Modern or classic ??

If you don't like boating then buy a classic boat. Classic boat is just another way of saying bottomless pit into which you will pour all your money, time and energy. If that's your bag, and it is for some people, then that's great. For the rest of us who want to arrive at our boats, turn the key and actually go boating, as new a boat as possible is a much better option. The ST42 is an excellent boat. OK it won't get admiring comments at the yacht club bar and you won't be posting huge long threads on this forum detailing every expensive and time consuming hour you spend grovelling in the bilges but I guess most boaters can live without that
 
I personally think that would be a big regret going from that lovely 330 to a classic style boat ,and I think your wallet would be happier too if you kept to the modern style boating ,If you want something abit bigger and abit more accomadating Broom 36 possibly???
 
Deleted User said:
If you don't like boating then buy a classic boat. Classic boat is just another way of saying bottomless pit into which you will pour all your money, time and energy. If that's your bag, and it is for some people, then that's great. For the rest of us who want to arrive at our boats, turn the key and actually go boating, as new a boat as possible is a much better option. The ST42 is an excellent boat. OK it won't get admiring comments at the yacht club bar and you won't be posting huge long threads on this forum detailing every expensive and time consuming hour you spend grovelling in the bilges but I guess most boaters can live without that
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Bit harsh!
 
Deleted User said:
If you don't like boating then buy a classic boat. Classic boat is just another way of saying bottomless pit into which you will pour all your money, time and energy. If that's your bag, and it is for some people, then that's great. For the rest of us who want to arrive at our boats, turn the key and actually go boating, as new a boat as possible is a much better option. The ST42 is an excellent boat. OK it won't get admiring comments at the yacht club bar and you won't be posting huge long threads on this forum detailing every expensive and time consuming hour you spend grovelling in the bilges but I guess most boaters can live without that
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My boat is 40 years old and I turn the key and actually go boating, as do many others I could mention.

My old heap has no Osmosis and a hull with a thick lay-up that could survive an impact, origional gelcoat and a real hardwood interior. also my boat is worth the same after 10 years ownership, how much have you lost on yours?.

We have a few newer, thin hull, overcomplicated boats with expensive overcomplicated electronic turbocharged engines, stern drives that cost a grand just to service with imitation wood inside that falls to bits after 10 mins, these are the ones that do not get used and sit there getting green.
I could if needed replace an engine and sterndrive for less than a grand, how much would this cost with your money-pit?

I do tire of this (your boats old so it must be carp) snob attitude.
 
macnorton said:
My boat is 40 years old and I turn the key and actually go boating, as do many others I could mention.

My old heap has no Osmosis and a hull with a thick lay-up that could survive an impact, origional gelcoat and a real hardwood interior. also my boat is worth the same after 10 years ownership, how much have you lost on yours?.

We have a few newer, thin hull, overcomplicated boats with expensive overcomplicated electronic turbocharged engines, stern drives that cost a grand just to service with imitation wood inside that falls to bits after 10 mins, these are the ones that do not get used and sit there getting green.
I could if needed replace an engine and sterndrive for less than a grand, how much would this cost with your money-pit?

I do tire of this (your boats old so it must be carp) snob attitude.
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Stop pussy footin' around, say what you mean:D



and mines 40 year old too, it's a turn key and go also.
 
macnorton said:
I do tire of this (your boats old so it must be carp) snob attitude.
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What has snob attitude got to do with anything? Are you seriously suggesting that a 40yr old boat is as reliable as a 4yr old boat? I don't just mean your boat but generally speaking
 
macnorton said:
I do tire of this (your boats old so it must be carp) snob attitude.
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Me Too!

Mine is 39 years old and yes I spend a lot of time working on her in the winter, that's part of the fun for me and many others. In the spring she goes into the water and off I go, in the past 5 years I have had one problem......... a dirty battery contact :)

That said I have had a bad year this year, I have only managed to do 1000 miles and 1600 miles last year.

Looking around my marina I would suspect that most "NEWish" boats go Ooooh maybe 100 miles in the year. There are two boats near me that were bought in 2010 35 Prestige and a SC35 ?? between them they have done 7hrs in 2 years. Many on here will say that leaving a boat stood still is the worst possible way to treat it.

