Average age of boaters.

[John Orentas]

When I began boating 25 years or so ago I considered that I was just a little younger that the average boater, the amazing thing is I still have the same opinion. Is narrowboating becoming an occupation for wrinklies or is it my imagination at work.

[Janet S]

No, it's not your imagination. It's just that us younger (?) ones can't afford to do it! We'd love to have our own narrowboat instead of having to hire, but with the prices going up all the time, I can't see us ever having the funds to do it.

 

Janet

[Liam]

I suppose you're right in saying the average age for boaters are generally older... but, I'm 21 with my own boat, which I've had since I was 18

[davidandheather]

I suppose you're right in saying the average age for boaters are generally older... but, I'm 21 with my own boat, which I've had since I was 18

well John we are 49/46 feel bloody old to day

David n Heather

[Guest]

We are 51/45. Ive bin on't cut since I was about 12. Had to take a break for many years though cause of family commitments and lack of money.

[GUMPY]

well John we are 49/46 feel bloody old to day

David n Heather

I started when I was 23 and was younger than most then, there were more people with small cabin cruisers converted lifeboats etc then. Mine was a 14ft marine ply dayboat that I built a cabin on, no cooker, no toilet no sink just a boat and a bed.

31 years later looking at the average boater passing my mooring I am still one of the younger ones

The thing that has changed is that there are no small/cheap boats about for young people to start boating, so mainly its middle aged /retired people who have the money to buy a bigger boat that are coming on to the cut.

J

[Alec Gatherer]

In "my" old car club, we have noticed that the club mag. is looking more and more like The Times Obituary pages.

We decided to try to lower the average age of the club members. I had what I thought was a brilliant idea (unfortunately not adopted at the AGM) and offer it, suitably modified, for your opinion.

Funds should be made available to procure the services of nubile young women of child-bearing age to be placed at the disposal of older male narrowboat owners or habitual hirers. The resulting progeny (if any) would be a sort of naturally genetically modified canal enthusiast, and would continue our proud tradition.

I don't anticipate any objections from feminists, womens' rights activists, or moral crusaders; however I do hope that my wife doesn't read this.

(signed)

Narrowboat owner and habitual hirer.

Edited July 19, 2006 by Alec Gatherer

[allybsc]

I'm 47 and my toy boy is 45, but we are introducing a hoard of kids to NB'ing 2 x 12yr olds, 2 x 14 yr olds, a 20 yr old and a 23yr old, only four of them are mine...just incase you think I'm a prolific breeder.

Regards,

Ally p.

[ChrisPy]

my average age is thirty.

.......... work it out

[fuzzyduck]

I like boating with the wrinklies, you're not a bad bunch.

 

said it before, will say it again, lots of cheap boats out there, problem is they're off the radar.

 

culture change needed, else the next few generations might just skip the waterways with disasterous results.

[barney]

I am 43 been boating 30 year on of before buying my own boat I run 3 miles most days and quite fit and do not class myself as a wrinklie do not no wether my 12 year old son would agree.

Edited July 19, 2006 by barney

[JohnOnTheWey]

I am 43 been boating 30 year on of before buying my own boat I run 3 miles most days and quite fit and do not class myself as a wrinklie do not no wether my 12 year old son would agree.

 

I'm 54 and have just bought my first boat after a lifetime of dreaming. Don't know whether my 5 year old lad thinks of me as a wrinkly or not - he just thinks I'm magic.

 

John

[Yamanx]

I'm 54 and have just bought my first boat after a lifetime of dreaming. Don't know whether my 5 year old lad thinks of me as a wrinkly or not - he just thinks I'm magic.

 

John

 

Good for you my old mate

 

 

 

John is an old bugger, he was born one, dont let him fool you.

[GRPCruiserman]

More Cheap GRP cruisers, that will get the costs, and therefore the average age, down a bit.

[4mph]

I am 39 my wife is 2years younger than me my son is 14 going on 40 it is sometimes hard when on a long journey to keep him entertained . It is sometimes hard to justify owning a boat as we still want to explore the rest of the world as well as the inland waterways, but is hard when working in the building trade where you only have 11days holidays to choose the rest being compulsory at easter and christmas. My son is growing up at a rapid rate of knots and the parental radar detects females on the horizon so looks like the weekends away will have to be divided so that he can do "normal stuff". Hopefully he will return to a life on the cut as quite a few of you seem to have done . If it is affordable enough for him in the future as in the 5 years we have owned our boat it has become evident that the powers that be seem to be trying to find a level they can get away with charging.

