Some more stupid questions! Long post.

[AndrewB]

Spot on!

What's more, buy as few extras as possible consistent with sensible sailing and safety. Then review your shopping list again after a season of regular sailing. Believe me, your list of must-have's is going to look quite different.

 

[Steve101]

With all due respect, you\'re the one who needs a reality check!

I'm not quite sure I like the tone of your post. I've been confronted with people like you all my life and they generally fall into two catagories. 1. People who are insanely jealous and despise anyone who is sucessful. Blaming their own shortcomings on other people. Or 2. Someone who has very little imagination/ forsight/ balls and will never get past their own mother's backyard.

In 1988 with £45 I started my own business. No driving license, a clapped out Escort van and no knowledge of retail. I'm now one of Sony's top 10 customers. Six years ago I visited a BMW dealer in my Transit Van with a view of buying a 5251i they didn't want to know. A week later I bought a new Landcruiser CASH. A year later when I was living in rented accomodation and wanted to buy a house in Brewood (Very exclusive area) friends even family questioned whether I was aiming a little high. A month later I was living in a six bedroom house which is now worth over £300,000. I have always aimed high and I have always achieved my ambtitions. I'm no doubt aiming higher than my abilities (as of now!) but not by the time the boat is recieved (Please study my previous post to see what learning curve I have in place.)

I'm not viewing this as a short term investment like a car, more long term like a home. Some may question my comitment to sailing, I can tell them I have never been so sucked in by something in my life (Some who know me are not surprised.) To quote myself " I've lived my life at 100 mph now it's time to slow down to 6 knots."

If I seem harsh and to the point I'm sorry, but if you get to know me I suffer fools lightly (I'm not suggesting you're a fool, just way off track!)

Thank you for your critical analysis of the points which I brought up, however please save your psychoanalysis for some one who needs it.

In a nutshell; Tell me I'm mad for buying a boat too big, that my ambitions of doing an ARC in a few years are fantasy, fine you could be right. Time will tell. Question my integrity and I'll get pissed off.

"I'll listen to everyone. Take it all on board and then make my own decision!"

This is better then therapy!

 

[Steve101]

Re: wrong boat?

tcm, You're encouragable! You're gonna start a fight. Not me I'm a mad nutter who just wants the best I can afford, but even I don't fancy going above 40ft.

 

[tcm]

Re: First boat

I don't know if steve101 is a complete novice or not.

But i do know that all the magazine are full of adverts for 25-45 footers. Lots of people sell these- if they like the life, they want to trade up. if they don't like it, they want out. Unfortunately, it's sometimes because they have a little boat that people often find that they don't like it, and swmbos especially don't see the point of being in a cramped low-spec boat when they could be in a nice house.

The answer to this (and he hasn't bought anything yet so let's stay with the theory) is to buy a boat that is actuially nicer than your house. With aircon and pushbbutton everything, steve was well on the way to doing this, and i can see his point. Electric winches are indeed lovely, altho praps a touch nnecessary on a 38 footer.

Whatever kit you fit in a 38 footer, it won't be nicer than your house. But a boat nearer a fifty footer could be. Yes, even for a relative novice with a bit of experience. You need to take an instructor with you for at least three solid weeks and aim to visit as many chanel ports as you possibly can. Despite what it sounds, 50 foot boats are a pile easier to move than 40 footers - less windage and a lot more stability in the water - plus you get proportionally bigger berths that aren't so much of a squeeze. Swmbos love the bigger boats too, plenty of space to invite mates aboard and you'll have lots. I did all this, and I feel that i made the right move.

If you like this, the second move is to a 70 footer, with even more space for proper-sized galley appliances, loads of space around the bigger berths, and untold amounts of help from staff at every port whilst the sub-fifty footers have to manage on their own - even though their boats are more difficult to handle! I did this too, and no regrets.

Cheapest money for half a century - and you only live once!

