Keeping a little boat on the UK coast...
Discussion
Hi all.
As a family we've been visiting Padstow in Cornwall a lot over the last few years.
I really like the idea of keeping either a wooden motor boat (I've never sailed, well once or twice but it wasn't my boat and many moons ago) or a RIB somewhere that would allow some better access to fishing spots along the coast in calmer waters and that could carry 2 adults and 1 child. What's the story with mooring on or off water and where might I begin to look to understand the likely costs involved please?
I have NO prior experience on the high seas, and realise I may need some basic tuition (RYA?) rather than to be an ass and get rescued on my first venture. Having said that I am safety conscious and of a practical nature
So, do offer me your thoughts on the matter. Hopefully you get an idea on what I want to achieve, safe fun on the water along coastal areas.
Cheers,
Nick
As a family we've been visiting Padstow in Cornwall a lot over the last few years.
I really like the idea of keeping either a wooden motor boat (I've never sailed, well once or twice but it wasn't my boat and many moons ago) or a RIB somewhere that would allow some better access to fishing spots along the coast in calmer waters and that could carry 2 adults and 1 child. What's the story with mooring on or off water and where might I begin to look to understand the likely costs involved please?
I have NO prior experience on the high seas, and realise I may need some basic tuition (RYA?) rather than to be an ass and get rescued on my first venture. Having said that I am safety conscious and of a practical nature
So, do offer me your thoughts on the matter. Hopefully you get an idea on what I want to achieve, safe fun on the water along coastal areas.
Cheers,
Nick
A massive number of questions there.
But lets start with a few basics.
How often are you really likely to use it? If the answer is occasionally then you're best off keeping it out of the water. Saltwater no only likes to eat stuff (metal and wood) but plays host to all sorts of things that will enjoy sticking to the underside of you boat. Small boats lend themselves to trailers so consider places that have public slipways for launch and recovery if you go down this route. If not there's an option known as dry stacking. This is basically a boatyard with a big set of shelfs and a supersized forklift. You call ahead and they get your boat ready for you and then put it back on its shelf when you're finished with it. If you are insistant on keeping it in the water then you'll need either a marina berth, or - more cheaply - a swinging mooring. A swinging mooring is when you see a boat tied to a bouy in a river or bay, but then of course you need a way of getting to it. Some moorings, often owned by a sailing club, come with the use of a club tender to ferry you to your craft.
Lots to consider.
Training, although not legally required (currently) is must in my opinion. The sea really doesn't take any prisioners. I also consider myself to be a sensible and practical chap but I've come close a one or two occasions, be it through being nieave or mechanical failure. I considered myself a strong swimmer until I did my sea survival training, for example! Tides don't just go up and down, and water has a nasty tendency to play tricks, plus there's local bylaws and knowledge to catch you out.
Finally, there's cost. In my line of work people often ask how much they cost to run. My stock answer is 10% of the original/new purchase price per year before you've even left the quayside (as a guide). Although I get the impression you're not considering a 70' motorboat, boats in general aren't cheap whichever way you cut it. I'm not trying to put you off, but would hate for you to get started and then be put off after your first few weeks.
I'd love to have my own boat - and one day I will - but I have to be realistic and even a 20' dayboat would be a strtch too far right now. I'll stick to blagging them for weekends for now!
But lets start with a few basics.
How often are you really likely to use it? If the answer is occasionally then you're best off keeping it out of the water. Saltwater no only likes to eat stuff (metal and wood) but plays host to all sorts of things that will enjoy sticking to the underside of you boat. Small boats lend themselves to trailers so consider places that have public slipways for launch and recovery if you go down this route. If not there's an option known as dry stacking. This is basically a boatyard with a big set of shelfs and a supersized forklift. You call ahead and they get your boat ready for you and then put it back on its shelf when you're finished with it. If you are insistant on keeping it in the water then you'll need either a marina berth, or - more cheaply - a swinging mooring. A swinging mooring is when you see a boat tied to a bouy in a river or bay, but then of course you need a way of getting to it. Some moorings, often owned by a sailing club, come with the use of a club tender to ferry you to your craft.
Lots to consider.
Training, although not legally required (currently) is must in my opinion. The sea really doesn't take any prisioners. I also consider myself to be a sensible and practical chap but I've come close a one or two occasions, be it through being nieave or mechanical failure. I considered myself a strong swimmer until I did my sea survival training, for example! Tides don't just go up and down, and water has a nasty tendency to play tricks, plus there's local bylaws and knowledge to catch you out.
