What got you into boating?
Discussion
A picture appeared on FB recently of the yacht my grandparents owned when I was between 8 and 16, a Seadrift 20. Built-in 1969, with a 'Brit' engine, that would have been far healthier if my Grandfather had not tinkered with it, we had so much fun, many breakdowns, and general mischief around St Mawes and Falmouth.
Despite not living near the sea, I've had a few boats since then, although currently without one. Ebay classifieds are dangerous though...
So what started you off with boats?
Despite not living near the sea, I've had a few boats since then, although currently without one. Ebay classifieds are dangerous though...
So what started you off with boats?
Edited by surveyor on Tuesday 4th June 09:16
I was brought up next to a freshwater loch and spent every moment messing about in boats - rowing and sailing dinghies. I had an abandoned speedboat that I used to try to get running again but never could at the age of 12. I did eventually get it running when I was older and still plan to fully restore the classic 1960s Mercury outboard at some point.
I had two sets of friends who sailed: one had a 22ft sailing boat in the Med where his family was from and the other had a Warrior 35 on the west coast of Scotland. I had a couple of speedboats in my 20s because I couldn’t afford to moor a sailing boat and when I got married my wife had been brought up sailing in Argyll and hated it.
Luckily I converted her back to sail and we had a wooden motorsailer while the children were in nappies (a maintenance nightmare on all fronts!) and then graduated to our current 1971 plastic classic 15 years ago. I’m just back from a weekend trip to Bangor NI a couple of weeks ago with my two sons and was delighted to see them confidently sailing at night in fairly choppy conditions like it was second nature.
Here’s my tub in Bangor marina during that trip:
As I’ve written here before, she’s why I don’t have a decent car!
I had two sets of friends who sailed: one had a 22ft sailing boat in the Med where his family was from and the other had a Warrior 35 on the west coast of Scotland. I had a couple of speedboats in my 20s because I couldn’t afford to moor a sailing boat and when I got married my wife had been brought up sailing in Argyll and hated it.
Luckily I converted her back to sail and we had a wooden motorsailer while the children were in nappies (a maintenance nightmare on all fronts!) and then graduated to our current 1971 plastic classic 15 years ago. I’m just back from a weekend trip to Bangor NI a couple of weeks ago with my two sons and was delighted to see them confidently sailing at night in fairly choppy conditions like it was second nature.
Here’s my tub in Bangor marina during that trip:
As I’ve written here before, she’s why I don’t have a decent car!
Brother D said:
Parents sent me away to sailing school each summer as a kid and school had a sailing club where we would drink stella in the afternoons sailing around the lake.
That is one significant plus of boating; the fun police are not interested in stopping you having a drink while you're doing it.w1bbles said:
I was brought up next to a freshwater loch and spent every moment messing about in boats - rowing and sailing dinghies. I had an abandoned speedboat that I used to try to get running again but never could at the age of 12. I did eventually get it running when I was older and still plan to fully restore the classic 1960s Mercury outboard at some point.
I had two sets of friends who sailed: one had a 22ft sailing boat in the Med where his family was from and the other had a Warrior 35 on the west coast of Scotland. I had a couple of speedboats in my 20s because I couldn’t afford to moor a sailing boat and when I got married my wife had been brought up sailing in Argyll and hated it.
Luckily I converted her back to sail and we had a wooden motorsailer while the children were in nappies (a maintenance nightmare on all fronts!) and then graduated to our current 1971 plastic classic 15 years ago. I’m just back from a weekend trip to Bangor NI a couple of weeks ago with my two sons and was delighted to see them confidently sailing at night in fairly choppy conditions like it was second nature.
Here’s my tub in Bangor marina during that trip:
As I’ve written here before, she’s why I don’t have a decent car!
That's a lovely boat. What is it! I had two sets of friends who sailed: one had a 22ft sailing boat in the Med where his family was from and the other had a Warrior 35 on the west coast of Scotland. I had a couple of speedboats in my 20s because I couldn’t afford to moor a sailing boat and when I got married my wife had been brought up sailing in Argyll and hated it.
Luckily I converted her back to sail and we had a wooden motorsailer while the children were in nappies (a maintenance nightmare on all fronts!) and then graduated to our current 1971 plastic classic 15 years ago. I’m just back from a weekend trip to Bangor NI a couple of weeks ago with my two sons and was delighted to see them confidently sailing at night in fairly choppy conditions like it was second nature.
Here’s my tub in Bangor marina during that trip:
As I’ve written here before, she’s why I don’t have a decent car!
Dad wanted to improve his standing in the world so joined a sailing club and bought a boat. I was chucked in the front of a 14 at the tender age of 7 and told to be moving ballast. It didn't take many years before I moved to the back of the boat to steer before getting my own boat and thrashing dad on every occasion. I think the final straw was when I lapped him.
Surprised no-one has mentioned swallows and amazons yet. Books and the film did it for me. My mum knew someone in the local sailing club.
I went down to try it out and got myself a crewing job in an enterprise.
