Well, It's the end of an era. I sold Sprite 2 yesterday. In the spirit of the Skint Sailing ethos I sold her for the same price I bought her for almost 10 years ago.
This is My last picture of her:
As you have probably noticed, I haven't been posting anywhere near as often as before. The past couple of years have been tough financially and this year has been especially tough. I'm struggling to run a car, let alone a boat on top of that. I'm just about scraping the £300 needed for mooring fees and insurance, let alone extra money for maintenance parts. The last thing I added was the new mooring block and chain back in May.
Since then I've hardly visited, just the occasional visit to pump out the bilges.
Also the previous post about the dinghy is indicative of a bigger problem down at Eastney: that the harbourmaster is removing every boat from the beach, one by one.
There appears to be an effort to remove the cheaper end of the sailing community down at Eastney. I know some of the boats can be eyesores, but boats have been on the beach down there especially in Winter for decades and probably centuries.
Sadly, I can't afford to run a boat now, so it's a moot point.
Thank you to everyone that contributed comments and helped out when required.
I'm now going to lie down in a dark room for a few days and have a good sob. lol.
Mark, I have found that the rich world continues to conspire against those of us with limited means - it's pretty much always been like that unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteBut in terms of sailing there is a way to fight back and a lot of old buggers like me who have owned keel boats (I spent 4 years building mine, didn't have the money to buy one or have one built) and are finding the limited financial means of retirement a problem have simply gone back to our sailing roots - which has meant purchasing an old centreboard yacht for a song, spending a little bit of money getting it sailable and simply racing or cruising around in the smaller and more affordable option. A friend of mine recently purchased an old OK Dinghy for NZ$300 (approx 150 English pounds), hasn't spend anything at all on it and is out racing happily with the rest of us old fogeys. He will upgrade the boat slowly over time. There are always options.
All the best Mark - go well and keep sailing if you can.
Alden.
Thanks Aiden, unfortunately everything seems to be more expensive than when I started blogging. It seems pretty contrary: there are lots of boats for sale as people reduce their financial burden, but they even at bargain prices (more supply equals lower prices) they are no more affordable than they were 10 years ago. That's because the higher cost of living has used up people's disposable income. There is nothing to spare for hobbies.
ReplyDeleteIf it gets that bad I see a Westerley Centaur offered free to good home, I may be tempted back. :-)
Much love our brother 👍
ReplyDeleteHey Mark,
ReplyDeleteTo add to what Alden said, moving from a yacht seems really disappointing at the time, but a cheap sailing dinghy of the right type is actually hugely liberating. Maintenance is so trivial and if you can keep it at home a very pleasant thing to do as and when you have the odd hour. A two or three hour sail fits in much more easily with all the other time pressures we face. It still gets you out on, with the water with the wind in your hair, I had a fantastic sail crossing from Keyhaven to Yarmouth in the summer, so if the weather is right there really aren't that many restrictions and if the weather is wrong, a potter around the sheltered waters of the local river is great.
At this time of year I drive (or often row) past the local marina's and see the guys out in the cold doing maintenance and feel glad that I've relieved myself of that tyranny and have better and more enjoyable things to do with my time.
Find a dinghy that suits you, for me it's a sit in rather than sit on, as light as possible for launching and as stable as possible for sailing.
Don't loose heart, we live in a fantastic part of the world and you don't need much boat to get out and enjoy it.
Don't know why my comment was anonymous? - Max @ Burseldon Blog
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments, I'm not sure a dinghy is the answer because I have nowhere to store it. I am however, looking at inflatable kayaks. No idea if I can afford one yet. They cost more than Sprite did.
ReplyDeleteDamn - sorry to here that Mark... like the guys say - don't give up on the sailing/boating!
ReplyDeleteI think for now I'll stick to being an enthusiastic observer. Although as you can see from my latest post, you can't keep a sailor from the tiller no matter what the boat is! I'll probably get back into boating just after the prices have risen back up again, such is my luck. I need a lottery win!
ReplyDeleteHi Mark sorry to hear the news, just been going through old links from my now-defunct project blog. It seems it has come to a few of us in the end, the need to cut costs and move on. All the best for the future. Also having seen the canal boat above you might want to check out Martin Zero and another channel on YT called The Whitewicks, both are on YT and specialise in industrial history such as Canals, Railways and all the engineering that made it possible, i find it fascinating and way more interesting than conventional telly.
ReplyDeleteCheers Roger (a gentlemans yacht). westerlycentaur26.blogspot.com
Thanks Roger, I subscribe to those channels and more, as my boaty history started on the canals and I come from Manchester so I know the places Martin explores. As a kid I was fascinated by industrial architecture. I feel at home in Portsmouth because there is so much history.
ReplyDeleteMaybe on day I'll find a cheap Matt Leyden Paradox. That'd do for me.