'Running Share' for the season - help with your boat and costs...

[justapheonix]

Greetings all,

I'm looking for a non-capital or 'running' share in a mobo (of pretty much any description which sleeps at least two adults and a child) on the Thames for the year ahead and perhaps longer...

I'm willing to put in cash towards marina charges, licence, etc, and pretty substantial amounts of time anti-fouling, repairing, cleaning, servicing engines etc, in exchange for limited use of a boat (a couple of weeks of summer holidays and the odd weekend). Of course, I'd pay for all fuel, gas, etc, used on board.

I'm an experienced boat owner, both motor and sail, and have somewhere around 7,000 sea miles logged. I'd be very willing to help too, if there's anyone who'd like some experienced company for coastal cruising thrown into the arrangement (I've cruised the tideway and the coasts and inland waterways of south and east UK, France, Belgium, and Holland).

(This is all brought about by the successful sale of my yacht, and not being sure where my boat owning plans go at present, but the strong urge to get back onto the Thames, especially to have some quality family time on the water).

Please pm me if you may be interested.

 

[No Regrets]

Greetings!

As honourable and generous as your offer appears to be, I feel most Boaters wouldn't entertain such a system.

As much as, for example, I would be tempted, there are too many unforeseen drawbacks, and issues with insurance, cases of engine failure whilst in the hands of the other partner, and who pays, etc etc...

Are you not better off Renting a boat through the normal sources? It ain't very dear, and probably easier!

 

[justapheonix]

I'm well aware that there are reasons why people might be cautious... However, this system has worked, and I believe does work, for non-sceptics who make balanced decisions.

Insurance is no problem, a quick call to the broker is all that's needed in most cases, and an owner simply has to work out whether he's happy to share some use of his boat, in exchange for some of the costs and having the time-consuming jobs done, or not.

An owner contemplating such an arrangement will probably do his homework, and will find that I'm a safety professional, and experienced boat owner, and maybe they'll decide I'm worth the risk. Given that one aspect of my work calls on me to be let loose in charge of millions of dollars worth of aluminum tube with jet engines attached, and often VVIPs on board, it might be apparent that I'm trustworthy and capable of making sound decisions...

Renting is, in fact, very costly, and one ends up with a tatty old boat with no character for the odd week. I've got time on my hands and am happy to put it to use.

(As an aside, I wonder if we've met, not because we happened to buy either of our Mercs from you (we didn't), but because my last mobo was at Bray - I had a lovely Freeman 32 Mk I, which then passed into other hands, and I'm sorry to say, some disrepair... I have, also, been pondering buying a Broom 30, at some time, but am undecided about sea-keeping - maybe you can offer some thoughts?)

 

[No Regrets]

What was the Freemans name?

 

[oldgit]

If the boats worth £1m perhaps but £20K?

"However, this system has worked, and I believe does work"

Sorry to be an old sceptic,but cannot recall a single instance among boating friends..It may well be the thing in the Med to share the costs with some sort of formal agreement but suspect that anybody on the cusp of flogging their boat because of poverty or lack of time will sell before they share.
And as for working out who exactly gets to use the boat on sunny days and high days would be a nightmare,half the fun is just deciding on Friday evening to grab a few bits and go.
Good luck,but......

 

[rr_123]

Just thought Justaphoenix, but how about getting an old Norman or something from eBay, maybe with a trailer - no marina costs, choose your cruise, very little outlay really and you can have just as much (more) fun on a little boat.

I agree with the others, I know that people do "timeshare boats" (actually there are a couple of those on eBay, but I think it's unlikely that anyone would want to share their existing pride and joy

 

[justapheonix]

Well, I'm inclined to think that anyone with a positive thought about my first post has probably been comprehensively put off by the doom and gloom, so I'll chalk this one up to experience and say 'thank you'.

A trailer and Norman is a good idea, but even my E class isn't up to towing the weight, so we've got to buy a 4by4, etc... (and as it happpens, we're already committed to some costly chartering in the sun this summer).

I had thought that an old and slightly unloved boat somewhere might get spruced up for free, in exchange for which I might get a little time on the water.

Call me a hopeless romantic...

 

[Captain Coochie]

Depends what you are looking for but i have a mate with a norman that will sleep four . It aint a flashy boat and he would more than happy to sell but shared costs may appeal to him .

 

[Akers_like]

my E class isn't up to towing the weight, so we've got to buy a 4by4, etc... (and as it happpens, we're already committed to some costly chartering QUOTE]


Hi

Do you do boat cleaning?

 

[rr_123]

my E class isn't up to towing the weight, so we've got to buy a 4by4, etc...

according to http://www.normanboats.co.uk the Norman 20 weighs just shy of 840KG, and the towing capacity of the E Class is around 1500kg (give or take a hundred depending on which model) so even with a trailer made of lead, a couple of fishing rods, and a cool-box full of beer you'd be well within, and Thames slipways aren't generally the weed-covered cliff-faces you find at the coast. And you could spend many happy hours polishing it on the drive when you weren't out using it

 

[Captain Coochie]

That link is funny ! " From this to this " All they have done is paint everything white Thats classy bespoke boat restoration going on there

 

[apollo]

What was the Freemans name?

Liberty of London, which is on brokerage at HARLEYFORD so why not buy it back and spruce it up?????

 

[Chill]

Good Idea

I for one think this is an excellent Idea, I am sure there are boaters out there currently squeezed by the economic situation and such a scheme could enable them to carry on boating.
Take no notice of those first few (Glass half emply) posts everyone is entitled to their own opinion on this.


Good on you and good luck

Chill

 

[nimbusgb]

This is done regularly in gliding circles. We are talking £50 000 plus machines that get landed in farmers fields.

Pity you are looking for a MOBO on the Thames. I have a 38' yacht in Greece that I might be interested in doing this with.

 

[boatone]

Have sent you a PM

 

[Brayman]

Thanks

 

[boatone]

Thanks

You're welcome - I think !

 

[No Regrets]

Just for the record, I'm not trying to piss on any fireworks here!!

It's just the way I see things......

 

[apollo]

You're welcome - I think !

No, no - thankyou!!!