Finally, there's cost. In my line of work people often ask how much they cost to run. My stock answer is 10% of the original/new purchase price per year before you've even left the quayside (as a guide). Although I get the impression you're not considering a 70' motorboat, boats in general aren't cheap whichever way you cut it. I'm not trying to put you off, but would hate for you to get started and then be put off after your first few weeks.
I'd love to have my own boat - and one day I will - but I have to be realistic and even a 20' dayboat would be a strtch too far right now. I'll stick to blagging them for weekends for now!
^^^^^
Sound advice.
If you are only looking to use it when you are in Padstein, then a mooring or storage will be ruinously expensive compared to the price of the boat.
How far offshore are you planning on going? Coast hugging (20/30ft) round the coves or 1 or 2 miles offshore?
Coast hugging, get a small outboard and bung the boat on the car roof when you come down here. Bigger than that and as the saying goes 'If it flies,f--ks or floats, it's cheaper by the hour'
Sound advice.
If you are only looking to use it when you are in Padstein, then a mooring or storage will be ruinously expensive compared to the price of the boat.
How far offshore are you planning on going? Coast hugging (20/30ft) round the coves or 1 or 2 miles offshore?
Coast hugging, get a small outboard and bung the boat on the car roof when you come down here. Bigger than that and as the saying goes 'If it flies,f--ks or floats, it's cheaper by the hour'
Perhaps a SIB (Soft inflatable) on a trailer would be a good start?
Bombard Aerotec 380 is pretty robust with an Ali floor, 3.8m + say 25hp, on a garage-able trailer which could be towed by anything, under £5k for a good slightly used package.
Dedicated SIB forum, part of the larger RIB.net: http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/
Boatlaunch.co.uk for slipways
Bombard Aerotec 380 is pretty robust with an Ali floor, 3.8m + say 25hp, on a garage-able trailer which could be towed by anything, under £5k for a good slightly used package.
Dedicated SIB forum, part of the larger RIB.net: http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/
Boatlaunch.co.uk for slipways
Sorry for the delay on this one. Thanks for all the answers and a few questions worth answering to further clarify my 'wants' in a boat.
Coast hugging only. No desire to get further out to sea apart from passing from one head to another say.
I really don't want to be putting a boat on a trailer. As I look about the web I think my best bet would be to go for an inflatable RIB type with aluminium slats for a base plus an outboard. That way I reckon I could place it in the caravan (uninflated!)as I tow it down the M5. I'll need to look into the weights though. Some engines were described as being very portable and lift-able by one person.
Would have loved something big enough for three of us. Say, me fishing and the girls chilling in the sun (it was a nice thought anyway).
I'll check out the links too. Thank you.
Nick
Coast hugging only. No desire to get further out to sea apart from passing from one head to another say.
I really don't want to be putting a boat on a trailer. As I look about the web I think my best bet would be to go for an inflatable RIB type with aluminium slats for a base plus an outboard. That way I reckon I could place it in the caravan (uninflated!)as I tow it down the M5. I'll need to look into the weights though. Some engines were described as being very portable and lift-able by one person.
Would have loved something big enough for three of us. Say, me fishing and the girls chilling in the sun (it was a nice thought anyway).
I'll check out the links too. Thank you.
Nick
Hi Nick,
This is the sort of thing I specialise in. Don't want to turn this into an advert, but our company web page is in my profile (website still under construction). Zodiac and Bombard do lots of solid deck wooden or aluminium boats. Bit fiddly to assemble at first, but you get the hang of it and they're very rigid once built and inflated properly. They will go from 3.4m up to 4.3m. I'd probably want to keep it around 3.4 - 3.8m if you're trying to keep it manageable and easily to move about in bags. Anything over and they become very big and heavy.
I'd recommend a late 90's onwards 2 stroke Yamaha 15hp, or indeed the 9.9hp, which can be upgraded to 15hp easily. Very light, managed by one person, very well built engine. It's no longer anvailable to buy new in the EU due to new emission regs but you can find used ones for about £1,000ish. They still fetch very strong money due to their popularity. Age doesn't really seem to affect values on these, the engine didn't change over the years.
You could go four stroke, but you'd struggle to manage anything over 8hp on your own realistically. I'd go for 2 stroke. Bit louder, more smoke and you have to mix oil, but you have that weight advantage.
Let me know if you need anymore help.