 

[Steve101]

I have no intention of ordering this boat until SBS 2003, however in failing to prepare you are preparing to fail!

 

[Steve101]

Re: First boat

Stop it!!!!

 

[Gunfleet]

I could summarize your posts thus - 'I am learrning to sail, I'd like to order a big boat in 2003, when I sail to the Caribbean will I need air conditioning?' What I am saying is calm down a bit and do some sailing first. As for 'in failing to prepare you are preparing to fail', that's all very well, but I think it's a teeny bit pompous to defend 'should I have air conditioning' with that. It sounds more like you're going to join the SBS and form their first Beneteau boat squadron.

 

[tcm]

Re: First boat

No - I read your other post to pkb! Buy a 45+footer AND bear in mind how everything always works out. Also, you'll die one day and it's be a shame not to have had the monster boat. Also, it is great fun when people ask you what you had before - "a lot of money!!!"

 

[paulineb]

Back to reality ?

If you think Steve's taking a huge step buying a Moody, wait til you see him try to land his helicopter on it.

Pxx

 

[Steve101]

Re: Back to reality ?

I only said I'd got a huge chopper! Not a 'copter Pauline!!! You really are encouragable!

 

[jimi]

Re: First boat

If I had the dosh I'd go for a big huge power boat with a MacGregor 26 as a tender and a Najad 42 as a day sailor. Do you think they do davits for them?

Jim

 

[Steve101]

Re: First boat

(Laughing my nuts off!) That's good, very good! I don't need any encouraging though. My wife will go nuts when she reads this later and'll want to know why we can't have the Moody64 afterall. She's already up for selling the house, business, cars!!!!

 

[Guest]

Bruce is the Sales Manager at Moody's who we dealt with, him and David Moody are very good chaps and very fair in negotiation plus advice. Please feel free to email me if you become a nuisance I will tell you believe me. I had help from someone when I bought my first cruiser in 1986, but I had been sailing dinghys since 1954!!!!! A couple of points on some others contributions. As we have said before with the right training and own boat tuition there is no reason why the 38 should not be OK. a friend's first sailing boat was an HR42 , he moved over from power, with no problems. I would stay away from the exotic extras like genset and aircon but no harm in a seeing if it can be done and b what the pricing is like today it will at least give you some idea of what you will be getting into. anyway feel free to continue emailing me if it helps.

Pete

 

[tcm]

Re: The MattS Patented Boat-Buying Gambit

Repeated again! I am sure steve can make this work...


It's that boatshow time of year, and lots of you are considering buying a boat. Unfortunately, the other half may not concur with your ideas. Or will they? There must be lots of people who buy a boat smaller or older than they would like, so that "their" hobby doesn't impinge on the lifestyle of their partner - only to discover later that s/he would have been much happier in a larger or more luxurious craft.

So what to do? Order the dream machine and hang the consequences? - but that would be somewhat awful and uncaring. Or discuss the issue with your partner - but there could easily be misunderstandings.

To solve the dilemma, here is the MattS Patented Boatbuying Gambit. I urge you all to try it. Note that you don't need to actually buy a boat, and can abort fairly easily at any stage - blaming a poor survey or whatever. The result will still be fascinating.

How it works.

1. Preparation. Decide on a boat, two or three times what you can sensibly afford. Find an advert for said boat in the UK- if new, a sales outlet, if second hand then a marina not too far away. Learn the details of this boat (length, no of cabins) and the price. Perhaps agonise (pleasantly, to yourself surrounded by mags) for several evenings, but on no account try any persuasion regarding megaboat. Revise the fine details of a dream boat. Fine details are : a) the external colour b) the colour of the carpets. The answers to these are usually a)"blue", and b)" contrasting purpley deep blue ubholstery inside"

2 Then one night, arrive home in mental turmoil. Oh dear, I'm so sorry dear. What? Well, I know I shouldn't have but I've gone and put a deposit down on a (£x thousand/million) pound boat, I don't really know what I was thinking and I'm not sure how we'll manage.

