Woodland Hills
Guru
So what? How many people in 1930 knew how to fix their alarm clock or wristwatch? How many people in 1880 knew how to repair a steam engine or make candles?
What difference does this make to anyone?
Why Millennials are not Buying Boats
- Thread starter Alaskan Sea-Duction
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
- Status
So what? How many people in 1930 knew how to fix their alarm clock or wristwatch? How many people in 1880 knew how to repair a steam engine or make candles?
What difference does this make to anyone?
fryedaze
Guru
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2011
- Messages
- 1,721
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Fryedaze
- Vessel Make
- MC 42 (Overseas Co) Monk 42
It still makes a difference. The person who takes the intiative to study and repair his/her car, boat, furnace, computer, lawn mower or build a house, addition, shed, furniture etc forgoes the high labor rates today. The guy that does it himself saves a bundle and ends up in a better place.
Woodland Hills
Guru
Or she spends her time studying her chosen field, becomes a master and makes enough money to hire anyone she wants to do anything she wants.
I’m pretty sure that the owners of the 100’ to 400’ yachts at Rybovich and all the jets at the airport don’t know how to fix them either and why should they? Given a choice of being a hired captain or being that captains employer, I think I’d rather be the boss. If I’m earning upwards of $50k a month, is it sensible to spend time fixing things myself to save a technicians wage when I make 50 times that per hour? Maybe it’s better to just stay in the office for another couple of hours and hire a dozen people to do the dirty work while I play. Now, if fixing the lawnmower is relaxation therapy, that a different story.........
Steve91T
Guru
- Joined
- Sep 12, 2016
- Messages
- 898
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Abeona
- Vessel Make
- Marine Trader 47’ Sundeck
I’m not reading all of this, but I will day that I’m 37, and the majority of my friends have small boats in our lake, spend all day driving to cut down their own Christmas tree in the mountains, pack up the kids and travel the world so much so that we all have a hard time getting together because someone is usually on even a quick vacation, and the majority of us have at least renovated a bathroom, if not the majority of a house all by ourselves. We aren’t anything special, not bragging, just telling how it is.
Boats are freaking expensive. The marina costs are by far the biggest for us and that’s money that’s gone. We can always sell the boat and get that back, but about $10k a year in just slip fees are gone. That’s tough for a lot of people and it’s a hell of a lot more responsible to invest that money for college or even just savings.
We went back and forth for a long time trying to decided if this is financially responsible or not. We decided that we are going to make it work because now is the time to make these memories and we are so glad that we are.
Mechanics is tough. Most people absolutely hate turning wrenches. If you don’t truly enjoy doing the work yourself, it’s time wasted. You’ll end up making mistakes that costs more time and money. Now I can’t stand paying someone to do something that I can do. If I don’t know how, i YouTube it. It’s a great tool to have.
For us, if I didn’t know how or wasn’t willing to do my own work on the boat, we wouldn’t be able to afford it. There’s always something that needs to be done. If I had to call a mechanic for every little thing, it would cost a fortune.
Boats are freaking expensive. The marina costs are by far the biggest for us and that’s money that’s gone. We can always sell the boat and get that back, but about $10k a year in just slip fees are gone. That’s tough for a lot of people and it’s a hell of a lot more responsible to invest that money for college or even just savings.
We went back and forth for a long time trying to decided if this is financially responsible or not. We decided that we are going to make it work because now is the time to make these memories and we are so glad that we are.
Mechanics is tough. Most people absolutely hate turning wrenches. If you don’t truly enjoy doing the work yourself, it’s time wasted. You’ll end up making mistakes that costs more time and money. Now I can’t stand paying someone to do something that I can do. If I don’t know how, i YouTube it. It’s a great tool to have.
For us, if I didn’t know how or wasn’t willing to do my own work on the boat, we wouldn’t be able to afford it. There’s always something that needs to be done. If I had to call a mechanic for every little thing, it would cost a fortune.
While I respect those who can and enjoy working on their boats themselves, the attitude that somehow this makes them superior to those who don't is beyond annoying. They are not superior nor are those who pay for work to be done. Are you superior because you can do your own taxes or your own investing? No. Are you superior because you understand how to run a large company? No. Are you superior because you can program business systems or complex web sites? No. Are you superior because you can perform life saving surgery? No. Are you superior because you're a model who makes $1500 per day or another who makes $10,000 per day for photo shoots? No. Are you superior because you're a musician or concert pianist? No. Are you superior because you can design a best selling product? No.
