Ought I buy a boat?

Wansworth

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This past week end I was chatting to my swiss mate who sailed around the world etc.He confessed that some of the best times he has had was when he was in the uk fitting out his Nic 32.He enjoyed the boatyard activity of people working on their boats and helping each other.I must admit that I had a lot of fun fitting out and fiddling with my boat,sold about 5 years ago.I am on the verge of buying another boat just to sail around the rias etc but something at the last momment is holding me back.As I live three hours from the harbour weekend sailing is going to involve all that travelling and expense and basically just day sailing ,so a bit boring .The marina is quite a deserted place and people dont geenerally work on their boats as they do in the uk so the social side would be missing.I seem to be doubting wheather all the attendant boat owning hassel will be out weighed by the pleasure.
 
Sounds from your post that you are seeing only the negatives, and it's often us who see the positives and others who are all too quick to point out the negatives. Sounds like you need something but whether or not it's a boat?
 
buy a boat - buy a boat - buy a boat

buy a boat soon

buy a small one so you don't feel guilty about not sailing it - its cheaper to keep

you don't waste any sailing days and also

even when you are not on it you can spend all that time thinking about it

or.... go the trailer sailing route - that way you can look at it every time you open the front door

better to own the boat you can afford now rather than dreaming about the one you think you want

Dylan
 
Whenever I ask myself the "should I buy a boat" question I usually do.

You can always sell it again if it's not doing it for you. (provided you didn't make a big mistake in the pricing arena, and don't buy much bigger than 7 metres)
 
" To thine own self be true" which is to say only you really know what interests you. personally I've done the boat fiddling bit and enjoyed it. I know people who do little else - no sailing just fiddling. I know people who do the breverse and sail sheds. I've done that and am now obsessed with cruiser racing. Who knows what the next interest will be.

Personally I wouldn't go boating if it involved a 3 hr drive each way but thats my view of life. I'd go microlight flying instead. Or biking again. One things for sure - you need a hobby and all decent hobbies involve speed and preferably a dose of competition.

Leave stamp collecting and diy to the wimps - get yourself a manly hobby :D:D:D Life is too short to mess about
 
" To thine own self be true" which is to say only you really know what interests you. personally I've done the boat fiddling bit and enjoyed it. I know people who do little else - no sailing just fiddling. I know people who do the breverse and sail sheds. I've done that and am now obsessed with cruiser racing. Who knows what the next interest will be.

Personally I wouldn't go boating if it involved a 3 hr drive each way but thats my view of life. I'd go microlight flying instead. Or biking again. One things for sure - you need a hobby and all decent hobbies involve speed and preferably a dose of competition.

Leave stamp collecting and diy to the wimps - get yourself a manly hobby :D:D:D Life is too short to mess about

Your right! I am going to throw off the shackles of Stamp collecting and flower arranging,throw caution to the wind and be a man er.....I ll wait till after xmas to decide!
 
Get on with it! No decision is better for waiting around. Get out there and do it! Now. Or at least tomorrow morning.

OK thats all a bit daft but there is a lot of truth in the old saw "no one on their death bed ever regretted spending too much on toys and women". If there is a difference between the two of course. :D
 
" To thine own self be true" which is to say only you really know what interests you. personally I've done the boat fiddling bit and enjoyed it. I know people who do little else - no sailing just fiddling. I know people who do the breverse and sail sheds. I've done that and am now obsessed with cruiser racing. Who knows what the next interest will be.

Personally I wouldn't go boating if it involved a 3 hr drive each way but thats my view of life. I'd go microlight flying instead. Or biking again. One things for sure - you need a hobby and all decent hobbies involve speed and preferably a dose of competition.

Leave stamp collecting and diy to the wimps - get yourself a manly hobby :D:D:D Life is too short to mess about

This man ain't far off the mark

As far as anybody knows - you only get one shot at this life. Better enjoy what you can ;-)
Having got close to leaving in an unplanned manner -well before my time - I think anyway.., I appreciate life better.
I'd HATE to discover myself saying (once I was past the point for whatever reason..) I wish I'd done X , Y, or Z... when I could.

Do what your heart says (but ask SWMBO - if she exists!) ;-)

Graeme
 
Only a sensible person would stop to ask the question.

Nobody but an idiot
would buy a boat.

Do the deduction,Sherlock!:D


of course it's a b*****y silly idea buying a boat! ...it's fun replacing gaskets in a sea toilet, it's fun going up a mast to sort some evil *_up. it's fun siphoning nasty diesel oil out a sump BUT
It is seriously good for the soul to find a good wind -and somebody willing and able to do hot tea and Jaffa Cakes when it matters !

Graeme
 
Hi Mogy. I think the trailer sailer idea has things to recommend that approach;you can choose where you want to sail from, and take it there, it'll be cheaper and easier to view when deciding to sell,and you can do all the tarting up jobs and fitting out at home, during summer or winter.
This limits your choices to about 24/25ft max, and centreboard or bilge keels,so a boat like a Dehler springs to mind.
Of course you're going to need a Landrover or similar to tow it, but that's part of the costings too.
By the way that Tiger is still for sale you asked about.

Hope you enjoyed your Xmas!

ianat182
 
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Sailing

Thought the idea of having a boat was to go sailing .. We live 3 hours drive from the boat and usually manage every other weekend .. We enjoy the boat and we enjoy the sailing .. We have opted this year to leave the boat in a marina but we will do what we have done in the past .. Head down on a Friday night .. Slip the moorings .. Out through the lock and play DARK SIDE OF THE MOON while we head down the Orwell to find a mooring for the night .. That leaves us near the sea for the Saturday .. Saturday night somewhere and a trip back up the Orwell on the Sunday ..
 
Thanks for all your comments and suggestions.I will have to re think what we want to do and what boat would fit the bill and pocket.

ianat182 seasonal greetings! I suspect the westerly tiger will be off my list.I reckon we should be looking at a 25 bilge keeler but as we are over 500 mtres above sea level I would end up buning out the clutch of the 4x4!!!! all the best
 
I look around at people 'doing up' boats, and there seems to be a few: surely this is the age old pleasure of 'travelling hopefully' rather than arriving?

Boats are like women, and I always thought it's a bit like sex: negotiating for and buying a boat is foreplay, all the fun, the actual nitty gritty takes place in the boatyard, (for as long as it takes), launching is the orgasm, then it's all a bit of a let down, specially if you don't smoke......
 
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