Young Motorboaters

[Guest]

Hello.

This is Kate at MBM. I'm thinking of doing a story for the magazine about younger motorboaters. Does anyone know of keen motorboat fans under the age of 20?? Especially if they own/are working on their own boat.

Thanks

Kate

 

[Guest]

My youngest is 2.

Ask Kim Hollamby.

He knows all about him !!

Adrian B

 

[Guest]

Is Kate on the pull?

You can't be serious. You're thinking of doing an article on young motorboaters with their own boat but they must be ubder 20? Presumably with a Squadron or preferably something bigger? Don't tell me, it'd be perfect if they were based in the SofF. And all you want to do is write a story? Yeah right. I think you've already written it.

BTW I'm looking for young girls to star in a film I'm writing, anyone want to audition? No prevous acting skills necesaary, no lines so to speak.

 

[Guest]

Re: That article in full !

It's never too early to start enjoying the wonderful world of Motor Boating. We met up with three youngsters who already own their own craft and can count themselves amongst the UK's ever-growing boating fraternity.

At only twelve, Danny might seem young to be running his own boat. But after a succesful dotcom career, we met up with him on a sunseeker 75 at Poole. Way to go Danny! yer litttle blimmin flippin grrr.

Julie Rogers of Huntington seems to have made many new friends in running her cabin cruiser on the waterways. We arranged to meet up with her and her schoolfriends one evening. Right from the start it was clear that her craft is run with military precision: despite its small size, Julie's vessel even has its own receptionist - pretty impressive by anyone's standards! An appointment was duly made for myself and the photographer to vist at "9pm sharp, ten minutes, okay?"

Although it was quite late, Julie and her friends had obviously been been sunbathing before we arrived. The cameraman was taken around down bewlow by her friends, whilst I chatted to Julie in the cockpit. She clearly enjoyed the freedom of boating: "Yeah, well, like, me and me friends, like, we, like, don't drive it anywhere, like, sort of fing, but thi can't nickya for anyfink, cos it's not on dry land, see?" says Juile. We chatted for some time, the boat rocking gently in the evening breeze.

I asked how on she found the money for such a craft? Samantha's friends finally reappeared from down below, and, a few minutes later, so did the cameraman. They burst into shrieking giggles at my questioning. "Go orn, Julie, teller 'ow yer make enuf dosh fer a boat!" yelled one of them "Yeah, teller about yer long night passage, Julie!" Hmm.

Finally, we met young David, on the lower reaches of the Thames. One of his earliest memories is that of his dad giving a 25 foot Riva Aquarama for his fifth birthday. An amazing present, surely?

However, this prince amongst classic boats was in fact in a dreadful state and not at all seaworthy. But David has restored the vessel to near-showroom condition. His parents not only paid for the craft but also stumped up the money for all the parts, varnish, and "acres and acres" of sandpaper needed to complete the project. David undertook all the work himself, as both his parents seemed to have had adverse reactions to the specific type of mahogany used in the boat.

Now aged 13, and having finally finished the job only recently, David has at last seen the results of eight years and 42,000 hours of laborious work repaid with the grand launch last month.

Sadly, David's father can't seem to find any insurance company that will cover a skipper who is under the age of 21, despite the very best efforts of their family-run insurance brokerage. Indeed, the special terms of the policy chosen mean that only people aged over 18 are allowed on board - something of a surprise to all of us at MBM. Fortunately, as a special Easter present, Mum and Dad have arranged for David to go to boarding school in Scotland, and then on to a residential camping trip over the summer holidays. Hopefully his parents will keep an eye on the boat in the meantime!

 

[Guest]

When I was 8 me uncle took me out on his boat on Windermere water skiiing and that. Then I saved me dinner money for three years and when I could afford it I bought an Albatross speedboat and did it up.

I motored all around Britain in an old Yeoman when I was 18, but got quite ill 'cos I swallowed quite a lot of petrol when I was syphoning it out of cars and that on the way round. But I stuck at it.

After that I moved into a caravan I wrote 2,500 letters asking for sponsorship to do an Atlantic crossing but in the end I had to buy me own boat and do it up in France so I could enter the race. And I did quite well.

I did alright a few more times too.

I managed to get a bit of sponsorship from B & Q - some wood, glue and plastic storage containers for my latest adventure. I'm just rowing round the world now but I'm in the shit a bit 'cos I'm about to miss Australia.

You wouldn't think you could miss that would you.

Anyway, if you have a dream and you work at it you can have your dream.

Mine just happened to be in a boat.

You wouldn't think you could do that (Miss Australia in my dreams).

 

[Guest]

Make sure the boat doesn't capsize whilst you're dreaming about Miss Australia or you might wake up to find it's made your dreams very damp)

 

[Guest]

RTYC at Ramsgate run a very large youngsters event during Ramsgate week

 

[Guest]

Re: Is Kate on the pull?

TRY UMM AND AHHHH

 

[Guest]

thanks

thanks for this response. The original question in this thread is a genuine request for information from a young trainee journalist who wants to see what can be done re promoting motor boating amongst younger people and I thought it was a shame to see some of the 'humour' she then had to suffer. I am sure everybody welcomes the fact that there are young journalists who are being trained to try and use all means possible to identify story leads and not sit in an office waiting for press releases!

 

[Guest]

Kate, you should speak to Suzanne Perrott, Daniel Gillman, Sam Beddoes, David Gigg. Suzanne Perrott will be able to give you all their details. I believe she is doing her work experience at ybw this week with Kim.

Good luck

PB

 

[Guest]

Re: thanks

Don't get too uptight!

We regard this as 'our' forum (even if you own it) and, whilst I can't speak for others, my postings are my immediate thoughts. If you wanted serious, considered thoughts, you'd get very few.

Appreciate as well that we only know what you tell us. Perhaps if you'd said initially you were a trainee journalist, our postings might have been different (only might have been!). I'm sure none of us wanted to cause offence.

But be positive and flexible. These postings might not have been all that you wanted but I reckon here you've got the basis of a short interesting and humourous article that would fill a column or so.

 

[Guest]

Hi Kate, Im Suzanne who Pauline's talking about. Im working with Kim Hollamby on the 21st floor for this week only if you want a chat. I've been on a boat since I was 4 months old. At 8 I had my first boat, a speed boat with a 9.9hp on the back. At 12 I had a 12ft cabin cruiser and at 15 I had a 16ft cabin cruiser. Now at 17 im planning a holiday on a 38ft motor cruiser. Its officially my Dads, but only my mates and I will be on it. Last weekend I had my first nervraking experience at sea. If your interested, get in touch. Take no notice of the other responses, if they were serious boaters they'd know that we are out there, I can put you in touch with at least 3 other lads in the same situation as me. Good Luck, Suzanne xXx