UK boating Verse Med Boating ,

Bigplumbs said:
I would like to offer this video as a challenge to Hurricanes excellent Med Video. This is from last year and is a vote for UK boating. The advantage I would add for the UK is a large group of boaters meeting to do this sort of thing. Some of you may recognise the maker of the video.

It was lovely to See Ed in the Video as he was invited on Smugglers Blues as his own boat had engine failure

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that was a great day out :-)
 
Bigplumbs said:
So does it win over the Med ?
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Nope, 'fraid not! At the beginning of the video there was a massive clue.. "we've had wind, we've had rain, we've had fog...". I don't deny that when the weather is great in the UK, it's an amazing place to be out and about on the water, but the odd day of great weather can't compete with months of great weather. Last summer we spent 6 weeks on the boat and had 1 rainy day.
 
markc said:
Nope, 'fraid not! At the beginning of the video there was a massive clue.. "we've had wind, we've had rain, we've had fog...". I don't deny that when the weather is great in the UK, it's an amazing place to be out and about on the water, but the odd day of great weather can't compete with months of great weather. Last summer we spent 6 weeks on the boat and had 1 rainy day.
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But unless you live there you have one hell of a journey (always a day) to get there and if you like tinkering with your boat how do you do this miles away.

I just came of the phone with a friend of mine and he is coming to help me with a small job on the boat (heat duct into cabin) and I know we will have a fun day
 
Bigplumbs said:
But unless you live there you have one hell of a journey (always a day) to get there and if you like tinkering with your boat how do you do this miles away.
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Easy - for example I'm going there next week. Have had some parts delivered to the boat, have other bits and pieces packed in a suitcase. Jumping on an early flight from Heathrow to Nice and I'll be on the boat before lunch. Admittedly it takes a bit more planning, but it's easily done. I used to be a firm advocate of keeping the boat in the UK, but now I'm a convert. However we are fortunate to be flexible with work time, so can spend maybe 10 weeks a year on the boat. I may think differently if I was more restricted and focused my boating over weekends.
 
markc said:
Easy - for example I'm going there next week. Have had some parts delivered to the boat, have other bits and pieces packed in a suitcase. Jumping on an early flight from Heathrow to Nice and I'll be on the boat before lunch. .
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One thing's for sure. Most parts prices are cheaper in the UK than in SoF and I also ship a lot of parts out there from the UK. However French tradesmen are very reluctant to fit parts supplied by the owner; they claim its for warranty reasons but clearly its really because they make a fat margin on parts as well as their labour
 
Bigplumbs said:
But unless you live there you have one hell of a journey (always a day) to get there and if you like tinkering with your boat how do you do this miles away.

I just came of the phone with a friend of mine and he is coming to help me with a small job on the boat (heat duct into cabin) and I know we will have a fun day
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In order

1. Travel time - 30 mins to Gatwick, usually arrive about an hour before the flight to have a glass of champagne in the lounge, 1 hour 30 min flight to Nice (maybe some more champagne) Uber or train from Nice to Beaulieu is 30mins . All up can be done in sub 4 hours. So 6am flight (no champagne too early for me) lunch on board in sunshine. Lunch flight (champagne variable) serious thought required for which restaurant we will hit for dinner. Evening flight (would sir like another champagne) and thinking about grabbing a truffle pizza when we get in and perhaps some more champagne with it.

2. Tinkering time - its planned. I make a list of things I want to do before I leave the boat and then set things up to do them on my next visit (cart parts or have things sent down or order them locally) so everything is ready to go when I am ready to do it.

3. Plenty of friends both French and Brits are more than happy to help with things at the drop of a hat to help and besides it will lead to some sort of lunch/dinner arrangement and some sort of nice local wine and food.

For many people the Med works well and they like it. For many the UK works and they like it. I get both cases. What I don't get is why people can't accept my choice and try to convince me I am wrong. This goes back to the wrong anchor type arguments..................
 
Bigplumbs said:
But unless you live there you have one hell of a journey (always a day) to get there and if you like tinkering with your boat how do you do this miles away.

I just came of the phone with a friend of mine and he is coming to help me with a small job on the boat (heat duct into cabin) and I know we will have a fun day
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It's actually about 4-5 hours door to door for me (Manchester to mallorca) but yes, it could take much longer depending on flight delays etc.
 
mcanderson said:
1. Travel time - 30 mins to Gatwick, usually arrive about an hour before the flight to have a glass of champagne in the lounge, 1 hour 30 min flight to Nice (maybe some more champagne) Uber or train from Nice to Beaulieu is 30mins . All up can be done in sub 4 hours. So 6am flight (no champagne too early for me) lunch on board in sunshine. Lunch flight (champagne variable) serious thought required for which restaurant we will hit for dinner. Evening flight (would sir like another champagne) and thinking about grabbing a truffle pizza when we get in and perhaps some more champagne with it.
.
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Do you ever feel sorry for we peasants at the back of the aircraft;)
 
Stop all of this I already have 8 boats in the UK quite small those are and I am semi retired and now I am looking at boats in the med...… Her indoors (who is at work !) will go nuts


A second Sealine S24 to keep in the med would suit me fine.


How much would the annual mooring be on a 24 footer in one of the cheaper places
 
Bigplumbs said:
Stop all of this I already have 8 boats in the UK quite small those are and I am semi retired and now I am looking at boats in the med...… Her indoors (who is at work !) will go nuts


A second Sealine S24 to keep in the med would suit me fine.


How much would the annual mooring be on a 24 footer in one of the cheaper places
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Mallorca is not one of the cheaper places, so this doesn't directly answer your question, but it might give some context.

Mallorca is probably one of the most expensive locations for moorings, but that length of boat would prob cost about £2500-£3000per year in mooring charges in a safe (ie safe enough for the boat to be left in the water through the winter storms) marina.
 
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