Look closely at the engine hours on some of the modern boats and you will often see 200 and a bit hrs in five-six years. Turn key....how would they know.

Most older boats lack all the electric gizmos and therefore are easier to look after. They do however seem to lack the home from home comforts, but that said if I wanted the comforts of home, I would stay there. Consequently if you get pleasure from looking after your boat a classic is probably the best option. Mind you if you are of the fraternity that walks off and pays somebody to even clean the boat (and they are out there) it probably isn't the way to go.

Old boats can be, and some are, a better investment than a modern Frozen Snot gin palace :)

Tom
 
Deleted User said:
What has snob attitude got to do with anything? Are you seriously suggesting that a 40yr old boat is as reliable as a 4yr old boat? I don't just mean your boat but generally speaking
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I would say in general they arent......... but that is mainly caused by poor maintenance.

What makes you think that a modern day boat is any better, have a look at where the marine engineers are often working and how many threads are on here re "my Volvo electrics have failed along with XY and Z"

Classics aren't for everybody, skill sets come into play.

Tom
 
LittleShip said:
I would say in general they arent......... but that is mainly caused by poor maintenance.

What makes you think that a modern day boat is any better, have a look at where the marine engineers are often working and how many threads are on here re "my Volvo electrics have failed along with XY and Z"
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I agree that good maintenance can avert breakdowns but there is no denying that the components on an older boat are nearer to the end of their working life than the components on a newer boat and therefore, in general, an older boat is going to be less reliable/require more diligent maintenance than a newer boat. If you're an average boater like me who is only slightly handy with the spanners, then IMHO an older boat is going to cause you more grief and ruin more weekends than a newer one
Yes I know there are often threads on this forum about Volvo electrics or sterndrive failure or whatever but I think that's more of an argument for carefully choosing the type of boat you buy rather than an argument for buying an older boat.
Please everyone accept that I am not having a go at older boats or their owners and there is certainly no snob attitude on my part. I greatly admire many classic boats and their owners but I have some idea of the money, time and effort that those owners expend on keeping their boats going. I once looked at buying a Fairey myself but, reluctantly, I concluded that I didn't have the time nor the skills to devote to keeping a boat like that on the water and I think many weekend boaters would feel the same
 
Deleted User said:
For the rest of us who want to arrive at our boats, turn the key and actually go boating, as new a boat as possible is a much better option. ...... and you won't be posting huge long threads on this forum detailing every expensive and time consuming hour you spend grovelling in the bilges
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I am guilty
and I have been "actually going boating" only 200hrs this season :)




no worries Mike,
understand what you want to say, ;):)
but there are many different sorts of boaters on here, very difficult to generalise
 
Deleted User said:
I am not having a go at older boats or their owners and there is certainly no snob attitude on my part. I greatly admire many classic boats and their owners but I have some idea of the money, time and effort that those owners expend on keeping their boats going. I once looked at buying a Fairey myself but, reluctantly, I concluded that I didn't have the time nor the skills to devote to keeping a boat like that on the water and I think many weekend boaters would feel the same
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Mike that would have been a much better response to the OP :)

Now lets talk costs :)

Tom
 
Started something now !!

Been thinking of something that has been restored so all new electrics/wiring etc. One particular boat has Yanmars fitted which will probably horrify the purists ! So that sort of removes the mechanical/electrical mainenance arguement.

I appreciate the woodwork needs constant attention so prepared for that but have been told they need to come out , need to go into a shed for a few months each year ?? Can this be right .
 
birchwood330 said:
I appreciate the woodwork needs constant attention so prepared for that but have been told they need to come out , need to go into a shed for a few months each year ?? Can this be right .
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No, In the States (where weather is much colder than here) many remove the boats for the winter period and just cover and ventilate. That said I try and put LS in a shed each winter.

The reason being that when the spring comes all my maintenance paint, varnish. engine etc is completed and I can do it out of the wind without the rain and frost biting at me.

All I have to do then is drop her in the water, turn the key (actually I don't have one ;) ) and set off cruising.

Wood boats do however benefit from a little extra care in the winter months re covers and ventilation but you will find that they dont suffer from condensation as much as GRP ones.

