What planet is he off.......?

As I understood matters, the price of a Mars bar has been a relative indicator of inflation over the years!. £2.1k @ 40 to the pound=84k in 1971. 84k of Mb's in 07 = £38k!!. But you can still get a lot of boat for that money, or alternatively eat the Mars bars and put on lots of weight! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
As are media freindly, or at least media magnets and are responsible for/guilty of the public and media image of boaters. This image can be very useful to those "in authority" especially when they have an empire or established position to defend. Bs are low key, don't, as a rule, have photogenic boats where Hello! magazine is concerned and have fallen off the radar.

I put it to the assembled members that As are under 10% of all boaters.
 
When I started sailing down at Mylor in the early 80's the average boat was 27 foot, owned by a chap who drove a van with his name on, or a third hand Cortina. He did his own repairs, and sailed every day it was reasonable, everyone helped everyone, talked to everyone, on a average weekend in summer Mylor Yacht harbour was deserted.
Today the average boat is 40 foot plus, the owner drives a a big 4x4, or BMW, Merc etc normally less than a year old. Pays for all work, does not talk to people, offer help, and on a summer weekend, or weekday for that, see if you can spot the boat that is missing from the marina.
If the 50's were the time of the rich, the 80's were the working man, now were back to the time of the rich.
 
Only today Mrs Lakesailor was remembering how when she was 21, if she let her Fiat 500 run nearly out of fuel she could squeeze 3 gallons in at a cost of 99p (Yes we had gone metric, the year before I believe)
I remember stoking my Harley Davidson endlessly with petrol at 4/11d a gallon.

On the other hand we only earned about £15 a week.
 
I never moved out of Group B... indeed I think I may have to drop out, and jump into Group C (mad about sailing, no money left, no boat!)...
Interesting thread - thanks Bilbobaggins...
 
Let's face it, pretty much everything except fuel and mortgages is cheaper in real terms than it ever has been.

In the seventies a new boat, say a Contessa 32, would cost about a thousand pounds a foot, or about a third of a reasonable mid '70s annual wage per foot.

An equivilent boat now would be a lot less than a third of annual wage a foot.

Incidentaly, the same Contessa in good nick would still cost you a thousand pound a foot if it came up for sale today!

In the '70s the best oilskins available would cost you a couple of hundred quid. A couple of hundred quid may not buy you the best today, but will get something far better than the '70s ones, the modren versions of which are available for about £60.

The list could go on and on. Yes, in real terms sailing is more affordable now than it has ever been in my lifetime.
 
I agree entirely about it all being cheaper and thank God it is otherwise I would not have even my tiny boat. Befinitely in the B (plus many minuses) category!
 
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