What constitutes a Classic Boat??

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Airborne473

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I am looking at a wooden built, 1949, "LUKE" yacht, built by Hamble Ltd. Does this constitute a Classic Boat ??.
Does being a Classic boat owner confer any special consideration such as specific races or meetings.
Does the name "LUKE" ring a bell with anyone.
Interested in any comments
 
This question comes up a lot on this forum, and I know the views of most of the regular posters, but this is mine:

My boat is nearly 80, her design is relatively well-known and well thought of, she is very pretty in the style of her period, and very solid. She is built of a nice, robust wood, significantly strengthened by her previous owner and carries a rig rather more powerful than she was built for. She goes nicely and always looks after me despite several instances of inexperienced incompetence, of which I suspect there will be more.

I used to get a bit of a kick out of the term classic, but it wore off quite quickly. Now, she's just my boat and the reason I'm eternally skint. You could do all the sums and figure out if you want the hassle of a wooden boat, or you could just buy the boat you like and take it from there. That's what I did, and while it is a lot of stress, I've never looked back.

There are several organisations that bring owners of old boats together - in our league, the OGA is probably the most well known - and they have a good programme of cruising and racing in various locations around the country.

Good luck with it!

/<
 
As Kristal has aid, it confers upon you the right to be eternally poor, and a slave to "A hole in the water surrounded by wood into which you pour money". And then some family out on the water for the day in their plastic-fantastic will sail along side before calling out "Beautiful Boat!", and then you'll know why you do this. Mind you, they then harden their sheets and take off to windward as though they had cut in the after-burners, 'just because they can'. It has given me the right to know well some really nice and expert people, who take me seriously instead of dismissing me as a hopeless git. This has enriched my life enormously. It has given me the right look back at my boat when leaving at the end of a day in her company, and fall in love with her all over again. Look for less tangible benefits than the usual run of sailors enjoy.
Peter.
 
The "Luke" part refers to the boatyard: started as "WS Luke" in the 1880s, became "WG Luke and Co", then "Hamble River, Luke & Co Ltd", then "Luke Bros, Hamble Ltd". When the Luke family association ended it became "Port Hamble Ltd".
As the others have said, ownership of a classic yacht entitles you to keep off the streets and to spend all your spare time and money painting, polishing, varnishing and generally cossetting the old girl.
 
Frangipani, thanks for the info and to all the other comments on my question.
Ooooh sounds like fun, if i get it. Lots of lovely work to be done...hmmm love it (what Am i doing?? lol)
Does anyone know if any other LUKE 5 Tonners are still around and is there a group i can chat to.
 
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