New boat

[Guest]

Hekp needed. WIFE AND THREE KIDS I need to buy a boat.
Now as a family we still go jetskiing. Now we are looking for a boat.
Do we go for trailer size or full blown cruiser with moorings. We intend to go far and wide.
What courses do we need to do.
What equipment do we need.
Help please.
Darryll

 

[jollyjacktar]

Start Small

Start small [well, small enough for your needs] and as you confidence, knowledge and skills expand, so expand your horizons and the size of your craft. Keep within your own limitations and you and all the boating fraternity will benefit. Clear skies and plane sailing.

 

[trev]

With a wife and three nippers DO NOT start small - go for the largest boat you can comfortably afford !!
I had a wife and three little-uns when I bought my first cruiser and we found 32 ft just about did it.
Something like a Princess 32, Seamaster 30, Ocean 30, is a good starter boat, it depends on your budget - make sure it has a shower and diesel engines.
If you buy a smaller boat you will be back in the market after a year.

Trev

 

[Guest]

If you are jetski, then you are trailery too. With big 30+ footer you'll plonk the boat in and that's that. Searay do a decent range of small trailerables, and although you'll need a big car, you will get all around the UK, and praps to the med sFrance, whereas if you get a 33 footer which you can't trail, that's that, you're solenty or westcountry, or thames. Moorings cost lots weekly or monthly, so you'll buy yearly, and that's that.

Only prob is the three kids. If teeny for a while the sub-30 footer is a possibilty, esp if all boys/girls, as there a double up front, and a "den" at the back. If kids 2 big, then it's several dozen grand even for an old three-cabin 36+footer.

For a trailerable jetski feeling, 29footer. For long weeks far and wide, bigger than 40 foot. For a good soaking wet wind in hair aargh ooer a massive rib? and stay in hotels, but the kids need to be able to hang on a bit. At the boat show (or shortly after) they'll do sea trials.

Definitely one where you absolutely need to have sea trials, and where they may try and help make it all easy by picking up kids bodily and plonking them on -easy! - but don't let them help. If you can't all get on and look after kids and drive etc, it's no blimmin good.

good luck

 

[duncan]

seriously try and get out with a few people on their boats with the family for a day to see what it is really all about........offer to pay the fuel bills (and learn yet another lesson!)and at this time of year yet another lesson comes free - weather and it's ifluence on the cruising family..

good luck

 

[SteveT]

Daryl,

I would go small and cheap to begin with, I did this 15 months ago when buying my first boat. At the time i thought i had bought exactly what i needed. I now find with experience i need other things so i am looking to move up.
With regard to what you need to learn i would strongly recomend the RYA POWER BOAT 1 AND 2 courses which will also allow you to have the ICC which is needed if you trail and use in some countries abroad, plus it makes you a safer person on the water for you and your family and other users on the water.

 

[Guest]

Big problem here, unless you have deep pockets. I agree with most of the replies here - you should start small, except that small will be no use for most of your requirements. If you intend to take the kids, you need big - 30' plus for three kids - cos unless you live 20 minutes from the coast, you'll get bored doing day trips to the boat and going home each night.

Big means expensive to buy (if it's diesel powered) or expensive to run (if it's petrol) or both. Also, it will be a handful if you are only used to jetskis, so you'd better get trained.

You also probably won't know what you want in a boat, so take the advice here and blag days out on as many different kinds of boat as you can.

 

[c_j]

This is all about budget. I had a similar dillema to you but with wife plus four kids a trip to Southampton Boat show soon revealed that our plans to stay and have holidays on the boat and USE it meant that we needed decent accomodation.

I see the post from the guy who says "buy small" and then see that he is now changing the boat! Changing boats is expensive, Ok Ok I know that people get back what they paid in part ex but see what discount you can get on a used boat especially at this time of year. If you can afford to keep a boat in the water it is a fantastic hobby and one that IMHO will help keep the family together (plus freinds) long after the normal dropping off zone.

Remember that buying now will get you a great deal but you have the winter moorings and keep to pay, whereas Spring buying is more for the boat.

My advice? Get the biggest used boat you can afford up to 40 feet and do some training on you own boat. Good brokers will include some training and then go to ICC level. Buy now and use the boat on those lovely winter days when not many people around. By next spring you will be advising on the list!!!

 

[Guest]

Re: after 1yr all 30\'mb\'s for sale

agreed GW. If they hate it, it's for sale, if they like it - it's also for sale. Except for rivery types (can't go bigger) and ribs (there aren't any) and that rare breed, the hardened trailer(er) who can grind off to brittany and med and scottyland etc.

 

[Guest]

Re: after 1yr all 30\'mb\'s for sale

Actaully, all boats are for sale. I'd go bigger, despite owning present boat for 2 only 2mths, if:
a) I could get a bigger mooring where we are
b) I could afford to
c) I'd managed to buy SHWMBO the bigger house first

 

[Guest]

Re: options

Are you in PS, by chance?

Anyway.

Utterly disagree with item a), purely an excuse, you know they'd get you a bigger mooring if you traded up. Item c is easily sorted with the wife-proof MattS Patented Boatbuying Gambit. Which of course diverts any required funds needed for b)

 

[Guest]

Re: options

PS?

Please divulge Secret Plan ASAP. Could get bigger mooring if I buy the boat next door and scupper it...

 

[Guest]

Re: PS=Puerto Solente

port solent. For other info, see other posting.

 

[stewart]

Re: (Don\'t) Start Small

I've just started this summer, and took the view that I could start small and then change, but buying a boat is time consuming and expensive and not something I want to do in 6 months when I get bored of / outgrow a small boat. I went for a 46' Sunseeker, and after the first hour or two of practise now have no problems at all with it. Buying big was absolutely the best decision, I have a boat with the space to move around, lounge around, entretain and have friends on without feeling cramped. Don't be timid, just be careful at first with a larger boat. Life's too short for making compromises!