The chap i sailed with was a good sailor and so we won some races, winning felt great
I went down to try it out and got myself a crewing job in an enterprise.
The chap i sailed with was a good sailor and so we won some races, winning felt great
sawman said:
Surprised no-one has mentioned swallows and amazons yet. Books and the film did it for me. My mum knew someone in the local sailing club.
I went down to try it out and got myself a crewing job in an enterprise.
The chap i sailed with was a good sailor and so we won some races, winning felt great
I remember being a tiny kid and finding the Swallow or it's doppelganger in a boat house in Stalham on the broads, me and my sister were so excited.I went down to try it out and got myself a crewing job in an enterprise.
The chap i sailed with was a good sailor and so we won some races, winning felt great
My old man had a broom speed boat on lake Windermere, then a boat on the broads and later on the Thames, that's what got me into it. He is without a doubt the worst Captain to ever venture out on the water, I vowed to be better! So many tales I could tell of the countless falls into water he's had, the crashes, my sister asking why her feet were wet in the back seat of the car while launching the boat, ripping the entire leg off an outboard hitting rocks....... ahh good times.
Similar to the Op. Growing up in Cornwall my Dad had boats in Falmouth and Mylor.
When he sold up a few years ago (Crabber 22) I always said I regretted not buying his boat mainly for the pontoon space at Mylor as I always thought at some point I would take up sailing properly.
My children are now teenagers, and less interested in doing things with us, and I realised that for the last 20 years my life has been consumed with work, houses and them. With retirement hopefully in the next 10 years I needed a new interest.
Fast forward to earlier this year and a friend was selling a boat which also came with a pontoon space. Whilst I didn’t buy that boat it re-surfaced the thoughts and so recently purchased my own first boat.
Not on the pontoon as couldn’t justify the cost versus usage but on a swinging mooring at Mylor.
When he sold up a few years ago (Crabber 22) I always said I regretted not buying his boat mainly for the pontoon space at Mylor as I always thought at some point I would take up sailing properly.
My children are now teenagers, and less interested in doing things with us, and I realised that for the last 20 years my life has been consumed with work, houses and them. With retirement hopefully in the next 10 years I needed a new interest.
Fast forward to earlier this year and a friend was selling a boat which also came with a pontoon space. Whilst I didn’t buy that boat it re-surfaced the thoughts and so recently purchased my own first boat.
Not on the pontoon as couldn’t justify the cost versus usage but on a swinging mooring at Mylor.
I was in Sea Scouts when younger, my dad and I both got into it through that - mostly dinghy sailing then yachting when dad had a share in a boat at Hayling Island for a while
Stopped sailing around 2002 then decided to get a Laser 2 a couple years back then a Laser a few month later but home issues put the brakes on getting them in the water
Then saw 2months ago that the Sea Cadets near me were looking for volunteers to join who could sail, still not been sailing but have been down there a few weeks n helped out doing rigging, launching, safety boat duties
Just applied to join the local sailing club & pulled all the rig out for the laser at the weekend to work out whats missing etc so hopefully be out soon sailing myself. My lads also piped up that he wants to learn so considering gettting a Graduate or Enterprise or similar and taking him out
Stopped sailing around 2002 then decided to get a Laser 2 a couple years back then a Laser a few month later but home issues put the brakes on getting them in the water
Then saw 2months ago that the Sea Cadets near me were looking for volunteers to join who could sail, still not been sailing but have been down there a few weeks n helped out doing rigging, launching, safety boat duties
Just applied to join the local sailing club & pulled all the rig out for the laser at the weekend to work out whats missing etc so hopefully be out soon sailing myself. My lads also piped up that he wants to learn so considering gettting a Graduate or Enterprise or similar and taking him out
Edited by Captain Answer on Wednesday 12th June 13:58
hidetheelephants said:
Brother D said:
Parents sent me away to sailing school each summer as a kid and school had a sailing club where we would drink stella in the afternoons sailing around the lake.
That is one significant plus of boating; the fun police are not interested in stopping you having a drink while you're doing it.He was pretty cool guy.
You guys are lucky to have back up and experience to lean on from no age.
My sister had jet skis when I was a teen and that was the closest I got to boating untill I started scuba diving in my 30s.
With no friends or family with any interest in boating I've had to read voraciously to learn everything.
When disability meant I wouldn't be returning to work, I had to leave the dive club to save money.
So with no access to the water again I went for it with a shetland. Refurbing that taught me how to fix anything with minimal tools or parts while rocking side to side lol.
I'm now trading boats and outboards, and thinking about building a long distance solar catamaran!
My sister had jet skis when I was a teen and that was the closest I got to boating untill I started scuba diving in my 30s.
With no friends or family with any interest in boating I've had to read voraciously to learn everything.
When disability meant I wouldn't be returning to work, I had to leave the dive club to save money.
So with no access to the water again I went for it with a shetland. Refurbing that taught me how to fix anything with minimal tools or parts while rocking side to side lol.
I'm now trading boats and outboards, and thinking about building a long distance solar catamaran!
Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff