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Old 07-12-2017, 07:36 AM   #13
Ulrich_the_troll
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City: Worcester
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 4
Well it was the compromise I had to make, the missus wanted a sailing boat, I wanted a motor boat, but both of us definitely want an older, quirky 'pre-loved' vessel, and the one we've chosen is all of those things. It's a manageable size for beginners, fully functioning sail rig operated from the wheelhouse, lorry engine rigorously maintained by it's former owner who is a mechanical engineer by trade, comes with all the nav gear, and a rough, 30 year old, well lived-in but homely and very practical interior. It passed a thorough survey with mostly flying colours, the only real issue was the anodes needing changing but that is being carried out inclusive of the price we are paying for it. Steel hull is completely sound. We've spent a few nights on it already and love it.

Oddly, we couldn't find a suitable trawler or any ex-commercial boat within our price range in the UK at the time of looking. But it is still my dream. This ketch will definitely serve us well as a beginner's vessel. We are enrolling on the RYA skipper and sailing courses soon, with the intention of keeping her moored at the marina until we are competent enough to take her around the UK estuarys and coastal waters, ultimately working towards travelling to Ireland, then France (depending on how that will work with Brexit), the Faroe Islands, and then further afield. But all this is probably several years away yet.

We just can't get over how cheap and do-able moving onto a boat like this is, it only cost us £27,000, which is only £1000 more than we paid for the narrowboat, and it is vastly more spacious and comfortable, with a hell of a lot more potential for travelling. We are struggling to figure out why more people don't ditch bricks and mortar for the boat life, even if it's just to live aboard! It's a fraction of the price of a small flat let alone a house in England, even monthly mooring fees are cheaper than the average 2-bedroom rental property here.
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