BlueMoment.Com
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluemoment.com/>http://www.bluemoment.com/</A>

 

[tcm]

Re: Oops sorry guv

was that yours then? You better see them in the yard, they're the ones who tell us what to do, we just bringem here and chop them in half...

 

[JeremyF]

Re: MOT for boats?

Yes its a wind up! Its the Bav/Ben/Jen brigade vs. trad. longkeelers

<font color=blue>Jeremy Flynn/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif
Dawn Chorus</font color=blue>

 

[Mr Cassandra]

Re: MOT for boats?

How do you get a long keel on a short boat? cheers bob t

Bob T

 

[tcm]

Re: MOT for boats?

Unfortunately, it is proving a lot easier to chop up the nice light benjenbavs than the ancient relics...

 

[Johnjo]

Re: Elephants\' Graveyard

Now that the early boats have a thirty year plus handicap,
It should be a even contest to see which can outlive the other.
The brick shit-houses,As was so eloquently put on a previous posr,
Or the flimsies.

 

[zefender]

Re: statistically flawed

Oh no no. Those still surviving old relics only represent old surviving relics - they can't represent those that are no longer here. We would never be able to tell whether their attainment of greater age was due to the life they've had, care or freak build quality.

 

[jimi]

Re: statistically flawed

The other 99% have all disintegrated, fibreglass will turn to sand, that where the Brambles has come from, remnants of old twisters,sabres & centaurs..

Jim

 

[JeremyF]

Re: MOT for boats?

All things are relative, Bob T.

Imagine what the streets would be like if they didn't scrap out 1960's and 1970's cars. I don't mind seeing a few nice old classics on the roads, but just the 1 in 1000 that have squeeked through the MOT.

All I'm saying is that we need a firmer regulatory environment for the seas. Firm legislation to force the old stuff off the water, leaving more space for the rest of use to share with stinkies and jetski's

<font color=blue>Jeremy Flynn/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif
Dawn Chorus</font color=blue>

 

[Johnjo]

Re: Elephants\' Graveyard

Having a crack at the Sabres now eh, Somebody being doing their research,
If and when they decide gracefully and quietly to call it a day,
The oldies that is,Not your good selves,
Will they be using Bens,Bavs, Jeno's etc as the skips to take to take their
remains to the Yacht recycling factory,where they be rebuilt into newer
recarnations of their selves, Hence keeping their bloodline pure.
Enough of this HWMBO is threatening to bin my tea ,

 

[halcyon]

Re: Elephants\' Graveyard

There is a alternate future, long keel traditional yachts have a finite supply ( build number are normally below 200 in total), while light displacement wide bodied yachts are being made in there thousends.

Thus trad yachts are always going to be in demand by people who want that type of yacht, and are prepared to rebuild and referb them. This is made possible due a very heavy hull construction, and to a large degree not relying on internal hull structures for strength. can have new internal fittings. Therefore they could well have a very long live as wooden yachts do.

Modern yachts, i.e. Bav, Jan etc are cheap as new, and full within the buying power of first time buyers, thus you get a market grouth with no old boat involved. When that owner comes to replace thought, he sells his boat, thus producing a second hand yacht. After 15 years there will be around 3 second hand boats and a new one sporned from that first one. Due to the low intial price, the second hands will be getting to a very low price, thus the cost of repairing the old yacht, built to a very light spec anyway, is greater than the value of the yacht. It then becomes the better option to scrap the 15 year old one and buy a 11/12 year old.

Thus the traditional yachts will be sailing on, while the new Bav etc in 15 years will be heading for the srapyard, together with the floating caravans from the 70 / 80's.

Thus it's just supply and demand.


Brian

 

[Guest]

Where do us sailors go then ?

I've booked my place.

From 2030 I can be reached at :-

Long Keeler's Sunshine Rest Home,
Sea View,
Frinton,
Essex,

VHF Call Sign ' Knackered'

 

[Guest]

Re: Where do us sailors go then ?

Would that be 8.30 tonight or tomorrow Vic<s>