Seagoing..not Narrowboats..hope you don't mind

[lynalldisocvery]

Tidy small starter boats are falcon 23spc, Fairline sprint, always sprints on ebay

I think everyone starts the same small petrol boat, get peed of with filling the thing up with fuel and bashing the prop on things, then get a shaft diesel.

If tidal you dont need bss certificate, in fact you dont need anything at all, just insurance for the marina.

Many people say stern drives are the work of the devil and when they go wrong through lack of spannering/oil changes they cost 3/4k to replace!

Most marins you can wander around the boats for sale on the hard and look at the drive set ups.

I would say reliable drive line is number one priority, if its looks like its been looked after you could have a good one, everything else is common sense ie vhf/charts/gps/spare fuel/tools/filters/auto life jackets and of course bog paper!

whereabouts are you as Im sure someone will take you for a spin?

Edited April 13, 2014 by lynalldisocvery

[Phil Ambrose]

Don't forget semi-displacement.......

Very good point, semi-displacement hulls often go unnoticed and unmentioned but are worthy of a look.

Phil

Edit for fat fingers

Edited April 13, 2014 by Phil Ambrose

[Naughty Cal]

This is very much a how long is a piece of string question unless you can narrow down a few more specifics.

 

I wouldn't even consider a petrol boat. Despite what some think there is a difference in economy as well as in cost of fuel and avalibity of fuel. For example a couple if years ago we went to Wells with friends in their petrol boat. We easily got there and back in one tank costing about £150. They had to refuel in Wells which meant two taxi rides to the nearest pump 11 miles away and then had to refuel in Boston again. Their fuel bill was about £1000. To be fair they were running two engines so if you are generous and half it they were still over three times more expensive.

 

Depending on the size and age of boat you may be limited as to what drive type you get. If smaller say sub 30ft it is likely to be stern drive. Well maintained they are easy to use, very manoeuvrable and more efficient. However be shy with the maintenance and it will come back and bite you.

[Bobbybass]

Great advice from all..

 

Thank you.

 

Bob

[OldGoat]

OK...

 

That I can stay on (2 of us) occasionally...

Mainly coastal cruising...Newhaven...Eastbourne..Brighton...

 

 

 

 

 

Blurry 'ell - lost the will to live??

 

That stretch is about the Most Boring in the Whole World straight as a die and nowhere to 'pull in'.

It's one of the reasons why we took up narrowboating.

 

Now if you'd said Chichester, Solent, Poole, I'd understand it a bit better. Even the lower, lower Thames or the Mudway gives you a better chance.

 

As folks say shafts are better than legs, not the least because legs can be very expensive to repair and being made of aluminium rot quite easily.

 

Have a look at the various forums on YBW.COM - even the Thames forum is inhabited by a lot of shiny white boat owners (narrowboaters are not much in evidence)

[Naughty Cal]

Which folks say shafts are better?

 

Stern drives don't rot. They are protected by anodes. As has been said skimp on maintenance and they will be expensive. Well maintained they are no more troublesome than shafts but have the added benefit if better fuel economy and the ability to enter shallow water.

[Up-Side-Down]

Doing the RYA 'Day Skipper' can be useful - a lot of it is for "Rag & String" boats but a lot is useful for Power Boats - I learned a fair bit.

 

Do your VHF radio course - a MUST.

 

Being 30 miles out at sea with an engine fire is not much fun - ( a 'lost spanner' found its way onto the starter terminal and shorted it out - melted all the cable harness etc etc).

Fortunately with two engines and two independent systems once the 'fire' is out you can continue.

 

Liferaft and in-date flares, SUITABLE sized anchor and chain.

 

Learn Navigation - on a trip from North Wales to Ireland I managed to miss Dun Laoghaire and 'hit' Belfast - it was foggy.

 

Get used to buying lots of diesel - we used to do 1.25 miles per GALLON with twin 200hp Volvo's (about 50 gallons Holyhead to Isle of Man)

 

Did I mention the diesel ?

 

So perhaps rag and string is really the way to go .................

[John V]

Sorry Naughty Cal, got to disagree about legs. Noticed a lot more guys in this yard moaning about outdrive repairs...gaiters and such than I hear from those with conventional shafts.

 

As a half way to Up-Side-Down's suggestion there are motorsailers around although personally not keen.

