tcm
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It must be quite tough doing a boat mag. Cos after a while all the places wil have been reviewed, and it's just a matter of waiting for new stuff to try out, or some large boat to smash up for interesting pics. So, what new things need addressing?
Getting to the boat. More detailed info needed, including the back doubles around Haslemere on the A3 and whether it's really worth driving thru Fleet service station when the M3 is stationery.
Walloping the boat. All newbies are very worried about this, and even old hands don't have much idea of what sort of pontoon punishemnet a boat can take. Full test and nice photgraphs of what happens when you drive at a wooden/concrete pontoon at various speeds. Obviously need a spare boat or two for this, but that MBY one doesn't seem to get loads of action does it? And it's still under warranty
Thrashing the boat. At the start of a boat test, the boat is all nice and clen. And just the same at the end of the boat test. Not what I'd called "tested" with steaming engines. How about some 0-30knot times? Emergency stops.
Gin palace series. They tested those gins a few years back. But then left it alone. A nice guide of suitable composition of a drinks cabinet please. Also if it's ok to clean things with yukky flavoured brandy.
Let the other half decide issue, where a lot of other halves chose a boat based on nothing to do with the engine or handling or suchlike. Group tests with boats just blobbed together on basis of price.
Free moorings. Where in the UK (and elsewhere) can you moor up for nothing at all overnight? What if you sneak in quite late and leave early? Or ask for fuel really late, they say thiv all gone home and you go to start the boat and ahem ooh dearie me no fuel I'll wait here?
Cheapy antifoul questions. Would dulux be okay? Would it be okay not to bother scraping the hull. What if you just let it dry and paint over the crud? Again, one for the magazine boat.
The titanic question. How much water can get in a boat before it really will sink? A foot deep? They all say "step up to the liferaft" but if it's all a dramatic kersploosh like the Titanic film it sounds a bit better to jump in the liferaft sooner rather than later. And how long does it take to sink, really?
Rope questions. How do you stop ropes squeaking, and are buckets of water or WD40 all over the rope best. Also, it looks like all the ropes used for boats are strong enough to actually dangle the boat in the air, it weighs a ton and costs a bomb. So, how stingy can you be with the string? I bet most boats would b ok with sisal, or even packing tape for an overnight stay in calm waters. New product ideas could include whether it would be an idea to replace all the stupid ropes with a couple of metal clamp things to clamp on to the pontoon, bosh, no more squeaking or rolling about.
Finance questions. Lots of boatbuilder demand payment before your even step aboard the boat. Oh yeah? Suppose you specify all sorts of weird stuff, and then tellem to deliver, no boat no money? Would that work? Most people never try it because they have waited so long for the boat that they just can't wait.
The low down on airports. for people who fly to their boat or their charter boat. How do you get to ride on the airport golf carts? Or are they just for people who have been mown down by airport golf carts? Also a handy guide to which seat to book in which sort of plane. Any other tips, like saying you are vegetarian so you get served food first, and exactly how many teeny weeny bottles of wine you can ask for when it looks like only one each, which it isn't at all.
Driving licence for massive boats. Everyopne burbles about tickets and such, but for a private boat sunseeker say no prob driving your own predator 80 or bigger. Really? Could a journo ring and ask for insurance on a massive massive 100 footer or 200 foot boat and ok to drive it for private use?
Getting to the boat. More detailed info needed, including the back doubles around Haslemere on the A3 and whether it's really worth driving thru Fleet service station when the M3 is stationery.
Walloping the boat. All newbies are very worried about this, and even old hands don't have much idea of what sort of pontoon punishemnet a boat can take. Full test and nice photgraphs of what happens when you drive at a wooden/concrete pontoon at various speeds. Obviously need a spare boat or two for this, but that MBY one doesn't seem to get loads of action does it? And it's still under warranty
Thrashing the boat. At the start of a boat test, the boat is all nice and clen. And just the same at the end of the boat test. Not what I'd called "tested" with steaming engines. How about some 0-30knot times? Emergency stops.
Gin palace series. They tested those gins a few years back. But then left it alone. A nice guide of suitable composition of a drinks cabinet please. Also if it's ok to clean things with yukky flavoured brandy.
Let the other half decide issue, where a lot of other halves chose a boat based on nothing to do with the engine or handling or suchlike. Group tests with boats just blobbed together on basis of price.
Free moorings. Where in the UK (and elsewhere) can you moor up for nothing at all overnight? What if you sneak in quite late and leave early? Or ask for fuel really late, they say thiv all gone home and you go to start the boat and ahem ooh dearie me no fuel I'll wait here?
Cheapy antifoul questions. Would dulux be okay? Would it be okay not to bother scraping the hull. What if you just let it dry and paint over the crud? Again, one for the magazine boat.
The titanic question. How much water can get in a boat before it really will sink? A foot deep? They all say "step up to the liferaft" but if it's all a dramatic kersploosh like the Titanic film it sounds a bit better to jump in the liferaft sooner rather than later. And how long does it take to sink, really?
Rope questions. How do you stop ropes squeaking, and are buckets of water or WD40 all over the rope best. Also, it looks like all the ropes used for boats are strong enough to actually dangle the boat in the air, it weighs a ton and costs a bomb. So, how stingy can you be with the string? I bet most boats would b ok with sisal, or even packing tape for an overnight stay in calm waters. New product ideas could include whether it would be an idea to replace all the stupid ropes with a couple of metal clamp things to clamp on to the pontoon, bosh, no more squeaking or rolling about.
Finance questions. Lots of boatbuilder demand payment before your even step aboard the boat. Oh yeah? Suppose you specify all sorts of weird stuff, and then tellem to deliver, no boat no money? Would that work? Most people never try it because they have waited so long for the boat that they just can't wait.
The low down on airports. for people who fly to their boat or their charter boat. How do you get to ride on the airport golf carts? Or are they just for people who have been mown down by airport golf carts? Also a handy guide to which seat to book in which sort of plane. Any other tips, like saying you are vegetarian so you get served food first, and exactly how many teeny weeny bottles of wine you can ask for when it looks like only one each, which it isn't at all.
Driving licence for massive boats. Everyopne burbles about tickets and such, but for a private boat sunseeker say no prob driving your own predator 80 or bigger. Really? Could a journo ring and ask for insurance on a massive massive 100 footer or 200 foot boat and ok to drive it for private use?
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