How many hours per year do you do?

[Happy1]

I am interested in how many hours the average person does per year in their boat, this will be a consideration in choosing the correct engine for our next boat.

SWMBO seems to think that you don't need to go far to enjoy yourself, my answer would be then that perhaps if you are not planning on doing loads of hours, then a secondhand boat may be better value for money. I must say that I would prefer to use a boat if I had invested in a new bigger more capable one, but then that would create more service costs, all these need to be looked at before jumping into the market IMHO.

I know a guy who has just bought a 28ft boat with a 5ltr petrol engine, he got it for a bargain, is that the way to go? I don't ever want to be stuck with a boat I can't afford to use. Any views or comments on this?

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[BarryH]

Lots and lots and a few more. What you've got to sak yourselfis what do you want to use the boat for. Only you can answer that. A bigger non trailable boat based at Chatham would only be limited by the time you have spaer to use it. So if you take the average weekend what would your distance limit be in time. Wit a trailer boaty you'll get to see more places but be limited by weather etc etc. What do you want to use it for?

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[andyball]

I've read many times that the actual average for (presumably?) newish boats is a tiny 50hrs a year.

It surely depends how much spare time you have...we manage 200+ a year mainly pottering about the harbour + many more just sitting aboard- I'd expect us to do 500+ in a larger boat (still looking).

Best value is prob the right boat with few hours,all the extras added + sensible mods & someone else took the 20%(?) depreciation....but finding one may be harder than it sounds.

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[hlb]

Mines 14 years old and has done 1100 Hours over about four owners. So that must be some thing like average. Mind you, it had only done 600 when I bought it!!

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue>No one can force me to come here.<font color=red> I'm a volunteer!!.<font color=blue>

Haydn

 

[Moose]

We have done 227hours in 9 months.

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EL MOOSEO

 

[Happy1]

I am wondering if bigger boats do less sea miles/hours than smaller ones that bomb about more. Haydns average at say 90 per year for a larger boat seems a good guide, I am just trying to work out the economics between large and small, e.g. pro's and con's. Barry is right in the fact that I would be really stuck at Chatham if I want to be able to pop there in the weekday evenings (40 mins each way) and do a bit of fishing or potter about. I can't really imagine wanting to sleep on a boat in a marina 40 mins from a reasonable home and bed unless in an emergency. If I go to the South Coast I will lose my weekday evening trips, but will benefit from, well I don't really know. I do know that when I trail my present boat down there it costs about £40 each way, plus slipway charges (not been charged yet though), plus wear and tear on car, cost of maintaining trailer, loss of use of berth whilst away, plus wasted hours sitting in car.

So is the answer keep what I have and charter a bigger boat on the South Coast when I want to? I don't know the cost of chartering, but it may be an option. It would be interesting to calculate the costs of buying and keeping a 28ft boat for a year, with no costs hidden, then work out how many charter days you could get for that amount.

OR get a syndicate together and share a boat that is kept on the South Coast, or even abroad as suggested on other threads. That way you would benefit from both worlds. It has to be cheaper than keeping two boats which we were thinking of, our present one here, and a new one there.

What do you think?

<font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[Happy1]

I take it you are diesel, I wonder what that would have cost in petrol?

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[DepSol]

More "research" eh. Do you know the difference between astronomers and astronaughts?

<hr width=100% size=1>Dom

Now where is that Brendan hiding?

 

[Happy1]

Have you been drinking that S***ron again? /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[pbdrivers]

As it happens I have owned my boat, a 27' 11'' (28 foot for cash) sealine 270 for exactly a year. I have used her for 100 hours. Kept at Port Insolent. She runs on diesel at 30 pence per litre (average) and about 12 litres per hour. I have just had the service on the engine, drive leg, lift scrub and anti-foul and put back in the water.
Total running costs for the year (apart from purchase price of course)...
£4500. That includes berthing, fuel, servicing and buying odds and sods that break off and need replacing.
I suppose in real terms that works out to an average of (sheesh i wish I hadnt done this) £45 per hour
Havent even bothered factring in the 'D' word either
I can't really comment on how this would compare with a petrol equivalent other than the original purchase price (for the same spec boat as mine but with petrol(s) would be less but the running/fuel costs would be that much higher.
For what it's worth....I have seen similar boats to mine but with petrol engine advertised for sale at about 10-12 grand less. In other words.....if i had bought the petrol equivalent and saved myself that 10 grand and put it into a petrol spending munny fund then at the rate i am going now it would possibly take me 10 years to spend it all on fuel.

<hr width=100% size=1>Please help, every time I learn something new it pushes out the old stuff.

 

[duncan]

250 engine hours
250 bar & barbie hours
150 fishing hours

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[Happy1]

Do you just need the one service a year with 100hrs average? That was interesting about the petrol Diesel comparison, of course we don't know what the future is for diesel, if it were to be taxed as petrol I wonder what would happen to the diesel and petrol boat market? Perhpas my new berthing neighbour knows what he is doing, he saved about £14k going for a petrol 1998 boat, as you say you would need to do a lot of hours to spend that, including interest of course. Well perhaps I will have to put petrols into the pot, it's getting very confusing even for me /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

I guess you get better performance from petrol, but have the upset of the filling up bills each weekend, you just have to chrage it to your savings account with that large wedge of cash you saved and forget about it I suppose.

Thanks for the info very interesting

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[Moose]

Oh Yes, Diesel!!!

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EL MOOSEO

 

[Happy1]

When do you get time to make love? /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[Happy1]

You are one heavy user, but I would hope to do pretty similar hours, so say 30p a litre for diesel and 90p for petrol, how much fuel have you used on average and the difference between the two in £'s sterling

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[duncan]

all a matter of priorities./forums/images/icons/smile.gif

second hand petrol market is good value but there are some new diesels at reasonable prices as the manufactures compete to get their engines fitted

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[Col]

Yep Duncan! That's about right <BG>

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/colspics> Cols Picture Album</A>

 

[Happy1]

Re diesels, But why, do they know something we don't? You never get anything for nothing, they are either trying to get you into the service/warranty con circle, or know that diesel will be going up in price and don't want to be left with a load of engines.

By the way Volvo are launching new lighter more efficient diesel engines at the SBS, so watch this space!

Oh and why do boats not have indictors for occassional use like in marinas, small rivers e.t.c. I may fit some /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[pbdrivers]

Yes you get better performance with petrols. However i think that is only a matter of acceleration to get over the hump and onto the plane. Yup mine only has 200 hp diesel but she will still do 27 knots at 3250 rpm and 30 knots still pulling on a flat calm day. The turbo kicks in at about 2750 and whoooooeee. Its still fun with an oil burner tha knows

<hr width=100% size=1>Please help, every time I learn something new it pushes out the old stuff.

 

[DepSol]

Astronomers dream about being up with the stars and sit there figuring out how everything works and Astronaughts get out there and see the stars and arent to worried about how it all works.



<hr width=100% size=1>Dom

Now where is that Brendan hiding?