Having your own boat is a dream many people aspire to. And there is no doubt as the author Kenneth Grahame so rightly said “there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats!”
The freedom, the joy and sense of well-being – it’s hard to put into words and you need to experience it. Whilst taking off over the horizon for a beautiful adventure sounds perfectly idyllic, many of us still have the school run to do, and jobs or families that take priority.
Owning a boat is of course a fabulous thing to be able to do. Having the freedom to explore the oceans and go where you please.
Yet in reality sometimes we are not able to use our own boat as much as we would wish. Or the weather gods have other ideas about where and when you can go cruising! Which can make the cost per use of your boat rather expensive. It’s true the upsides can and do often outweigh this, boating can also be a time consuming business.
Here’s just some of the things you’ll need to think about when you own your own boat. That’s once you’ve gone through the process of searching, evaluating, trying and buying it, which can also take considerable time.
This is the time of year you normally need to get your wallet out. The bills might include:
With the bulbs coming up and the longer days it’s time to get into gear ready for the season. Your boat jobs at this stage will include:
Now’s the time to make the most of your boat. Get out on the water and enjoy her – around the kids exams, holidays, weddings etc.! Go boating – and enjoy. Depending where and how you keep your boat there are still things you need to do.
As summer extends into autumn there’s often some lovely days to ‘extend the season’ afloat. Yet you will need to be preparing for the winter season. Your boat tasks may involve:
And repeat…..!
The cycle goes on year in and year out. And you may also find that whilst you love your boat, it’s not suitable for every occasion. If you want to take family and guests out – is it really big enough. Or is it too big, now that life is changing for you?
If owning a boat is sounding not quite right for you, this is where boat share clubs such as Boat Club Trafalgar can provide a more flexible alternative to owning a boat. We understand the time that boats can consume and that’s just on the shore, before you even get aboard. We firmly believe you should be able to spend ‘More Time Out’ afloat, which is way our members do not have to do any of the jobs on the above list. We take care of all of it.
So, our Boat Club members checklist of jobs for their boating year looks more like this:
You might also wonder how boat clubs compare to boat ownership in pounds and pence…
Compare boat owning with club membership
Trafalgar Wharf Hamilton Road Portsmouth
Hampshire, PO6 4PX United Kingdom
Keep up to date with news, events & offers
Fast Track Enquiry
