"Starter" boats?

What an absolute joy your video is: encompasses all I love above pottering around the east coast! I had fun trying to identify the creeks "Lazy Kipper" was in......a handsome yacht indeed.

Thanks Laurie :) Fave was Butley Creek, even though we went aground in the night (too much scope) and woke up at a crazy angle; we had 2 hours swimming before we re-floated.
 
Butley is a fabulous spot! Before my current boat, have always had twin keels, and that is no guarantee not to do the same, as have fallen out of my bunk in both my J22 (swing keel with twin grp runners) up the Alde approaching Snape at the Cliff, and in the Crouch in my J27. Now have a shoal fin/winglet........hmmm?

Have watched your vid several times with the current miserable weather, perks me up and makes me want to go live on the boat...... beautiful closing sunsets!
 
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Thanks Laurie :) Fave was Butley Creek, even though we went aground in the night (too much scope) and woke up at a crazy angle; we had 2 hours swimming before we re-floated.
We wer Up the Butley ( River ) put some sheer on the helm of our Co32 due to wind / tide. went to bed woke up as things slid across the sole, she was stern up the beach & no water around us at all. those 32s lean over quite a bit :o.
 
What was the list price of something like a Hurley 20? Once you adjust prices from the 1960s or 70s for inflation they tend to be somewhat larger than people remember.
 
I'm certainly not faulting having a large boat but I think the boating world has suffered from the same 'issues' as cars. If you have one small child then clearly you need a BMW X5 or Porsche Cayenne. :D

I do think that many folk miss a great deal by going for the biggest boat they can afford but then find it limits their sailing and desire to nip out for a 'spin' on a Sunday afternoon.
 
There certainly are people that buy big boats out of vanity, but most of the owners of large boats that I know have gone there because they spend long periods aboard and want the comforts of a home.
 
What was the list price of something like a Hurley 20? Once you adjust prices from the 1960s or 70s for inflation they tend to be somewhat larger than people remember.
1964 prices -
Hurley Felicity 20 - £495 plus optional outboard
Westerly 22 - £975 plus optional engine
Eventide 26 - £1,797 with inboard 4 hp petrol engine
All teak Vertue from Cheoy Lee in Hong Kong - £3,500 delivered to UK
Nicholson 32 - £4,900 with inboard petrol engine

And no bloody VAT........
 
I'm certainly not faulting having a large boat but I think the boating world has suffered from the same 'issues' as cars. If you have one small child then clearly you need a BMW X5 or Porsche Cayenne. :D

I do think that many folk miss a great deal by going for the biggest boat they can afford but then find it limits their sailing and desire to nip out for a 'spin' on a Sunday afternoon.

Could not agree more, small boats often seem to be used more than the bigger ones that need more crew or effort to take out. I have had a few people ask me when I'll be upgrading to a bigger boat (I'm at 32' and have been for 6-7 years) and the honest answer is that I don't want a bigger boat as I would be less comfortable about handling it on my own and with the family.
 
I'm certainly not faulting having a large boat but I think the boating world has suffered from the same 'issues' as cars. If you have one small child then clearly you need a BMW X5 or Porsche Cayenne. :D

I do think that many folk miss a great deal by going for the biggest boat they can afford but then find it limits their sailing and desire to nip out for a 'spin' on a Sunday afternoon.

If you only have 1 child you can afford a brand new x5.

For biggest, read most expensive. We did this. Looked at what we could comfortably afford, looked at top of budget and boats at top of budget were nicer. As size and expense are linked hardly a surprise that people are now buying 40 footers.

If you consider the inheritance piece and the value of houses, how many now in their forties or fifties might comfortably expect to inherit 1/2 a £200k + house from their parents. Suddenly makes buying a £100k boat very easy.
 
If you only have 1 child you can afford a brand new x5.

.

We have no children and certainly couldn't afford an X5...not that I'd want one. But I can (just) afford my (small?) boat....yippee!

(oh yes...the rumour mill has it that I'm now well into my fifties....first I've heard of it......)
 
