I’ve had a boat, off and on, since being 13 or 14. A heron dinghy, a laser, a Merlin rocket, a Coronet DC21, which I owned from 1983 to 2008 (loved it, rebuilt it from bottom up, re-engined it, 36kts, but just a little too small for the family) and when we came back from India we bought a Fairline 36, ideal family boat, in which the kids rapidly developed almost no interest whatsoever.
Still it forms an ideal holiday home for MrsD & I, on which we’ve explored (with or without offspring) from London to Brighton via Vlissingen, Middelburg, Nieupoort & Boulogne, whilst it lived in Dover, and since moved to Brittany via Brighton, Cherbourg & Jersey.
We’ve been as far as Brest, and when we retire, hope to make it to Spain.
There is a school of thought that says boats are “a hole in the water that you try to fill with cash”, and there’s more than a grain of truth in that view, the twin 306 Volvos we currently have are not thrifty, but in absolute terms, we probably burn less gas than a family holiday anywhere by jet, it’s much less outlay than a holiday cottage, and cheaper to run, and when we’re bored of the view, we can move.
We enjoyed the perfect crossing from Brighton to Cherbourg, 90 miles of blissfully calm sea, and only one ship! We’ve seen gannets diving, porpoises, dolphins, seals, sunrises and sunsets, and harbours, towns & villages (and restaurants & bars!) we would never have visited unless we were boating. And we’ve had the odd rough crossing, and some miserable lousy holiday weather too.
Ratty was right. I hope I’m still afloat when I’m a hundred!
Martyn,
if you do buy something, consider how you’ll use it, will you take it on holiday (tow a trailer) or go on holiday in it, or just potter around locally? Definitely have a second outboard (the “Seagull” which Paul mentioned might be a bit passé now, but I have a choice of four if you really want one!) in case of problems with the main engine, and get your vhf licence and a radio if you don’t already have one. And if you want to chew the fat about boats, drop me a note!
cheers
Simon