Newbie. Talk me into / out of getting into this...

T

Thundercat

New Member
Joined
25 Jun 2017
Messages
4
Visit site
So I know nothing boating at all, but for the past few years we seem to have ended up have holidays around places close to the sea and I always seem to gravitate towards the harbours and end up looking at the boats thinking "it would be cool to have one of those".

Don't have any hobbies as such, mortgage is trickling down towards being finished...savings to spend...things to do...

Been looking at a few RYA courses to see if it's something I'd like...

I wondered if a few of you could give me your share of stories about "why it's a nightmare", whilst at the same time telling me why you love doing what you do.

I'm aware of a comment I read recently which said "Experience the joys of owning a boat by sitting in a cold shower whilst your wife flushes £50 notes down the toilet". :)
 
Gee, boating must be cheaper over there than here in the colonies. We flush hundred dollar bills, ten at a time.

So, you're coming on a boating forum asking someone to talk you out of buying a boat? That's about like going to a heroin dealer and asking him if you should give it a try or not.

Best advise I can give, try it and see. Next holiday take a weekend charter (preferably in someplace tropical and warm like the BVI, Greece, or ???) with a captain or, if you have any mates that are experienced boaters, ask them along to help manager the boat. I stumbled into a spot like that with a couple of friends and was ruined for life.

When I got back home I read every book and magazine in the library that mentioned the word boat in any context. Took a two week crew spot (at no pay) to get a bit of experience, went home, sold my business and everything else, got a job on a charter boat and didn't come back to the states for two years.
 
Thundercat said:
I wondered if a few of you could give me your share of stories about "why it's a nightmare", :)
Click to expand...

How long have you got. :)

Boating of whatever sort and at whatever stage of life can provide much enjoyment and provide challenges that you may have thought you had long ago left behind.
Difficult to explain why so many folks enjoy being on the water but the sheer number of people for whom it is lifelong passion which never leaves, might convince you to give it go.
If you have a significant other, the social side could allow you to enjoy the hobby together.
Motorboating is a pastime which is usually enjoyed with family and (new) friends, "Billy no Mates" types seem attracted to sailing for some reason :)
Your location might decide on the sort and size of boat and a budget would be useful, just be warned that if you mention sub £50K boats, the forum will be recommending boats costing 10 x that within 5 more posts.
 
Last edited:
skipmac said:
Gee, boating must be cheaper over there than here in the colonies. We flush hundred dollar bills, ten at a time.

So, you're coming on a boating forum asking someone to talk you out of buying a boat? That's about like going to a heroin dealer and asking him if you should give it a try or not.

:)

Yeah, I figured the best place to get some 'real' advice was from actual boaters. I thought I would get the "warts and all" side of things.

You sound like you've took a big risk and then found your place in life doing something you love. Well played!
Click to expand...
 
oldgit said:
How long have you got. :)

Boating of whatever sort and at whatever stage of life can provide much enjoyment and provide challenges that you may have thought you had long ago left behind.
Difficult to explain why so many folks enjoy being on the water but the sheer number of people for whom it is lifelong passion which never leaves, might convince you to give it go.
If you have a significant other, the social side could allow you to enjoy the hobby together.
Motorboating is a pastime which is usually enjoyed with family and (new) friends, "Billy no Mates" types seem attracted to sailing for some reason :)
Your location might decide on the sort and size of boat and a budget would be useful, just be warned that if you mention sub £50K boats, the forum will be recommending boats costing 10 x that within 5 more posts.
Click to expand...

Based in Manchester (so yeah, just on the coast :) )..and probably thinking sub 50K......waiting for those 10X posts now...
 
Do it and then regret it you dont like it but am betting you will adore it.

We got in some 20 years ago now on boat number 5! To say it is a way of life is an understatement. All consuming passion that normal life just gets in the way if is more accurate.

We have since boating seen our group of friends expand expotentially and had a direction to follow. We have also struggled, succeded, triumphed, cried, panicked, screamed, laughed until we ached, drunk and eaten, travelled, experienced the world from its best perspective, borrowed, learnt, expanded our horizons, called a life boat, argued between us, spent more than we ever though we could and most of all enjoyed every second even the bad ones and mostly with great and close friends that are now just that but for life, some havinng shared in the trials and adversity that brings people together to succeed when it all seems stacked against you.
I could not begin to think of what we would have done had we not got into boating. B and Q on a saturday just wont cut it you know.

