How far away is your boat?

[Andy__F]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum but been reading MBY for some years having always had an interest.

Lockdown boredom and ambitious financial planning has led me to the decision that I should bite the bullet and buy a boat in a year or so. Other than choosing the boat, I need to work out where to keep it. I'm moving to just south of Bristol shortly, but not really sure where I should start with where to keep the boat. I'm looking at boats around 8m so towing wouldn't be an option, so marina berths or dry stack will be the plan.

My first choice would be Torquay having had a lot of fun there on boats when I was younger, however it will be around a 1 hour 30 drive down there, which I'm (the Mrs) concerned will make day trips to the boat a hassle because of a 3 hour round trip. I don't mind the drive but I'm (the Mrs) worried I won't get the use I'd like because of the travel time.

My questions then would be
a) How far away is your boat?
b) Do you find the time to go as much as you'd like because of travel time?

Thanks everyone.

 

[Prose Echo]

7 minute drive and there most weekends and week day evenings too.

 

[alancollins]

My boatyard is 40 miles from home, but a motorway trip takes only 50 minutes. Any more than this and I would want to stay aboard overnight.

 

[Bluemu]

a) 17,091.6km
b) no, I don’t get there enough . i think the grammatical answer is ‘yes’

 

[Jamie Dundee]

5 minutes by truck. Check it at least once every day and get out whenever possible, even if only for an hour or so.

 

[Boathook]

2 hours drive each way. Still do the odd day sail but now stay on board for a night at least.

 

[prv]

Five minutes as long as there isn’t a train at the level crossing.

Pete

 

[Poignard]

Probably between 300-400 miles.

But, being retired, I can go there for several weeks at a time.

A friend of mine has the ideal solution. His main boat is in France but he has a smaller one for pottering about in close to where he lives in the UK.

 

[Bouba]

9 kilometers by car. 6 kilometers by foot

 

[Portofino]

a, Around 5 hrs by car , but a pleasant journey across the Alps through N Italy to Liguria .
b , Yes pretty much , retired .But it ( boating ) competes with other time consuming hobbies within a normally busy diary.

Tend to stay on it for at least a week at a time .Most was a stint of 3 weeks .Med summer and all that .

 

[Sticky Fingers]

148 miles, about 2:30 - 3:00 drive each way. We don't do day trips. In fact we tend to do 4 day weekends or longer, the amount of faffing about opening, provisioning. cleaning and putting away is the same for 2 days or 4.

What I would say to the OP is to pick somewhere to keep the boat that you like to visit and where there are places to go!

 

[Richard.C]

About 220 miles, on average 4hrs each way. I would consider anything less than 2hrs to be good for a day trip.

I guess it's all relative to what distance you currently travel.

 

[Andy__F]

Thanks for all the input so far, sounds like a boat comfortable for a night onboard will be a good idea.

 

[Anthonyexmouth]

I'm lucky, I can see 2 of my 3 moorings from my garden and can cycle down in less than 2/3 mins 5 mins if i grab a costa on the way. I guess if it's on a stack it'd be ok but i can't imagine the stress of having a boat afloat and being miles away.

 

[rogerthebodger]

800 Km and it takes us 10 hours including stops for breakfast, lunch, afternoon coffee and fuel.

When I go we stay a month and then back home a month but the lockdown as messed that up big time

 

[Robin]

I eat sleep, breath and all stations between on mine these days previously have lived half a mile away and 80 miles away from boats in Poole, lived on one in Florida and a mile from another later one. I have several Bristolian friends who keep boats in Poole. Son lives in Swindon, keeps his in Southampton somewhere in drystack

 

[Seastoke]

a) 17,091.6km
b) no, I don’t get there enough . i think the grammatical answer is ‘yes’

Does you boar do 64.253 litres per hour..

 

[Alanij]

Boat is ~115 miles from home, journey can take from 2hrs 45min to over 3 1/2 hours. Have done day visits to work on boat, but at least two nights stay if taking her out.

 

[MapisM]

a) How far away is your boat?
b) Do you find the time to go as much as you'd like because of travel time?

a) a 20 mins drive to the airport, plus one hour flight, plus one hour drive, plus 45 mins ferry. Say 5 hours door to door, give or take.
b) Can't see why that should affect the boat usage.
It's rather the other way round: I'm back home a bit more rarely than I would if it weren't for travel time!

 

[crazy4557]

a) 2 days away by car/ferry.
b) Nope only use it once a year.