Shoe string sailing?

[Eventide26]

As the subject says, can it be done?

I'm a returning yachtsman ( well soon anyway ) from a background of many years sailing in the Solent area, and wondered if there is too much legislation etc, which makes for expensive sailing?
Mooring and berthing; is it still possible to have a safe haven for your beloved craft and still get decent sailing time in, without having to contend with club politics, and pay through the nose, because people there have neither the intellect or monetry knowhow to go in to politics for real, and end up brining it in to the much loved pastime.

I've been sailnig since I was 3 and eventually stopped when I was about 19 or 20, now aged 43 its about time I headed for the sea again. I suppose I'm old school, you might say, but feel the need for a lesser for RYA Day skippers course for those that have the seafareing time put in the past but just need a brush up to bring them up to standard? As I hear from a number of sources that most insurance companies will not touch you unless you have a day skillers qualification?
Take about captive marketing /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Ok thats my rants over for now, please feel free to comment /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Adrian

 

[Fergus]

Load of bollocks - find a cheap swinging mooring and get out there!

 

[Twister_Ken]

As always, the question is how long is your shoestring?

Yes, you can sail cheaply, although it's tougher to do it in the Solent than elsewhere.

It'll mean a smaller, older boat with non-sexy sails, a club or muddy-creek mooring, maybe tidally restricted access. I can't comment about costs away from the main S Coast areas, but I'm sure you'd make savings on mooring costs if you wanted to sail in areas like the Bristol Channel, North Kent, etc.

If you want to do it, go for it. Probably start by deciding where you want to be based, then look for a local club without pretensions of grandeur, join, muck-in, get your name on the moorings list or in the ballot, and see if a member has a suitable craft for sale.

Gofrit!

 

[lw395]

I recommend working towards YM theory and practical, it's worth doing for its own sake and the odd bits you learn. I never had problems getting insurance with no qualifications, although I did have some experience. Do not settle for hearsay on insurance, phone a few brokers with a specific request for a quote. Some baulk at 12months a year on a swinging mooring, a good broker will sort you out if he thinks he has a fair chance of getting some business.
Yes sailing is expensive, as expensive as you make it, and clubs will always have politics, just find a club that suits you, where you are happy with at least some of the members.

Good luck!

 

[Eventide26]

Thanks for the comments thus far /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Having come origianlly from the 'mucking in' style of club that was likely to be my line of searching, and the boat I'll be getting will be a YM Eventide, so a mooring that is tide restrictive will not be a great issue. Provided its not silly like 30 mins either side of HW and on a spring only /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Slow_boat]

I did much the same a few years back. I found that re-doing my coastal skippers was time well spend, a lot had changed since I had come ashore (vhf, gps, all sorts of stuff) Then I spent a grand on a little bilge keeler and stuck her on a half tide mooring. Haven't looked back since. Well, apart from getting bigger boats and joining a club for the mooring, dinghy park, free lift outs and winter storage.

 

[robyonfrome]

Don’t be afraid of doing a day skipper I was but it turned out to be great fun most of the stuff you will probably know. I did evening classes through the winter and you meat people with the same interest its great. Went on to do the coastal skipper bit more to that one but very interesting if your into boats

 

[paulburton44]

Club membership £55.00
Mooring £165.00
Insurance £150.00
River Licence £40.00

Launch and recover £0.00 Do ........it myself (trailer sailer)
Winter storage £0.00 Keep..... it at home on the drive

Fuel....1litre and hour.....not a lot...

Maintenance....?????

I only have day skipper shorebased.... and never had problems with insurance..

Mooring is restricted by a lock....2 hours either side of high water.

Our club is a muck in club....we do not have any employee's....!

How cheap do you want it...?

 

[reginaldon]

Me
:-
Capital cost
Boat 800 (Ebay)
Foresail furling/reefing 200 too old for the foredeck jitterbug

Annual costs
Club membership 39 00 (OAP)
Mooring (half tide) 325
Fuel 1.5 litres p. h. ?
Insurance 3rd party 69
Maintenance (paint & A/F) say 30

Lift out/lift in and winter storage
(If necessary) 230

My wee boat still compares favourably with many of the others. Pity the sailing mags no longer cater for the pauper sailors. I did space it properly, but this is how it appear!

 

[Eventide26]

Some very usful and informative responses...thank you all

This has given me a bench mark to look for when I decide on suitable home port.
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[absit_omen]

Read 'Sailing Just For Fun' available on Amazon if you really do mean shoe string.

 

[planteater]

Old 19 foot trailer sailor on a mud mooring for me. No significant monetary commitment to either boat or mooring.

PROS:
Cheap
Easy to raise and drop sails so you only use the engine when wind dies totally.
Sailing every decent weekend and some evenings.
Sails like a dinghy!

CONS:
Nobody will mistake it for a luxury yacht.
A bit tippy for wifey.
Weekending requires a camping attitiude.

 

[AndrewF]

Its funny but when i was looking for Boat insurance i couldn't get any reduction for Qualifications.
Perhaps not have an RYA one didn't help matters but you would think that a UK Forgein going masters ticket without any restrictions would count for something.
My mooring cost for 30' Boat are 40 quid mudberth, and
40 quid for full tide swinging mooring and 12 quid fee for keeping dingy on hard.
No fuel cost this year as filled up last year and tank still has some in at present.
So you can do it on a very small budget.