Do it, enjoy it ( its not an “its a knockout” trial of will aginst the elements) dont scare yourself or your crew and listen to any sensible advice as others have def learnt from experience.. regret trying it by almeans but you will never know the feeling of accomlishment and success having gone somewhere or had a stunning time that many just cant realise. Or you can regret never tying it at all. I know what would choose but then my life is now firmly invested in the hobby / way of life and for me there is no escape!

Best of luck and keep us all posted
 
Last edited:
Thundercat said:
So I know nothing boating at all, but for the past few years we seem to have ended up have holidays around places close to the sea and I always seem to gravitate towards the harbours and end up looking at the boats thinking "it would be cool to have one of those".

Don't have any hobbies as such, mortgage is trickling down towards being finished...savings to spend...things to do...

Been looking at a few RYA courses to see if it's something I'd like...

I wondered if a few of you could give me your share of stories about "why it's a nightmare", whilst at the same time telling me why you love doing what you do.

I'm aware of a comment I read recently which said "Experience the joys of owning a boat by sitting in a cold shower whilst your wife flushes £50 notes down the toilet". :)
Click to expand...
A look on these pages will show you there is a massive range of boating budgets. But regardless of where you are in this scale, it will be expensive. But the good news is that compared to your next boat, this one will be a bargain.
It seems to me that that you have already heard the call of the sea, you might as well answer it. To me, a day not spent onboard is a day wasted.
 
An alternative definition

A hole in the water surrounded (most probably) by fibreglass into which you pour lots of money.

But then you ain't taking it with you.

Go for it.

So the next question is what sort of boating might suit you. An experience course with one of the many sea schools will give you a better idea of what boating is about.

The next answer to a question you haven't yet asked is "10%".

That's how much boating will cost you per annum as a % of the boats base value. So if you are expecting to spend £50k then before you actually use the boat it will cost you £5,000 just to own it. Of course such costs will vary with where you keep it, whether you have to finance it, etc, but as a rule of thumb the 10% rule has worked on every boat I have ever owned from a £100 rowing boat to my current ~ £60 k boat, and I have owned 8 so far.

When you are thinking about actually buying a more specific boat come back here for further advice and let us know how your experiences trips go.
 
Just been through the same thing, although I have owned boats before but not for 10 years or so and still couldn’t talk myself out of it.

Basically, had some money sitting in the bank doing nothing. It appears that the type of boat that I wanted to buy would maintain most of its value over a couple of years (the rough timeframe before we move abroad). Fortunately, we have a pontoon attached to the house so our annual running costs will be a bit lower than it was for me before.

So the concept was that I could either leave the money in the bank and let the bank manager enjoy it, or put it in a boat and enjoy it myself, letting the bank manager have it back in a couple of years upon sale while we house hunt overseas to reuse it shortly after.

We haven’t spent a lot of money, but I am sure that we will have a lot of fun. And with the benefit of a free pontoon it was a no brainier.

Talk you out of it with my previous experience? Well I must have been lucky. Apart from regular servicing, in all of the boats over about 10 years, I had a water heater and a battery switch go wrong. That was all, so I am afraid that I can’t talk you out of it. Ask me again in a couple of years... it may be a different story this time :)
 
firstly does your wife fancy a boat if not its a no go but if you are keen we are based in Conwy where most mancs boat ,a great guy off here teaches rya and he is a motor boater not a raggie so he teaches u in a starter fashion not expecting you to know everything ,if you want his number send me a pm ,
 
You will have days when something goes wrong, or breaks down when you dont need it to, and fixing or replacing it can be frustrating and / or expensive..But you will also have days that will bring enormous grins to the faces of you and your family. Seastoke got it right, if your wife fancies a boat as well you're pretty much there, and you can learn together on your own boat as well.....
Plenty of expertise and advice available on here to help you if you need it...best of luck with choosing the right boat for you. Just decide exactly what you want to do with it, narrow down the search and go for it.
Exciting times
 
Welcome to the world of optimists, enthusiasts, and the blind-folded !
Once you own a boat, apart from the days you wish you didn't, you will no doubt wonder why you waited so long.

