So Many Beautiful Boats Rotting Away in Their Slips . . . Why ?

[highseas]

It's almost better they do sit there collecting mould,better than the constant washing/cleaning with solvents,toxic soaps,varnish chips,etc., running into the ocean.If all those boats were used,think about how much more crap would be floating around.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by VirtualVagabond

With all these CF members surrounded by idle, deteriorating hulks, I'd be an idiot not to seize the moment to ask the question...

Would any of them happen to be Vagabond 47s, Formosa 51s, or Hudson Force 50s?

One in my old marina is a CT-30 something and its for sale or trade..said he would trade for my 65 Mustang..good deal?Has aluminum spars nice boat..needs the bow sprit worked on..DVC

[Badsanta]

Originally Posted by highseas

It's almost better they do sit there collecting mould,better than the constant washing/cleaning with solvents,toxic soaps,varnish chips,etc., running into the ocean.If all those boats were used,think about how much more crap would be floating around.

Yeah all that pollution is caused by the boats.

[highseas]

Did I say all the poohllution was caused by boats?Tens of thousands of pleasure boats sit idle for years on end.I would think the impact is less by this fact.Your quiet pristine anchorage would also be a distant memory.

[IdoraKeeper]

I am happy to post a contrary observation. The other day the wind piped up as the first front of fall made passage. I was surprised to see a large number of normally absent owners come charging down to the marina and cast off for a heavily reefed day sail. Whodathunk that there were that many folks who would eagerly head out in 25 to 30 knots and spitting rain.

As to myself, I bought alot of boat for one guy to keep up. Lots has been done and lots more will be done. I don't get out nearly as often as I would like but there is a plan and things will get better. It's a life style and I like it.

Todd

[Carl-T705]

Why do people feel so compelled to worry and fret over what goes on in the next boat slot? whether on land or in the water? Let the old guy keep his boat if that's what he enjoys. He may have an old Corvette in his garage and an old Grumman at the airport, so what? He should give up his pleasures cuz why , somebody wants it more than he does?? I don't get it. The media is full of old boats ,cars and planes for sale, maybe one day his "junk" will end up there.That's the way I see it. Cheers

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Carl-T705

Why do people feel so compelled to worry and fret over what goes on in the next boat slot?

....So they don't have to look at their own short comings.

[Hotel L]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

....So they don't have to look at their own short comings.

Absolutely.....

[Knottysailorboy]

Ah, yes. The "Docksuckers"! We've all seen them around. Some poor loaf, with dreams full of wanderlust, and still wet behind the ears, buys a boat not knowing what he's getting into and finds out he has bitten off more than he can chew. Rather than admit defeat and sell it while it is still in good shape, he holds on to it and, due to either fading interest or financial difficulties, the boat falls into disrepair.

My advice to anyone just getting started in sailing is to start small and work your way up. Better to start with a small, easy to maintain, trailerable to not only see if you enjoy sailing, but also to learn on and hone the basic skills which you'll need to know well before you get into something bigger. Just like owning a house, you don't start with a mansion (unless you've inherited it from your rich granddad) but rather a two or three bedroom bungalow. Owning a sailboat is a big undertaking and the skills required don't come overnight and, although textbooks on seamanship are important, they have to be practiced in real world situations. Academics will only get you so far.

[sarafina]

Actually, sometimes it's so we don't have to look at other people's shortcomings...

We had an issue on our dock that pertains to this. When we moved in 2 years ago there were 2 decrepit power cruisers and 2 derelict sailboats. We walked past them every time we came or went from our slip. Rotted flapping blue tarps bungeeded down, piles of stuff, fuel tanks, broken equipment, random duffles and sacks rotting on the deck, moldy wall to wall carpet exposed to rain and composting on the cockpits, all piled so high you couldn't see over it... I mean, really bad.

The harbour master finally got busy and finished all the paper work and over the last few months they have all been removed.

WHAT a difference it makes. I hadn't realized how depressing it was walking past these sad heaps all the time. It has improved the feel of the marine a huge amount... I keep hearing folks on other docks commenting on the same thing so I think he cleared out junkers all over the marina.

[lorenzo b]

Nonsense, my very first and only boat is a 63' steel trawler. Lord knows, I've made lots of mistakes in the last two years, but buying this boat wasn't one of them.

[Dick Pluta]

There's one reason that hasn't shown up in most of these posts. Love. Hope.

As far as love, which one of you would pull the plug on Mom or Grandma because the had been "rotting in her slip " (hospital bed, nursing home, spare bedroom) for years. I can't speak for everyone, but I really love my boat. It would break my heart to part with her. I sold my last boat in the Bahamas and still wonder where she is and how her new owner is treating her.

