Your Boating History!

One of my current boats: -

Untitled by Rival Sailor, on Flickr

Also
Rival 41C
Wayfarer
2 x Rubber Dinghies
1 x GRP rowing boat currently acting as a flower bed.

In a past life
Sigma 29, 33, 36, 362, 38, 41
Contessa 32, OOD34
Elan 42
Moody 32
MG Spring
Westerly GK29
Westerly Ocean Lord
Jeanneau Sun Fizz 38
GP14
420
Laser
Kestrel
A 72' custom yacht
A 50' custom yacht
 
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1 = Cheverton Caravel mk2 - bought for me as a present by my late wife in 2010.

I visited the boat show with the means to downsize my house and spend a decent sum on a new boat. After an afternoon of sitting on various 30+ footers, decided that I wouldn't have as much fun maintaining and sailing a new one, as I do currently with Paean. Unless and until I have a very good reason to change, I don't expect that I will. I still have so much to do to her and so many places I want to go in her. I might eat these words one day, but honestly, I doubt I shall every get bored of owning her.
 
Starting in 1985, aged 13, I got a Topper. This was changed 4 yrs later for a Laser, which was replaced a year after by a Scorpion.
In 2007 I (or rather we - had met SWMBO by then) moved to big boats, buying a Sadler 29, which was kept for 9 yrs, before being replaced with the current boat, a Sadler 290. I sold the (wooden) Scorpion just after getting the first Sadler, as I realised I was never going to have the time to maintain and sail both of them....
 
Approaching my half century with my boat. Family boat purchased by my dad.
Westerly Pageant. Laid down in 1972 in Waterlooville, Hampshire while I was born a couple of years before her just down the road in Fareham, Hampshire.

We grew up together and I strongly suspect we'll meet our demise together.

It's just which one of us goes first.
Perhaps we'll go together. Sailing somewhere nice. That would be cool.
 
3x laser dinghy 2000-2005
2x laser vortex dinghy 2005-2009
17ft hurley silhouette 2009-2012
Leisure 23 -2018
Leisure 27 2018 - ???
 
Over the last 40 years, I had a Topper (still have it in Greece and use it when I am there), a Laser International, a 26ft wooden one-off design, a Bruce Roberts 30ft, a Mirror Offshore, a Macwester Wight, a Moody 33S (still have the Moody, great yacht). Also a few rowing dinghies, few outboards and a garage full of sails, ropes and bits.
 
25 years ago we started with a Snapdragon 21, followed by a Cobra 850 and then a Hanse 301 and we now have a Bavaria 350.
 
Fox Cub 18 Rondo 1976 to 1978.
Puppeteer 22 Papagena(minitonner) 1978-1996
Verl 790 Shanty 1996-2001
Mischief24 (minitonner) Underdog2001-2005
Mischief24 Load of Mischief 2005 -2009
International H boat Hummingbird 2009-2010
Artekno H323 Tic Tac 2010 till now

Bought the Foxcub as a first boat . Two years later saw the Puppeteer 22 which offered more accomodation and better performance. Used for both racing and cruising in Northern Ireland with the occasional venture across the North channel to the Scottish series and also up the west coast. Sold after 18 years when I thought the growing family might go cruising and bought the Verl 790.Sadly the family weren't keen on cruising or sailing. So after a few years reverted to Ed Dubois minitonners which provided much fun and some success racing on Lough Neagh. After several years I bought an International H boat which although I only kept for a brief period proved to be a delight to sail. So much so that when I saw her big sister The H323 advertised I had no hesitation in buying . Now in the 10th year of ownership and after much expenditure I have a boat that I will probably keep until my sailing days are over. Capable of a respectable performance in club racing but more important, now I am retired ,a quick passage maker that allows me to explore the Irish Coast and Scottish Islands yet is easily handled by myself or with one or two others. I have contemplated selling but feel that while a few more creature comforts might be welcome sailing performance and ease of handling are more important to me as I approach 70.
 
Got a Wanderer for my 40th birthday 2003 on the basis I was giving up windsurfing to do sailing with a young family.
Wayfarer 2006 Children getting bigger
Drascombe Lugger 2008 Thought they looked the ticket ....they do but didn't enjoy sailing it
Jeaneau Sun 2000 in 2009 I was happy but too tippy for spouse. Minimal maintenance. She wanted home comforts, and stability. I said bigger boat = more work but I want a happy wife.
So CENTAUR. 2011. Brilliant. Lots of work, enjoyable to sail and learn about boats. Happy wife and family. That is the boat when sailing got to be a serious commitment. Goodbye trailer sailoring.
Westerly Konsort 2014 to the present. Huge floating caravan, still enjoyable to sail. Youngest two reluctant to join us sailing, but hey, it is a good boat for 3 or 4
Kept the Wayfarer as love dinghy sailing, particularly with my daughter. Once in a blue moon.
And still windsurfing as much as possible :)
 
I morphed into sailing from diving. Friend of a friend needed a diver to clear monofilament nylon from around his prop.

This spurred an interest in boats with floppy rags and lots of string. Out of interest I did a L2 dinghy course and was hooked.

I’ve had 2 Solos and a Laser 13 dinghy.

Next came the delightful Swift 18 trailer sailer. I then fancied something in the 26-28ft range and after looking at too many dogs my search took me to Sweden where I bought a Tetis 8.8. A very memorable home delivery including press-ganging two work colleagues to come along as crew. We had winds significantly stronger than forecast when crossing the North Sea and they were both debilitated by mal de mare and “wanted to die” :)

I sold this several years later and made around 60% profit. The glory days when the GBP had some value.

Next came the Beneteau 361. A lovely boat and, even though I like my current boat, I’ve often asked myself why I sold it. Made some great memories on this.

Within my master plan readying for retirement, 6 years ago I bought a new Oceanis 41. It has pretty much everything disliked by MAB owners but I love it. :) Being a French boat, it has 3 wine racks so what’s not to like.
 
Started sailing in my teens with the Sea Cadets, dinghy sailing pretty much every weekend, with occasional forays offshore in TS Royalist.

Got my first dinghy, a 1958 GP14 in 1982. Got into racing semi-seriously, competing in a few nationals and a world championship, before anno domini starting catching up with both of us. Did a bit of dinghy cruising, but found stowage was a bit of a struggle without taking her out of class. So then ...
Got my first offshore yacht, a 1957 24ft Uphams Waterbug, in 1998. Intended to sail off single-handed long-term, but love and marriage unexpectedly intervened.
Still have both boats.
 
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LadyInBed said:
Another thing that I noticed was the way in which the Q was answered, over on Mobo forum mainly the answer was just a list, with sailing boats people are much more verbose about them.
Click to expand...
Oooh! Looks like I should have a mobo. Doesn't feel that way but maybe I'll progress with more therapy:D
 
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