Newbie - what to expect? Inland and Offshore Cruising.
Discussion
Hi All,
I've recently come back from a week on the Broads, which we thouroughly enjoyed.
Myself and my wife have been thinking about "boating" for a few years now, and I'd posted a thread on here a few years back which gave a lot of good info (which I now can't find!
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I was hoping to get a rather nice car at somepoint in the near future, but it now looks like we've agreed that we'll be looking to get a boat instead..... As you'll probably all agree it's easier to get something for the "family" than for yourself
We're looking at getting a circa 30ft cruiser and we'd like to be able to do the "broads" again at some point, but also use it for seeing coastal britain. Especially navigating through the Caledonian canal into Loch Ness, which has been a dream of ours for that last 3 years.
I will obviously be doing training i.e. various skippering courses, but what I really wanted to get off people is any sort of "gotchas" to look out fro when purchasing, and running a boat for the first time. Stuff that they don't teach or tell you?
I want to be able to use the boat for weekends and holidays. We're the sort of people who will decide on Tuesday we are going away Friday night and do it quiet a lot during the year, so I envisage getting the use, but the main difference being that it will limit our mooring areas. I'm looking at mooring probably in Liverpool as it's about 60 miles from my home.
Boat wise, I want at least 2 seperate bedroom areas and a seperate living area. I've been aboard a Sealine 305 Statesman and was impressed with the layout. Looking at a top end budget of 50K, I think I should be able to get a Sealine 310 statesman, which seems to have everything I need as a family cruiser. Really like the Flybridge for the extra visibility and have that on my list of "must haves".
I've searched and dont' seem to be able to find anyother boat that has my criteria as desctibed above. Any suggestions?
Anyway, any advice always appreciated. Would this type of boat be ok at sea around the coast maybe even a trip to france?
Or am I completely mad for contemplating any of this?
Thanks
JC
I've recently come back from a week on the Broads, which we thouroughly enjoyed.
Myself and my wife have been thinking about "boating" for a few years now, and I'd posted a thread on here a few years back which gave a lot of good info (which I now can't find!
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I was hoping to get a rather nice car at somepoint in the near future, but it now looks like we've agreed that we'll be looking to get a boat instead..... As you'll probably all agree it's easier to get something for the "family" than for yourself
We're looking at getting a circa 30ft cruiser and we'd like to be able to do the "broads" again at some point, but also use it for seeing coastal britain. Especially navigating through the Caledonian canal into Loch Ness, which has been a dream of ours for that last 3 years.
I will obviously be doing training i.e. various skippering courses, but what I really wanted to get off people is any sort of "gotchas" to look out fro when purchasing, and running a boat for the first time. Stuff that they don't teach or tell you?
I want to be able to use the boat for weekends and holidays. We're the sort of people who will decide on Tuesday we are going away Friday night and do it quiet a lot during the year, so I envisage getting the use, but the main difference being that it will limit our mooring areas. I'm looking at mooring probably in Liverpool as it's about 60 miles from my home.
Boat wise, I want at least 2 seperate bedroom areas and a seperate living area. I've been aboard a Sealine 305 Statesman and was impressed with the layout. Looking at a top end budget of 50K, I think I should be able to get a Sealine 310 statesman, which seems to have everything I need as a family cruiser. Really like the Flybridge for the extra visibility and have that on my list of "must haves".
I've searched and dont' seem to be able to find anyother boat that has my criteria as desctibed above. Any suggestions?
Anyway, any advice always appreciated. Would this type of boat be ok at sea around the coast maybe even a trip to france?
Or am I completely mad for contemplating any of this?
Thanks
JC
If you want to use it on the Broads, a flybridge is a pain unless you only want to stick to the southern rivers as your air draught will be too high for much of the northern broads bridges. Also bear in mind that anything like the Sealine you describe will have a full planing hull which really only works above 14 knots and is not fun at 5 knots on the broads on one engine at tickover!
To cover broads use, caledonian canal and offshore work including trips to France, you really need a decent semi-displacement hull with no flybridge to keep the overall height down. a SD hull will still mean decent pace on the sea, but will also handle slow rivers and lochs easily, plus will probably save you some money on fuel and be easier to handle. I'd recommend something like these:
http://boatsforsale.ybw.com/Boats/show/id/15059/se...
http://boatsforsale.ybw.com/Boats/show/id/15479/se...
http://boatsforsale.ybw.com/Boats/show/id/20009/se...
http://boatsforsale.ybw.com/Boats/show/id/6422/sea...
I know they don't look as sexy as a Sealine etc but a full planing hull with a flybridge will be a nightmare on broads and lochs.
