To think it can't be that hard to drive a boat?

[CatThiefKeith]

I've never really driven a boat, but I was a sea cadet, and I've done a bit of canoeing.

And today I bought a boat. A little (ish) cabin cruiser. With money my parents have given me, on the condition I take them out in it occasionally. (It was pretty cheap in boat terms)

Dh thinks I've finally lost the plot, and that I will inevitably sink it on my first outing.

Aibu to think it can't be THAT bloody difficult, given that hundreds of thousands of people manage it perfectly well?

That looks great inside. Is that teak trim on the helm?

Ooh how exciting! I'd love a boat! It looks like a lovely, little, cosy caravan on water.

My dh bought a little boat. Spent hours and wads of dosh doing it up
launched it into the sea in Dover, freaked out completely at how big the sea is and swapped it for a car.

I thought totally great idea...then realised it's YOU cattheifkeith!

Not that I doubt your seafaring credentials at all, its just stuff tends to happen to you!

Still...I look forward to hearing of your adventures

Mum that's a bit hurtful. It's not my fault, I get it from my Dad.

Anyway. Disaster has struck already and my boss (the nice one) had a look over it today and has informed me that it can't be launched as one of the trim tabs has sheared off.

Apparently not a huge problem to fix, but it can't go into the water until the current owner has fixed it or replaced it.

Gutted.

Luis, not sure if it's teak, but it is definitely wood. How can you tell?

For CatThiefCat

noooo, so sorry if I hurt your feelings. I am a total fan!

I obviously didn't express that well at all.

I have often read a thread, totally warmed to the op, thinking of disastrous holiday sleeping on balcony iirc for example, then realised it's you. You write well!

I wish you happy, non disastrous adventures, truly.

Mum, my smiley Didn't show up at the end of my post. It was supposed to I promise. I'm not really offended, it's true!

You should meet my Dad though. The stuff that happens to him

phew!

....hang on though....you AND your dad on a boat?!? You need a scriptwriter

The last time dad and I were on a boat together I fell in a lock and he almost decapitated me with the propeller.

I'm sure it will be fine this time though.

Ohhhhh, now I want to move back to the UK and buy a boat. I want to moor outside a pub for lunch and then potter off to find somewhere MUcH quieter for the night. Have only done a little bit of little-boat-with-engine stuff, most of my past has been under sail, but now I am yearning. Yearning I tell you.
Good luck with the fixing and the subsequent trial.

I once nearly had my legs chopped off with a prop by a stupid bastard running a parascending gig in Cyprus. He thought it was really funny to keep winching me in and then almost dropping me in the water off the back of the platform, then speeding up so I lifted again to make a big ol' joke with the boys in the boat. Not so effing funning seeing that I could see the prop a metre away from my legs with him winching me closer and closer and laughing his balls off. I finally managed to get his attention to the fact that he was a being a dangerous cunt and he peered over the back of the boat to see what I was yelling about. Oddly enough he decided he wouldn't play that game again. I won't parascend again. Twat.

OMG, you could live in that boat!

Sorry to hear she needs fixing before launching btw.

I could live in it, but not with dd, dh and the furry bastards in tow.

After a closer look, I can see it's not teak, but lovely wood nonetheless :)

Bummer about the trim tab, but as you say it's no biggie. Hope you get it in the water soon for the trial. If you do buy, invest in a good dehumidifier that you can leave running when you're on the mooring (assuming you have mains). Makes a huge difference to that "niff" you tend to get when you haven't been on board for a while.

So excited for you

Wrt the trim tab, surveyor says to decommission them because I won't need them.... Is that right or should I stick out for it to be fixed?

It won't be planing, only does 8-10 knots I think

Well, even at 8-10 it could affect your steering, although you could compensate with it being twin prop. I was thinking more in terms of it being water tight though. Also depending on where you will be cruising, your trim tabs can be used to control your wake. I'd be inclined to wait for a fix.

What you need is engines, big engines.

Dd drove the little boat we hired around the broads when she was about eight. FIL, who was a nervous bloke at the best of times, moaned and flapped and was generally a pain in the arse for most of the day until he twatted his head in the galley bit. Not sure whether it was pain or concussion but it shut him up.
DD drove very well despite him in the background yelling "WATCH OUT!!!!" At obstacles half a mile away.

I do hope it all gets sorted for you!

madwoman apparently the new residents of some homes built right next to Fleetwood Marina are complaining about the sheets knocking the masts in the wind. Idiots. It sends me to sleep!

Luis we've over wintered in a yard with no leccy this year ... Big mistake. Was working out it's "only" saved us about £200 on marina fees. Would have fathered paid that than have a stinky, mouldy boat

Horrid isn't it Trinity? Our old boat also had solar extraction fans which helped. But yes, a dehumidifier connected to direct pump out and frost control fan heaters meant that it never had that issue. Also had frost control in the engine room, so although the engines were winterised, there was extra protection.

PMSL at residents near Fleetwood Marina complaining about rigging noise

Solar extraction fans are on the list for this summer and we just fitted solar panels as well so just testing how much they produce but hopefully enough to run the dehumidifier for a couple of hours a day.