I have recently bought my starter boat 16ft day sailor for £800, have spent that on it again. Glad I only bought a small boat as my lack of skill would mean a bigger boat would make me a danger to local shipping. I have to say I moored close to some very nice bigger and expensive boats I'm defiantly developing size envy!
 
The vast majority of people can "afford" to buy 40 footers; get a loan, mortgage the house; or even sell the house; don't spent money educating the kids, better still, kick the kids out of the house. However, the point is that sailing is not length depended and the fact is that the bigger the boat the less is used and the more difficult to find people/crew to go out with. I want a boat big enough (32ft) to be able to sail it single handed (SWMBO sails with me but very rarely participates in the act of sailing), any bigger will require people to assist.

I must admit, I have been tempted a few times to buy something big, but I will end up like those poor souls who go to the marina to sit in the boats for a few hours, unable to sail, and then go back home again. Let's no forget that the closer (but not in it) to the water the bigger the thrill.
 
The vast majority of people can "afford" to buy 40 footers; get a loan, mortgage the house; or even sell the house; don't spent money educating the kids, better still, kick the kids out of the house. However, the point is that sailing is not length depended and the fact is that the bigger the boat the less is used and the more difficult to find people/crew to go out with. I want a boat big enough (32ft) to be able to sail it single handed (SWMBO sails with me but very rarely participates in the act of sailing), any bigger will require people to assist.

I must admit, I have been tempted a few times to buy something big, but I will end up like those poor souls who go to the marina to sit in the boats for a few hours, unable to sail, and then go back home again. Let's no forget that the closer (but not in it) to the water the bigger the thrill.

People single hand in very big boats for very long distances. With modern sail handling aids, electric self tailing winches all round etc there is no reason why even a huge boat couldn't be single handed. Issues for mooring of course but picking up a buoy is picking up a buoy.

I think the perception that bigger boats are used less is based more on the type of sailing. Weekending on a 16 footer is probably cosy, doing 2-3 weeks with a family of 4 a nightmare. On a boat 3 times the size it's probably as comfortable as being at home. However, if you're buying such a large beast it is a waste to just sail for 2 hours to the local beach!
 
If you only have 1 child you can afford a brand new x5.

For biggest, read most expensive. We did this. Looked at what we could comfortably afford, looked at top of budget and boats at top of budget were nicer. As size and expense are linked hardly a surprise that people are now buying 40 footers.

If you consider the inheritance piece and the value of houses, how many now in their forties or fifties might comfortably expect to inherit 1/2 a £200k + house from their parents. Suddenly makes buying a £100k boat very easy.

Just because you can doesn't mean you have to. The X5 argument is not about price its the odd belief by many that they 'need' a compromised off-roader (ish) to drop little freckles off to School.

Like some (and believe me, i've met some) who believe if you have two adults on a boat, it MUST be 35ft plus. If you want and enjoy a big boat, great but you'll be surprised how many buy for what i'd class the wrong reasons and miss out on a lot of fun as a result.
 
You can pick up a decent day sailer for under 1k. Get something classic under 23 ft. Did this 4 yrs ago and enjoyed every minute. Used every week. Tarted her up and made a 120% profit. Into my next at 26 ft.
Bigger the boat = generally less the use imho.
I can muster a crew of 3 at most usually. Sometimes none ! Nice and peaceful then...........
 
You can pick up a decent day sailer for under 1k. Get something classic under 23 ft. Did this 4 yrs ago and enjoyed every minute. Used every week. Tarted her up and made a 120% profit. Into my next at 26 ft.
Bigger the boat = generally less the use imho.
I can muster a crew of 3 at most usually. Sometimes none ! Nice and peaceful then...........

I know several people that successfully single-hand up to 37 feet and couples (including us) that manage boats into the mid-forties comfortably between them.
 
I've a mate whose first (and only) boat is a 39 footer with huge topsides. He can't go out unless he can organise crew.

I go out in my 24 footer a lot more than he does, 'cos I dont need anyone else, and take great delight in having a boat that cost less than a decent second hand car - to buy and to run.

While I'd like a bit more space, I appreciate the fact that when things go a bit wobbly bits up, a shove or a heave usually brings thing back to where I want them. Mate's boat just shoves back.
 

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