Marina Queen or Lovely Retreat on the water

Although there are a couple of larger boats at Hull its well out of place / too big really.
Folks from the South are probably too scared to go to Hull in case they get a nose bleed - which they might of they reveal themselves by speaking to a local.
 
My thoughts on the OP’s question…

It sounds like although you may not have been down to your S24 as much as you would have liked over the past two years, it’s still providing you with lots of enjoyment.

I believe that for most boat owners it’s absolutely fine (financially at least) to leave the boat without taking it out of the marina or even visiting. So I try not to judge this variety of boater.

Man mathematical proof…

The following is how to calculate boating cost per hour in a given year:

Total yearly boating cost = Mooring fees + depreciation + maintenance + fuel

Total boat usage = number of hours you think, dream, talk, proudly tell someone about your boat + (number of hours actually spent onboard * number of family members)

So in my case last year (and I think about my boat A LOT):

Total yearly boating cost = x

Total boat usage last year = 6 hrs a day * 365 days a year + (840 hrs onboard * 3 members of my family) = 4710 hrs

Total yearly boating cost (£)/Total boat usage(hr)

£x/4710 hr

My estimated boating cost per hr = £5.31

Certainly makes it one of the cheaper hobbies.

Yes, you’re welcome to solve for x if you can be bothered…

Back to the OP’s question. For someone who’s never aboard their boat the total yearly boating cost will almost certainly go down (less fuel etc.). However, total boat usage could still be high or very high (even if they’re never there in person).

Some ideas on how to reduce your boating cost per hour:
  1. Read this forum.
  2. Watch Aquaholic videos (this can backfire and lead to newer/bigger boats).
  3. Discuss with friends what your next (realistic or unrealistic) upgrade might be. (Again, if I’m honest, this can also backfire)
  4. Spend time booking marinas for the coming year in the knowledge that work/weather might get in the way.
  5. Please let me know of any more since I’m always looking to keep my costs down.
 
If I remember rightly when I went to the Southampton boat show back in 2018 there was a sign that said the average use of a boat was 21 days a year - which I felt rather good about as I had already hit about 72 by September.
in the winter months I dont take the boat out and my self and the swmbo use it as a crash pad to nip into London or just to get away.
 
I spend most of my time on my boat as a mostly-liveaboard (if that term exists) and I'm in my 40's. I've a reasonably big Trader (47 Sundeck) so it's certainly comfy enough. Obviously space and a lot of things are compromised compared to a house but I think with boats you either 'get it' or you don't. I think it's great that boats get used one way or the other. As others have said the only sad sight for me is a boat that has sat forever in a marina slowly going green and seemingly never even getting a visit, when someone else might really make something nice of her.

Then you see some others who have bought their first boat that may be under 20ft and they seem to be visiting her every chance they get. You have to admire people like that..
 
As others have said the only sad sight for me is a boat that has sat forever in a marina slowly going green and seemingly never even getting a visit, when someone else might really make something nice of her.

Then you see some others who have bought their first boat that may be under 20ft and they seem to be visiting her every chance they get. You have to admire people like that..

There are some moored within a few yards of my boat that fall into both categories .
 
There are some moored within a few yards of my boat that fall into both categories .
Me too. There's certainly a mix of well loved and utterly neglected here too. That said we took a battering from the storm last night so many of our boats are looking a touch 'second hand' this morning.
 
My thoughts on the OP’s question…

It sounds like although you may not have been down to your S24 as much as you would have liked over the past two years, it’s still providing you with lots of enjoyment.

I believe that for most boat owners it’s absolutely fine (financially at least) to leave the boat without taking it out of the marina or even visiting. So I try not to judge this variety of boater.

Man mathematical proof…

The following is how to calculate boating cost per hour in a given year:

Total yearly boating cost = Mooring fees + depreciation + maintenance + fuel

Total boat usage = number of hours you think, dream, talk, proudly tell someone about your boat + (number of hours actually spent onboard * number of family members)

So in my case last year (and I think about my boat A LOT):

Total yearly boating cost = x

Total boat usage last year = 6 hrs a day * 365 days a year + (840 hrs onboard * 3 members of my family) = 4710 hrs

Total yearly boating cost (£)/Total boat usage(hr)

£x/4710 hr

My estimated boating cost per hr = £5.31

Certainly makes it one of the cheaper hobbies.

