The other day while killing time I walked the docks at my marina, (4 docks) and noticed that a lot of the boats seemed to never leave the slip, and that a good number were what I would call derelict. Mentioned to the dockmaster that it looked like 50% of the boats never left the dock and he said it was probably closer to 80-85%. Gotta say I was appalled, why would anyone have a boat, pay slip rent and not use the boat, or worse still allow it to "go to seed"? My marina is probably 75% sailboats with the remainder powerboats ranging from runabouts to trawlers and houseboats. The question is, is this the trend elsewhere or is this a local thing? And if it's like this everywhere does anybody have an explanation?
Boat Use Question
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Same here...
I've walked a lot of our marina's and it is the same. A lot of boats just seem to sit, and worse decay from non-use / neglect. I don't understand it. The one thing I have noticed is that boating seems to have a high turnover rate in that a lot of people buy the boat and then quickly loose interest.
I've walked a lot of our marina's and it is the same. A lot of boats just seem to sit, and worse decay from non-use / neglect. I don't understand it. The one thing I have noticed is that boating seems to have a high turnover rate in that a lot of people buy the boat and then quickly loose interest.
Some reasons and some questions
Some boats docked at our marina aren't worth the yearly dockage price. Some look like a marine scantuary with all the growth on them. I've heard of a few cases where one of the owners are incapacitated now the the other has hopes they will recover enought to use the boat or can't contemplate selling it while they are still alive. Last year we never left the dock because we started building a new house and as doing a lot of the stuff ourselves and playing general contractor time didn't permit much boating.
Some boats docked at our marina aren't worth the yearly dockage price. Some look like a marine scantuary with all the growth on them. I've heard of a few cases where one of the owners are incapacitated now the the other has hopes they will recover enought to use the boat or can't contemplate selling it while they are still alive. Last year we never left the dock because we started building a new house and as doing a lot of the stuff ourselves and playing general contractor time didn't permit much boating.
The Image vs. the Reality
Sailing is a hot marketing tool. From clothing, to watches, to booze, lots of companies are using pictures of sailboats and happy looking folks to self their stuff. I love the watch ad you see on the back of Sail: "I, the commander of time!" in Italian of course, to give it added class. You can think of lots of companies that do this: Nautica, Polo, Rolex, etc. As a side effect, people get attracted to sailing based on its image, rather than its reality. Many of them buy boats. They then discover some of the following things: - sailing is harder than driving a car - you can get seasick - their wife probably doesn't enjoy it - their is money to be spent on dock fees, insurance, maintenance, etc etc - sailboats go really slowly and take a long time to get places - you need crew to help you - it is a time consuming hobby Once they have come to these realizations, the logical thing to do would be to say " Whoops, blew that one" and sell the boat. That's what most men would do. Right. Add to that the people who have gotten older and no longer feel physically up to it, those whose circumstances have changed, those who only ever wanted a floating cocktail bar anyway, and you end up with a lot of immobile boats. My own observation is that hours of use vary inversely with the size of the boat. I see a lot of well cared-for 27 and 30 footers getting used weekly, and bunches of 40 and ups that sit week after week.
Sailing is a hot marketing tool. From clothing, to watches, to booze, lots of companies are using pictures of sailboats and happy looking folks to self their stuff. I love the watch ad you see on the back of Sail: "I, the commander of time!" in Italian of course, to give it added class. You can think of lots of companies that do this: Nautica, Polo, Rolex, etc. As a side effect, people get attracted to sailing based on its image, rather than its reality. Many of them buy boats. They then discover some of the following things: - sailing is harder than driving a car - you can get seasick - their wife probably doesn't enjoy it - their is money to be spent on dock fees, insurance, maintenance, etc etc - sailboats go really slowly and take a long time to get places - you need crew to help you - it is a time consuming hobby Once they have come to these realizations, the logical thing to do would be to say " Whoops, blew that one" and sell the boat. That's what most men would do. Right. Add to that the people who have gotten older and no longer feel physically up to it, those whose circumstances have changed, those who only ever wanted a floating cocktail bar anyway, and you end up with a lot of immobile boats. My own observation is that hours of use vary inversely with the size of the boat. I see a lot of well cared-for 27 and 30 footers getting used weekly, and bunches of 40 and ups that sit week after week.