Dan
This is the sort of thing I specialise in. Don't want to turn this into an advert, but our company web page is in my profile (website still under construction). Zodiac and Bombard do lots of solid deck wooden or aluminium boats. Bit fiddly to assemble at first, but you get the hang of it and they're very rigid once built and inflated properly. They will go from 3.4m up to 4.3m. I'd probably want to keep it around 3.4 - 3.8m if you're trying to keep it manageable and easily to move about in bags. Anything over and they become very big and heavy.
I'd recommend a late 90's onwards 2 stroke Yamaha 15hp, or indeed the 9.9hp, which can be upgraded to 15hp easily. Very light, managed by one person, very well built engine. It's no longer anvailable to buy new in the EU due to new emission regs but you can find used ones for about £1,000ish. They still fetch very strong money due to their popularity. Age doesn't really seem to affect values on these, the engine didn't change over the years.
You could go four stroke, but you'd struggle to manage anything over 8hp on your own realistically. I'd go for 2 stroke. Bit louder, more smoke and you have to mix oil, but you have that weight advantage.
Let me know if you need anymore help.
Dan
Ps. We've just bought our first house so sold our boat a little while ago. We bought it brand new, it was a 6m Avon RIB, Yamaha F150 with every option and bit of kit going! Used the money to buy the house, but also bought Ocean Kayaks (13 foot fishing kayaks), a 3.4m Zodiac with a Yamaha 15hp and a windsurf. I'm using them more than I used the RIB and enjoying them more than the big RIB. It's lovely being on the water, sometimes a dingy or a kayak is all you need!
From experience of "portable" boats, a Topper in my case, make sure the bits really are man portable if shifting all the bits from the car to the beach is crippling then the boat won't get much use. Or if one person assembly needs 3 hands and perfectly level ground, worse still for an inflatable is it easy inflatable on the beach/ slip way or easy to transport inflated. I say all this as my old topper had one journey to the seaside the rest of it's ownership was at the local sailing club.
The best bet may be to buy from a local boat yard at your chosen "home port" and keep it in their yard, solves the transport problem and any beach side premium should still remain when you sell it on.
The best bet may be to buy from a local boat yard at your chosen "home port" and keep it in their yard, solves the transport problem and any beach side premium should still remain when you sell it on.
I sell these;
Less than 40Kg, will go on a roof rack to transport, and if you look after it, will last a lifetime.
The best thing about a transportable boat is you can always go somewhere new to investigate. You can even take it on holiday with you.
Just another potential to add to the list!
Less than 40Kg, will go on a roof rack to transport, and if you look after it, will last a lifetime.
The best thing about a transportable boat is you can always go somewhere new to investigate. You can even take it on holiday with you.
Just another potential to add to the list!
monkfish1 said:
Under 40Kg. Nice. 2 people could put that on the roof of a car/van............
How long is it?
Two lengths of this type, 11' and 13'.How long is it?
I can load the 13' version on to my Landcruiser roof on my own.
OK, I wouldn't do this out of choice, but it is possible.
Stupidly cheap too.
/sales pitch
maser_spyder said:
I sell these;
Less than 40Kg, will go on a roof rack to transport, and if you look after it, will last a lifetime.
The best thing about a transportable boat is you can always go somewhere new to investigate. You can even take it on holiday with you.
Just another potential to add to the list!
Under 40kg?! The 13' aluminium boat we sell is 84kg, although it's pretty solidly build. Less than 40Kg, will go on a roof rack to transport, and if you look after it, will last a lifetime.
The best thing about a transportable boat is you can always go somewhere new to investigate. You can even take it on holiday with you.
Just another potential to add to the list!
maser_spyder said:
I sell these;
Less than 40Kg, will go on a roof rack to transport, and if you look after it, will last a lifetime.
The best thing about a transportable boat is you can always go somewhere new to investigate. You can even take it on holiday with you.
Just another potential to add to the list!
.Less than 40Kg, will go on a roof rack to transport, and if you look after it, will last a lifetime.
The best thing about a transportable boat is you can always go somewhere new to investigate. You can even take it on holiday with you.
Just another potential to add to the list!
Very nice maser_spyder,
And well built they are also, the seams were immaculate I remember.
I guess I will just have to raid the piggy bank and come visit you.
maser_spyder what engine would you suggest for 2 persons?
Don't need "skiing performance" just half decent speed is fine.
vette
danyeates said:
Under 40kg?! The 13' aluminium boat we sell is 84kg, although it's pretty solidly build.
Actually, the larger, thicker skinned 13' version of this is the same, 84Kg too. It's a bit more sturdy than these models, but needs a trailer. Nice thing about these, although they're not super heavy-duty, they are very light, so easy to transport.Drop me a pm if you want some SOR?
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