All work and no play?

[B Gilbert]

It's part of the whole package

Though I'm spending an inordinate amount of time working on the boat... just finishing a complete restoration of a badly neglected Mac Venture 222... this sort of thing is a part of the whole sailing and boat ownership package. I get a great deal of pleasure from owning a boat that's safe, clean, and (relatively)simple. It makes the time on the water MUCH more enjoyable whens things arewell maintained and working correctly, more or less. I don't consider myself a maintenance fanatic or organizational freak, but a little bit of this can be a good thing. I don't resent the work... though it does get tedious at times.(Photos of my project are at the link below.)

 

[Richard Armstrong]

"messin' around in boats..."

I can't remember the full quote, or the author, at the moment, but essentially it has to do with the satisfactions of "messing around in boats." Perhaps one of you other old salts can refresh my memory. I like puttering. I enjoy getting something fixed or cleaned or lubricated almost as much as taking the boat out. Certainly, I don't resent the time required to keep her safe and functional and attractive - it's part of the contract.

 

[Mike]

Exploring the unknown

I've owned an old boat and now own a new one. The new one's better. While I actually like to install new stuff, and I spend about 25% of the sail time installing and maintaining, when the weather, the tides, the inclination are right, I can go, leaving the other stuff for when I can't or won't. I often yearn for the bigger project but I've figured out that I am better off not confusing the two functions. If ever I will redo a boat again, and I probably will, it won't be my "sailing boat"; it will be "the project in the shipyard" until it's finished.

 

[Derek Rowell]

From "Wind in the Willows"....

The full quote comes from "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame (1933) in which Water Rat says to Mole just before he hits the river bank:" `Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING--absolute nothing--half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing,' he went on dreamily: `messing--about--in--boats; messing----'"Now ain't that the truth!Derek

 

[Mark]

The whole 9 yards.

Someone else has said it, but to personalize a boat to meet your needs is great. I picked a 1977 Cat 30 TR that was past her prime so there is no fear of "doing the wrong thing" that would devalue a brand new boat (that I would still be making payments on). Fortunately there were records from the original owner, but you could see where she had made her way down the East coast through 4 owners and a couple of brokers. Mechanically sound, rigging good, canvas useable (on the hunt for replacements) cosmetics above and below decks lacking, but a great boat.When I am short of crew I still spend much time, thinking, planning, updating and hopefully improving her. Down side is that it is a 40 minute drive to the marina (don't forget the ignition key!). All the hours of maintenance makes the sailing part more fun and reduces some of the anxiety of "what next". But I was a helicopter pilot for more than 20 years so that is natural.S/V Gunga Din

 

[Cathy Alcorn]

Dock time vs sailing time

We are newish owners of a Wauquiez Gladiateur. This is our first full sailing season with her. Our boat had been a "slip queen", neglected maintenence-wise by it's previous two owners. Most of the neglect was benign giving us a good overall base to start with, but this summer we replaced all of the very tired original sheets and lines, fenders, dodger and covers, replaced a broken grab rail, scrubbed and scraped off pounds of dirt, gunk and thick moss, cleaned and polished, re-worked old or poorly done patches and repairs and fixed anything that would cause further damage if left untended. We have also been outfitting her for weekend and week long type of sailing trips away from supply bases or towns. This has taken a number of weekends that could have been spent sailing but we have gotten so much done this summer that the better part of next year's sailing season should be spent doing what she was designed for: sailing.Seeing that both my husband and I are big time putterers, we both enjoy much of the time spent shining her up like a new penny. Whereas before she barely got a glance from dock walkers and neighbors, folks now stop by appreciating the look of a well kept boat. There are still dozens of things to do, of course, but none that are pressing or urgent and we can slip into the cycle of regular maintenence and upgrade projects as time and inclination allows each season. We really enjoy dock as well as sailing time, so the maintence and tending that is inherent with boat ownership is really a labor of love and a pleasure for us.Cathy AlcornS/V Andante

 

[Gary]

Hey, it beats........

....mowing the lawn!

 

[Michael]

Busy? It's better to crew or charter, not own.

I bought a New Hunter 340 and put it in a popular charter fleet here in the SF bay area a year ago. I wanted to spend what little free time I have learning how to sail, NOT working on the boat. One of the reasons that putting it in charter sounded so good to me was that I didn't have to personally worry about cleaning, maintenance and upkeep. I would just have to pay to have it done, which was fine since I needed the write off, and I would rather have "the professionals" do it right since I don't have any experience doing it myself. I should have stuck to chartering instead of owning. It is very aggravating when I go to take the boat out sailing and it is not being kept as clean as I think it should be, and minor fixes and maintenance problems are not being fixed as fast as I think they should be. It's a new boat, I think it ought to be kept looking that way for the charter customers who are paying the high cost of chartering a new boat, but repeated attempts to get that level of service are only carried out half heartedly by the staff.In order to keep the boat in the shape that I think it needs to be kept in, means I have to do the work myself. That's not the deal I signed up for.My advice is, if you don't have a lot of free time, then crew or charter, and be really happy that your charter fee is a fraction of the cost in time and money that the owner is putting out. Be happy you don't have to spend the considerable time and money involved in clean up, maintenance and upkeep of the boat. Signed, Sail NOT Work!