Interesting topic
Have a sailing buddy that did a survey of the Potomac River for about 20nm to the Chesapeake Bay. He counted about 800 30ft or greater sailboats sitting at docks. If we see 3-5 boats on a weekend its crowded. Have no idea why people have boats that they don't use. But then again, got a co-worker that is selling a Catalina 400 that might have left the slip 10 times in the last 3 years. Engine has got less than 100hrs on it. They just don't have the time to take it out and they won't single hand it. Anybody want a deal? Jim S/V Java
Have a sailing buddy that did a survey of the Potomac River for about 20nm to the Chesapeake Bay. He counted about 800 30ft or greater sailboats sitting at docks. If we see 3-5 boats on a weekend its crowded. Have no idea why people have boats that they don't use. But then again, got a co-worker that is selling a Catalina 400 that might have left the slip 10 times in the last 3 years. Engine has got less than 100hrs on it. They just don't have the time to take it out and they won't single hand it. Anybody want a deal? Jim S/V Java
That's why I love my trailerable...
We see it down here too. The marina that we keep our boat at has a few liveaboards and some project boats. There are a few very active sailers, but most never leave the dock. The yacht club across the street is full to capacity too. And many of these boat never leave the dock. We are fortunate that the owner can accommodate sailboats with the mast up on a trailer. He has a good ramp and adequate security. He only has a handful of slips, and they are spoken for. Infact, he has a line of people that are waiting to get in when vacancy comes up. Marinas in Florida are becoming few and far between, and we are seeing dock queens on the market for sale now. People just don't use the boat enough to justify up to and over 600 dollars a month to keep it in the water. On top of that is all the dollars it cost to own a boat. It's a sad reality. This reality is what is keeping us grounded and not moving up to a larger boat at this time. We will stay with our little 25 footer, that waits patiently on her trailer for her weekly splashes. I just wish we could sail more.
We see it down here too. The marina that we keep our boat at has a few liveaboards and some project boats. There are a few very active sailers, but most never leave the dock. The yacht club across the street is full to capacity too. And many of these boat never leave the dock. We are fortunate that the owner can accommodate sailboats with the mast up on a trailer. He has a good ramp and adequate security. He only has a handful of slips, and they are spoken for. Infact, he has a line of people that are waiting to get in when vacancy comes up. Marinas in Florida are becoming few and far between, and we are seeing dock queens on the market for sale now. People just don't use the boat enough to justify up to and over 600 dollars a month to keep it in the water. On top of that is all the dollars it cost to own a boat. It's a sad reality. This reality is what is keeping us grounded and not moving up to a larger boat at this time. We will stay with our little 25 footer, that waits patiently on her trailer for her weekly splashes. I just wish we could sail more.
time
Hello, I bet most people just don't have time. It seems like everyone is busy and there are many many many demands on your time. If you are not willing to make sailing a priority it could be very easy to have a boat and not use it. If you work for a living sailing during the week is mostly out. So that leaves weekends. Then the weather needs to be right - not too cold or too hot. Some wind, but not too much wind, etc. Then you need to have a free day with out other engagements. Now add other family members and their schedule and like / dislike for sailing, and it's easy to see why the boat sits. Personally, sailing has become extremely important to me, and I have let other things go (like the lawn) so that I can sail more. I sail by myself in the evenings. I work from home (but travel frequently) and will occassionaly single hand during the day. I try to make sailing for for everyone in my family, and I'm not above getting everyone on the boat and then just motoring out to just anchor and swim off the boat. Barry
Hello, I bet most people just don't have time. It seems like everyone is busy and there are many many many demands on your time. If you are not willing to make sailing a priority it could be very easy to have a boat and not use it. If you work for a living sailing during the week is mostly out. So that leaves weekends. Then the weather needs to be right - not too cold or too hot. Some wind, but not too much wind, etc. Then you need to have a free day with out other engagements. Now add other family members and their schedule and like / dislike for sailing, and it's easy to see why the boat sits. Personally, sailing has become extremely important to me, and I have let other things go (like the lawn) so that I can sail more. I sail by myself in the evenings. I work from home (but travel frequently) and will occassionaly single hand during the day. I try to make sailing for for everyone in my family, and I'm not above getting everyone on the boat and then just motoring out to just anchor and swim off the boat. Barry
Why do poeple keep their house
filled with useless junk. They can't let go of the dream or the past. Who cares! It is their money and they can do with it as they want.
filled with useless junk. They can't let go of the dream or the past. Who cares! It is their money and they can do with it as they want.