Many people use their older wood boats throughout the year and then use the first few weeks of the cruising season when the weather warms up with paint and varnish brushes, or they don't bother with any maintenance and give the rest of us a bad name :)

Wood boats need Love, sometimes loads of it, other times very little, the answer to buying one is buy a good one, not like I did a....... wreck :) Mind you after a 3 year rebuild and annual love and attention, she's in good nick now.

There are many who wouldn't have anything but wood, me..... I really like my wood boat but wont say that it's the only material for boats I will own.

Tom
 
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Deleted User said:
I agree that good maintenance can avert breakdowns but there is no denying that the components on an older boat are nearer to the end of their working life than the components on a newer boat and therefore, in general, an older boat is going to be less reliable/require more diligent maintenance than a newer boat. If you're an average boater like me who is only slightly handy with the spanners, then IMHO an older boat is going to cause you more grief and ruin more weekends than a newer one
Yes I know there are often threads on this forum about Volvo electrics or sterndrive failure or whatever but I think that's more of an argument for carefully choosing the type of boat you buy rather than an argument for buying an older boat.
Please everyone accept that I am not having a go at older boats or their owners and there is certainly no snob attitude on my part. I greatly admire many classic boats and their owners but I have some idea of the money, time and effort that those owners expend on keeping their boats going. I once looked at buying a Fairey myself but, reluctantly, I concluded that I didn't have the time nor the skills to devote to keeping a boat like that on the water and I think many weekend boaters would feel the same
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Besides the fact that buying a new boat wasn't a realistic option for me, I'm not in the least bit envious of new boats.

Just as with cars, I'm quite happy to let new owners suffer all the niggling build problems and commissioning issues, organise and co-ordinate the inconvenience of repeated trips with the yard / factory / dealer etc to sort them out, and suffer the horrific depreciation (whilst in many cases paying huge finance payments) into the bargain.

For me there's no comparison, simply in terms of value for money alone. I actually prefer older boats on the whole, and there's no reason why they can't be every bit as comfortable, reliable and user friendly as new ones, albeit after expending quite a bit of time and work (but not necessarily heaps of money).

As said above, it's difficult to generalise overall and it's all down to how handy you are and how well maintained the boat is. I perhaps take for granted my engineering skills so see things rather differently.

I can see it's more reassuring for the less practical to think new is better, but it's not necessarily so.

I guess it's down to what you enjoy. Personalising and improving the boat's design and usability are all part of it to me. I wouldn't feel anything like as comfortable doing that if my boat was brand new. In fact I'd probably feel a bit cheesed off at having to do it :)
 
Trundlebug said:
I guess it's down to what you enjoy. Personalising and improving the boat's design and usability are all part of it to me. I wouldn't feel anything like as comfortable doing that if my boat was brand new. In fact I'd probably feel a bit cheesed off at having to do it :)
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That's me to a T. I'm quite happy to rip out and rebuild parts that are looking old and tatty, and end up with something better designed and better made than when it was new. But it feels sacrilegious to do the same to something that's in as-new condition, so I'd be stuck with what the builder put in with good-enough design and a close eye on the costs.

If I ever had a new boat (very unlikely!) I'd have to be one of those hands-on owners that yards probably hate, and have loads of stuff done how I want it rather than how they normally do it.

Pete
 
Having grown up in world of wooden boats and watching them quietly but persistantly decay from the day they were launched,simply could not devote the money or the time required to prevent wood doing what it naturally wants to do ...rot.
It is wonderful to watch some of the splendid traditional boats on the Thames cruise by in all their varnished splendor bearing in mind there is a very lucrative living bring made by several boatyards restoring old boats but it is a labour of love as old boats unlike old cars are not a good investment.
Probably an old boat is just as much of a money pit as a new one.

Give me a touch screen,three electric bogs,10 kw of lumishore and the gorgeous niff of fresh resin over worrying whiff of damp bilges and as to if its just a single rotten or cracked rib or the entire forpeak that needs stripping out and replacing.


Ps and of course you have got to hope that any previous restoration work was done correctly other wise that will have to be done again and with any luck will not have made any future work more difficult.
Which MBM staffer was it that discovered a section of 4 inch B&Q fence stake holding up his rear deck .........and that was just the start.:)
 
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