As for where to keep it - the nearest place to where you live isn't necessarily the best. Look at what your cruising area will be from each potential home port. It might only be an hours drive to Liverpool, but where can you cruise from there in a few hours? Are there enough places to visit with decent mooring? Compare it with somewhere around the Solent - probably a three hour drive for you, but dozens of places to go with excellent moorings and easy access to the Channel Islands and France. It's usually better to have your boat in the right place and a longer drive, than a short drive to the boat and a limited choice of destination. If for example you moor in Liverpool and want to do the Broads again, you will have to spend a fortune loading your boat onto a lorry to transport it to Norfolk or circumnavigate halfway round the UK taking two weeks and probably £1500 of fuel just to get to the start of your holiday! It really would be cheaper to leave your boat at it's home port and hire a boat on the broads for example. Best bet is too keep your boat somewhere you really love with lots of places to go and keep it there!
Good luck!
To cover broads use, caledonian canal and offshore work including trips to France, you really need a decent semi-displacement hull with no flybridge to keep the overall height down. a SD hull will still mean decent pace on the sea, but will also handle slow rivers and lochs easily, plus will probably save you some money on fuel and be easier to handle. I'd recommend something like these:
http://boatsforsale.ybw.com/Boats/show/id/15059/se...
http://boatsforsale.ybw.com/Boats/show/id/15479/se...
http://boatsforsale.ybw.com/Boats/show/id/20009/se...
http://boatsforsale.ybw.com/Boats/show/id/6422/sea...
I know they don't look as sexy as a Sealine etc but a full planing hull with a flybridge will be a nightmare on broads and lochs.
As for where to keep it - the nearest place to where you live isn't necessarily the best. Look at what your cruising area will be from each potential home port. It might only be an hours drive to Liverpool, but where can you cruise from there in a few hours? Are there enough places to visit with decent mooring? Compare it with somewhere around the Solent - probably a three hour drive for you, but dozens of places to go with excellent moorings and easy access to the Channel Islands and France. It's usually better to have your boat in the right place and a longer drive, than a short drive to the boat and a limited choice of destination. If for example you moor in Liverpool and want to do the Broads again, you will have to spend a fortune loading your boat onto a lorry to transport it to Norfolk or circumnavigate halfway round the UK taking two weeks and probably £1500 of fuel just to get to the start of your holiday! It really would be cheaper to leave your boat at it's home port and hire a boat on the broads for example. Best bet is too keep your boat somewhere you really love with lots of places to go and keep it there!
Good luck!
Thanks for that comprehensive response.
The main point that hits me is about the hull shapes and it's a VERY good point. I've been doing some reading up on it and I think by the sounds of it the Sealine would be a nightmare on slow flat water where I couldn't put the power down to get the control.
On the other hand, I see the broads as being a once a year thing as opposed to a all the time thing, and see travelling around the coast as the main way to use the boat.
Arrrrrggghhh too much to think about..... everywhere I've read the same thing "there is no 'boat that does everything'".... and I want to know why not!!
Thanks again,
JC
The main point that hits me is about the hull shapes and it's a VERY good point. I've been doing some reading up on it and I think by the sounds of it the Sealine would be a nightmare on slow flat water where I couldn't put the power down to get the control.
On the other hand, I see the broads as being a once a year thing as opposed to a all the time thing, and see travelling around the coast as the main way to use the boat.
Arrrrrggghhh too much to think about..... everywhere I've read the same thing "there is no 'boat that does everything'".... and I want to know why not!!
Thanks again,
JC
jconsta6 said:
Thanks for that comprehensive response.
The main point that hits me is about the hull shapes and it's a VERY good point. I've been doing some reading up on it and I think by the sounds of it the Sealine would be a nightmare on slow flat water where I couldn't put the power down to get the control.
On the other hand, I see the broads as being a once a year thing as opposed to a all the time thing, and see travelling around the coast as the main way to use the boat.
Arrrrrggghhh too much to think about..... everywhere I've read the same thing "there is no 'boat that does everything'".... and I want to know why not!!
Thanks again,
JC
If the broads is once a year, definitely hire something.The main point that hits me is about the hull shapes and it's a VERY good point. I've been doing some reading up on it and I think by the sounds of it the Sealine would be a nightmare on slow flat water where I couldn't put the power down to get the control.
On the other hand, I see the broads as being a once a year thing as opposed to a all the time thing, and see travelling around the coast as the main way to use the boat.
Arrrrrggghhh too much to think about..... everywhere I've read the same thing "there is no 'boat that does everything'".... and I want to know why not!!
Thanks again,
JC
The other thing to remember about hull types is that a full planing hull like a Sealine isn't the best thing for rough water. A planing boat can get very uncomfortable in an F5 or above as it bounces around on top of the waves. If you want to use the boat all year round in all conditions, you'll still find a SD hull the best answer as it will provide a far softer ride in the rough. If you are travelling round the coast, an SD hull will let you leave harbour far more often than a planing hull will unless it's a really good planing hull like a Botnia Targa or equivalent.
The one thing you must do is learn which type of hull suits your needs before you spend the money. Go and do a few sea trials of prospective boats (preferably on a choppy day, they are all good when it's flat!) and see if your crew/family can put up with being bounced around in the chop or would rather stay at home.
Remember the old adage - no one chooses to go boating in bad weather, but sometimes you have to come back in bad weather.
Good luck.
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