How can I book a Cowes berth during Cowes Wk?

[jfm]

Any ideas on how to get a W Cowes berth during Cowes Week? I promised to take a few bods out for the day during Cowes Week 2002, and get lunch onshore in W Cowes. We just tried to book berths in W Cowes marina. There are spaces available for lunchtime stops, which is strictly 12.00 to 2.30pm, at a cost of ahem £11.50/metre, which is £160 for a 43ish foot boat, and I'm doing it for 2 days on the trot. Eek. Anyone know how to get a nice berth for less?

 

[JohnR]

Wear a leotard when booking

 

[Geoffs]

Try East Cowes Marina, a little way up the river, but a quieter berth and there are many water taxis operating down to where it all happens. Don't know what they charge in Cowes Week, bound to up rates, water taxi is (was) £1.50 per person each way.

Phone number for E Cowes 01983 293983

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

£160 for parking for lunch?? What about E Cowes or even the Folly Inn and take the tender down to W Cowes?

 

[longjohnsilver]

Why not hire a caterer to serve food on your boat, must be cheaper than £160 + lunch. Bet the guests would enjoy it more as well.

 

[jfm]

Thanks all. Yes we did the caterer thing last year LJS, and they were really excellent so will prob use them again. This year I wanted to stop at a marina berth for lunch (to give the seasick types a walk on dry land at half time), and want guests to be in the epicentre not the periphery, so W Cowes it will have to be I think....

 

[Guest]

Re: pay up!

Ooh I would pay the 160 quid and get a nice ticket, and watch all the riff-raff coming up from folly on watery taxi, or arguing that they should be able to come in cos it's empty and how on earth can they justify 160 quid to which harbourmaster explains captialist system (i.e, calls them a cheap git) which enabled them to buy boat in the first place.

A good way to mitigate the feeling of how expensive this is to equate the 80 quid an hour as whatever fraction of the cost that it would be to sit in a room with that nerk over there in the office for the same amount of time, or longer. Which would you prefer?

On the first day consider giving the man in charge a bottle of whiskey to celebrate, ensuring that he knows your boat. On second day, simulate lightly busted engine, promise that everything is being done to get away as soon as poss, and probly get nice treatment.

 

[claymore]

Re: pay up!

Well, I was worried that the demise of Matts would leave the Floras a duller place - my fears were groundless.
regards
JS

 

[Guest]

Re: Don\'t be so miserable!

Is this the mega rich professional man who's wife is considering a larger mediterranean based Squadron? £160 for a lunchtime berth seems perfectly reasonable - have'nt you heard of supply and demand?

On the other hand, £160 would buy you about a month up on the Clyde and its much more enjoyable into the bargain. Admittedly, there are fewer posing opportunities!!!!!!!!!

Kindly yours,

Nick

 

[jfm]

Re: Advice taken

OK agreed. It's gotta be W Cowes so I booked it. Sorry to sound skinflint today Nick, it's just that, unlike you, I don't have massive capital receipt from selling the business to a competitor the other week. Presume you're looking at a massive new boat now with crew and stuff? go on, tell us

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: Don\'t be so miserable!

Oh, no, no, no, £160 does not buy you a month on the Clyde except maybe in some shitty B&B in the Gorbals. I asked a nice lady on the Sail Scotland stand at the LBS how much it would cost to moor my 40' boat there for a couple of months and she told me Kip would relieve me of £500 a month, not far off S. Coast prices methinks

 

[Guest]

Re: The King\'s shilling

Having accepted a very modest by Alcoholics Anonymous standards exit package, I have to come to a decision
a) Do I look to work fulltime again to maintain the boss in the manner to which she would like to be accustomed?
b) Do I become a kept man?

My answer is to compromise. I am investing a few little business projects whilst seeking not to tax myself. I am looking for inspiration ideally involving no partners, no clients, no employees and yielding ROCE's of at least 200%. Any ideas?

So, for the moment, I am not investing in another boat. When I do, it will probably be a motor sailer or a displacement cruiser as the need for speed has waned with age and 25knt fuel consumption is OK at red diesel prices but not at Derv prices. Although not an issue now, it may well be come 1997, when I may well be selling whatever I purchase now. What price large planing cruisers then?

And I was only joking. You have to have more money than sense to consider berthing over lunch at a cost of £160!

Nick

 

[Guest]

Re: vast quantities of sense

ooh that's a bit horrid. Sure that jfm's has over £160 quid's worth of sense - unless of course he capitalised and sold the lot, which I am sure he wd never ever do. Specially since you (also) recommended the caper. Fabuolous investment opportunities include the Matts patented self-perpetuating rabbit, trout and mink integrated farm. Otherwise buy into several other partnerships, drive between them a bit and lobby hard to sell out asap. ;-)

 

[Guest]

Re: Don\'t be so miserable!

Okay, I was exaggerating just a teensy bit but so are you or at least so is the Sail Scotland lady.

I have kept boats at KIP for over 20 years and my last berthing fee (2001/2002) was £75/foot + VAT. My 33 footer worked out just short of £3k inc VAT = circa £250 per month. Admittedly your boat is bigger but £500 seems a bit excessive. If you want to try drop me a mail and I will talk to my pal Duncan, who is the marina master.

Nick

Nick

 

[BarryD]

Re: Don\'t be so miserable!

Got to say Nick that KIP seems a bit steep. Here on the South Coast I only pay about £210 a month for a 28'. Course that's on a pontoon with power and water + 24 hour security and a pub at the Marina.

Barry D

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: Don\'t be so miserable!

I was thinking about trucking my boat to Scotland and leaving her there for 2 months only not a whole year so the pro rata rate is much higher.

 

[jfm]

Getta new boat, derv ok

Aha.... That's a good quality prob to have. I'm envious. Hope you find a suitable boat before too long though

I have booked W Cowes, so I have more money than sense, which isn't to say I have money, rather it means I'm stupid

On this red diesel thing, I don't think it will make much difference. For Mr Average with 40foot planing cruiser, 100hrs/season, the fuel burn is say 1500 gallons = 6500 litres each year. If it goes from 30p to 70p a litre, that's £2,600 a year extra. Not an inconsiderable sum, but small beer alongside the £12k annual running costs and a £250k capital cost, so I cannot see why it should cause 2nd hand prices to go massively South?

Which means you should go and buy a boat soon, not hold off?

 

[Col]

Re: Don\'t be so miserable!

What marina are you in Barry ?Poss interested in moving, so usefull to compare.

 

[Guest]

Re: Don\'t be so miserable!

Actually if you take my 33ft v your 28ft, pro rata we were paying about the same. However, one thing I can recommend about Kip is that they go on the manufacturers quoted length so if you have a dinghy on davits/bathing platform, it costs nothing extra. Plus of course, Kip has the clear advantage of being in Scotland and not on the boating M25!

Nick

 

[Guest]

Re: Fuel costs

I just think the pyschological impact will be stronger than the rational one you have just articulated. Actually I think the price rise will be greater, say 25p - 80p but the main issue when selling a boat will be the fact it costs circa £4-600 everytime you fill up. Many people will find that hard to take and hence doing 8 knts will seem more attractive. I appreciate that in terms of MPG their might not be that much in it but in terms of fuel cost per hour of using the boat there is no comparison.

Anyway off you go and do some work whilst I think of what to do next!

Nick