Your boating history!

dustywings

dustywings

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 Aug 2011
Messages
449
Location
Home in Lymington boat in Mylor
Visit site
Firstly my apologies if this has been done before but I can’t remember it at all and if it’s been a while then maybe a refresh isn’t a bad thing!!

I was reflecting on how my boat owning history had evolved before arriving at my current boat and drew up a list (below) which tells a story of the type of boating I do, how life has moved on (children, wives etc) and of course affordability.

1. Sailing dinghies including OK, Fireball etc
2. J24
3. Narwhal 5m Rib with Suzuki 85hp
4. Chinook 6.25, Rib with Mercruiser inboard
5. Scorpion 7.5m Rib with Mercury 200hp Optimax
6. Riva Bravo 38 with twin Sabre 300hp
7. Fairline Squadron 58 with twin Volvo 715hp

As I found this an interesting journey would others like to share their own journeys?
 
Last edited:
1. A Clinker built gunter rigged dinghy that leaked like a sieve.
2. A Challenger dinghy, of which there seems to be no record on the internet, no one on YBW remembers, this is a good thing, we can pretend it never happened as it was a POS.
3. Hornet
4. Laser
5. GP14
6. Fairey Huntress
7. Fairey Huntsman 28
8. Fairey Huntsman 31
9. Fairey Bulldog 31

There's a few more small Fairey ducklings etc too.

I like Fairey boats!
 
1. Frode 21 class 3 race boat
2. Revenger 27 rib with 300hp merc
3. Scorpion rib with 300hp diesel
4. Sunseeker Superhawk 34
5. Sunseeker Superhawk 50
6. Suseeker Camargue 50
7. Sunseeker Predator 54
 
As a child dad owned:
Birchwood 27 Countess - twin 4.108 Perkins
Some kind of inflatable that was mine with a 2hp Tohatsu!
Recently changed the Countess to a Birchwood Challenger 320 with twin AD41s and last year a Prestige 36 with KAD43's that I use from time to time

In 2009 we decided to keep the bug alive for our family:
1. 1996 Sealine S24 with a 4.3 Volvo 205hp
2. 2002 Sealine S28 with twin KAD 32's
3. 2006 Sealine S34 with twin Volvo D4's & Zodiac 340 Yachtline RIB with a 30hp Yamaha for the kids!

Where next I wonder! SC35 or SC38 in 4-5 years time probably.
 
From 1990 to present day

Thames
Searay 268 Sundancer

Solent
Sealine 305 Statesman
Fairline Turbo 36
Princess 435
Princess 470
Sealine 410
Sealine S37
Broom 37

Med
Fairline Targa 48 (+ Revenger 27 RIB in UK)
Azimut 46
Ferretti 46
Ferretti 53
Ferretti 630
 
Boats my parents had when I was a kid, from 1972..

1. Project 31
2. Colvic Pilgrim 28
3. RLM 33
4. Ranger 36

My boats since 1997...

1. Bayliner 2755
2. Fairline 40
3. Fairline 43/45
4. Sealine S41
5. Ferretti 165
 
petem said:
That's an odd progression Mike.
Click to expand...

Yes it is but explained by the fact that some time around 1996 when we owned the P470 we made the catastrophic error of buying a dilapidated old listed barn with planning permission for conversion to a dwelling. That consumed cash like it was a black hole so we went through a painful period (for me) of boat downsizing. We eventually moved into the house in 2000 (and still live there today) and when we stopped spending money on the house, we started buying bigger boats

Sometimes I look at our house and think that could have been a San Lorenzo;)
 
1 23ft Carvel built estuary cruiser Swapped a Ford Zephyr for it
2 234ft Plywood river boat
3 24ft Coronet
4 30ft Royal
5 41ft Toughs built Sealion
6 40 ft Bates Star Craft
7 57ft Trader 575
8 Fairline turbo 36
9Broom 39
10 Broom 450
 
Gosh I hope Nicho isn't going to post all his boats on here as the doctor hasn't given me that long !!!

