Immaculate boat, use it hard or compromise?

[BrendanS]

1 Keep the boat immaculate
2 Use it, and don't worry about scuffs, and if the odd bit falls off, that is what boats are for
3 Compromise
4 Other

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Definitely 2 but then I sail other people's Seriously though I have a few things I take care but generally I won't buy something that's so precious I'm gutted when it gets a few scars. I'd never be able to enjoy and expensive car or boat for that unless I could keep it for special occasions.

Limitless funds and I might be persuaded to have a Hunton and a Spirit in marina and a McClaren in the garage of course, provided I had a Nelson and a Rustler and my Santa Fe to hack around in.

 

[BrendanS]

one post and we have thread drift already. Hunton for me as well

 

[Sultans_Kapitein]

If you have a boat and you use it, it does not follow that you have to rag the arse of it. Just use it and take care as best you can. As you say, accidents happen and that is just the norm.

Mal

 

[SnaxMuppet]

Ask yourself why you bought the boat? Is it to use or to look at?

If the second then leave it in the marina, only go out when the weather is perfect and with loads of competent crew and enjoy your Gin Palace.

If, like most of us, you bought it to use then use it and use it as much as you want to use it. But recongnise that if you leave the mooring then things will get broken and things will wear out.

For me, the most important thing is regular maintenence. Yes, regularly service the engine but maintenence is much more than that. Regularly go through the boat and mend or replace bits that are broken or need attention. Do it as you go throughout the year and nothing will get left and forgotten about. Also, you don't end up with a hefty bill when you try to put right a year of repairs all at once. If it means lifting out then try to do all items that need the boat lifted together to cut down on lifting fees or perhaps, if it is a small job that can be done betwen tides, dry out against a wall or on a scrubbing grid as that is either free or cheaper than a lift.

Boats are in a very hostile environment and need constant and regular care to keep then in top condition... it is the nature of the beast. But it is worth the effort knowing that when you go to sea everything is in fully working order.

 

[epervier]

Why would you want to use it, "hard"

you buy the boat, then use it.

if you want to buy and keep it in the same state, you'd have to leave it in the delivery cradle in cling film, what's the point of that?
My recommendation is, unwrap, add to water, enjoy, if you just want to look at it, take a photo, it's a lot cheaper

 

[oldgit]

"For me, the most important thing is regular maintenence. Yes, regularly service the engine but maintenence is much more than that. Regularly go through the boat and mend or replace bits that are broken or need attention. Do it as you go throughout the year and nothing will get left and forgotten about. Also, you don't end up with a hefty bill when you try to put right a year of repairs all at once. If it means lifting out then try to do all items that need the boat lifted together to cut down on lifting fees or perhaps, if it is a small job that can be done betwen tides, dry out against a wall or on a scrubbing grid as that is either free or cheaper than a lift."


Spot on...... my boat lives just round the corner and is fixed on a strict regime (it breaks I fix it).Small/cheap stuff now, arm and leg stuff at annual lift out.
It is more or less always "ready to go" if time/money/weather/wife allow.

Hull of boat is covered in "lock rash".Asked Gel coat man to give estimate on sorting scratches/dings/gouges,he said "How much have you got",the worst ones get sorted the rest disappear if you do not look in the first place.

 

[powerskipper]

It can be done

The school boat I work on a lot is 25 odd years old and she is very nearly immaculate, we do spend time keeping her that way but we also use her as she is a working boat.

 

[s/v moondancer]

Use and fix

We sail 5,000 plus hard miles a year. We keep her as nice as possible and fix anything that needs fixing ASAP. I am quite good with GRP, gel coat, 2 part paint and a buffer...you can hardly see the dings!

We took the Capt. and Bridge Officers of a Royal Fleet Auxillary supply ship sailing in Grenada WI last week, lee rail in the water all afternoon. Being non-sailors they kept asking questions about 'ship's stability'

 

[Mymobo]

Use and enjoy. But keep it clean and good condition.

 

[Searush]

Hey, Brendan, why not a poll?

I have an old boat (couldn't afford a new one this size & would be frightened of breaking it) simply because I want to use & enjoy it. I want to own the boat rather than have the boat own me.

This thread wouldn't have been inspired by a bav34 one by any chance would it?

 

[jhr]

During the season we tend to use her, rather than keep her pristine with the result that I'm usually playing catch-up in the winter. With a swinging mooring it's difficult to keep her immaculate but I try not to let things go downhill too much. The tonneau cover's looking a bit dodgy at the moment, as Epervier demonstrated photographically, a few weeks back

 

[rafiki_]

Use it and maintain it. As other have said, there are things that will have to wait until she coms out at the end of the month, but I generally maitain and keep her clean as we go. She is then a pleasure to use.

 

[fireball]

If I ding/bust/break my boat then that's my fault.
If someone else bashes it and doesn't appear to attempt to appologise then that's when I get cross.

 

[MapisM]

As with most things in life, 3 of course.

 

[TamT]

Use it but dont ABUSE it.

 

[BrendanS]

Hey, Brendan, why not a poll?

I have an old boat (couldn't afford a new one this size & would be frightened of breaking it) simply because I want to use & enjoy it. I want to own the boat rather than have the boat own me.

This thread wouldn't have been inspired by a bav34 one by any chance would it?

It started off as a poll, but I lost my connection as I posted it, and couldn't be bothered to do it all again.

No, not inspired by any other posts, just a fleeting thought about general usage. Some boats you see, seem to be kept in pristine condition, but not much used. Others are heavily used and show it. Some are kept near pristine, and used as well.

 

[U4]

There is no reason why you can use your boat and keep it in great condition at the same time.....!!

 

[BrendanS]

There are many reasons why a boat which is used a lot will not be as immaculate as one which is not used but kept pristine. Just using it causes wear and tear, and the inevitable bumps and scrapes, and mechanical issues which require time and money, and sometimes removing from the water. So in fact, there are lots of reasons, and your statement doesn't really make a huge amount of sense from any point of view, unless you live very close to the boat, have lots of money, and have lots of time?

 

[[2068]]

Using a boat causes one set of problems e.g.
- Wear and tear on seats, carpets, people dropping coffee cups and glasses of wine
- Fibreglass dings, outdrives that wear out etc.

Not using a boat causes an entirely different set of problems:
- Musty carpets and interiors, unless dehumidified
- Sea cocks and other hardware seizes up
- Turbos get sticky, belts and impellors harden
- Plus the things that would be noticed on a boat in regular use get ignored

Having said that, keeping a boat in regular use in "smart" condition is a lot of work. Deep pockets is less of an issue than living 5 mins walk away which helps massively, as does being able to DIY most things, and knowing who to ask when your own abilities expire.

dv.