Yes, you’re welcome to solve for x if you can be bothered…

Back to the OP’s question. For someone who’s never aboard their boat the total yearly boating cost will almost certainly go down (less fuel etc.). However, total boat usage could still be high or very high (even if they’re never there in person).

Some ideas on how to reduce your boating cost per hour:
  1. Read this forum.
  2. Watch Aquaholic videos (this can backfire and lead to newer/bigger boats).
  3. Discuss with friends what your next (realistic or unrealistic) upgrade might be. (Again, if I’m honest, this can also backfire)
  4. Spend time booking marinas for the coming year in the knowledge that work/weather might get in the way.
  5. Please let me know of any more since I’m always looking to keep my costs down.
LOVE IT !
6. take a few handy friends with you to the boat, those who like working on boats !
and do all the maintenance or rebuild jobs together with them,
organise the work pleasantly, interrupted with obligatory onboard eating and drinking ...
edit: that last detail would not necessary contribute to the cost reduction :)
 
I guess you could view this from a flipside.........Imagine if all the boats that are out there today, were lovingly looked after and in constant use at given opportunities, christ it would be like wacky races everywhere. No visitors berths available, marinas full of people like a shopping mall, huge queues at locks etc
No, I think we should keep it as is, with about 40% of us using our boats, and us then judging the remaining 60%, but deep down we quite like the waters as they are being a bit quieter :giggle:
 
I guess you could view this from a flipside.........Imagine if all the boats that are out there today, were lovingly looked after and in constant use at given opportunities, christ it would be like wacky races everywhere. No visitors berths available, marinas full of people like a shopping mall, huge queues at locks etc
No, I think we should keep it as is, with about 40% of us using our boats, and us then judging the remaining 60%, but deep down we quite like the waters as they are being a bit quieter :giggle:

I think you have just described the Hamble on a nice day in the Summer :eek:
 
I guess you could view this from a flipside.........Imagine if all the boats that are out there today, were lovingly looked after and in constant use at given opportunities, christ it would be like wacky races everywhere. No visitors berths available, marinas full of people like a shopping mall, huge queues at locks etc
No, I think we should keep it as is, with about 40% of us using our boats, and us then judging the remaining 60%, but deep down we quite like the waters as they are being a bit quieter :giggle:

Spot on in my view!

Whilst we have always wondered why people spend so much on a boat and rarely use it we have always been thankful that it is the way it is! :)
.
 
Most of us boat as a couple, and after a certain age it’s very hard for both to be hale and hearty at the same time. By the time one person’s knee feels better the other person’s shoulder goes....kind of a never ending ballet of un synchronized ailments. And it takes very little to make boating difficult. Of course you have to add the boat’s health to the mix, sometimes you are geed up to go boating and suddenly there’s a leak in the fuel tank.....?
 
Most of us boat as a couple, and after a certain age it’s very hard for both to be hale and hearty at the same time. By the time one person’s knee feels better the other person’s shoulder goes....kind of a never ending ballet of un synchronized ailments. And it takes very little to make boating difficult. Of course you have to add the boat’s health to the mix, sometimes you are geed up to go boating and suddenly there’s a leak in the fuel tank.....?

That is very true. I think this is most likely the biggest cause of a boat becoming a so called Marina Queen.

I also think that some people get to their boat and just stay on it in the marina for the fear of starting her up and something going wrong which somewhat detracts from the enjoyment
 
I also think that some people get to their boat and just stay on it in the marina for the fear of starting her up and something going wrong which somewhat detracts from the enjoyment

I can sympathise with that logic.
As I always say to SWMBO, we basically own a lump of floating plastic which is full of stuff just waiting to go wrong :giggle:
 
Years ago when we were in Chichester we used to see plenty of people who enjoyed pottering around keeping their boats tidy, sitting in the sunshine or under cover and rarely, if ever, leaving their pontoons. Not my preference but, as one might say, whatever floats your boat.
 
Top