I see the same thing
Lots of boats, most of them don't get used. In our marina, which has probably 300 boats, I am betting that on any weekend during the summer, maybe 10-20% of the owners show up to take them out. I agree with David, I think a lot of people are attracted to the romance of sailing and then find the reality much different. I remember when we had our Seidelman 24 on White Bear Lake there was a couple next to us one summer who had bought a brand new Catalina 26, I think. Anyway, they had never sailed before but were at the boat show and thought the sailboats looked pretty so they bought one. That summer they took it out maybe 5 times. Mostly they came down to the lake just to sleep on the boat on nice evenings. When my husband and I started sailing it was on someone else's boat so when we bought our own we had an idea what to expect.
Lots of boats, most of them don't get used. In our marina, which has probably 300 boats, I am betting that on any weekend during the summer, maybe 10-20% of the owners show up to take them out. I agree with David, I think a lot of people are attracted to the romance of sailing and then find the reality much different. I remember when we had our Seidelman 24 on White Bear Lake there was a couple next to us one summer who had bought a brand new Catalina 26, I think. Anyway, they had never sailed before but were at the boat show and thought the sailboats looked pretty so they bought one. That summer they took it out maybe 5 times. Mostly they came down to the lake just to sleep on the boat on nice evenings. When my husband and I started sailing it was on someone else's boat so when we bought our own we had an idea what to expect.
This presents an opportunity
I met a skipper on a boat I was helping to crew in a race out of Shilshoe Marina in Seattle. He told me that (years prior to our conversation) he saw a boat in a slip that was going to seed and never used. He contacted the owner with an offer to keep the boat in sailing condition in exchange for using it once a week in the Wednesday Night Race. He tells me they struck a deal, the boat still never got used by the owner, but he had a boat to sail once a week. Eventually he got his own boat with less strings attached. This could be an entry level technique into sailing. It would be a great way to apprentice your way in to the sport. The trick would be to find a salty old skipper who could no longer keep up with the maintainence on a basically sound vessel that mostly lacked labor and not materials. It would be a bonus if said skipper was also a willing teacher and holder of a vast store of knowledge. I think if the above were true this person would also be a facinating individual to get to know personally and might even appreciate the companionship of a younger, stronger and busy helper around the boat. It could even allow us aging baby boomers (when we evolve into such salty, knowledgable and facinating skippers) to stretch our sailing out for a few more years before we all face the inevitable conclusion that we are no longer seaworthy. The happy ending to this story is when the aging skipper gifts the new sailor with the boat he is no longer able to enjoy and walks down to the dock with him/her one last time to cast off the dock lines and wave goodbye. Closing seen: Elderly resident in nursing home with beat up old skipper's hat smiling over a lap full of photos of his old boat on new adventures. I still get a tear in my eye when I hear about a sexy young bimbo hooking up with an old rich fool and pretending to love him for a few years (the rest of his life) just to inherit all of his wealth when he's gone. What a perfect relationship (contract?) they gave each other everything they had and yet they did not give away anything they need. She gets a fortune in the estate after he's gone and he gets a level of "nursing care" far above what he might find in the average nursing home. Who's the loser here? By the way, Ladies, the contract works the same if you reverse the genders. Think Pool Boy w/ Extra duties.
