Motor boating

[Bacchus]

I'm on holiday, lots of boats and nice weather. So.......

I want to get into boating - I don't know anything about em but want to get into them. Anyone into boating and how did you start? Suggestions for first steps?

No jokes about motor boating please, unless they are funny and relevant.

Some good advice already on here about courses etc, which is a good starting place, but the big question is what do you see yourself doing with the boat? Do you want to cross oceans? pootle around the canals and rivers? go haring around for an afternoon doing a bit of water-skiing? spend a day aboard? a weekend? a week? years? Do you want to keep it on a mooring or on a trailer? Most important of all, what's your budget (for buying/ mooring/ maintaining...)

I have been messing about in boats for years; I grew up by the sea so as a group of school-friends we would pool our pocket money and charter a fishing boat for a day, my first boat was a little open rowing/motor boat when I was a student in Kingston which we used for wobbling to and from the pub (student house was on a river island), I got a little Shetland Cruiser when the then girlfriend decided she needed somewhere private to go for a pee (women are so fussy about that) - it was only 17' but we took it right up the Thames to Oxford. Current boat is a 36' steel motor cruiser which is lovely and comfortable capable of crossing seas rather than oceans, but very at home on rivers and estuaries. I also love sailing and would like to have a sailboat one day, but for now the Mobo is more practical, but I am lucky enough to have a friend with a decent sailing boat (now that can, and has, crossed oceans)

Presumably you don't have any friends who you could crew for or you would have mentioned it, but go on some of the boating forums (ybw is one of the best and has different forums for different likes), someone local will probably take you out, or go to the Southampton boat show - they have try a sail/try a mobo experiences

Here's a more positive quote than the "standing in a cold shower tearing up fifty pound notes" brigade have managed:-

Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing—absolute nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing," he went on dreamily: "messing—about—in—boats; messing—"

(Kenneth Graham's Ratty)

[BrilloPad]

a man and his wife decide to go to a club where once a week they will pick a topic and discuss (E.g chess , sports , films ...)
one week the wife is sick and cannot go to the club so the husband decides to go by himself
the topic of the week at the club was Sex .
the man told all to the group but was so embrassed he told his wife it was about motor boating.
the next day the wife sees a member of the club and they discuss what her husband talked about last night .
friend: " your husband gave great detail last night "
Wife : " well we only done it 2 times first time he was sick and the second time his hat fell off"

[tractor]

Some good advice already on here about courses etc, which is a good starting place, but the big question is what do you see yourself doing with the boat? Do you want to cross oceans? pootle around the canals and rivers? go haring around for an afternoon doing a bit of water-skiing? spend a day aboard? a weekend? a week? years? Do you want to keep it on a mooring or on a trailer? Most important of all, what's your budget (for buying/ mooring/ maintaining...)

I have been messing about in boats for years; I grew up by the sea so as a group of school-friends we would pool our pocket money and charter a fishing boat for a day, my first boat was a little open rowing/motor boat when I was a student in Kingston which we used for wobbling to and from the pub (student house was on a river island), I got a little Shetland Cruiser when the then girlfriend decided she needed somewhere private to go for a pee (women are so fussy about that) - it was only 17' but we took it right up the Thames to Oxford. Current boat is a 36' steel motor cruiser which is lovely and comfortable capable of crossing seas rather than oceans, but very at home on rivers and estuaries. I also love sailing and would like to have a sailboat one day, but for now the Mobo is more practical, but I am lucky enough to have a friend with a decent sailing boat (now that can, and has, crossed oceans)

Presumably you don't have any friends who you could crew for or you would have mentioned it, but go on some of the boating forums (ybw is one of the best and has different forums for different likes), someone local will probably take you out, or go to the Southampton boat show - they have try a sail/try a mobo experiences

Here's a more positive quote than the "standing in a cold shower tearing up fifty pound notes" brigade have managed:-

Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing—absolute nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing," he went on dreamily: "messing—about—in—boats; messing—"

(Kenneth Graham's Ratty)

Definitely go to the Boat Show, kills your feet but you get to see everything from row boats to liners.

[TestMangler]

Cause of where I live we have miles upon miles of 'sheltered' sea area, so bought a boat when I moved here 9 years ago.

Been through a few boats since then and have currently got a Hardy 25 cabin boat.

It really depends on what you want and what the water is like around you (sheltered/open etc)

Also, think about mooring/marina fees. can easily be 10% of your boat's value every year.

A decent 'in between' boat if you can't decide on a full on cabin boat or a small cuddy, is a Fletcher Faro. You should pick up one second hand but in good nick for between £5k & £10K depending on it's engine.

Learn about osmosis before you buy a boat :-) If you come up with any question, feel free to PM.

[d000hg]

Definition of "boat": a hole in the water that you pour money in.

And yachting: standing under a cold shower tearing up £20 notes while your wife cries.