The public gets what the public wants?

[Guest]

I live and sail in La Coruna (North West Spain) and am constantly amazed at the prices you´Yotties' back in G.B. pay.I have just bought a brand new pontoon mooring a five minute walk from the centre of town and it cost eight thousand pounds for a thirty year lease.Length of pontoon ten metres.
Judging by what I see in Yachting Monthly ads prices in G.B. are prohibitive in comparison. It´s a rich mans sport, but I get the impression that many yacht owners would like to keep it that way.In some ways it´s a neat reflection of British society.

 

[Guest]

DON\'T advertise !!

If you let everyone know then all will want one and prices will reach SOLENT levels !!!!!

Good things are hard to find ... why ? No-one wants to tell others and spoil it !!!!

I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[webcraft]

An astute observation, Carlos, but hopefully not entirely true . . .

There are two limiting factors stopping the sea becoming choked with yachts.

1/ lack of money

2/ lack of imagination/resourcefulness

I've found that class barriers tend to disappear when cruising. Generally when out there on a scruffy little boat barely worth five figures I've found nothing but friendly enthusiasm from owners of cut glass accents and six-figure yachts.

(Note I say generally - I have come across a few grippers as well)

Why am I tolerated by the 'rich elite'? Because I am out there doing it - the money is irrelevant. Most people as poor as me would assume that it is impossible to cruise - or at least to go to the places I've been and get in the mileage.

The people with the money DO have an interest in keeping it pricey, I guess - they don't want every TD & H getting a boat and littering the seas the way caravans choke our prettier roads in the Summer. Mostly though they are quite prepared to tolerate (or even admire) those of us who don't have much money but have found an affordable way to do it.

(Now - someone tell me I'm talking b......s)

<font color=blue>Nick</font color=blue> -

BlueMoment.Com
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[steve_cronin]

Please expand on:-

"In some ways it´s a neat reflection of British society.

"

Steve Cronin

 

[Guest]

Tut Tut !!

Note that many a foreign marina / pontoon started its life in the world in a little British Factory ...... so you may have to thank those bloody Limeys for the privilege of being able to do it !!! But honestly good luck to you and I really hope you get every pennies worth out of it !

I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[stevebirch2002]

Hi Nick

I certainly agree with you. Most of us Vega owners are certainly not very rich but we all enjoy our sailing in our not very expensive yachts. I have never had any problem with other yacht owners apart from one in Denmark who took exception to my dirty fenders, I offered to remove the fenders and use sod all and that shut him up as he disappered into his saloon. He was not Britsih (or English), the yacht was a fairly new 36 footer but his attitude was bordering on, dare I say "Arian" !

DOnt all shout at me at once. I sail in the Solent all the time, my berth costs less than £200 for the year (swinging mooring) and all our club members help each other. Its not all gloom and doom but I do belive that the Marinas are the ones tryinmg to make OUR SPORT/HOBBY/WAY OF LIFE elitist......

Albin Vega "Southern Comfort" V1703

 

[Guest]

Re: Please expand on:-

Oops ,hope I havent upset anyonecertainly didn´t intend th and by the way I am in fact a Brit myself.I´ve been living abroad for about seventeen years or so and still prefer a good Curry over a Paella,soul music rather than Enrique Iglesias,and(this is a tough one)Brighton and Hove Albion over Deportivo.However´,I dont miss sailing clubs where that most hatefull invention the tie has to be worn,clubrooms where children are not welcome,and the general idolatration of rules and regulations surrounding the sailing culture in G.B.
I´m sure there are still plenty of Sleigtholmes and Griffiths types cruising around but they dont seem to stop off in La Coruna too often!

 

[steve_cronin]

Well..........

That isn't much of an expansion if you don't mind me saying.

As it happens my father was born in Eire before 1921 so I can claim Irish citizenship but that doesn't stop me thinking that Jerry Adams is a con man and his little sidekick McGuinness is a lieing toad and probably a murderer. No please expand on the original quotation but don't let me press you if you don't have the time or the inclination.

Totally agree with what you're saying re the differential in berthing charges though. In their defence (certainly NOT my view) the S coast marinas tell us that they are "selling us a lifestyle" (Ha!) which is why it is so expensive.

We stopped paying out approx £5000pa on the Hamble and now in Greece the equivalent for the same boat is £1700 which is also what we would have to pay at Villamoura or Amporiabrava or Lagos or if we wanted even cheaper, Nazare. Buying a long lease at your figure though makes good sense. What's the annual service charge?

Steve Cronin

 

[billmacfarlane]

Not sure about what you say re people with expensive boats wanting to keep it elitist Nick. If you take Scuttlebutt , you'll find people with boats ranging from a couple of thou up to fairly hefty prices , Naiads , HR's etc. and they probably don't really think much about the prices of other people's boats and trying to keep them off the water. They're all just getting on with the pleasures of sailing in they're own way.
P.S I don't have a cut glass accent - worse than that - I have a Scottish one.

 

[webcraft]

I think you need to re-read my post, Bill . . .

I was saying that I DON'T find yachties elitist and that I DON'T think they're trying to keep us poor people off the water. In other words, I agree with you - you just didn't read my post properly.

Used to Scots accents . . . . I usually sail on the W. Coast and have lived in NE Scotland for over 30 years.

<font color=blue>Nick</font color=blue> -

BlueMoment.Com
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