I actually look forward to the weekends so I can work on the boat

Boat maintenance

I bring mine home on a trailer at the end of summer. It is parked about 10 metres from my workshop which really helps a lot.
The joy of maintenance is partly inspired by all those jobs that you look at when sailing and put off until maintenance time. So the first job on arrival home is the old oxalic acid on the hull. I love to see it come up clean again. Then it is time to remove all the cushions and other junk and just vacuuming the inside even bleach on the head lining. It just looks so much better. I still hate the antifouling painting though. olewill
 
It's a form of madness.I sold my boat in June after the keel got to the point of almost dropping off & after the relief of getting rid of it now several months further on I miss the little jobs you always find to do+having a cup of tea & a loaf onboard while enjoying the wildlife.Now I am looking at buying a replacement & longing for all the little 'improvements' you can make.
Clearly there is much more to owning a boat than just going out sailing!
 
Between my second and thirds boats I thought I would take a rest; quit boating for a year or so, do some gardening, decorating, perhaps have the odd chat with SWMBO.

It lasted one week precisely.
 
Sore point in this household.
quote :-"You think more of that ""plastic gnome on the drive"" than you do of me"

Almost every evening/weekend since June 2011, complete refit.
Tremendous feeling of achievement when something is screwed/glued in place for the last time after all the tearing apart and juggling with available space.
Work gets in the way sometimes, but still, I can surf and order the parts then.!

Howard
 
I am a full time carer, however swmbo goes to Day Centre two days a week and, with a bit of luck, I get down to the boat to do a bit - a v. useful diversion, even if I will get scarcely any sea time in. Well I am an octogenarian anyway!

Another Yorkshireman in exile.
 
Having bought my boat last September (it hasn't seen the water yet) this period of shore activity is priceless for me. It gives me plenty of time to get around the boat, examine and renew wiring, paint the bilges, overhaul the trailer etc etc.
I am recently retired so all my thinking time can be devoted to getting to know more sailing theory and spending lots of time and money on my newly acquired hobby.

From time to time I speak to the wife but I like to keep her working still.

My boat is stored on my brother's farm, the only downside being having to tread carefully through the slurry!
 
Well I'm like the OP. I sometimes think I'm nuts, but I use to spend hundreds of hours rebuilding old cars and nobody thought I was nuts for that, well not as many as think I'm nuts for owning a wood boat.

When I tell people that I enjoy working on the boat as much as using her I always get strange looks. I can understand when some look at my boat they wouldnt like the upkeep as she has lots of brightwork, but to be honest thats the easiest part of looking after any boat IMO. :)

Having said that........roll on spring when I can get her back in the water :)

Tom
 
I boughta boat last year and am looking forward to fitting out.Finding a problem as long as you can fix it,especially if it streches the boundries of your knowledge is very satisfying.Finding aproblem that looks like it needs a "pro" is a bummer!
 
mcframe said:
I quite like the intellectual challenge of winter work - you know what's on the boat, and you know what's at home, so have to think through the tools etc. you need to take ~70 miles.

Proper Planning Prevents, etc

"Would that be better with a ring spanner 'cos a ratchet one or socket won't fit? Ah!, but I'll need to /also/ hold the "other" end - Where's that stud puller?..."

"I'm on shore power, so can use a proper soldering iron/mains drill; now what bits do I need?..."

"I can prep/varnish *this* bit of wood at home, so on the boat, I just need to drill some pilot holes and screw it on, with *these* screws, but I'll need to countersink *that*..."

It might be slightly borderline OCD, but I have made up nice little piles of kit+tools+fastners+glue/paint/sealant to chuck in the back of the car - it saves panic trips to the chandler.

Luckily, my employer pays for all the mid-week thinking time, so I just do the "implementation" at the w/e ;-)
Click to expand...
+1, I have just as much fun in the winter doing "things" and SWMBO is the same.
Also going off on another tack, have you noticed how alike the majority of us are, part of the allure is the fact that we like to be independant, we can make our boat our castle, self sufficient etc.
Also its amazing how many of us like "risky" adventurous pastimes, a lot of us are bikers, quite a few like flying. we seem to be on the "same wavelength"
Stu
 
No one said what size theirs was mines a micro gem 550 which ive put at the front of our house and stripped im changing all the blocks winches and jammers re rigging fitting gaurd rails and electrics and l.e.ds shes my pride and joy since buying her last august the wifes re named her (that bloody thing) but she will be finished for april ready to sail
 
baltic said:
No one said what size theirs was mines a micro gem 550 which ive put at the front of our house and stripped im changing all the blocks winches and jammers re rigging fitting gaurd rails and electrics and l.e.ds shes my pride and joy since buying her last august the wifes re named her (that bloody thing) but she will be finished for april ready to sail
Click to expand...

That's the wonderful thing,size dos'nt really count.It's being the captain & being responsible for everything,the sense of freedom that seems to do it for me.Like somebody else said the sense of a independence & there ar'nt many other hobbies like that!Civilization seems to be closing in but we can still escape......
 
Nicholas123 said:
That's the wonderful thing,size dos'nt really count.It's being the captain & being responsible for everything,the sense of freedom that seems to do it for me.Like somebody else said the sense of a independence & there ar'nt many other hobbies like that!Civilization seems to be closing in but we can still escape......
Click to expand...

Totaly agree and the cost saving after seeing elsewhere on the forum £85 per hour that made me cringe a friend once told me that weve have got contagious disease its called (boatietess) you cant get them out of your system he also reckoned there was an other item to take into account and that was pleasure per pound
 
I'm just back from my first night on the 'new ' boat. Thursday night it was. Cold after turning the gas off? Just a bit... dregs in cup on saloon table frozen!

Car now full of oily bits (engine mounts shot- taken an easy one off) carriers of opened groceries, two sleeping bags and 4 elderly batteries, poor little Pug 106.

New boat needs a drive through Snowdonia though, much nicer than Lincs..
(sorry Lincs)

Risk taker? Does supply teaching count?

Looking forward to next trip-

Nick (Rivendell)
 
I'm happy with myself to enjoy working on the boat, if not I wouldn't be able to afford it. Boats are high on maintenance and at 60+ Euro per hours to have someone to do it for you the fun would gone just as quick as the money.
The other thing is that I like to think my work to the boat is done better then done by a 3rd party. I have seen some awful examples of that.
It's only the highly specialized things I tend to outsource like renewing the sprayhood or so. Engine and electrics are my territory.
Part of the fun is also to see how things are solved on other boats and steal those ideas with pride.

A.
 
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