ryanroberts
Well-Known Member
Roughly what happened to me (43). Could have scratched the itch with a Centaur somewhere muddy but now planning on really leaning into the midlife crisis.
Reality of family boat ownership and decline of boating
- Thread starter rwoofer
- Start date
Roughly what happened to me (43). Could have scratched the itch with a Centaur somewhere muddy but now planning on really leaning into the midlife crisis.
Iain C
Well-Known Member
I must admit I'm at a little bit of a crossroads myself. I'm 45 and I've owned a cruiser for about 10 years, and the initial freedom and adventure of cruising the Solent for a few years in my own "proper" boat, which at the time was an incredible feeling, has obviously waned a little bit over time...very few places are "new" any more. I upgraded my boat a few years ago to a Bavaria 32, which for me is a "Goldilocks" boat, with all mod cons she's comfy and roomy enough for year round sailing with a few friends or very easy to handle on my own...she's all bought and paid for and my swinging mooring in Portsmouth harbour costs me £160 a year, and I do all my own maintenance, antifouling on a scrubbing grid, so my running costs are actually extremely low indeed. I don't sail as often as I'd like as I live in the Midlands and work full time but I still make it work.
Life took a bit of an unexpected turn a couple of years ago and although I now had my perfect family boat I no longer had the family unit any more, however I have been lucky enough to meet a fab partner since, and she's come away a number of times now and really enjoys sailing. My son will be four and a bit next summer, and I'm really hoping that on "Dad" weekends he will enjoy some fair weather sailing and hopefully grow up with sailing as I did. If my partner and my son continue to enjoy it, I will certainly keep the boat...decent weekends away and a few week's cruise still makes it all perfectly viable, and the fairly minimal upkeep and depreciation costs and flexibility to do a weekend at the drop of a hat more than balance out the costs and difficulty of chartering and dragging down much more kit and food every time. However if they don't, I'd probably concentrate on the dinghy side of things or perhaps a performance keelboat/sportsboat that I could sail inland, or do regatta weeks in.
Life took a bit of an unexpected turn a couple of years ago and although I now had my perfect family boat I no longer had the family unit any more, however I have been lucky enough to meet a fab partner since, and she's come away a number of times now and really enjoys sailing. My son will be four and a bit next summer, and I'm really hoping that on "Dad" weekends he will enjoy some fair weather sailing and hopefully grow up with sailing as I did. If my partner and my son continue to enjoy it, I will certainly keep the boat...decent weekends away and a few week's cruise still makes it all perfectly viable, and the fairly minimal upkeep and depreciation costs and flexibility to do a weekend at the drop of a hat more than balance out the costs and difficulty of chartering and dragging down much more kit and food every time. However if they don't, I'd probably concentrate on the dinghy side of things or perhaps a performance keelboat/sportsboat that I could sail inland, or do regatta weeks in.
dgadee
Well-Known Member
Ageing of sailors is a common theme in many of the reports dealing with Europe as a whole (though I suppose we are not allowed to talk about them now?) E..g.:
"although the data available suggest that activity levels remain below those seen prior to the 2008 financial crisis, the market is nevertheless showing signs of recovery. In parallel to this recovery however, there are some challenges. Amongst those is the estimated increase in average age of European boaters from around 45 to 55 years over the last decade, a trend likely to continue. This is not only due to the general population ageing in Europe. There is also a decline in participation inboating by younger people. The latter is in part due to increasing competition for leisure time from other recreational activities,as well as family and work commitments. Besidesthese developments other aspects also need attention " Commission Report on Nautical Tourism 2017
If the average age of European boaters has risen by 10 years in 10 years, it means no-one is taking up sailing except maybe the elderly. I am retired but see myself as one of the younger members of the boat club I am in.
