Greetings from Chatham, UK

[PRyles]

Hello all,
I'm Paul and I live just a few miles away from the famous Chatham Dockyards in Kent, UK. My partner, Carol, and me are about to purchase a small (20 to 25 foot) sail boat for day/weekend/short holiday cruises up and down the Medway and Thames rivers and then some coastal cruising around Kent and Essex, hopefully leading to a short hop across the channel to France next year.
I do have some experience as I qualified RYA Day Skipper (theory and practical), admittedly on a 33 foot Aquastar motor launch in the Channel Islands in the '90s and I used to own a Snapdragon 23 when I lived in a flat in Brighton Marina about 20 years ago. I completely restored that lovely little boat and installed all new electrics with the help of my (then) little daughter, who really enjoyed the result when we finally got her back in the water and did some serious sailing along the south coast of England.
I just hope that sailing is like bicycle riding in that you 'never forget' how to do it! I will have a day out with a local RYA approved training company before I go out on my own or with Carol, just to be sure.
I'm hoping this will eventually lead to keeping a small cruiser in the Mediteranean when we retire in about 10 years time so that we can really enjoy our summers out there. At that time I would like to look at something like a Moody 27 or 28, that I have crewed on and really love the highly efficient layout of these small family cruisers.
Anyway, I'll keep you posted on what happens next and may even meet some of you (there must be some locals!) when I decide which marina to kep the boat in.
See you soon......Paul.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Paul.

[boatman61]

Hi Paul.. welcome to CF
From my memories of Chatham and the Medway the marina's can be a bit pricey.. would you not be better placed renting a mooring from one of the B'yards further downstream.. better for sailing and closer to the Estuary.
Anyway.. Have a grand summer whatever you decide.

[PRyles]

Thanks to Boatman61.
I know what you mean about the prices, I thought Brighton Marina was expensive, and that had a lot more facilities.
I am actually looking at a small place just downriver from Chatham where the boats are moored on trots and are a great deal cheaper (half the cost).
Paul & Carol

[wolfgal]

Welcome Paul and Carol from Chatham,

When you venture over France-side and happen towards Dieppe, give me a shout. If i can help you out in any way, it would be with pleasure.

kindly

wolfgal

[boatman61]

Trots are fun..
Just be sure you lash your tiller well to centre..

[Pete7]

Paul hi and welcome to CF

Great lot on here, but they do have some odd spelling habits. Those of us who are British are working on it.

How about going straight to the Moody 27 if the budget will stand it?

Pete

[boatman61]

What he means is, some of us are not totally Americanised..

You may differ on which spellings you favor. Center and centre have the same meaning. Center is the correct spelling in American English, but British English writers usually prefer centre. Notice that center (and centre) can be a noun, adjective, or a verb.

[PRyles]

Hi Pete7,
I would love to go straight to a Moody 28 but to get up and running I may be cashing in part of my private pension early to get the smaller boat (55 in a couple of weeks), plus all necessary additional equipment, insurance, mooring fees, etc. and I'll need the rest to be able to finance the Moody, which at this point I would like to keep in Greece in around 10 years time! (As well as having enough left to live a "comfortable" life).
Paul

[Pete7]

No, keep the pension and go for something cheap and cheerful instead. The good news is you have lots to choose from around the 25ft mark. In fact your problem may be too much choice.

Longer term, there aren't that many Moody 28s around but lots of 31 Mk 1 or 2, or even the later S31, including quite a few ex-charter in the Eastern Med which are cheap as chips and the prices of even UK boats is dropping. Whilst I am biased owning one, pretty good and well built yachts.

However, Brexit my scupper your plans, the days of freely wandering all over Europe without worrying about customs could be over. This may sadly affect us too as we also planned disappearing off each summer in a decades time.

Be interested to hear what you choose.

Pete

[boatman61]

Just out of curiosity..
Why the Moody 28 when you can get the fractionally longer Moody 27 for just over half the price.

https://www.theyachtmarket.com/boats_for_sale/1654026/