MBM Cruise

[Ianj68]

Hi all,

Having recently taken delivery of a new boat the family and I are fairly keen to venture a little further afield than our usual haunts off Poole & Bournemouth next season.

On the face of it, one of the MBM orgainsed cruises look to be ideal. So, a couple of questions to those who have attended or thought of attending previously. Firstly, would I be correct in assuming that my boat and experience are suitable for say... a cross channel trip. She's a new Searay 315, so a 31ft 'er. I have about 7 years experience, have my ICC and have done Dayskipper practical / theory.

Secondly, we have a fairly young family. Is a MBM trip really suitable for kids, in terms of evening activities etc.

Any advice / experiences would be really welcome

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[pheran]

Welcome to the forum

I would think you're amply qualified and experienced to particpate in any of the MBM Cruises. I know of many who have gone with far less - or none at all. And your boat should certainly be up to it.

We went on three of the cruises a few years back and can thoroughly recommend them for gaining further experience. They are extremely well organised and their success is due in no small part to Kim H's involvement who works like a Trojan and has the patience of a Saint!

Whether or not your short persons will find playmates is very much down to the luck of the draw. One of the trips we were on included several juniors who seemed to gell and get on very well. Obviously, MBM has little control over the composition of the cruise. This applies to the adults as well, and their behaviour. The last one we went on, to Normandy, was spoilt by one complete a***hole who came close to wrecking our boat and our holiday. Unfortunately, from the accounts in the magazine, it appears he is still attending these cruises.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue>A convert to steel boats and displacement cruising - the only way to go</font color=blue><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by pheran on 16/10/2004 16:36 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[derekh]

these cruises sound great fun except for the obvious 'always the one syndrome' I have 4 kids and a 28' cruiser. I would love MBM to organise a trip involving us here in North Ireland.

<hr width=100% size=1>Work ? don't be daft , the suns out.

 

[britemp]

I demand you name and shame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif


<hr width=100% size=1><< Sig removed at request from Kim Hollamby - he thought it might scare forumites! >>

 

[pheran]

My first inclination was to do just that. I still hold a significant grudge against this particular idiot not least for the considerable upset his deliberate and dangerous actions caused my wife. But I thought better of it in deference to the organisers who were in no way to blame.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=blue>A convert to steel boats and displacement cruising - the only way to go</font color=blue>

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

We did a few of these in the early 90's and they're great way of getting more experience and visiting new places but with the safety net of having assistance to help you out if something goes wrong. They can be as sociable as you want them to be but whether or not your kids find playmates is down to luck. The cruises are extremely well organised by the MBM team unlike one or two other cruises in company we've been on. I thinking the minimum length of boat allowed on MBM cruises is 25ft so yours should be fine

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Medskipper]

The cruises are always well organised and has already been said Kim does a great job to make sure everyone enjoys themselves. Also of course there is Tom who makes sure that engines keep running and people only venture out when the weather is ok to do so! So a great experience for people who might otherwise not venture out to sea!

My only slight disappointment was that I felt every thing was too rushed, its nothing to have to get up at 4.am. to catch the tide! etc. Any book I have ever read on boating usually states somewhere in it that boating should be relaxing with time taken to go anywhere! The last thing you should be doing is having to rush to get somewhere! boating to my mind is not about going anywhere particular its about being in a fantastic environment and enjoying it! Once you start having to get somewhere by a certain time it ceases for me anyway to be so enjoyable! But I do understand that time contraints can cause this problem. People who don't go boating often say to me "where are you going on your boat?" Its the car driver mentality! I normally say I don't know, I'll let you know when I get back!

Barry


<hr width=100% size=1>I just want to retire with my boat to the Med!

 

[kimhollamby]

Early starts

Hi Barry,

Trust me, we are not insomniacs by nature but we are touching on the paranoid about scaring people with bad weather (or what many consider bad weather which is a slightly different thing again). Early starts often give us an edge on that score and help us to break out of areas that typically get lively either as the morning wears on and/or the tide rises. Time and tide wait for no man...

In terms of schedule we try whenever possible to exercise a day on, day off regime as a basic theory. Occasionally that goes wrong, either because we get a weather delay and there is a need to press on to achieve a break later on. But days off are recognised as valuable, both for participant crews and also for the cruise in company team who often have a list of boat niggles and questions to help owners with.

I would hope, increasingly, that we are able to demonstrate the way in which a flexible approach to the cruising schedule can make for a good balance between a genuine holiday and a cruise that achieves a reasonable number of its aims (without killing the family). The greater range of weather forecasts available to us these days also greatly assists the best possible compromises to be arrived at, provided we call it correctly of course!