I met a skipper on a boat I was helping to crew in a race out of Shilshoe Marina in Seattle. He told me that (years prior to our conversation) he saw a boat in a slip that was going to seed and never used. He contacted the owner with an offer to keep the boat in sailing condition in exchange for using it once a week in the Wednesday Night Race. He tells me they struck a deal, the boat still never got used by the owner, but he had a boat to sail once a week. Eventually he got his own boat with less strings attached. This could be an entry level technique into sailing. It would be a great way to apprentice your way in to the sport. The trick would be to find a salty old skipper who could no longer keep up with the maintainence on a basically sound vessel that mostly lacked labor and not materials. It would be a bonus if said skipper was also a willing teacher and holder of a vast store of knowledge. I think if the above were true this person would also be a facinating individual to get to know personally and might even appreciate the companionship of a younger, stronger and busy helper around the boat. It could even allow us aging baby boomers (when we evolve into such salty, knowledgable and facinating skippers) to stretch our sailing out for a few more years before we all face the inevitable conclusion that we are no longer seaworthy. The happy ending to this story is when the aging skipper gifts the new sailor with the boat he is no longer able to enjoy and walks down to the dock with him/her one last time to cast off the dock lines and wave goodbye. Closing seen: Elderly resident in nursing home with beat up old skipper's hat smiling over a lap full of photos of his old boat on new adventures. I still get a tear in my eye when I hear about a sexy young bimbo hooking up with an old rich fool and pretending to love him for a few years (the rest of his life) just to inherit all of his wealth when he's gone. What a perfect relationship (contract?) they gave each other everything they had and yet they did not give away anything they need. She gets a fortune in the estate after he's gone and he gets a level of "nursing care" far above what he might find in the average nursing home. Who's the loser here? By the way, Ladies, the contract works the same if you reverse the genders. Think Pool Boy w/ Extra duties.
Here in Baltimore
it's the land of motoryachts. Marina I'm in now is full of 40'+ powerboats, and I bet less that 10 ever leave the docks. But, most owners who are here use them as waterfront condo's. The slips sold very cheap a few years ago, and they are all waiting for the slips become high priced and they will just cash out. Plus, they are all upfront about not being able to afford to leave the docks. Those huge gas engines suck down the fuel. Heck, lots of the boats are for sale. Some of the boats are actually rented out to tenants for housing it seems - but that's hush hush. The slip owners (it's a co-op - ugh) are constantly arguing about live-aboards (don't want them) and parking (not enough), but come Friday most of them are perched on their aft decks enjoying life. It's remarkable to see this huge marina full of boats that never move. It used to be the meeting place for all the cruisers in spring/fall, but they have moved on and/or that lifestyle seems to be diminishing rapidly. But this has always been the case on the water. Travel anywhere and you will see tons of older boat that have been left to rot, sink, or whatever. It's the equivalent of a car up on blocks in your back yard. Jim - if there are 800 sailboats on the Potomac, there must be 8,000++ w/in a 10 mile radius of Annapolis. My father and I have always speculated on what that number would be. Maybe I can get a gov't grant to figure that one out...
it's the land of motoryachts. Marina I'm in now is full of 40'+ powerboats, and I bet less that 10 ever leave the docks. But, most owners who are here use them as waterfront condo's. The slips sold very cheap a few years ago, and they are all waiting for the slips become high priced and they will just cash out. Plus, they are all upfront about not being able to afford to leave the docks. Those huge gas engines suck down the fuel. Heck, lots of the boats are for sale. Some of the boats are actually rented out to tenants for housing it seems - but that's hush hush. The slip owners (it's a co-op - ugh) are constantly arguing about live-aboards (don't want them) and parking (not enough), but come Friday most of them are perched on their aft decks enjoying life. It's remarkable to see this huge marina full of boats that never move. It used to be the meeting place for all the cruisers in spring/fall, but they have moved on and/or that lifestyle seems to be diminishing rapidly. But this has always been the case on the water. Travel anywhere and you will see tons of older boat that have been left to rot, sink, or whatever. It's the equivalent of a car up on blocks in your back yard. Jim - if there are 800 sailboats on the Potomac, there must be 8,000++ w/in a 10 mile radius of Annapolis. My father and I have always speculated on what that number would be. Maybe I can get a gov't grant to figure that one out...
Doesn't happen up here very much
The boat comes out in the fall and goes back in the spring. Few people bother to do this if they are not going to use the boat. Most of the derelict boats end up on the hard and can be had for a bargain although it will be a project and definately will consume lots of boat bux. Tim R.
The boat comes out in the fall and goes back in the spring. Few people bother to do this if they are not going to use the boat. Most of the derelict boats end up on the hard and can be had for a bargain although it will be a project and definately will consume lots of boat bux. Tim R.
