Personally I'm saving up for either a Swan or Beneteau 50 footer. I can't decide but I've got plenty of time till decision day.

BTW that thing in the OP is an absolute monstrosity.

We had a sailing boat and just got bored – 10 knots flat out and you can't point it where you want to go.

Surf-Mat, you're missing the point methinks.

Surf-Mat, you're missing the point methinks.

Which is?

Sailed on many boats in "my time" and I just don't get excited by them even though they look nice. Our sailing boat was a pretty thing and often got comments but it just bored me and my wife.

The boat for us is an alternative way of getting around – we can get to Falmouth or St Mawes quicker by boat than by car. It can also be beached anywhere and waterskiied behind. It's only a little, modest boat but we get far more out of it than we did the sailing boat.

The wind is also very flukey around here – it makes sailing a PITA until you get to open water (over an hour in a sailing boat, 20 mins in the speed boat and that's because of the 8 knot limit which stops once you hit the open sea – then it's 30++ knots all the way).

I can see the appeal of a yacht but maybe in 20 years time – not now.

boats are easy to "park" they can go anywhere, traffic doesn't matter, you can stop anywhere.

apart from anywhere I want to go…

Anyone that says "small knob" about any car, house, boat, whatever is just jealous.

I said "extension". You might be greedy. Even if I could buy one of those things out of my small change I wouldn't. I only get jelaous of people who can ride better than me (ie most riders) or take better photos 🙂

Can I wave my willy and say:
1st time I got on a yacht I crossed the Tasman sea.
Then did UK to Portugal via Bay of Biscay twice
Then…..Patagonia to South Georgia and then across to Uruguay. I now know what it is to stare death in the face and feel the triumph of pulling through…in a homemade skip.

Now THAT is what sailing is about!

Cute they may be but I bet you can't get a bike rack for any of 'em…….. 😉

I did Hamble to Cherbourg on a 1917 Bristol Clipper in a force 9-10. The boat set it's all time speed record, the seas were 15ft+, a huge yacht race was cancelled after almost every boat capsized. We only saw tankers in the sea.

It was quite an experience but I was very, very sick. Put me off rather a lot.

Simon – fair enough. If stopping at an empty beach on the August Bank holiday when the roads are jammed, if nipping to a seaside/riverside pub for a pint (again not worrying about parking), etc, etc are the "wrong place" then don't get a boat 😉

Being on a stripped-out 40footer surfing the swell with gennnnaker and a foresail up, in the pitch black of the open sea at night, racing between Hong Kong and Manila, doing about 20 knots – thats what its all about.

(Average-ish sized willy well and truly waved 😉 )

Iain – getting a bit old now but still the best looking fighter jet IMO – seen them doing dogfight training with F16s off the coast of Cornwall. Utterly stunning to watch. Bit loud though!

That must have been something to see! Used to be fascinated in jets and would spend hours watching them go over head, one passed so low I could capture every bit of detail on the undercarrage, they don't seam to fly as frequently now but I am still highly anticipating the day an F22 passes over the fence despite the fact they don't look anywhere as good.

Iain

… and that interior. Think of the parties. 😯

Iain Gillam – Member

Whilst you do have excellent taste with the Comanche people of Dorset might not be as impressed as you might think, I quite often get these flying over my back garden:

Sadly, the picture did not display for me, so I will have to guess that it was something awesome that flew…

Ok, I'll admit that I like boats, but I'd prefer to have a gorgeous boat that had sails than something that was sleek, shallow and had a huge engine. When the oil runs out, you'll still be able to use it you see.

Mark my words, the classic clippers will be making a comeback.

Just for marsdenman

bikes on a boat 😯 😉

Big boats do use a silly silly amount of fuel.

I remember reading a readers test of an 70ft something or other gin palace. The owners were very pleased of it's frugal half a mile to the gallon…!!

My outlaws had a Botnia Targa 35 with two 350bhp diesels. Filling it up? £1200 a go.

I always find it intriguing that (generally speaking) those people who rattle on about material goods being penis extensions are always talking about something they can't afford. I.e boats, Ferrari's, etc.

Can no one be happy for anyone anymore?

I've decided Expedition Yachts are were it's at 😉

Until I have time and money on my hands, i'd go for a sailing yacht around 30ft, one with a suitable category for offshore, but with a view to short hop coastal cruising. One that has a good turn of speed, is predictable in a good blow and reasonably comfortable as somewhere to hang out at weekends too. £25k ought to do it. Nothing flash!

I don't need a penis extension, just a method of escape from the day to day drudge.

Thumbs down to gas guzzling power boats and gin palaces. These are the type of vessels that attract the same sort of immodest "LOOK AT ME" type people who simply must have a big expensive 4WD to show the world how much better thay are than everyone else. It's people like this who are wasting many times more fuel than anyone else, just to massage their egos and vanity. Fortunately, the vast majority of them are stuck ashore. Hooray! 😆

Sailing for me! I like the endless learning involved, the skill required in navigation etc and the peace and quiet.

Spongebob – not always.

Let's take the boat I mentioned, the Targa.

Let's look at it:

The Thames Police use them, offshore surveyors use them and they look like fishing boats.

Except they do over 40 knots and will blast off most much "sleeker" and "posier" boats costing a lot more.

Not all powered boats are the same – some are practical, seaworthy and rapid. I don't like pure poser boats either but some are just effortlessly cool – usually the useful ones.