Nauticus 27
Birchwood 31
Birchwood TS37
Princess V42
Fairline Targa 52
 
Boating with parents since 1973

1. Shetland 21
2. Sterling Sabre 27 - we fitted this out in the front of the house.
3. Rampart 38
4. Broom 37
5. Dagless Fleur de Lys 52ft

my father died in 1981 so boating on hold.

My boats since 1997

1. Fletcher 15 - stolen on my birthday
2. Replacement Fletcher 15
3. Sealine 190
4. Maxum 2400 SCR
5. Chris Craft 320
6. Sessa Oyster 36
7. Fairline Targa 40 - major hull issue on the way back from the Channel Islands so replaced by Peters
8. New Fairline Targa 40 - first brand new boat and only new boats from here on.
9. Fairline Targa 43
10. Fairline Phantom 46
11. Fairline Targa 52 - wife only mentioned after the purchase that she preferred a flybridge, boat lasted 6 months
12. Fairline Phantom 50
13. Fairline Squadron 55
14. Fairline Squadron 58
15. Princess 56

Don’t know what next.....
 
1970's Grandfather of a friend had a rowing dinghy on the river Avon. We rowed up and down that river all day long. I was hooked.
Mid 1970s -joined the sea scouts - lots of canoes
bought first boat in 2001, a 1980 Princess 37 - built like a tank fortunately. I think it spent more time grinding the bottom of the river Trent and river Ouse than floating on the top.
then a Sealine 410 - very good practical boat, with hindsight should have kept it.
then a 27ft Larsson (took it as part ex for the sealine)
then a Fairline targa 43 (part ex'ed the Larsson) - bought in the UK, shipped it to the Med
then a Sealine T50 - I bought it on the excuse I had a minor heart attack - it nearly gave me another one.
then after a short break saying never, never, never ever again
a Rodman 38 - very well made, simple design - a keeper.
 
Fletcher Arrowflyte + 50 hp Evinrude
Fletcher Arrowstreak GTO + 80 hp merc
Bayliner 21 bowlder + 5.7 mercruiser
Bavaria 30 sport + single D4 300
Sealine F36 + pair KAMD44s
Princess 42 + pair TAMD75s
Had great times with them all , smashed the gearbox off the evinrude in colwell bay so decided to figure out tides ( was only 18 ).
Main lesson is that no matter how nice a boat you have the weather still won't play ball !! ( in this country )
 
Good to see lots of sailing boats/dinghies in histories. In this company I should be ashamed to admit that I've only had one motorboat a Jeanneau MF645. Sailing has been everything from windsurfers, kite surfers and high performance dinghies to a Moody 44.
 
First experience was on "Southerner" Southern TV's converted MTB Outside Broadcast boat late 60's. Scary stuff hurtling along the Solent with the gas turbine at full chat.

My first boat - Grand Banks 32 (wood) 1980 - 1986

Current boat - Grand Banks 42CL (wood) 1987 -

Funny thing, me & the skipper took Southerner back from the Northam studios to her berth on a Hamble buoy & I asked what the "boxy" looking boats nearby were. They were some of the early Grand Banks imports as the agents were Nautica Marine in Hamble. Often wondered if they were either of my boats as they were both built in 1969.
 
Fibrocell 10ft Sailing Dinghy - I wanted a Mirror but my dad didn’t want the maintenance
Laser Dinghy
Caprice 19 sailing cruiser - restoration project
15 year gap where I spent every weekend hanging out of the side of race boats from a J24 to a Cookson 50 canting keel race boat.
Laser SB3 keelboat
Freeman 33 Sedan
Broom 37 Continental
Zodiac Pro Open 550 with a 90hp V4 2 stroke - still have it.
Broom Crown 37 with Volvo Pentas - this is a keeper
SB20 Keelboat- previously known as a Laser SB3 - decided to go back racing. Loving it.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top