Reality of family boat ownership and decline of boating

[scruff]

@ scruff:

I'm not saying all is or will be fine and rosy, but the great fear of a Marxist fantasyland was fully dispelled at the end of last week, and - despite the ongoing uncertainty about how the Brexit (fantasy or salvation depending on one's subjective view) will actually affect things over the next couple of years or longer - the fact is that things aren't feeling quite as asphyxiated as they have been since 2016.

As a case in point, I was chatting to a high-end furniture maker yesterday who like almost everyone else has been experiencing lean times: he reported that since the start of the week he's suddenly become inundated with work from various kitchen companies!

Fingers cross Babylon, fingers crossed.

The way things are going re: rate of return and depreciating boats prices I hope that the same lump of capital I would of spent on an old Westerly in 2016/7 will get me a Halberg Rassey in 2023...

 

[oldgit]

but don't join expecting a mooring any time soon. Those who have club moorings hang on to them and there's a long waiting list

The other end of the cheap moorings sword. ?

Some clubs possibly have a collection of craft that are shrines to long past adventures and will probably never leave their moorings again .
Why sell up when it costs pennies to simply to leave the boat there.
A recent attempt to introduce a rule to request that all boats must leave their berths once a year resulted in a remarkable attendance at the AGM from folks rarely seen for years.
Guess what happened to the proposal.............

 

[maby]

..... I assume you were restricted by tides for Chichester Marina, not Chichester Harbour. There are other marinas and swinging moorings in Chichester.

Yes, it is primarily a problem in Chichester Marina and the channel leading there. We did look at other marinas in the harbour, but there are no others with berths large enough for us. It is a pity - we are fond of the area, but we have barely moved the boat in the last 12 months.

 

[Stemar]

I think we have a similar rule, but some of the decrepit guano piles boats on club moorings belong to people who have put decades of faithful work into the club and it would be inappropriate to enforce it. They hang on to their memories and, as long as their boat's out there, they can dream of future cruises that they will never do. Call it a reward for past services.

 

[JumbleDuck]

I think we have a similar rule, but some of the decrepit guano piles boats on club moorings belong to people who have put decades of faithful work into the club and it would be inappropriate to enforce it. They hang on to their memories and, as long as their boat's out there, they can dream of future cruises that they will never do. Call it a reward for past services.

People used to grumble about my Jouster occupying a Kirkcudbright Marina berth (waiting list 60 years) despite not going out often. My response was to point out that my then very young crew and I spent at least one night per week on board, year round, and that she therefore had people on her more often and for longer in annual total than any other boat there. There is more than one way of using a boat.

 

[DownWest]

People used to grumble about my Jouster occupying a Kirkcudbright Marina berth (waiting list 60 years) despite not going out often. My response was to point out that my then very young crew and I spent at least one night per week on board, year round, and that she therefore had people on her more often and for longer in annual total than any other boat there. There is more than one way of using a boat.

You obviously had the Jouster varient with the aft great cabin and island bed.

 

[FairweatherDave]

I think we have a similar rule, but some of the decrepit guano piles boats on club moorings belong to people who have put decades of faithful work into the club and it would be inappropriate to enforce it. They hang on to their memories and, as long as their boat's out there, they can dream of future cruises that they will never do. Call it a reward for past services.

That's nicely put . Hits the spot.

 

[[163233]]

Most marinas seem quite full, which suggests that there isn't decline, but rather that it's hitting capacity.

 

[JumbleDuck]

You obviously had the Jouster varient with the aft great cabin and island bed.

No, just the standard one. My crew was very young and very small at the time.

 

[Greg2]

I think we have a similar rule, but some of the decrepit guano piles boats on club moorings belong to people who have put decades of faithful work into the club and it would be inappropriate to enforce it. They hang on to their memories and, as long as their boat's out there, they can dream of future cruises that they will never do. Call it a reward for past services.

A nice sentiment and not one I would necessarily disagree with but in reality it can be the death of a club as new entrants have little chance of getting a mooring so perhaps don’t join in the first place. The influence of the older generation was not always beneficial in a club we used to be members of. That said going back to the OP perhaps the lack of potential newbies means it doesn’t matter anyway ?

 

[V1701]

I had a scout around for clubs with (vacant) moorings before I ended up keeping my recently acquired Bowman 26 in the marina where I also live aboard. There were clubs touting for members on their web sites with moorings available, e.g. Portchester who did not respond to my email enquiry about joining and Upnor who were good on comms but unfortunately I was unable to find time to go meet the members (first stage of getting membership). So there are some clubs with moorings...

