How often do you get out on your boat?

bikerbill

bikerbill

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Hi all

I have owned boats on and off for many years, so decided to get back into boats again, but a yacht this time as it won't be used as a dive boat. Anyway, this time last year was when I bought my Hurley 20 and since then I have only been out on her a few times. My plan was to use her most weekends, but other stuff prevented me from doing so. I have got to the stage now that I am considering selling her, as I am not using her as often as I should. My question is how often do you sail your boat? or perhaps if not sailing, how often do you spend time on your boat?
 
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I go every weekend, all weekend, and often a weds evening too.

I've only been sailing a year, so I guess it's still novelty period, but i enjoy the feeling of home aboard. I almost think I spend more time tinkering than sailing, I've fitted a heater now, and an extra battery, and looking forward to making a new switch panel and tidying up the wiring...

Maybe sometime the novelty will wear off....?
 
chrisbitz said:
I've only been sailing a year, so I guess it's still novelty period, but i enjoy the feeling of home aboard. I almost think I spend more time tinkering than sailing, I've fitted a heater now, and an extra battery, and looking forward to making a new switch panel and tidying up the wiring.
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My last boat lived in a very cheap council-run marina. I didn't sail her very much, mainly high-tide jaunts around teh harbour and river for an hour or two every couple of weeks, but I got a lot of use out of her and spent a lot of nights aboard, year round. There are more ways of using a boat than going sailing in her and as long as fun is being achieved, who cares how.

I, too, am an inveterate tinkerer.
 
I don't think we've missed more than a dozen weekends in the last five years. Quite often the boat stays in the marina, but I guess we average at least two days out sailing each month.

We're in the house at the moment - had business meetings up north and the travelling from the boat would not have been convenient. We'll be heading round to the boat later this afternoon and working from there tomorrow. May go out over the weekend if the weather is ok, otherwise we'll be tucked up reading or watching TV.
 
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We tend to go every other weekend if we can. We've had a couple of months early in the year when we only went once a month as weather or work stopped us but we leave the boat in so will be using it through the winter. We have also had a couple of 5 day stays this year as we made the most of the good weather - much better than last year :).
 
At least one sail a month is the target, even through the winter. Some weekends the tides just aren't right for where my yacht is moored. If I do less then I'm frustrated but on no account would that lead me to let the boat go - I intentionally bought a yacht where if I didn't use it it wouldn't bother me that I was wasting money as the mooring fees are low and the boat was paid for on purchase. I barely used the boat for about 12 months when I was working abroad a lot. It was annoying but when I could get to the boat it made it all the more worthwhile.
 
120 to 140 nights aboard most years. OK, some are in the winter, and not going anywhere, but mostly in two or three week cruises. Can't complain.
 
Over the last 30 years, pre- post- and with-kids, we've sailed between 40 and 90 days per season, mostly weekends. During the winter, in the yard, my boat is my 'shed' where I probably spend the same number of days 'working' on the boat and meeting up with all the other 'workers'.
I don't think that "I am not using her as often as I should" has any meaning unless you are depriving yourself of some other, greater, form of enjoyment in order to pay the costs of owning a boat. Enjoy her when you can and forget the economics.
 
Only actually sailed her three times this year - full weekends each time. However, I have also spent several days on board without sailing.
 
Some of you lot have made me jealous :D Think I should put down the lack of use to bad luck and make time next season. Going up tomorrow to do some tinkering and get a wee sail in as well :) Tempted to stay the weekend though.
 
Probably sailed every other weekend throughout the last 12 months (some dinghying too) when there is some wind and preferably no rain, snow etc. And if there is no wind I still sometimes make the 4 hour round trip to the mooring and potter about, read, drink tea, motorsail etc.
 
bikerbill said:
Some of you lot have made me jealous :D Think I should put down the lack of use to bad luck and make time next season. Going up tomorrow to do some tinkering and get a wee sail in as well :) Tempted to stay the weekend though.
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Helps to have a job that can be done anywhere with a decent internet connection! :)
 
We've only been out of the harbour a couple of times this year because the paint job planned for the winter overran into my first holiday in July and beyond into a second one in August, but we had a good couple of weeks and a decent weekend. Not as much as I'd have liked due to some fettling of the house in September and pants weather in October (should have done it the other way round!)

Wet again this weekend :(, but looking promising for next. If so I'll be aboard, even if I don't go anywhere. Boat as weekend cottage has much to recommend it.
 
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