3. Shut up and await her response.

EITHER
4a: She goes ape, theatens dire consequences
OR
4b: she says, Well, um there's that er money I hadn't really wanted to mention etc, and I suppose we don't need to etc ... anyway, this boat WHAT'S IT LIKE? Your answer is "blue outside, with contrasting purpley deep blue upholstery on the inside". She's hooked. You can dish out all other details of what it is and where etc for realism. If it goes really well, mention that some aspects can be changed to suit.

If it's 4a, then run outside and burble into the mobile phone and pretend you've cancelled it. But usually, it's answer 4b! Hooray! So you can order it (or similar) for real!

Which is why we have a rather over-ambitious boat, and live on baked beans. Do please post your results.

 

[Steve101]

Ok, Ok, I understand where you're coming from! BUT I don't want to calm down! I've found something for the first time in my adult life that I'm excited about (Ange and kids excluded! Ooops). I love what I've done so far and the day I don't get excited about it is the day I put up for sale/shelve the idea. As for "pompous" I'm sorry if it came across like that. It must be the way I type. As I say earlier on in my post. This I'm looking upon as a long term investment and want to avoid pitfalls I might come across in about 4 years time when I'll be looking at the caribean. Unlike my earlier post to PKB I believe your point is a valid one and the air-con thing has sort of been put to bed via this post. (Financially and practically!)

Thanks again for your post and watch this space!

It'll be either very amusing for the more experienced of you or otherwise!

 

[halcyon]

Re: With all due respect, you\'re the one who needs a reality check!

If you have all this money, and not buying the Moody till 2003, why not buy a cheap yacht and get some practice in while planing, then you will know what you are planning??


Brian

 

[JeremyF]

MacGregor as a tender

Jimi,

I think youve finally found a proper role for the MacGregor. It would be fabulous to have one hanging on davits. If at a lunchtime stop someone wanted to pootle around under sail, great. If they want to waterski; great.

Its certainly better at sailing and motoring than a Tinker Tramp, which is what I'm trying to find. I wonder if there's a liferaft kit for the Mac as there is for the Tinker??

<font color=blue>Jeremy Flynn/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif
Dawn Chorus</font color=blue>

 

[Sinbad1]

Re:

jeezez you sure know how to peess people off..........

Ok some answers

Heating systems don't also blow out cold air. What they will do is blow out unheated air which will inevitably be the ambient temp of the air of your environment.

Aircon. Think about it. Where will the outlets be. Down below. Where will it be nice and cool. Down below. Where do you want to sit, read, eat, enjoy the company/locations? Down below....not likely.

The Carribean has consistent Trade winds. Get a wind scoop or two and some computer fans that draw a nominal amperage to circulate the air down below.

Generators. If you go for aircon you will need a genny. Gennys operate at one of two speeds. Either 1500 rpm or 3000 rpm. They are not switchable. You either buy one or the other. You don't have to be a scientist to work out which will last longest and which will be a noisy monster to live with. The cheap gennys run at 3000 rpm, the 1500 rpm gennys are real motors with real output. They aren't cheap.

Spinny pole. Buy yourself a cruising chute for now and learn how to use it. You will then find out if you need a spinny and all the gear.

Lastly, don't come into any forum telling everyone what a hero you are. You are on the edge of a very steep learning curve. You will need as much help and experience as you can get. This forum is a good place to get that help and you won't endear yourself to anyone with comments as you have made above.

 

[JeremyF]

Not fair

I think some are all intensely jealous of what Steve is trying to do! Lets help him, not shoot him down!

There's no pretence in what Steve is saying; he's got the dosh, and he wants to jump in with 2 feet. Lets help him get it as right as possible!

<font color=blue>Jeremy Flynn/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif
Dawn Chorus</font color=blue>

 

[Guest]

Re: Not fair

in addition to Jeremy's post let's not get personal it adds nothing.