 

Don't ignore steel hulls, there are some very nice boats in the 40-50 foot class in steel often either Dutch or based on Dutch designs

[Alan de Enfield]

The benefits of 'legs'

1) Manoeuvrability in tight marinas

2) Tilt for shallow water

3) Tilt for changing damaged props. Prop can be changed from the bathing platform.

4) Tilt for clearing bags , rubbish from props

5) Trim adjustment to optimise cruising angles.

 

far outweigh their maintenance 'downside'

 

1) Replace anodes as necessary

2) Change oil annually

3) Touch up damaged paint

[John V]

Benefits of shafts

1) simplicity

2) reliability

3) sits on beach to change props (very rarely required as low rotational speed)

4) rope cutter normally deals with ropes etc round prop

5) no need to adjust trim {see 1)}

 

far outweigh their maintenance 'downside'

 

1) wind some grease in every now and then

 

 

 

sorry but think its pumpouts or cassette

[bizzard]

Kwells £2.19p a packet at Boots and other leading chemists.

Edited April 13, 2014 by bizzard

[mattlad]

 

So perhaps rag and string is really the way to go .................

Can't remember if it was in a recent boating magazine or on t'internet but I read that quite a few motorboaters are turning to sail due to the cost of fuel.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Fuel is ofcourse a cost that might sway an opinion.

But I don't think most Power Driven Boaters realize just how much money Mast,Rigging and associated Fittings cost, The frequency the insurance company asks that it be Tested or replaced, The Cost of Sails, and the Number of them Required, Together with the Repairs and Frequent Replacment of Same, The Amount of Space Damp Sails take up aboard,

It's £Thousands,every 5 or 8 years on a regularly used sizable yacht.

And lets not forget, that most yachts of a decent size say 35ft pluss,Operated by your average person,Cruising Coastal,also require a crew, to make it easier. And have greater restrictions on where they can go (Coastal)

I think if you chat to a few yacht people,they will even admit that they spend as much time Motor Sailing,,as Sailing.

I tried sailing but could never get on with it,, My Donuts kept rolling overboard !.

[John V]

 

I think if you chat to a few yacht people,they will even admit that they spend as much time Motor Sailing,,as Sailing.

I tried sailing but could never get on with it,, My Donuts kept rolling overboard !.

 

I just wish they would hoist a cone !

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

 

I just wish they would hoist a cone !

Do you know, iI have to say that IS so annoying isn't it. and they forget that while motor sailing they are a motor boat in the eyes of the Colregs,They tend to want it both ways at times.

Edited April 13, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[Naughty Cal]

Benefits of shafts

1) simplicity

2) reliability

3) sits on beach to change props (very rarely required as low rotational speed)

4) rope cutter normally deals with ropes etc round prop

5) no need to adjust trim {see 1)}

 

far outweigh their maintenance 'downside'

 

1) wind some grease in every now and then

 

 

 

sorry but think its pumpouts or cassette

A chap we know has just had to have new shafts and gear boxes. He doesn't think his shaft driven boat is cheap to maintain anymore.

 

His bill far outweighs what we have spent on our drive!

[boathunter]

I think it depends what your start point is. To me sailing is the best, it's quiet and peaceful and satisfying to make way using just the power of nature. But you need a keel to do it properly and that limits where you can go. Swings and roundabouts.

[John V]

A chap we know has just had to have new shafts and gear boxes. He doesn't think his shaft driven boat is cheap to maintain anymore.

 

His bill far outweighs what we have spent on our drive!

 

 

I repeat my final line.......its pumpouts or cassette

[Naughty Cal]

 

 

I repeat my final line.......its pumpouts or cassette

More likely a sea toilet.

[John V]

More likely a sea toilet.

[Phil Ambrose]

More likely a sea toilet.

True.

Phil

[waterwitch]

Please, please do the RYA powerboat day skipper course! It will teach you most of what you need to know to get started.

 

"There are old sailors and bold sailors but there are no old bold sailors".

[Phil Ambrose]

Please, please do the RYA powerboat day skipper course! It will teach you most of what you need to know to get started.

 

"There are old sailors and bold sailors but there are no old bold sailors".

Arthur Ransome?

[Bobbybass]

Arthur Ransome?

Frank Spencer..?

[Phil Ambrose]

Frank Spencer..?

Ah maybe, the quote from Swallows and Amazons comes back to me now, something like "if duffers then drown if not duffers then don't drown" or something very like that.

Frank was in the RAf (for a very very short time) so maybe the original quote was "there are old pilots, bold pilots but no old bold pilots. (I do talk some tosh after a drink LOL)

Phil