BarryD
New member
How did I get into cruising?
I was "done" - Christmas 2000 - SWMBO bought me some flying lessons, I had great fun learning to fly, but soon realised it was not a friends / family friendly hobby. Whilst this was going on a some pals of hers bought a boat and invited us down. We had a blast cruising the Solent with them. I'd just got to the point where flying was going to be come very expensive - 2nd hand plane, running / servicing costs, runways, licence, currency costs etc... when she pops up with the old - a boat would be cheaper you know and in this instance it is - just...
I'd done some broads trips but not enough to know what we wanted. So we started to look at boats around the £25k mark - but quickly decided that until we were really sure about the "hobby" then we had better get something cheaper. I spotted a 4 berth Rinker 250 for sale sub £15k. OK it was petrol and 11 years old but it had a new engine and looked tidy, I also knew that if it wasn't for us then I could sell it and walk away without a massive debt around my neck. Once we'd bought it - the insurer said I needs some training / quals before I could go out by myself. Fair enough - but I'd paid for a berthing contract in Chichester - and needed to get the boat round there (this is November last year BTW). Tow or cruise? PaulineB settled it - "If he wants to tow it, then he should have bought a caravan". Well that makes sense - so with the willing help of Dave Steward and TCM from the forum we drove it round from Bradwell in Essex to Eastbourne before giving up due to nasty WX. Pretty brave of these guys seeing as they had never seen the boat or met me before hand <G>. Undeterred by this weeks lay over I managed to convince KevB and a pal (both Chichester based) of his to help me bring Firefly (or MVII as she is known) the final leg. Again we hadn't met before we set off to Eastbourne from Chichester in Kevs boat. Brave and foolish types all of them - the whole sorry story is in the archives.
I spent December, January and February playing with the boat and completing my training. We came down most weekends and stayed on her, snug as a bug in rug even when the water in the marina iced up. We took her out a couple of times but we'd been bitten or smitten by the lifestyle, the smell of the salt, the environment the general fun of it all. I blame KevBs new boat, or maybe the Wadsworth we were pouring down my throat, perhaps the shiny boats at Earls Court, or the electric shock as I blew up the fridge in MVII....
We sold MVII in March of this year - so we didn't even get a season on her and only washed her twice, we bought American Pie (or MVIII as she will probably become known) a slightly bigger twin diesel monster. I'm still very much at the novice point, I can't moor her for toffee - two engines, a bow thrusters and the ability to throw a line 15 feet help a heck of a lot - but at least I'm no longer scared of Chichester's lock. I know the theory but I'm woefully short on the .practical side, we love it. Short person (3) is a bit unsure at times (especially when I stuffed the bow into JFMS wake and we all got soaked) but he's learning to like it, and he gets on well with the other children at the marina.
I've met a grand bunch of people off the forum, and at Chichester, and even the rag 'n stick types on my pontoon talk to me. Mind you it's a bit of an all hands evolution when I come in. The only thing they don't tell you about with boating is the hidden cost - JUST how much white wine, beer and whisky can be drunk in one evening on a 32' boat? I can't wait for the season and the sunshine. Brighton this weekend if the WX abates, if not then freestyle drinking - I'm off all week, bet you can't guess where I'll be, can ya?
Barry
The correct phraseology is "Are we insured..." NOT "Were we insured"
(IMHO, BTW FWIW and NWGOI)
I was "done" - Christmas 2000 - SWMBO bought me some flying lessons, I had great fun learning to fly, but soon realised it was not a friends / family friendly hobby. Whilst this was going on a some pals of hers bought a boat and invited us down. We had a blast cruising the Solent with them. I'd just got to the point where flying was going to be come very expensive - 2nd hand plane, running / servicing costs, runways, licence, currency costs etc... when she pops up with the old - a boat would be cheaper you know and in this instance it is - just...
I'd done some broads trips but not enough to know what we wanted. So we started to look at boats around the £25k mark - but quickly decided that until we were really sure about the "hobby" then we had better get something cheaper. I spotted a 4 berth Rinker 250 for sale sub £15k. OK it was petrol and 11 years old but it had a new engine and looked tidy, I also knew that if it wasn't for us then I could sell it and walk away without a massive debt around my neck. Once we'd bought it - the insurer said I needs some training / quals before I could go out by myself. Fair enough - but I'd paid for a berthing contract in Chichester - and needed to get the boat round there (this is November last year BTW). Tow or cruise? PaulineB settled it - "If he wants to tow it, then he should have bought a caravan". Well that makes sense - so with the willing help of Dave Steward and TCM from the forum we drove it round from Bradwell in Essex to Eastbourne before giving up due to nasty WX. Pretty brave of these guys seeing as they had never seen the boat or met me before hand <G>. Undeterred by this weeks lay over I managed to convince KevB and a pal (both Chichester based) of his to help me bring Firefly (or MVII as she is known) the final leg. Again we hadn't met before we set off to Eastbourne from Chichester in Kevs boat. Brave and foolish types all of them - the whole sorry story is in the archives.
I spent December, January and February playing with the boat and completing my training. We came down most weekends and stayed on her, snug as a bug in rug even when the water in the marina iced up. We took her out a couple of times but we'd been bitten or smitten by the lifestyle, the smell of the salt, the environment the general fun of it all. I blame KevBs new boat, or maybe the Wadsworth we were pouring down my throat, perhaps the shiny boats at Earls Court, or the electric shock as I blew up the fridge in MVII....
We sold MVII in March of this year - so we didn't even get a season on her and only washed her twice, we bought American Pie (or MVIII as she will probably become known) a slightly bigger twin diesel monster. I'm still very much at the novice point, I can't moor her for toffee - two engines, a bow thrusters and the ability to throw a line 15 feet help a heck of a lot - but at least I'm no longer scared of Chichester's lock. I know the theory but I'm woefully short on the .practical side, we love it. Short person (3) is a bit unsure at times (especially when I stuffed the bow into JFMS wake and we all got soaked) but he's learning to like it, and he gets on well with the other children at the marina.
I've met a grand bunch of people off the forum, and at Chichester, and even the rag 'n stick types on my pontoon talk to me. Mind you it's a bit of an all hands evolution when I come in. The only thing they don't tell you about with boating is the hidden cost - JUST how much white wine, beer and whisky can be drunk in one evening on a 32' boat? I can't wait for the season and the sunshine. Brighton this weekend if the WX abates, if not then freestyle drinking - I'm off all week, bet you can't guess where I'll be, can ya?
Barry
The correct phraseology is "Are we insured..." NOT "Were we insured"
(IMHO, BTW FWIW and NWGOI)
