43yrs of simplicity

[Frank]

So....I'm tied up at Quadra Island, here on a grocery and booze run from the Octopus Islands. A sloop glides by powered by a 9.9 4stroke Yamaha. I compliment him on how quiet his engine is. (Want to start a conversation....compliment a fellow boater) Come to find out he's had the boat for 43yrs! Bought it new when he was 30 and he is 73 now. It's 27ft, outboard powered, hank on sails and he folded up his chart that was laid out in the cockpit once he was tied up. He shared that he and his wife thought about a larger boat, but knew with it would come more maintainance, repairs, costs and most importantly..."time" to do the above. In the end they agreed their ole girl suited them just fine. I had a warm grin listening....

[CharlieJ]

:) Yep

[lance on cloud nine]

What I always wonder is how many have those exact same thoughts after they have bought the bigger and more complex boat.

[CapnK]

Giving you a Grog, to give to them. :)

[Owly055]

     Not yet owning the boat I want, I find myself faced with the same conundrum.......    I'd love to own "big and beautiful".......... who wouldn't.   At 62, I wasn't born exactly yesterday, and have a very good idea of what sort of expenses I will be faced with....... or at least I think I do.....     A wise man, whom I cannot remember, said "buy the smallest boat that will do the job, not the biggest boat you can afford"    I understand that at a deep and fundamental level.  It's how I've lived most of my life.   I drive a 2010 Outback I paid $500 for...... hail damage and a knock in the engine.     The guy across the street has a 2 year old Chevy 4x4 and is paying a hundred dollars more a month than I paid for my car......  just in payments.   I rebuilt the engine myself, and did a few other things and have put 30K on it so far.   
     I'm accumulating funds........not to buy a boat, I could do that tomorrow, but to sail where I want, when I want, and maintain it.............   Somebody else owns my boat.... I don't know who, but I'm grateful for the work they do to pay the slip rent, upkeep, etc, so I will be able to sail off into the sunset.  it's nice to know somebody is working for you for free...........But that's what boat ownership is.    Either you pump money into it steadily, or it rapidly deteriorates into junk.  You can't come out financially.   

                                                                H.W.

[Locutus]

 "buy the smallest boat that will do the job, not the biggest boat you can afford"

I think that was either John Vigor or James Baldwin.