This is something I wonder about a lot
I usually do a daysail about twice a week in season (and try to take a few short cruises of 3-5 days when I can). As such, I'm at my marina (600+ boats in the water) both during the week and on weekends. It never fails to amaze me how few boats ever seem to leave the marina. What even amazes me more, are the number of heavy displacement blue water boats that are really ill-suited to the mostly light winds of the Chesapeake. While many are great offshore boats, I doubt many have had any blue water under their keels in some time -- or at all. So I guess I agree with the other posters who think people fall in love with idea of sailing and sailboats, but don't really understand the time and commitments this attraction (affliction in my case...) requires.
I usually do a daysail about twice a week in season (and try to take a few short cruises of 3-5 days when I can). As such, I'm at my marina (600+ boats in the water) both during the week and on weekends. It never fails to amaze me how few boats ever seem to leave the marina. What even amazes me more, are the number of heavy displacement blue water boats that are really ill-suited to the mostly light winds of the Chesapeake. While many are great offshore boats, I doubt many have had any blue water under their keels in some time -- or at all. So I guess I agree with the other posters who think people fall in love with idea of sailing and sailboats, but don't really understand the time and commitments this attraction (affliction in my case...) requires.
The Dream
I think that it goes something like this. 1. Have a dream of sailing buy a boat. 2. Reality and the dream don't match. 3. Boat won't sale for purchase price can't stand to lose that much money. 4. Boat sits and needs expensive repairs...can't sell. 5. Boat has sat until it's almost worthless sold for a fraction of the purchase price to someone with a dream...of fixing up an older boat cheap. 6. Fixing up older boats not easy or cheap. Dream and reality don't match. I know of a brand new 40' ocean crusier with yuppy owners who have ownerd the boat 2+ years with teh dream of sailing the pacific....they have never sailed the boat!!!! with over $200K invested I guess they are afraid that they'll scratch the gelcoat. My question is that if they are afraid to sail in a big lake how are they ever going to cross the pacific?? Man I love their boat!!!!
I think that it goes something like this. 1. Have a dream of sailing buy a boat. 2. Reality and the dream don't match. 3. Boat won't sale for purchase price can't stand to lose that much money. 4. Boat sits and needs expensive repairs...can't sell. 5. Boat has sat until it's almost worthless sold for a fraction of the purchase price to someone with a dream...of fixing up an older boat cheap. 6. Fixing up older boats not easy or cheap. Dream and reality don't match. I know of a brand new 40' ocean crusier with yuppy owners who have ownerd the boat 2+ years with teh dream of sailing the pacific....they have never sailed the boat!!!! with over $200K invested I guess they are afraid that they'll scratch the gelcoat. My question is that if they are afraid to sail in a big lake how are they ever going to cross the pacific?? Man I love their boat!!!!
Some things always 'were' and will never change.
Like providing 'services' to an older companion. Or cars on blocks and boats growing botanical gardens. Now my wife and I aren't yet at the age of wanting a younger companion. We have each other! But the boat did get a little greener than usual this winter. It was because my hotrod was getting a redo to keep it fresh. And it's never been fresher. Check out my burnout on my opening screen. The boat was given a bottom job right after the videos were made.
Like providing 'services' to an older companion. Or cars on blocks and boats growing botanical gardens. Now my wife and I aren't yet at the age of wanting a younger companion. We have each other!
But the boat did get a little greener than usual this winter. It was because my hotrod was getting a redo to keep it fresh. And it's never been fresher. Check out my burnout on my opening screen. The boat was given a bottom job right after the videos were made.
