Motor boat musing

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scruff

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You will have to humor me slightly as I have naff all motor boat knowledge, so please be patient.

I have sailed for the past twenty odd years, but on a boat with those flappy things. Other than the odd afternoon in the rib as safety cover for dinghy racing moons ago, little "pure mobo" experience (lots on yachts with diesel & outboards though).

I was sailing around the Clyde this weekend, and stumbled upon quite a few nice wee houses / villages where I would be quite interested in living. I have to be able to commute to Glasgow each day for work though.

As I was day dreaming over a malt (or two) last night, the thought of having a sea front house on Loch Long, installing a pontoon for my proper boat and a small, fuel efficient motor boat with a cuddy to commute to Glasgow sounded quite appealing.

If I were to look into this more, & continue the day dream what sort of boats should I be looking at?

As this would be used each day, and to cover about 5-10miles each way I see my top priorities as fuel efficiency & sea keeping.

What sort of boat should I be looking at? What sort of efficiency should i expect?

This is most likely just a day dream exercise and I appreciate there are countless areas where my plan will fall down. However, please humor me....
 
Sounds great. If you get the chance, do it and enjoy.
You haven't mentioned budget but I would look at Jeanneau Merry Fishers. Some with inboards or outboards (depending on budget and size). Great all rounders, good seakeeping, enclosed wheelhouse, perhaps with heating (for those chilly mornings!). Relatively new and modern so hopefully no big bills.

Better to have tried and failed than not try at all...:)
 
scruff said:
You will have to humor me slightly as I have naff all motor boat knowledge, so please be patient.

I have sailed for the past twenty odd years, but on a boat with those flappy things. Other than the odd afternoon in the rib as safety cover for dinghy racing moons ago, little "pure mobo" experience (lots on yachts with diesel & outboards though).

I was sailing around the Clyde this weekend, and stumbled upon quite a few nice wee houses / villages where I would be quite interested in living. I have to be able to commute to Glasgow each day for work though.

As I was day dreaming over a malt (or two) last night, the thought of having a sea front house on Loch Long, installing a pontoon for my proper boat and a small, fuel efficient motor boat with a cuddy to commute to Glasgow sounded quite appealing.

If I were to look into this more, & continue the day dream what sort of boats should I be looking at?

As this would be used each day, and to cover about 5-10miles each way I see my top priorities as fuel efficiency & sea keeping.

What sort of boat should I be looking at? What sort of efficiency should i expect?

This is most likely just a day dream exercise and I appreciate there are countless areas where my plan will fall down. However, please humor me....
Click to expand...

A nice idea and one done by the Scandinavians on a regular basis. So, look at their makes - Finnmaster, Yamarin, Bella, Flipper and a few others. If budget allows look at 2nd hand Botnia Targas, Aquadors, Paragons and Minors.
 
scruff said:
You will have to humor me slightly as I have naff all motor boat knowledge, so please be patient.
........As I was day dreaming over a malt (or two) last night, the thought of having a sea front house on Loch Long, installing a pontoon for my proper boat and a small, fuel efficient motor boat with a cuddy to commute to Glasgow sounded quite appealing.

If I were to look into this more, & continue the day dream what sort of boats should I be looking at?

As this would be used each day, and to cover about 5-10miles each way I see my top priorities as fuel efficiency & sea keeping.
..... However, please humor me....
Click to expand...

As mentioned, done by my fellow Scandinavians for many years.... and done, but usually where roads are non-existent, or multiple ferry journeys are required. If road travel is available, then travel by sea is not often financially comparable with travel by car..

Then there is the question on how to get from boat mooring in GLW to work .... not much of marinas near the M8 from my recollection...

But boats ... about 25' and amongst the Scandinavians ... including the Askeladden Commuter range ... then of course you could look at RIBS .... perfectly capable, some with covered cockpits.... none cheap, and none able of competing with car travel for economy... Not sure when the distance on boat vs car goes in respect to distance vs economy, but would expect at least 4x favour to the car....
 
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Americans used to do this a lot in the 20's and 30's. All you needed was a few million (back then). Thunderbird was the most famous of them all http://www.khiart.com/travelphotos/thunderbird-lodge-lake-tahoe.html.

One for sale here ready for you.. http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1929/Consolidated-Commuter-1180552/Turkey

955281_0_100820101103_2.jpg
 
scruff said:
As this would be used each day, and to cover about 5-10miles each way I see my top priorities as fuel efficiency & sea keeping.
Click to expand...

Yes and No. Your top priority is
1. To do it safely
2. Quickly
3. Economically.
You want to be out their for the shortest possible time. You need a boat perhaps around 23ft, inboard diesel, capable of 25 knots. (like wot I have just bought).
 
The biggest problem is not the boat but the pontoon; there is nowhere on Loch Long sheltered enough, it would be in your front garden in the first of the increasingly frequent April-May cobweb-removers we get these days. The east shore of LL is well connected by road; you can be in Glasgow in an hour either driving or on the train from Helensburgh. The west shore south of Ardentinny can drive via the Western Ferry or take the CalMac ferry to Gourock and the train from there in little more than an hour.

There are other practical difficulties; Clydeport have a speed limit in the dredged channel and the river is more often than not full of debris which will clout your propellor and remove a blade. That said I've often thought there was market for a premium ferry service, perhaps Rothesay/Dunoon then direct to the citycentre; it wouldn't be any faster than driving or public transport but the lack of nodal changes(no faffing about with buses or waiting) and a higher ticket price justified perhaps by breakfast/coffee/internet/nice seats/keeping out the unwashed might make for a sustainable business model.
 
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