 

[Stemar]

A nice sentiment and not one I would necessarily disagree with but in reality it can be the death of a club as new entrants have little chance of getting a mooring so perhaps don’t join in the first place. The influence of the older generation was not always beneficial in a club we used to be members of. That said going back to the OP perhaps the lack of potential newbies means it doesn’t matter anyway ?

The club is limited to X members plus spouses (can't remember how many), and there's a waiting list. If you want any chance of joining in the 2021 intake, you need to get your name down now, so that isn't a problem. There are also a fair few relatively affordable swinging moorings for all types of boats locally, so it isn't such an issue.

 

[rwoofer]

Just to update this thread. My boat is now sold as of today. Plan is to get a dinghy Wayfarer or Enterprise that I can keep at my local dinghy sailing club and trail it for day sails wherever the kids etc are interested.

When kids have flown the nest, interested in getting back into small boats and hoping the industry has had a sufficient shakeup to make boating at all sizes work again. Not an unrealistic hope given how few young people are willing to pick up all the larger boats.

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

I hope you haven't written the kids out of your future sailing. Mine grew up knowing no other holiday than 3 weeks or so on a boat in Greece, and when that was over when they were 7 and 11 they got Oppies. That petered out after a couple of years as they got interested in parties and football and coincided with a time that I couldn't really get any sailing in. Then when they were 15 and 19 we got back into it, first with a long weekend on a borrowed CO32, then a 2 week charter where we aimed for Helford but got numerous laps of the Solent instead (with Weymouth being the westmost). The following year we did make Helford and then I bought a keelboat and properly introduced them to racing. They're now hooked, and at 23 and 28 despite having full-on lives will still get down when they can. I hope you'll get the high of winning races with your kids as crew - rowing up Frenchman's creek together in the sunshine was good, but that's even better. Like you, I have no idea how they'll continue it when I hang up my boots, but hopefully they'll find a way.

 

[rwoofer]

Yes, my girls are currently learning to dinghy sail in Toppers and with a properly trailerable dinghy we hope to have some adventures in new parts of the country. A charter would be great, but we only have May/Oct half terms for that, which probably means Eastern Med.

 

[chriss999]

Just to update this thread. My boat is now sold as of today. Plan is to get a dinghy Wayfarer or Enterprise that I can keep at my local dinghy sailing club and trail it for day sails wherever the kids etc are interested.

When kids have flown the nest, interested in getting back into small boats and hoping the industry has had a sufficient shakeup to make boating at all sizes work again. Not an unrealistic hope given how few young people are willing to pick up all the larger boats.

An excellent move. Better than hanging on to a boat that doesn’t get used.
When you have the opportunity and inclination for a bigger boat and long trips, it will be easy for you to get back in.

 

[Zagato]

For some reason my business suffered last year and I had to sell my lovely trailer sailer. As soon it was sold business picked up and things have been busy since! Typical. I really miss sailing but definitely wouldn,t want to go back to frantic dinghy sailing at the age of 54 and 16 stone. What about trailer sailing. To keep costs justifiable, to keep sailing areas flexible and to keep storage matters in my control I like to trailer sail and keep my boat at home. I am however thinking of not trailer sailing again and going back to a mooring. I would never fork out for a Chi marina, it can be like living in a noisy housing estate sometimes. I much prefer the peace of a mooring and am not bothered about dealing with a water taxi or tender, the peace of waking up with oyster catchers at dawn makes up for the limited bother. A full swinging mooring in Chi Harbour is £500 and I really enjoy this part of the sailing picture. To keep my boat at home over winter I am thinking of returning to a Folkboat, an IF Boat in particular on a trailer. The outlay for the set up will be half what my trailer sailer was worth and I will have fun in a proper boat which is still small and cheap to maintain especially with an outboard. I don,t want seacocks, heads, in built cookers, in board engines, electrical gadgets and all that hassle and cost, just a simple little fun boat I can go camping in on the cheap, kids at 14 and 16 will enjoy it more now they are older...

 

[[163233]]

For some reason my business suffered last year and I had to sell my lovely trailer sailer. As soon it was sold business picked up and things have been busy since! Typical.

Do you make PPE perchance?

 

[Zagato]

Do you make PPE perchance?

Wish I did, no it was more to do with Brexit. Rust prevention on vehicles, not a priority for many in doubtful times but it didn't last long and I am gently prepping my wife for the inevitable long keel boat stored on the drive! Gently does it, bit by bit, over a year I think!!

 

[[163233]]

Wish I did, no it was more to do with Brexit. Rust prevention on vehicles, not a priority for many in doubtful times but it didn't last long and I am gently prepping my wife for the inevitable long keel boat stored on the drive! Gently does it, bit by bit, over a year I think!!

I'm glad it's working for someone.