Kim

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[kimhollamby]

I'd rather you didn't. We do very occasionally have a problem with a participant boat but rarely are these problems deliberate in a pre-meditated sense and it is a very rare event indeed that they are not dealt with.

In the case you mention the owner of the boat with which you were unhappy has, before and after the cruise in question, been extremely helpful to many club members and given freely of his time for the general good of all. I did my level best at the time to resolve the issue and to this day find myself in the horrible position of equally enjoying your company and his! A genuine poison chalice if ever there was one.

Perhaps the real thing that needs to be stated in answer to the original point is the amazement I know I share with others that we can bring a whole bunch of boats together, many of whom have never met each other before, and have them muddle in so well together. It's worked well for 1987 and is a mojor reason why we don't try to over-=organise the social aspects, preferring to concentrate all weight on getting boats safely from A to B. No credit to us there -- more a great comment on the typical sociability of most people who go cruising on motorboats.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[kimhollamby]

Hi Ian,

I'm the Kim mentioned in the posts here and one of the MBM cruise in company team (Neale (Byart) is the Club co-ordinator, Tom (Gregory) is a lead skipper and Claire (Frew) is another MBM cruise regular). Been working on these things since I started a three event per year programme in 1988 while working on the magazine (have other day jobs these days).

Your experience and boat seem fine for a cruise with MBM. Please keep a careful eye on announcements in MBM as the take up is high and early application recommended.

Family participation is, as highlighted, a bit hit or miss. But it is much more likely in the cruises organised during school holidays. We try to place at least one during the main summer holidays, sometimes two. Generally the kids have a ball together -- very occasionally we lay on some special activity for them, depending on where we are, but usually they make their own entertainment with great gusto. We insist on a strong lifejacket recommendation for youngsters in and around the water and ask for responsible use of tenders and toys.

In the main our whole emphasis is on getting boats and families from A to B in an enjoyable and safe way, stretching experience but in an assisted way. That takes as much as an 18-hour day (for us). We do usually organise a group meal and one or two pontoon parties but socially we mostly let each boat find its own level in terms of activities, whether to eat ashore or east on the boat and so on. That seems to suit the variety of tastes and pockets that represent a typical cross section on a cruise.

Look forward to meeting you all next year of you decide to go for it.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Nick2]

Can Skipper the Westie come too please???

Kim

We have been very close to joining one of the MBM Cruises but other things have tended to get in the way. Hopefully we might just make it this coming year but have a question regarding taking a dog along with us. Assuming he has the pet passport and documents etc how feasible is it to take Skipper The Westie across the channel on a cruise? Has anyone done it before if permitted?

Thanks

Nick

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/Nick2> Our boaty pictures</A>

 

[sailorman]

Re: Can Skipper the Westie come too please???

only via Dover i think?.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[kimhollamby]

Re: Can Skipper the Westie come too please???

Nick,

I cannot recall anyone taking a dog across on a pet passport. It used to be you had to take the dog across on a ferry, clear through that way and the same back. Perhaps regs more relaxed now?

Hopefully some others with more recent experience.

We will have one UK only cruise next year the way discussions are shaping up.

Kim

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[hlb]

Re: Can Skipper the Westie come too please???

Dont think you can take an animal abroad on yer own boat. Has to be by recognised ferry or whatever. Dont know why.

<hr width=100% size=1> Flags Solly MFBR</font color=red>
Haydn

 

[Nick2]

Re: Can Skipper the Westie come too please???

Thanks as Joanne's surgical attatchment to him is already causing boaty problems.....

I will investigate

Nick

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://arweb.co.uk/argallery/Nick2> Our boaty pictures</A>

 

[PhilF]

Re: Can Skipper the Westie come too please???

is he a day or coastal Skipper?

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Wiggo]

as others have said, the kids thing is hit or miss. But through the forum, we have met up with a bunch of folks with kids on the south coast, and had excellent fun cruising in company. How old are your lot, and where do you keep the boat?

With luck, there'll be another Mercury meet in the spring (hint, hint), so that's the chance to meet up for the new season.

<hr width=100% size=1>Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione.

 

[BrendanS]

Can't see any reason why we shouldn't have another big spring meet! <g> Any sponsors out there?

<hr width=100% size=1>Me transmitte sursum, caledoni

 

[kimhollamby]

I've always stayed out of this in the past but if the feeling is you'd like us to get involved to try to sort out some structure and backing I can get that put on the agenda now my end.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[amf]

Re: Can Skipper the Westie come too please???

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr>

We will have one UK only cruise next year the way discussions are shaping up.

<hr></blockquote>

Please, please please West Country (please Kim)

Ta

<hr width=100% size=1>