Boats

Ebe_Scrooge

Insurance is not compulsary if you want to simply sail around, but some harbours / landing points may have their own requirements. Mooring costs vary enormously around the country - anything from a hunded quid a year to several thousand.

Whilst insurance is not a legal requirement in general, you really need it just for your own peace of mind. Worth bearing in mind what it covers. My dad has a boat, he moors it during the summer, then gets a friend with a land rover to tow it to his house during the winter ( it's just about tow-able, but you really need a land-rover, an ordinary car would struggle ). Anyway, his insurance covers it on the mooring between April - September or whatever, but when he looked into year-round cover, the price went up dramatically if he wanted to leave it moored over winter - makes sense, I suppose. The other advantage is, as it's on his driveway over winter he can take his time to give it a really good going over, anti-fouling, servicing, cleaning, etc. etc.

Finally, as someone else pointed out, please get some basic training ! The RYA Day Skipper course at your local night classes would be a good grounding, and won't break the bank.

pitkin2020

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

Insurance is not compulsary if you want to simply sail around, but some harbours / landing points may have their own requirements. Mooring costs vary enormously around the country - anything from a hunded quid a year to several thousand.

Whilst insurance is not a legal requirement in general, you really need it just for your own peace of mind. Worth bearing in mind what it covers. My dad has a boat, he moors it during the summer, then gets a friend with a land rover to tow it to his house during the winter ( it's just about tow-able, but you really need a land-rover, an ordinary car would struggle ). Anyway, his insurance covers it on the mooring between April - September or whatever, but when he looked into year-round cover, the price went up dramatically if he wanted to leave it moored over winter - makes sense, I suppose. The other advantage is, as it's on his driveway over winter he can take his time to give it a really good going over, anti-fouling, servicing, cleaning, etc. etc.

Finally, as someone else pointed out, please get some basic training ! The RYA Day Skipper course at your local night classes would be a good grounding, and won't break the bank.

This really should be compulsory. The RNLI have to attend hundreds of boats per year just because people fail on basic knowledge and equipment.

Ebe_Scrooge

pitkin2020 wrote: »

This really should be compulsory. The RNLI have to attend hundreds of boats per year just because people fail on basic knowledge and equipment.

I couldn't agree more. It's always amazed me that anyone can jump into a boat, drunk as a skunk, go off for a jolly and expect the coastguard / lifeboats to rescue them when they come a cropper. No licence, no insurance, no requirements at all, really !

oldtoolie

I've heard people say that a boat is a hole in the water that they throw their money in.

You might want to look into RYA Powerboat training courses. That will get you on the water and you will learn a lot about boating. This will help you decide what you want.

http://www.rya.org.uk

womble12345

Ask yourself how often you would use it? Where you would keep it for the winter? etc

I say dont buy one, just hire/charter one when you want it. Contact your local boat hire place, ask what certificate of competence you have to show them and do that course, then just hire boats, assuming you would only use it 4 times a year then it will be cheaper.

rev_henry

KierNet wrote: »

Thanks! Local club has both it seems, pontoon and just a buoy...much cheaper to use the buoy, around £800 a year compared to around £3k! Think they provide the small boat as well.

Of course it is! Why would anyone bother otherwise?

Ebe - I'm fairly sure I read that drink sailing, if you will, was made illegal a few years ago...

pitkin2020

You are right rev but your only likely to get into deep water (excuse the pun) if you need assistance from the lifeboat etc, its highly unlikely a police boat is going to pull up next to you and ask for a specimen of breath because your boat is bobbing all over the sea lol.