Why MoBoing is dying on its feet. ?

[oldgit]

RYA are promoting a weekend to get newbies and the might be interested out on the water all free of charge, local sailing clubs are engaging in a effort to replace the increasing tide of yachties sailing off to their final moorings and to get youngsters involved ....but only sailing !
The RYA has invested in fleet of sailing dinghys which any club can borrow in order to promote the sport.

We all know the MoBo industry is doing its best such as the entry level Princess 42 starting at £350.000 + VAT but what is the RYA or your local motor boat club doing, or does nobody give toss ?



Push the Boat Out, 16/17 May

"As part of the RYA initiative to widen participation in boating, many of our local clubs, marinas and training centres are having open days, when you can go on the water for a “taster session,” on the weekend of 16/17 May. To find out which clubs....."

 

[Bouba]

If word gets out that entry level in the mobo world starts at £350,000 + vat then it will die.

 

[shan]

It's dying because it is so expensive. A boat, whether it be a mobo or even a sailing dinghy is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of cost.

 

[volvopaul]

I’m not sure it is dying , the south coast marinas are nearly full again .
Used boats are selling fast with a shortage of good used sensibly priced mainstream boats .

The RYA have not really been greatly supportive towards motor boats , you only have to look at the red diesel taxation .

 

[rafiki_]

The river Hamble appears appropriately full of mobo's and sailers. Our marina runs a number of events, while mainly for bertholders, newbies are encouraged to attend.

 

[Blue Sunray]

The RYA have not really been greatly supportive towards motor boats , you only have to look at the red diesel taxation .

RYA (of which I am a member) appears almost completely disinterested (and sometimes even hostile to) in the motorised side of the sport/business/hobby other that where it can extract fees for qualifications. Despite this I see no signs of death in the motorboating market, every year a greater proportion on the boats around my bit of the coast are motorboats - a huge rise from when I started (as a sailing boater) I'd guestimate the proportion of motors to sails has gone up 5 to 10 times over that period.

 

[Firefly625]

entry level Princess 42 £350k... irrelevant

My brother been a keen sailor all his life, like me grown up on the water. He sold his last sailing boat 2 years ago as with a young family for whatever reasons seems to be struggling with using it and actually maintaining it but he obviously needed a hobby. After being lent a set of golf bats he decided that was not for him, so I told him get back on the water. Well south of £20k later he has a very fine looking Cap Camerat 625 with a 140hp Suzuki with brand new Garmin nav gear bought from BHG, warrantied for 3 months sitting in a Chichester marina to play with... you speak of entry level Mobo'ing and that's what I think of. Not spending half a million quid on a brand new boat.

 

[BruceK]

entry level Princess 42 £350k... irrelevant

My brother been a keen sailor all his life, like me grown up on the water. He sold his last sailing boat 2 years ago as with a young family for whatever reasons seems to be struggling with using it and actually maintaining it but he obviously needed a hobby. After being lent a set of golf bats he decided that was not for him, so I told him get back on the water. Well south of £20k later he has a very fine looking Cap Camerat 625 with a 140hp Suzuki with brand new Garmin nav gear bought from BHG, warrantied for 3 months sitting in a Chichester marina to play with... you speak of entry level Mobo'ing and that's what I think of. Not spending half a million quid on a brand new boat.

ditto. I see a rise in the fast fisher element, PWC and wakeboarding / speedboat categories. I dont think it's so much a matter of money but time that is in short supply and smaller day boat / craft seem to fill that niche nicely.

 

[ari]

If word gets out that entry level in the mobo world starts at £350,000 + vat then it will die.

Entry level in the mobo world starts at £350,000 + vat in exactly the same way that entry into the car world starts at £150,000 because that's how much the cheapest Bentley is...

 

[ari]

It's dying because it is so expensive. A boat, whether it be a mobo or even a sailing dinghy is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of cost.

What makes you think that it is dying?

 

[Bouba]

Entry level in the mobo world starts at £350,000 + vat in exactly the same way that entry into the car world starts at £150,000 because that's how much the cheapest Bentley is...

Who buys an entry level Bentley?

 

[Flynnbarr]

I prefer to believe the editorial of this months digital Motorboat Owner magazine.
But you could do your bit OG and encourage the RCC to get rid of the oldies and give the cheap subsidised moorings to families

 

[mlines]

I think on an individual level it is in reasonable health. Boats are selling and are in quite short supply. However, clubs/groups/organisations are perhaps in more trouble. This is perhaps a sign of the modern age and social media. People can get their boating fix/questions answered without leaving the comfort of their own home. Boats can be bought/sold with a click of a button. So I think people are busy getting on with boating at the low end of the market, just not as visible as it once was.

 

[Firefly625]

Another reason Moboing is not dying is we are all living longer and a great many of these fit 70+ year olds that have sailed all their lives are looking to extend their boating by moving to motor. I know 7 couples myself who have done just that..

 

[shan]

What makes you think that it is dying?

Look around your average marina and tell me how many people you see under 40 or even 50 yers of age? In fact, look around these forums.

 

[BruceK]

Look around your average marina and tell me how many people you see under 40 or even 50 yers of age? In fact, look around these forums.

We see this in the clubs. It's rather disconcerting sometimes to walk in and it resembles a day centre for the elderly. What is more disconcerting is that the vast majority have been with the club for 30 to 40 years i.e. boat ownership was once also the preserve of the young. There is almost no new blood and of that almost zero young blood. And yet the marina's are full, but casual observation would show the "big" boats are getting bigger and the medium to small boats are getting smaller. There does seem to be a divide appearing.

 

[julians]

I think its just that people these days arent interested in joining a club (I know I'm not interested in that - I'm not young, but I'm not old either - 45yo). I think there are younger people buying boats, but they just get on with it without joining a club.

I bought my first boat aged about 25 (having been messing about with family boats since a very young age) , but theres no chance I'd ever join a club. For me clubs have an image problem, I see them (the reality may not match my perception) as places where old people go , to argue about col regs, which type of knot to use to attach a fender, moan about how life jacket usage should be mandatory, moan about that boat that created too much wash the other day. Organise a cruise in company etc. Tell the new members how they need to learn every single detail about the 'rules' of boating rather than just go and have fun on the water.

Now I know that its almost certain that a lot of clubs are not like this, but they just dont appeal. I can do everything I need without a club, why do people join them?

Same goes for car clubs, cycling clubs etc, why anyone joins them is beyond me...

 

[Whopper]

Is this not related to generally diminishing living standards when it comes to capital/property? I would say it’s fair to generalise that the offspring of most boaters who originally purchased in the 80s/90s/00s have less means of buying a boat than their parents. They are also juggling higher housing costs, student loans etc. relative to incomes that aren’t keeping apace with asset price inflation. Pleasure boating then falls way down the list list of priorities - even for people who have an interest.

I appreciate that this is not always the case and there are the YouTube millionaires etc. but it’s probably a fair generalisation for many professions.

 

[BruceK]

Because clubs hold weight and a voice. Ours can advise and at times intercede with the local harbour authority and council. With town festivities and community. etc. A club is not there to solely cater for your needs but to promote and preserve your activities. That's the other issue with today. Self absorbed focus.

 

[julians]

Because clubs hold weight and a voice. Ours can advise and at times intercede with the local harbour authority and council. With town festivities and community. etc. A club is not there to solely cater for your needs but to promote and preserve your activities. That's the other issue with today. Self absorbed focus.

yeah - I dont think that (promote and preserve my activities) is necessary, I think I can speak for myself without needing a club. No big deal for me, and people shouldnt get the hump because I dont want to be in the club.