[Bones]

When I began boating 25 years or so ago I considered that I was just a little younger that the average boater, the amazing thing is I still have the same opinion. Is narrowboating becoming an occupation for wrinklies or is it my imagination at work.

 

I feel certain that there is a good mix on the waterways, but it depends whether you are talking of liveaboards or casual boaters. there are loadsa folks my age who are liveaboards, but I find that casual boaters seem to be a bit older - perhaps because they can afford both a house and a home and see the waterways as a holiday rather than a way of life.

Edited July 20, 2006 by Bones

[Mimi]

We are 57/51 and have been 'holiday boaters' for many years. We are not in a position to buy our own without selling our biggest asset........our home. We are both too young to retire so need to be near work. However, we have thought long and hard about it and have come to the conclusion that maybe a 'family' boat would be the answer. If we all ie us, daughters,grandparents etc contribute towards it then it would be possible. As our children have grown up we are not confined to holidaying during school hols so the daughters could use those weeks. We really dont mind when we go on holiday so again thats not a problem. We all enjoy the canals and cant wait to be in there with everyone else who has their own boat and can cruise when you want to.

[minerva]

What a question to ask a ladyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy...

 

cough cough..

 

In our marina I would say the ages of people vary from about the early thirties up to about late 50's ealy 60's...

 

The majority that are living on fit into the 30 to 50 age bracket...quite a few in the 30's living on here..

[bramley]

well i bought my first boat at 19, and had to sell it a year later, and as of yesterday i just bought my second boat and im now 21, althow i will be living on the boat

 

i grew up with weeks spent on my nans old boat when i was younger what can i say i feel at peace on the water.

 

plus im a cancer and aparently like water, I currently live in a nice 2 bed house on my own, but i chose to live on a 40foot boat lol must be crazy

 

Ross

[Moley]

Well congratulations Ross on your return to the waterways.

 

I feel at peace on the water ... plus I'm a Cancer and apparently like water

Well we're in our mid-late 40s and have just bought our first boat, though I did consider it at your age, when I had the cash, and a decent boat was a hundred quid a foot But I was well under the maternal thumb and the apron strings were steel hawsers

Wife and self are both Pisces - nuff said.

 

Our son, currently 13, has requested a liveaboard narrowboat for his 18th birthday.

[Denis R]

Well it seems the median age of boaters around here is somewhere between 65 and deceased....

In order to redress the balance my eldest daughter has announced that she's leaving home at 16 to live on a boat with a friend. "Something traditional dad, with a 'thump-thump' engine, not a Japanese mangle like yours." Of course when you're 14, money grows on trees - and dad's responsible for the orchard! BTW I'm 48, hopefully going on 18. Dream on....

[anhar]

I'm sure I have read recently that something like 80% of canal boaters are over 50. I think it was a comment from BW though I'm not certain. In which case I'm an 80 percenter.

 

regards

Steve

[Crazy Scheme]

We're in our thirties. Only one boater in our community is a pensioner, most of us are in our thirties and forties, I agree, in liveaboard communties (especially in London) people tend to be younger, it's a popular choice because liveaboard can be cheaper than renting in London and housing is completely unaffordable to buy.

My partner inherited a NB when he was 18, but had to sell in a few years later, too expensive for a student to maintain.

[David Schweizer]

What is this fixation about age all about?? Unless you live on a boat, or are so rich that you do not have to work much, a boat is an expensive luxury. Before I retired (very early I might add!!), I worked quite a few weekends, and had five weeks holiday a year, so I would have had precious little time to use a boat if I owned one at that time. Now that I have a lot more time, I can justify the money I spent buying the boat by the amouint of usage it gets. Furthermore I would not have been able to afford to buy a boat without the Redundancy lump sum which accompanied my premature retirement. Surely that is the position of many private boat owners, so it is hardly suprising that the average age is over 50 yrs old.

[Denis R]

I think it's a desirability issue rather than an just an age issue. There are plenty of people in my business circle in their 30's and 40's who have bought second homes for hols or a 'big boy's toy' of some description who aren't the slightest bit interested in boats. There's another group who are interested in boats - sailing boats - and most of them cost easily the price of a decent narrow boat plus some.

These individuals aren't 'rich' people - a lot have bought their 'toys' on finance deals rather than climbing higher up the property ladder by mortgaging themselves further....