Swapping boats

rogerroger

rogerroger

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Joined
11 Jul 2001
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863
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West Sussex
www.myboatdetails.com
I think in principle it's a fantastic idea - if I ever bought a time-share property I'd only be interested if I could trade weeks in other parts of the world.

My boat is in Chichester but that doesn't help me if I fancy a weekend sailing Plymouth or Salcombe where there are, no doubt, boat owners wishing they could spend a weekend in the Solent without having to charter.

But, and I think it's a really big "but"; my boat is an extension of my home. As far as sailing is concerned I'd be better off chartering, but my boat is part of the family and is loved and cherished. While I'd say that if I borrowed someone else's boat I'd treat it with the upmost respect, I'd never trust anyone on mine no matter what their experience and qualifications.

It'll be very interesting to see if other forum members share this view.

Also - I bet there are significant insurance implications.

I really do wish you well with your venture - and would say that in order for this to work the numbers are essential. People won't join if there aren't a load of others joining so you'll have to make it free to begin with. I'm cynical, it's looks like you're just trying to make money and on visiting your Boat listing section I'd not part with any money with only 2 boats on there. This will be the hardest part for you but friendsreunited.com seem to have managed it.

Hotmail would not have been bought off 2 Indian guys by Microsoft for $390 million had they charged people to join.

Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk
 
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Guest

Guest
http://www2.hdo.com/hinckley_49_b/DSC00072.JPG

i don't swap my boat, but i do have it in a rental program. My experience is with people using my boat, which is similar, although not exactly as you propose. after one year of bareboat rental. I'm happy.
she seems to be respected by those that rent her and my agent makes sure that she is not damaged by the people that use her. only damage so far was an anchor pin loss, which the rentors (renters?) paid for.

i think a swap program is a great idea.
bob bryce
 
G

Guest

Guest
http://www.acadia.net/hyc/

Jeremy,
thanks for the compliment!!!

I am new to the sailing experience. (I bought Boundless in the fall of 2000) I thought that the expense of a boat was simply in the purchase and didn't realize until after she was mine that maintenance and the cost of a skipper and crew and provisioning and dockage all should have been considered as well. Therefore, I need some help financially to be able to keep her.

The rental program is run by the Hinckley company, which is also the maker of my boat. I live in Michigan but keep the boat in Maine, at Southwest Harbor, where the Hinckley people keep a good eye on her, while they continue to build great new boats.
(Forbes magazine rates Hinckley Boats as one of the 50 greatest things ever built in the USA).


I have considered bringing her to Michigan and sailing the Great Lakes with her, but the coast of Maine is so beautiful and every town seems to be geared to the boating industry, so dockage, mooring and sightseeing is all convenient. From the harbor where i keep Boundless, we can walk to four restaurants that are equal in quality to our best restaurant here in Michigan. (The Lark-voted best restaruant in the U.S. by Conde Naste magazine 1995.)

Maine may be the closest thing to the U.K. that we have over here. Real cities, towns, villages, and friendly people. To me, the remainder of this great country looks like "anytown usa" to me.

I can fly commercially from Michigan to Maine in about 8 to 12 hours (no direct flights), drive in about 18 hours, or fly my plane in five hours. I've tried them all, including flying to and from Maine in one 24 hour period. (my plane) .

anyway, i'm getting way off subject here. rambling actually.... but the Hinckley company takes very very good care of my boat, both from a maintenance point of view and a charter point of view. My experience leads me to conclude that the Hinckley company is one of those organizations that run the way you or I would run a company in a perfect world. The fact that they appear to run a perfect company in an unperfect world never ceases to amaze me.

I'll close with a saying that my UK skipper and crew taught me:

cheers mate!

bob
 
longjohnsilver

longjohnsilver

Well-known member
Joined
30 May 2001
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Bob, interesting to read what you think of that coastline. I remember reading an article in one of our motroboat magazines some time ago, would love to come over and explore, would have to be a motorboat as I don't sail.

BTW don't Hinckley also make motorboats, I'm sure I've seen them somewhere, if I recall correctly top quality as you say.

Your boat looks magnificent. Must be a pain living so far away!
 
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Guest

Guest
Hi

ExchangeYourBoat was launced 6 days ago. Two people have alaready joined and three more have the application forms. This list is the second place to be notified on the existence of this service. Hopefully as more people get to know about it the mambership WIL grow. If it doesn't then it was and idea whose time had not come.

Just one importatnt. At the moment it IS free!! I realise that it won't work without a critical mass of members that's why it's for at least the first 100 people to join. But I will have to charge at some point just to recoup costs. Setting up costs alone amount to nearly £4000. Running costs will also mount while the srvice is operating. I am not trying to make loads of money but some payback would be an added advantage.

My research on insurance suggests that if a boat is loande then ther are no extra implications - it's chartering or charging somebody to use your boat that generates the extra charges.


Hope this clarifies

Joe



Joe & Nicki
http://www.exchangeyourboat.com
http://come.to/feakle
 
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Guest

Guest
I wish you luck and feel that there will be a sector of boat owners who will want this service, probably some of those on the MoBo chat forum, although there will be others with fat bonusses who have insufficient interest to even look at the forums. I have to say however that I fall into the category where my boats are my hobby and come second only to my wife & family, and I would not trust anybody else with them (the boats, that is!). That is despite a 27 year career hiring out narrow boats to all and sundry including p****d parties of up to 50 people. I used to be able to draw a line between boats we built for hire, and my own personal boats, and nobody will cross that. My daughter wants to live on one of our boats whilst at university in London, and I have doubts about that, so forget boat share with a stranger!
 
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Guest

Guest
Anyone like to swap a nice old Broads yacht for a nice young sea yacht?

I am planning to sell my 28ft , 1909-built, gaffer with a 6hp Vire engine but may consider swapping it, with cash adjustment if required, for something younger (Fifties, Sixties) like a Folkboat, Stella or even a GRP classic. I am asking around £6,500 for the Broads yacht.

Cheers

BR
 
L

lezgar

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15 Aug 2001
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I have a 23ft boat for day and weekend sailing in UK and I charter a bigger boat (36ft last time) two weeks a year in hot climates. I don't like swap things and I think that if I liked swap, nobody wanted swap my 23ft for a 36ft that is that I need in summer abroad.
 
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