This is a pretty amazing phenomenon
but up in the north east it is much as Tim R. from Portland, OR said. The graveyard for old boats is at the edges of the less well heeled boat yards as people have to spend a good amount of effort and money to get their boats in and out of the water for their Winter lay up. At the boat yard in Glen Cove where we kept our boat for 2 Winter seasons I have seen the boat yard workers even dismantling an old hulk with a chain saw and putting the pieces in the dumpster, just so they would have space for one more paying customer. It is sad to see some of the old ladies sitting proudly up on jack stands for years, slowly rotting away. Seeing this made me wonder where these boats had been in their hey day and how they came to such a fate. I smell a short story here somewhere. Being a marina operator can be a difficult business as some clients age or become ill and frail and refuse to pay their bills. Our old boat yard would charge storage fees by the foot for Summer and Winter if you just leave your boat on the hard all year and those bills add up quickly to the point that the value of the boat is worth less than the fees that are owed. In effect, the marina operator ends up owning the derelict boats which as we all know, are hard to sell without a lot of hard work. The owner of the marina property stands to make a bundle though as the real estate value of a waterfront property rises substantially over time. The mechanics and specialists that work in the yard also make out pretty well when charging $50/hour for their services. At our new location at a boat club up at Nyack, NY there are no motor boats except for the launches and tenders owned by the club and the sailboats get used fairly frequently by their owners. One boat seems to get launched each year but never even gets it's mast stepped as the club does not allow the bigger boats to sit on their land during the season. The owner must be planning to get around to doing something with her someday. I can see how a person might be emotionally attached to a boat and want to keep it no matter what, even if it does not get used often or at all. It is just sad to see so many boats waiting for their owners to take them out and use them.
but up in the north east it is much as Tim R. from Portland, OR said. The graveyard for old boats is at the edges of the less well heeled boat yards as people have to spend a good amount of effort and money to get their boats in and out of the water for their Winter lay up. At the boat yard in Glen Cove where we kept our boat for 2 Winter seasons I have seen the boat yard workers even dismantling an old hulk with a chain saw and putting the pieces in the dumpster, just so they would have space for one more paying customer. It is sad to see some of the old ladies sitting proudly up on jack stands for years, slowly rotting away. Seeing this made me wonder where these boats had been in their hey day and how they came to such a fate. I smell a short story here somewhere. Being a marina operator can be a difficult business as some clients age or become ill and frail and refuse to pay their bills. Our old boat yard would charge storage fees by the foot for Summer and Winter if you just leave your boat on the hard all year and those bills add up quickly to the point that the value of the boat is worth less than the fees that are owed. In effect, the marina operator ends up owning the derelict boats which as we all know, are hard to sell without a lot of hard work. The owner of the marina property stands to make a bundle though as the real estate value of a waterfront property rises substantially over time. The mechanics and specialists that work in the yard also make out pretty well when charging $50/hour for their services. At our new location at a boat club up at Nyack, NY there are no motor boats except for the launches and tenders owned by the club and the sailboats get used fairly frequently by their owners. One boat seems to get launched each year but never even gets it's mast stepped as the club does not allow the bigger boats to sit on their land during the season. The owner must be planning to get around to doing something with her someday. I can see how a person might be emotionally attached to a boat and want to keep it no matter what, even if it does not get used often or at all. It is just sad to see so many boats waiting for their owners to take them out and use them.
Same everywhere
I think it is the same everywhere. I have a neighbor across the canal from me, who has two boats tied up behind his house. A really pretty little sloop, that looks fast just sitting there. It has not even had a mast on it in the four years I have lived here. He also has a 50 Benny. This boat is well maintained, and kept clean and waxed. The only time it ever moves is for the parades we have in the canals around here two or three times a year. I think one time last summer it actually was motored out into the lake and anchored up for an afternoon to go swimming. As far as I know, it hasn't had a sail raised in the past four years. And these are not old people. What a waste.
I think it is the same everywhere. I have a neighbor across the canal from me, who has two boats tied up behind his house. A really pretty little sloop, that looks fast just sitting there. It has not even had a mast on it in the four years I have lived here. He also has a 50 Benny. This boat is well maintained, and kept clean and waxed. The only time it ever moves is for the parades we have in the canals around here two or three times a year. I think one time last summer it actually was motored out into the lake and anchored up for an afternoon to go swimming. As far as I know, it hasn't had a sail raised in the past four years. And these are not old people. What a waste.
Misplaced campers
It's camping without the dirt. People like to socialize on the docks and sit in their boats drinking and dining. Going out interferes with that. I'm not so surprised that it happens, but I wouldn't have thought it was so common if I hadn't seen it myself, weekend after weekend.
It's camping without the dirt. People like to socialize on the docks and sit in their boats drinking and dining. Going out interferes with that. I'm not so surprised that it happens, but I wouldn't have thought it was so common if I hadn't seen it myself, weekend after weekend.
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