nostalgic musing

[boatmike]

Having decided to "do" the west country this year rather than faff about with all that paperwork for France I picked up a copy of The Daily Telegraph Yachtsman's guide from my bookcase and was rather surprised that it was a bit out of date...... 1987! Hmmm....... better get an updated Shell guide I think! Makes very nostalgic reading though. Yarmouth IOW was £4.50 per night then. Just paid £42 there last week without electricity for a 35ft monohull. it would have been £46 with electricity. That's 10 times what it was in 1987 35 years ago. That represents about 25% increase per annum in a period when inflation has certainly not been tremendously high surely? Having been sailing for 60 years I have seen many changes but this seems extreme........

 

[James_Calvert]

At about the same time you could get the Menu Gormand for around 12FF in Normandy.

If I remember correctly.

 

[Minchsailor]

At about the same time you could get the Menu Gormand for around 12FF in Normandy.

If I remember correctly.

We did!

 

[lustyd]

My assumption is that Yarmouth have adjusted their pricing to maintain their "never turn a boat away" policy. They'll always find you a space, but to do so they've had to keep others out with very high prices.

 

[johnalison]

At about the same time you could get the Menu Gormand for around 12FF in Normandy.

If I remember correctly.

I’m not sure that’s quite right. We went for the 34 Fr menu in Cherbourg which was about four quid. It usually started with cruditees and didn’t improve much after that, not that we minded much after helping to drain the European wine lake.

 

[capnsensible]

Starboard hand markers were black.

Wreck markers were green.

I was too young to drink in a pub.

 

[Birdseye]

Having decided to "do" the west country this year rather than faff about with all that paperwork for France I picked up a copy of The Daily Telegraph Yachtsman's guide from my bookcase and was rather surprised that it was a bit out of date...... 1987! Hmmm....... better get an updated Shell guide I think! Makes very nostalgic reading though. Yarmouth IOW was £4.50 per night then. Just paid £42 there last week without electricity for a 35ft monohull. it would have been £46 with electricity. That's 10 times what it was in 1987 35 years ago. That represents about 25% increase per annum in a period when inflation has certainly not been tremendously high surely? Having been sailing for 60 years I have seen many changes but this seems extreme........

Inflation since 87 should just have trebled the nominal price to £12.50. according to the ONS

 

[lustyd]

If it were £12.50 there would be chaos at the weekends and Lymington would be overrun with people getting turned away while the ferry would be blocked by the armada. I'm not saying current pricing is fair but it has to be high enough to temper demand. Also worth a mention that the shore services are better than they were even a few years ago so some increase over inflation is justified...maybe £20-£25 a night?

 

[jac]

I'm pretty sure that in 1987 Yarmuff had piles, none of this fancy pontoon infrastructure. So not really a fair comparison. The showers though.......

 

[SaltyC]

I'm pretty sure that in 1987 Yarmuff had piles, none of this fancy pontoon infrastructure. So not really a fair comparison. The showers though.......

Aaah, the piles! I remember them, rafted with 6 to 10 other boats and a 'middle' one wanting to leave, auxiliary engines (ie not reliable), long keels and no bow thrusters and virtually no yachtmaster certificates (only just introduced). Yet it was all managed with cooperation, no shouting and a sense of achievement.
Cynically I would like to watch today.

 

[SaltyC]

Aaah, the piles! I remember them, rafted with 6 to 10 other boats and a 'middle' one wanting to leave, auxiliary engines (ie not reliable), long keels and no bow thrusters and virtually no yachtmaster certificates (only just introduced). Yet it was all managed with cooperation, no shouting and a sense of achievement.
Cynically I would like to watch today.

Plus dinghy ashore made an interesting return at 11pm. Today's H(indrance) and S(tupidity) would be aghast, explains 1 pair of glasses at the bottom of the Harbour!

 

[johnalison]

Aaah, the piles! I remember them, rafted with 6 to 10 other boats and a 'middle' one wanting to leave, auxiliary engines (ie not reliable), long keels and no bow thrusters and virtually no yachtmaster certificates (only just introduced). Yet it was all managed with cooperation, no shouting and a sense of achievement.
Cynically I would like to watch today.

Do they not still have a few? I think that they were there when we last visited, some years ago, and provided fine entertainment as the only boats using them were sailing school boats learning their trade. We used to have piles at a couple of places, but they were in tidal rivers, which made them easier for the most part.

 

[SaltyC]

Think they have all now gone, will no doubt have a better idea after July. There was enough entertainment at my last visit - a few years ago watching the Zero to Hero candidates mooring on pontoons!! Much Gel coat needed.