The Midlands - motor boating capital of the UK?

[Nick_H]

A reply to my recent post reminds me how many motor boaters you meet on the south coast that are from the midlands, and how few actually live by the coast. Perhaps if you do grow up by the coast you're likely to take up dinghy sailing and progress to yacht sailing, or maybe you just end up taking the sea for granted and are less prepared to invest your life savings in something which floats on it.

I bought a previous boat from a guy who lived in Port Solent with a mooring at the bottom of his garden, who was selling 'cos he never used it. A big part of the fun for us is staying on board and using the boat as a second home, even if we dont cruise anywhere.

 

[rickp]

I bumped into a bunch of charming brummies in St Peters Port last year, all out of Brixham. Had said 'Hi' in passing to them a few days earlier when Wiggo and I were in Brixham, but then I spent a night at Alderney so they beat us to SPP. 'Restless Lad' and 'Lifes a Gas', I think they were.

We ended up rafted with them, but with the smallest boat on the inside. Looked like a Sealine dealership:

Rick

 

[Dave_Snelson]

No different to Pwllheli or Abersoch on a summers day. There are loads of brummy accents. Its probably equi-distant for them, I would have thought?

 

[Wiggo]

Brixham is sodding Dudley-on-Sea!

We ran into guy down there last summer wearing a polyester shirt with big round collars, brown flares with a three button waistband and big platform boots.

"All you need now is a kipper tie", says I.

"Orrrr thart would be luverly, two shugars ployse, " says he...

 

[Roy]

ROFL /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[peterandjeanette]

You're right about the distance. A mate of mine had a narrowboat about 30 miles away from where he lived. He then bought a canalside house, moved his boat to the bottom of the garden and now hardly uses it.

The act of travelling a fair distance to the boat makes it even more enjoyable to get out onto the briney.

And let's be honest, the Midlands is not that far from any coast.

 

[MidlandsOnSea]

As you might guess from the username, I'm a member of the 'Birmingham Navy' (as the guys at Brixham marina called it). We've not been at Brixham for long so we haven't got to know anyone yet, but the marina staff said that 60% of the boat owners were from the Midlands. We even have a large Royal Navy recognised Sea Scout troop in the area.

I'm not from the Midlands originally, and they are indeed a friendly folk. We're looking forward to meeting fellow sufferers of the M5 route.

 

[Jim_H]

The midlands has the advantage of being the same distance from almost any boating base. Very useful when cruising around the coast.
S'hampton 3 hrs, Harwich 3 hrs, South Wales 3 hrs North Wales 3hrs. Humberside 3 hrs
Besides the beer is better here (except ADNAMS of course) /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Roy]

If you were gonna put the midlands anywhere, it would be best where it is - mid - land. In fact there is no where in the UK that is more than 60 miles from the sea! Norralorra people know that.

 

[hlb]

No. It's much farther from the sea here near Blackpool. OK theres sea, just not the sort thats worth bothering with!!