Everyone has skills and interests and they can be in a huge number of areas. Demeaning those who don't have those in mechanical areas or maintenance areas is uncalled for. Demeaning those who lack any specific skills or interests in any area of endeavor is inappropriate.
As to these claims that kids today don't know how as if everyone in previous times did are also a false narrative. My father never picked up a wrench in his life but he charged an hourly rate for his services that allowed him to pay those who did and he respected them. Some of those of us who can't or don't do mechanical work respect those who do and don't run around talking about how horrible they all are. 50 years ago, 75 years ago, 100 years ago, there were plenty who didn't know how to repair a refrigerator or engine. I know a horologist who excels at his craft but would never think of working on his car.
I also know plenty of millennials who are far more mechanically savvy than the average person here. I know a 30 year old female who is a Marine Chief Engineer. Another 30 year old female who is highly capable mechanically. Maybe it's time we get our heads out of the sand and move beyond the stereotypes.
Everyone has skills and interests and they can be in a huge number of areas. Demeaning those who don't have those in mechanical areas or maintenance areas is uncalled for. Demeaning those who lack any specific skills or interests in any area of endeavor is inappropriate.
As to these claims that kids today don't know how as if everyone in previous times did are also a false narrative. My father never picked up a wrench in his life but he charged an hourly rate for his services that allowed him to pay those who did and he respected them. Some of those of us who can't or don't do mechanical work respect those who do and don't run around talking about how horrible they all are. 50 years ago, 75 years ago, 100 years ago, there were plenty who didn't know how to repair a refrigerator or engine. I know a horologist who excels at his craft but would never think of working on his car.
I also know plenty of millennials who are far more mechanically savvy than the average person here. I know a 30 year old female who is a Marine Chief Engineer. Another 30 year old female who is highly capable mechanically. Maybe it's time we get our heads out of the sand and move beyond the stereotypes.
"The person who takes the intiative to study and repair his/her car, boat, furnace, computer, lawn mower or build a house, addition, shed, furniture etc forgoes the high labor rates today. The guy that does it himself saves a bundle and ends up in a better place.[/QUOTE]"
That is a fair description of me.
Then there is my daughter who at a very young age is a dockmaster part time, delivers sand repositions yachts on occasion, can set up and run a simple business, and attends patients at the VA.
That girl with her education and street skills saves a bundle and will end up in a better place than me.
While I respect that you are able to do much of your own work on your boat, I do have to ask one question. What about aircraft? I know you do fly. Do you do your own work on the plane?
As to your friends on the lake, they're just like we observed and lived among as we lived on the same lake. Sure didn't notice the shortage of millennials owning boats there on Sunday afternoons and holidays.
Woodland Hills
Guru
Go to a lake in summer and you will see that millennials do indeed own boats: ski boats, bass boats, speed boats, pontoon boats, all sorts of boats.
BTW, I’m an A&P, but never considered learning to pilot the vehicles I worked on. Watching my pilot on the oil rig spend 12 hours plus in an un-air conditioned cockpit in order to log his 10 flight hours a day for not much more pay than me cured me.
BTW, I’m an A&P, but never considered learning to pilot the vehicles I worked on. Watching my pilot on the oil rig spend 12 hours plus in an un-air conditioned cockpit in order to log his 10 flight hours a day for not much more pay than me cured me.
Simi 60
Guru
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2016
- Messages
- 5,482
- Location
- Australia
- Vessel Make
- Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
I found it enlightening in many south east Asian countries that everything seemed repairable and rampant consumerism and wastage hasn't taken hold yet.
It sure taught me some things, for example I have brought back from the dead twice in the last 5 years a LCD monitor that had a 50c part dead inside.
Bit of googling and half hour to fix and a screen not in landfill and a new one not having to be bought.
Its great not having to find money to pay people to do relatively simple tasks.
ancora
Guru
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2007
- Messages
- 4,022
Took a millennial family out for a ride on our boat in January. The father got all enthused about buying a boat and what he would do with it. Knowin' he would be a "check-writer" I tried to impress upon him the maintenance costs. He said he would write it all off against his business. He went ahead and bought a boat and started writin' checks. The boat has not moved since he bought it. Bein' a sore subject, I'm not gonna ask why...but his wife just shakes her head when I see her.