Then there's hope. I have never used my boats as much as I would like. AEGEA sits at her dock 8 or 9 months a year, but we spend the other three or four on her full time and love every minute. The rest of the time I hope I can fit in more time, knowing perfectly well that I can't, but hoping against hope that I might. I'm lucky in that I have the few months to spend aboard. I feel sorry for the guy who bought a boat and came to love her but, for whatever reason, can't spend the time but still holds out the hope that, one day, he will go down to that boat and go somewhere.

Dick Pluta
AEGEA

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by zeehag

external timber need not be varnished nor make the owner enslaved in order to be pretty and functional. those who believe in varnish NEVER leave dockside with a formosa or other boat with such beautiful wood.... i use sea water and oil and SAIL mine. as it should be, nothing masochistic involved.

I know people who are assiduous about varnishing their bright work and who sail a great deal. The guy likes to varnish and knows that keeping the brightwork done improves the whole appearance of his boat. He lives on his boat and takes care of his boat just as people who live on land cut their grass knowing it's going to grow right back.

[sdowney717]

external timber need not be varnished nor make the owner enslaved in order to be pretty and functional.

I used get this, from the Home Depot, the 6 year variety water based BEHR premium wood toned finish meant for fences and decks on the mahogany and teak, cedar toned color. It looks nice, repels water.
It is not a gloss finish, more of a satin when it goes on dulls to flattish after a few months. It does stay on the vertical wood just fine. It will wear off flat surfaces and need recoating after a few years. It has UV protection.

Put it on dry and brush it on keeping wet edge. Goes on milky brown and turns a nice rich brown with the wood grain fully visible showing. As it dries it turns stickier and oilier, undergoes a visible transformation which is interesting. Dont let rain get on it till it dries or it forms spots. It dries quick in the sun and heat perhaps at most a half hour, if its cold takes couple hours.

The water is still beading up on this months later. IF you look up online comments for this finish you will find a lot of complaints where it fails on treated wood decks over the winter, so I think standing water or snow is not good for it. But it does easily pass muster on vertical wood. I put it on a fence and 5 yrs later the fence is still fine looking.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Knottysailorboy

Ah, yes. The "Docksuckers"! We've all seen them around. Some poor loaf, with dreams full of wanderlust, and still wet behind the ears, buys a boat not knowing what he's getting into and finds out he has bitten off more than he can chew. Rather than admit defeat and sell it while it is still in good shape, he holds on to it and, due to either fading interest or financial difficulties, the boat falls into disrepair.

My advice to anyone just getting started in sailing is to start small and work your way up. Better to start with a small, easy to maintain, trailerable to not only see if you enjoy sailing, but also to learn on and hone the basic skills which you'll need to know well before you get into something bigger. Just like owning a house, you don't start with a mansion (unless you've inherited it from your rich granddad) but rather a two or three bedroom bungalow. Owning a sailboat is a big undertaking and the skills required don't come overnight and, although textbooks on seamanship are important, they have to be practiced in real world situations. Academics will only get you so far.

I personally would urge people to think carefully before starting out with a trailerable boat. They require specific skills, specific maintenance, and a suitable vehicle to do more than pull it in and out of the water. If you're really wet behind the ears, you already have a steep learning curve in front of you without having to learn about trailers as well.

Trailerable boats have some great advantages: where I live, I could be in Biscayne Bay in four hours with a trailerable boat, with the Keys at my doorstep.

However, I would probably ALSO have a very tender boat, quite possibly with an outboard motor. It might not be a good boat for a beginner to be in if a sudden and fierce squall came up.

I think it's better advice to get a boat on the smaller side, but perhaps not trailerable, and pay the price to keep it in the water ready to go.

Then go out and sail every chance you get, even if it's only for an hour after work. You can sail in the same familiar waters, which will mean that your likelihood of running aground greatly decreases because you know the area, and you'll end up sailing under all kinds of conditions. I think it is the best way to learn a lot about sailing in a short time.

Do get a boat big enough to sleep on comfortably, so if you DO run aground -- or take a slightly longer trip -- you can make the best of a bad situation or really enjoy yourself.

And, although textbooks do have limits to their help, I recommend "Sailing for Dummies" (YES) to beginners. Read it, put it aside, and read it again a year later, and if you've been out there on the water you'll be amazed at how much you have learned. There are also books out there specifically on how to buy your first boat.

Join a sailing club and sail on other people's boats every chance you get.