"although the data available suggest that activity levels remain below those seen prior to the 2008 financial crisis, the market is nevertheless showing signs of recovery. In parallel to this recovery however, there are some challenges. Amongst those is the estimated increase in average age of European boaters from around 45 to 55 years over the last decade, a trend likely to continue. This is not only due to the general population ageing in Europe. There is also a decline in participation inboating by younger people. The latter is in part due to increasing competition for leisure time from other recreational activities,as well as family and work commitments. Besidesthese developments other aspects also need attention " Commission Report on Nautical Tourism 2017
If the average age of European boaters has risen by 10 years in 10 years, it means no-one is taking up sailing except maybe the elderly. I am retired but see myself as one of the younger members of the boat club I am in.
newtothis
Well-Known Member
I am that demographic. Started sailing mid-40s ten years ago and now mid-50s.
maby
Well-Known Member
I suspect that it is mostly a case of the reduction of entry-level sailors in small, cheap boats. I see little evidence of a reduction of numbers in terms of either empty berths or reduced marina fees in the luxury south coast marinas. We've just been through the process of looking for a new berth and it has been very much a case of "hmmm, I might be able to fit you in early next year" followed by relatively eye-watering price quotes...
dgadee
Well-Known Member
That would London money. Not much of it up north so, for example, Bangor, NI nowhere near full. Cheap option is a mooring in Strangford Lough but I have no idea of costs or whether club membership needed.
Kukri
Well-Known Member
I really don’t know. Perhaps it’s all down to mobile phones?
I have just done a Yachtmaster Shore Based Course. I’m glad I did, as I made several mistakes. It was the third time for me but my fellow students were on their first. All were men who would not see fifty again but who were moving into sailing, in this country, either owning boats or intending to do so. And they were all pretty good, most of them having done the day skipper course already.
So we might perhaps think that some of us ‘ageing yotties’ are in fact ‘new ageing yotties’?
I have also taken a marina berth, for the first time in my life. Isn’t it great!
I have just done a Yachtmaster Shore Based Course. I’m glad I did, as I made several mistakes. It was the third time for me but my fellow students were on their first. All were men who would not see fifty again but who were moving into sailing, in this country, either owning boats or intending to do so. And they were all pretty good, most of them having done the day skipper course already.
So we might perhaps think that some of us ‘ageing yotties’ are in fact ‘new ageing yotties’?
I have also taken a marina berth, for the first time in my life. Isn’t it great!
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Babylon
Well-Known Member
FairweatherDave
Well-Known Member
To the OP I think it is all about the age of your girls. If they get into dinghy sailing great, if they don't that's okay. Until they are old enough to leave on their own you are compromised and better to enjoy the kids and get back to sailing after a mini-break. Two of my kids really don't like sailing and its brilliant now they don't have to come anymore. The older two enjoy it.
ryanroberts
Well-Known Member
Lived on a narrowboat for 8 years, started sail training / chartering about 6 years ago. Got to day skipper and a couple of hundred miles then the Ms decided she hated boats around 3 years ago. Was going to move on land and get something sensible, but now as I'm single again and used to living on an off grid narrowboat (things breaking, fixing things, lugging shopping, tanks full of poo, dead batteries, being covered in coal dust for 3 months of the year) a half decent cruising yacht in a marina with a plug and running water a lot of the time seems a lot more pleasant than a divorce flat and the live aboard bit comfortable by comparison. So getting shut of the sewer tube and looking for something more fun. Usual sailing book inspired wistfully looking from the shore, I figure if I'm on the boat I'll find out quick if I'm actually cut out for it.
Wansworth
Well-Known Member
one of the features of live aboard life is the accumulation of stuff which can spill over on to the pontoon,this must be fought against,keep a clean minimal ship use shore facilities and keepyacht ready for use otherwise it just degenerates into slum and don’t go bin diving!
ryanroberts
Well-Known Member
I am highly anally retentive about stuff on my cabin roof that's not strictly boat movement related and 70% of the stuff inside the boat belongs to the ex. Many cruising narrowboats are easily spotted by the 3 tonnes of random crap piled on the roof slowly decaying, which often unfortunately spills out onto the towpath once moored and winds up the locals. Also a few days without keeping the inside vaguely tidy and the place looks like a grenade has gone off even with 60'x7'.