Woodland Hills
Guru
Im so glad the the 1% will be ok
Much of the 1% are new money, a generation old, earned by the creator of a business. The point being that few of our newly minted millionaires bothered to learn how to fix a refrigerator or build their own house. If anything they spent their time fixing software and algorithms not cars and motorbikes. And they seem to be none the worse off for it.
Simi 60
Guru
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2016
- Messages
- 5,482
- Location
- Australia
- Vessel Make
- Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Until their bitcoin turns to shite , oh wait
Or their business goes belly up and they lose the lot
Or any one of a million different things and they find them selves not as well off and not able to boil an egg let alone change a lightbulb or tapwasher.
Roosters turned into featherdusters, seen it happen plenty of times and no reason to think this crop of roosters are any better at surviving than the previous lot.
At least the previous lot most likely had some basic life skills, some a lot more than others.
Last edited:
FF
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2007
- Messages
- 22,552
Cost might be a concern. Yachting mag has a write up on a R tug entry level cruising boat
27? ft long and narrow enough for a trailer , big outboard on back.
The new owner is not expected to have experience to outfit the boat so "everything" is included.
Purchase price $200,000 plus tax and delivery.
That's big bucks to someone with a kollege loan paying off his degree in Etruscan Pottery
27? ft long and narrow enough for a trailer , big outboard on back.
The new owner is not expected to have experience to outfit the boat so "everything" is included.
Purchase price $200,000 plus tax and delivery.
That's big bucks to someone with a kollege loan paying off his degree in Etruscan Pottery
Woodland Hills
Guru
Or they sell their crypto at the top of the market, take their business public through an IPO banking hundreds of millions and keep earning more money in any one of a million ways and they find themselves hiring cooks, gardeners and staff.
See, I can play pretend too. My scenario is just as likely as yours.........
A couple of members sure seem to have a lot of resentment against well educated, successful, and even wealthy people. It's sad that something has happened in your life to fill you with such prejudice against a group rather than the ability to look at them each individually, just as it's sad to see others stereotype millennials. There are both good and bad among any group of people one might choose.
Woodland Hills
Guru
There does seem to be a surprising amount of envy, jealousy and outright resentment of others success here which I did not expect. It’s as if some people think another’s gain is someone else’s loss which is not how the world works. It is NOT a zero sum game.
JOY-SEA
Veteran Member
I happened too be in our local marine repair / dealer shop here in FL
Don't recall how we got on the topic but it was similar too this thread .
Speaking with the owner of shop he stated few young people are buying boats , most customers are older retired men or mobile repair guys buying parts .
He did state , The younger customers fathers own boats.
At fishing club , many couples , mostly older , retired .
When I have an issue boat or marina related ,
I say too myself why do I put myself thru this bull_ _ _ _ ?
Held hostage by costly marinas, constant rate increases ,
Costly marina fuel
Every employee has their hand out for tips ,
Repair people that are awful . Expensive, rip offs ,
Rules , regulations on the water ,
Sheriff Patrol constantly checking boats
When I am on land few days , I need too get back too marina, boat, ocean
My kids & grandkids marina all the time , they love it
I don't have too take boat out , they love dropping a line at dock, game room, pool, talking too other boaters
When the world caves in my 48 year old son he calls me , DAD lets get away on boat few days
If we don't teach and expose our kids they wont know any better
Marinas will become like golf clubs , CONDOS
I HAVE A SICKNESS , ADDICTED TOO THE OCEAN
Don't recall how we got on the topic but it was similar too this thread .
Speaking with the owner of shop he stated few young people are buying boats , most customers are older retired men or mobile repair guys buying parts .
He did state , The younger customers fathers own boats.
At fishing club , many couples , mostly older , retired .
When I have an issue boat or marina related ,
I say too myself why do I put myself thru this bull_ _ _ _ ?
Held hostage by costly marinas, constant rate increases ,
Costly marina fuel
Every employee has their hand out for tips ,
Repair people that are awful . Expensive, rip offs ,
Rules , regulations on the water ,
Sheriff Patrol constantly checking boats
When I am on land few days , I need too get back too marina, boat, ocean
My kids & grandkids marina all the time , they love it
I don't have too take boat out , they love dropping a line at dock, game room, pool, talking too other boaters
When the world caves in my 48 year old son he calls me , DAD lets get away on boat few days
If we don't teach and expose our kids they wont know any better
Marinas will become like golf clubs , CONDOS
I HAVE A SICKNESS , ADDICTED TOO THE OCEAN
- Status