 

[Tom]

Messing about....

The full quote is:"There is nothing-absolutely nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." It is from "The Wind in the Willows"We have a C&C 36 1981 vintage. We are fortunate enough to have found a one owner boat - we are number two. The previous owners took pride in the asthetics but cared little systems. So we find ourselves working on engine, plumbing, and especially electrical. Fortunately, I am a electrical engineer and my bride is a aeronautical engineer. .There is a pride knowing that under the sole plate there is a cable bundle that has been properly secured or that the bolts on the engine manifold are properly torqued down.It is a pride that is part of the pleasure of owning a beautiful yacht.Tom

 

[Leroy]

Little Extra Work this Year

As the owner of a 1975 Catalina, I had gotten off fairly unscathed until recetly as the keel cable and engine were in need of substantial repair. But in hind sight the downtime and minimal cost for repairs were not unreasonable given the age of the boat. In addition, you come to expect some setbacks as long as they are not major or costly. When all repairs are made, and you are back out on the water, the enjoyment of a good outing far outweighs the work.

 

[Rick]

There's always something to do

I bought my C-30 about a year ago. I had decided on getting a Catalina 30 mostly because of the huge cockpit and interior space. The boats in my price range were all between 15 to 20 years old and although in relatively good condition, they no longer looked anything close to Bristol. The first time I saw the advertisement for my boat, I immediately dismissed her as being way out of my price range. But you know how itis. I just wanted to go "look". I wanted to see what some of the newer boats looked like. Well as you probably guessed, I really reallyliked this boat from the first instant I saw her. She was so much cleaner and brighter than the boats I had been looking at. She did nothave that classic Brown Plaid upholstery so common in boats from the early eighties. Her bright blue interior fabric, her cabin top mounted traveler, her smooth powerful diesel engine, her tee shaped cockpit with engine controls and gauges that were visible without the need to be a contortionist just grabbed me.That first day, I left her owner with the feeling that I was disinterested, but in reality I was internally churning on how I couldpossibly rationalize the considerable expense she represented. That night I spoke about her at length with my girl friend. She (my girlfriend) convinced me (without tooo much difficulty) that I deserved this boat and as long as the credit union was willing, I should go for it. So I did.That brings us to the topic at hand. I found that even with purchasing what was by far, the newest, cleanest, best maintained, boat of any that I had been looking at, I still spent many many weekends and evenings working on my new pride and joy. There was all that external teak that needed to be sanded and re-varnished. All that interior teak that was just begging for 5 to 6 coats of new varnish. A glitch in the AC panel that needed to be found and fixed before the shore power would work. A radio and CD player to be installed. Bilge pump and compartment lights that needed marine grade wiring. A modification to the dinette so a six foot sailor and his girlfriend can sleep in comfort. Installation of that beautiful Garhauer traveler upgrade kit. Not to mention that god awful Hood continuous line jib roller that demanded replacement after allowing the jib and sheets to become entangled and balled up into a huge ugly granny knot.In the year I have owned this boat, I have loved every single one of the countless hours spent working on her to maker her safer, simpler, and better looking. There's also the therapeutic benefit of leaving your workday stresses behind as you work a piece of teak to bring out its internal beauty with glossy coats of varnish. It's a great feeling when your dock-mates complement you on how good the Poli Glow makes the topsides look. Even better yet when your friends with boats of their own would rather leave theirs in the slip and be out sailing on yours. With every hour I spend working on her I come to know and understand her better. Understanding how all the systems work and knowing exactly who did what and when gives me just that much more satisfaction and sense of security when I am out on the bay sailing her with my friends and loved ones.

 

[John S. Spooner]

Connection with your boat

Personally I like to feel that I have a kind of bonding connection with my boat. This connection takes place because not only do I sail her, but I also maintain her. She is a kind of mistress who demands attention if she is to dispense proper performance. There are times when I curse the day I bought her, but I always come back and spend more time and money.If I were to begrudge her that, I might as well not be in sailing.  I have been in sailboating for 58 years, and I want to die a boat owner.

 

[Brian Blevins]

messing about in boats............

nothing,but nothing,beats messing about in boats.i was reworking a rhodes 22 and found a coronado 28 at what i thought and still think was a deal.she needed a lot of work that i can,have done or will do soon,as money allows.NOTHING beats being on a blow boat way offshore{or anywhere else}but reworking an old boat is a great way to learn about her and what she will do in a situation or by doing repairs and fabrications keeps the situation from happening at all.do as u wish but ill see those less prepared being towed to a boatyard as im headed to the islands on a beautiful boat that i rebuilt and know what this boat will take.See ya on the water.......ps my marina has a pool and a hottub so dock time has greatly improved.............]

