Floating caravan or motor cruiser

[DougH]

I'm puzzled by all this. Do people want friends to come with them or not? If not, don't bloody invite them! If you do, enjoy their company, and there is little additional cost, unless they are daft enough to expect you to feed them at posh hotels - and you are daft enough to encourage the silly idea.

My son & his family come with us & pay for much of the stores we buy & take their share of cooking & tidying up. They are good company & always invited if available. but it does always surprise me that they can put up with the two old farts that Mum & Dad have turned into.

Searush, I can't believe this, something we both agree on 100%.

Even have to admit that the 'two old farts, description also applies to us.

 

[Scubadoo]

Just out of interest how many £££'s worth of fuel is an hours flying?

Well, a recent round trip from Shoreham airfield to Somerset was about £120 for around 4 hours ish flight time if I remember correctly.

 

[Seahope]

It seems to me that there are several different types of situations:

If it's a group of people who all go fishing together every Saturday then I would expect some costs to be shared so that the boat owner doesn't have to subsidise the running costs for everyone else.

If they are irregular guests it's the same as inviting them to your house, you don't require them to pay anything but it's lovely if they spring for a meal or a decent bottle.

If they're family you just pay and keep your thoughts to yourself.

I agree with you on this.

Given the costs of actually owning the boat and keeping it on the water most of the year, I will be lucky if I'm able to reach 20% of these costs on fuel this year. I'm hoping for a good season.

 

[beejay190]

I wonder what impact the masssive increases in fuel that have taken place will have on other forumites use of their boats. Will it be a case of 'Marina cruising' or to hell with the cost lets enjoy our expensive toys? I for one will be making more than gentle hints about running costs to friends who like to enjoy the boating experience with us and hope they contribute towards the cost of the fuel in some way.Am I being unfair and likely to loose them as friends what do you think?

The increase in the price of marine diesel (cushioned by the 60/40 split) will have zero impact on the use of my boat . I have enough money invested in the boat such that i am not going to let a few extra quid for fuel deny me the pleasure of using it.

When i take friends out i do not expect / nor want them to pay me a single penny. They are my guests and it is sufficicent for me to share the boating experience with them.

 

[epervier]

On my boat, I'm Skip, ('cause my wife allows me to be), and as Skip, I allow the crew on board to, turn to, produce victuals, beverages, make up berths, clean, tend lines and fenders, and for this privilege, I don't charge them

 

[oldgit]

Just out of interest how many £££'s worth of fuel is an hours flying?

Avgas at £1.80 per litre.Say at 30l per hour. About £50.00 per hour.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

If someone with a boat like Deleted User's invited me out I'd politely decline saying something like "I think I could just about pay my share to get us out the Marina" with a smile on my face. This leaves him the option to just drop the subject, to say something non-committal but not follow up or to say "don't worry about it, as long as you treat us to good meal". It's happened a couple of times and it didn't make the slightest difference to our friendship - once I did go but on a much shorter trip than was originally talked about and once I didn't for what it's worth.

If I can afford it then I'll expect to pay equal shares of consumables. If I break something through my clumsiness I pay for it to be fixed. If I sail with them regularly I also offer to help with maintenance (both time and sometimes money). A couple of MoBo friends are quite open about the fact that this enables them to make trips that they otherwise wouldn't.

I'm probably quite extreme about this though as I'm very aware I've made the decision not to spend my money on my own boat, so I can't reciprocate. In practice I find the people I sail with (both power and sail) enjoy my company and I enjoy theirs and they are genuinely happy to share their enjoyment of their boat. The costs factors is discussed when we discuss the passage plan (even if this just consists of "do you fancy going for a gill around Swanage for a while"?). If it didn't work like that then I wouldn't be invited nor would I really want to sail them I guess, as neither of would enjoy it..

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

If someone with a boat like Deleted User's invited me out I'd politely decline saying something like "I think I could just about pay my share to get us out the Marina" with a smile on my face. This leaves him the option to just drop the subject, to say something non-committal but not follow up or to say "don't worry about it, as long as you treat us to good meal". It's happened a couple of times and it didn't make the slightest difference to our friendship - once I did go but on a much shorter trip than was originally talked about and once I didn't for what it's worth.

grumpy o g, for you, I wouldn't look for any contribution. Your company alone would be reward enough for me

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

My father in law likes to get in a weekend's boating with his friends as a sort of senior gentleman's weekend every once in a while. He always offers to put some diesel in the tank and I let him, but not more than £50 or so worth. Given that he brings enough beer to drown a regiment I'm always happy to have him on board! But otherwise I don't ask for a fuel contribution, as has been said, its my treat.

All praise to members of the police I took for a day's jolly last Summer. They insisted on filling the tanks and we only went 10 miles or so between BBQ spot and pubs. As far as they were concerned they all dibbed in a bit for fuel, and there were 10 of them on one boat and 11 on another.

 

[alt]

Fuel price hasn't bothered me too much, I stick within my means. Having said that, I only have a little KAD32 (soon to be KAD43 hopefully!)

The best person in the world that I have on-board is my girlfriend. I always pay for the fuel (I have a big bower so fill at start of season to have it out of the way) and she insists on paying for all the food & drink... she simply won't have it any other way and won't come if she doesn't pay for the shopping!

If I invite people out for the day, I don't expect them to cough up money for fuel, but an offer to pay for lunch or a few drinks is a nice gesture. You will always remember a tight-arse. I have had a few scroungers on the boat (admittedly that I invited out) that I will not invite again, purely because of their lack of kind gesture... all it takes is "Can I buy you a pint" or "Lunch is on me" (And we don't eat posh, trust me!)

 

[rafiki_]

Who has friends that aren't boaty people? They know what it costs, but I do not expect a contribution. A reciprocated trip I might accept. As with visiting friends at home, I take a bottle or 2 of something along (not diesel).

 

[mateyboy]

ah but wind is free as raggies like to remind us at every opportunity

It's free until someone decides to tax it !