So speaks a man who started sailing again after thirty years ashore, bought a boat for 8,000 pounds, spent probably the same again in the eight years since and will spend as much again before the "Great Coastguard in the Sky" sends the Celestial Lifeboat to tow me to where the weather comes from.

You don't have to spend a fortune buying a boat, but you will need a healthy fund/income to keep it going and improve it. Apart from the actual "sailing costs" factor-in winter costs (lift-out, storage, repairs/maintenance, lift-back-in etc etc) summer berth/mooring fees, insurance, memberships etc.

Then go and enjoy your boat and the feeling of freedom sailing provides, but don't be blind to the inevitable fact that things will go wrong (or not right).
It's all part of the sailing life.

You will meet many folk from the fraternity to spend hours chatting with, sailing with, socialising with. You will meet doomsayers and evangelists.

Most of all you must be totally aware this life is addictive!

P.S. SWMBO/First Mate/Crew/Navigator/Galley-slave/ 'er-indoors or whatever you call her must be with you in the idea and the sailing or you will end up regretting your decision to join us (or perhaps you won't, and become a single-hander and divorcee !! Like me!!!)

Good luck, and keep us posted.
 
Last edited:
Don't know what the attraction is, but we have had boats for 25 years. We have given up boating twice, but come back on each occasion after a couple of years. Like I say, don't know why we should want to blow inordinate amounts of money on boats, but we cannot help ourselves. Perhaps we counselling!
 
My first boat was under £10k. kept it for about 13 years but spent about £25k on it during that time ;)

Second boat, which i still have, bought in 2010 for well under your budget and have spent about £10k on it in that time. To be honest, this boat is as good as I need and have been to some far flung destinations on it, so you really don't need to spend loads.

Unless you are looking for outright performance buy diesel. Buy with your head, but let your heart have a say to. Get the other half involved in the buying process so they feel some ownership of the boat. If you don't know much about boats, get a survey. Keep a few grand back for a contingency fund. Boats so sometimes go wrong and it can be expensive.

Owning a boat gives you a perspective on life that you wont get any other way. Do it, you may regret it, and you may lose a few grand if things don't go well, but the chances are you will love it and be boating for years to come. If you don't, you will always wonder "what if", and you cant take it with you.
 
Boats are like kids. You love them, and now that you have them, you couldn't imagine a world without. But having had them were you forearmed with the knowledge before starting out, you probably wouldn't have begun.
 
Hi & welcome to the forum.
My two penneth FWIW: As others have said, if your other half is as keen as you on the idea then go for it. If not then it could be a bone of contention for the life of your boating in which case it'll just not be worth the agro (Imo).
Assuming you're both onboard (pardon the pun) with the idea then personally, I'd start small and suck it & see. If you decide you hate it...you'll likely be able to sell it for very little, if any, loss to your pocket. If however, you love it, you'll no doubt very quickly want to go bigger & you'll never look back.
We did the above and for us it's a perfect escape & something we can enjoy together. We've made great friends along the way & wouldn't change a thing. Sure, the weather can be frustrating but when you get perfect conditions as we're getting now...it's a fantastic past time.
With regard to talking you out of it, that's an easy one. If you don't want to part with large amounts of money on a regular basis then....don't do it. If you're going to find juggling time away from home to fit in the boating...don't do it.
In the meantime, while you're deciding, this forum's a great place to start with all you need to know.
Lisa
:)
 
If you are in Manc then Liverpool is the nearest proper marina- there's is a fair few of us mancs there!! One suggestion from me is that the further the boat is away from you, the less you will use it, mine is only an hour away and I don't use it enough so with extra travel distance etc etc Take a trip to the marina and get a feel for the situation, talk to boat owners on your patch. I will happily meet you there if its a convenient time
 
BruceK said:
Boats are like kids. You love them, and now that you have them, you couldn't imagine a world without. But having had them were you forearmed with the knowledge before starting out, you probably wouldn't have begun.
Click to expand...


until the grand kids erupt onto the scene .....and it may have just been worth it after all :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

M
Galeon in the 50ft Class – Hoping to Borrow a Bit of Owner Wisdom
Replies
4
Views
385
Elessar
Elessar

Share this page

Top