 

[Steve LeBlanc]

Work on a Boat or Hobby

I think of working on my boat more of an hobby. Each time I take it out, I look around on the boat for something that requires fixing or improvement. In fact, the wood is starting to get a little worn looking. Next project, replace or sand and varnish. Can't wait to get started.

 

[Tim Witoski]

fun work

No I do not resent having to do work on my boat at all. i love fiddling on the boat modifying the table and seats, the cushions, motor functions etc. I think that when you buy a boat old or new you have to want to do work on it. It is like a house and everyone's house requires maintenance to keep it alive and well a boat is the same thing only a lot more funI have a 1972 Catalina 27 (#336) a real old one but it is in great shape, we love it and sail as much as we can but a boat of that vintage requires a little tlc and it gets it, more than my houseTim

 

[TL Stanbro]

Beats working

A bad day working on my boat beats any day at working my real jod!!!!!What did we buy the boat for,,to look at, to play with, to work on All the above. You only go around once in life, so have as much fun as you can, Weather it is working or playing or just have a beer on the boat and watching the sun set......you finish the rest!

 

[John Allison]

The truth is

I assume the question is how many total hours total are spent sailing versus those spent in maintaining (and that would include winter lay-up and spring prep). Typically, I spend about 24 hours preparing the boat for its life on the hard and 32 to 40 hours preparing it for launch which includes all those upgrades planned the summer before or the over the winter. Because once in, work just covers cleaning and only that maintenance which is absolutely necessary.  Thus the truth is actually that I spend somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 hours work for every 200 hours of sailing (yearly average) which comes to about 1 hour maintenance per 3.3 hours sailing. But once in the water that figure drops to 1 hour per week spread over a 20 week period or about 1 hour for every 10 hours of sailing.  Bottom line is that maintenance is fun too. It is generally a party atmosphere with true meaningfull work being probably in the realm of 1/3 of the actual work hours spent. And perhaps that is at it should be.

 

[Don Hines]

Time is Love and Knowledge

The more we work on the boat the more I learn about how it was built and where it needs more work or at least a watchful eye. We live aboard and get out on the water often so I just keep improving things as we go. I try not to let things drag out or interfere with sailing time by staging projects or doing without until more time can be found. A bare boat still sails fine, Loving Life Don

 

[Bob]

A bad day working on the boat...

...is better than a good day working on the house!I have several thoughts on this as I have spent the better part of five months gutting and restoring an Oday 28. Have not sailed her yet but getting very close!My first thought is that it's simply part of being a sailor. We've all seen boats left to rot at the dock by disinterested owners. Folks, if you don't want to work on it, sell it. Nothing sadder in the world of sailing than a boat left to die. Mine was in this state when I bought it.Another thought is that it's a great way to meet your dockside neighbors. Up and down the dock, someone has been into every system you're working on and it's easy to get advice. Good and bad. Mostly good in my case.Sailboat work is teamwork, just ask anyone who's been hauled up the mast to fix anything. It's even more fun when the team cleats off the halyard and goes off to get beers. Not that that actually happened, but they threatened to...Bottom line is that sailors are always willing to help out, it separates us from the powerboaters.Sometimes it gets messy, such as dismantling a 20 year old marine head system on the first hot day of summer. Not a great way to meet your neighbors.Sometimes it's frustrating, such as realizing that the last idiot to put up the mast replaced half of the eight deckhouse collar bolts with CARBON STEEL...and then it gets scary as you grind, drill, and finally sledge them out.Sometimes it's funny, as when I pulled the liner out of the quarterberth and found cave paintings in crayon left there by the original owner's children. Or when I pulled up the mast and realized that the red wire that ran into the mast (the one I had been putting juice to for three weeks trying to figure out where it went) was cut off two inches inside the mast.Overall it's been a great experience and I've had a lot of satisfaction seeing the boat come back together. She floats higher and shines, and certainly smells a lot better with new cushions and a new head system. You could almost feel the boat coming back to life as I started going back in with hull liner, cushions, cabinets, electronics, etc...Now, I'm looking forward to sailing her. It's going to be a great feeling in a couple of weeks to cast off the bowlines and leave the dock. Then I'll probably go from 100% work to 75% play, 25% work...and it will be worth every minute put in on the front end. No regrets.So, yes, to answer your question - the work is part of the experience and part of the fun!BobOday 28 "Simple Dreams"

 

[Dana Smith]

Michael, get a power boat!

From reading your comments, it sounds like your boat is more of an object. Power boats are objects, sail boats are part of the family. Find another deduction and sell your boat while it has value. It appears your nanny's don't care either so that means the boat will just depreciate quickly. Hey, is that a deduction?Sail on----