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
Yes, I think that is part of it. 3 girls all aged ten. Not wanting to push them I only enrolled them in a dinghy course this summer - one loves it, one is ambivalent and one hates it. The one who hates it still likes to go to beaches etc, but the sailing itself doesn't interest her.
The fear I have is that once I sell the boat it will be very difficult to justify buying another one (for some reason changing boats is less of a problem for SWMBO irrespective of the cost). Costs just seem to be going up and I have consciously chosen a career that won't see my salary go up that much, which means I won't be able to afford the kind of boating that I could afford in my thirties (20 years ago).
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
Iain, I've always been amazed how you manage do so much yourself, with family, job and living so far away. I just can't get away with that much time. As you know I was at Hardway SC for a while and the costs were low, but the sailing too restrictive to get my family out when the sun shined.
FairweatherDave
Well-Known Member
I know geography may not suit since you were mentioning Poole not Chichester but a swinging mooring there accessed from Itchenor would be an all tide access mooring. Your boat is perfect for sailing inside the harbour and drying out....great beach . Then in a few years who knows. Not so cheap but lots cheaper than a marina....... you wouldn't feel the pressure to use the boat unless conditions were perfect.
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
Is there cheap tender storage at Itchenor or do you have to be a member of ISC? When I last investigated Chi Harbour I remember places like Northney Marina wanted £800+ to store a tender, which seems a ridculous price.
FairweatherDave
Well-Known Member
I am sure if you have a mooring it should be approx £50 for the tender on the chains. It is on the conservancy website. We use the chains at Nore Barn for mooring near Emsworth......Northney would be ideal for us but I think it is about £250 a year just to launch an inflatable........ You don't have to be a member of ISC
rwoofer
Well-Known Member
Thanks, I will investigate. Up to now I always thought that tender access put the stopper on Chi Harbour. I certainly remember 30 years ago dragging a tender across the mud at Emsworth to get to a mooring - never again.
lw395
Well-Known Member
I struggle to see moving to Chi solving any of the OP's issues. Less places to go within range of a comfortable family sail. More tidal issues.
Cost wise, I doubt you'd save much over a full average season including haul out, shore storage and launch.
Cost wise, I doubt you'd save much over a full average season including haul out, shore storage and launch.
DownWest
Well-Known Member
Going back a bit in this discussion.. As one of four children bought up in sailing. I still muck around in smallish boats. My Elder brother has quit after getting a YM and chartering a bit. My elder sister got the kids out in Mirrors and my father thought she was the best helmsperson of us, she does not sail now.. My younger brother was an ace in dinghys ( nat champ in class) and pretty good on a sailboard. Now in the US and very occasionaly gets out on the SF Bay in a little skiff he built.
Times have changed hugely and priorities govern one's choices.
My elder bro and I charterd a Benny 46 in Greece a few years ago. He with new wife(non sailer) and another couple, also non sailers, and us, It was more a trip into another culture than a 'big' sailing thing.
Sorting out a friend's boat. He had it in the inner area at Minimes (La Rochelle) Over half the boats on the pontoon were obviously not used. in the 20 ft length range.
He was moved to the new section and it is much more active. Boats are bigger, 25ft plus and much more used. Might be an income thing..
Times have changed hugely and priorities govern one's choices.
My elder bro and I charterd a Benny 46 in Greece a few years ago. He with new wife(non sailer) and another couple, also non sailers, and us, It was more a trip into another culture than a 'big' sailing thing.
Sorting out a friend's boat. He had it in the inner area at Minimes (La Rochelle) Over half the boats on the pontoon were obviously not used. in the 20 ft length range.
He was moved to the new section and it is much more active. Boats are bigger, 25ft plus and much more used. Might be an income thing..
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