Saturday 16 January 2016

Too many boats

Fellow blogger My2Sfish recently asked "How many is too many" boats? To which my reply was you can't have too many boats but I'm gonna need a bigger garage.


And here's the problem, if you look closely you can see 9 including the windsurfer, plus there's another 3 out in the back garden including the herb dinghy and another inflatable stashed away somewhere.

A while ago Dylan Winter of Keep Turning  Left fame described a serious condition Poly Navicular Morbus  more commonly called "too many boats disease".

At the time we had:

Matilda Emilie - First 210 21.5 feet
Poppy - Pram dinghy can't remember the design 7 feet 6 inches
Gato Negro - self designed rowing skiff   15 feet 4 inches
Lollipop - Solent SCOW - 11 feet 4 inches
Tosh - Cornish Cormorant 12 feet 3 inches
Inflatables -  3 off  x 8 feet each = 24 feet
Blue tender - unknown rowing dinghy 7 feet 9 inches
Jospeh's cradle boat  - OK stretching things a little but a real boat none the less at 4 feet
Herb dinghy  - planted up in the garden, could be brought back to use at the cost of a few plants 8 feet
2 kayaks - one single, one double 23 feet in total

I make that 136 feet and 8 inches of boat which put us in the serious, bordering on chronic category according to Dr Winter.

Fortunately help was at hand and now having sold a couple of boats including Matilda we thought we were we're on the slow road to recovery, but then the Oppi and the windsurfer turned up and I've just seen an interesting boat on ebay......

11 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for this post. You have given me inspiration and hope. I only own 2 boats right now but your photo has filled me with enthusiasm and determination to do a lot better in 2016. Getting to 9 in one year will be a stretch but it's a worthy goal!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Np Tillerman, there's a guy locally who was has 16 so we both have a way to go. The other problem is getting around to use them all.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! 16? Maybe that should be my goal for 2017?

    It might be a challenge to use them all. But one option if you own a lot of boats is to lend them to friends or family members so that you can go sailing or kayaking or whatever together.

    This needs some serious planning and thought.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A boat for every need is my motto. When people point out that my "hobby" is getting out of hand, I just smile and say it's not a hobby, it's what I DO.
    The doryman boat yard is down to about a dozen, a new low. Feels just about right. Use them? you bet.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gosh, I thought my 4 boats was a lot... I'm not even close to your level!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Max, this is a comforting post for me - I don't now feel excessive with 7 boats when you have 9!

    I am familiar with your nice black rowing boat and the cat rigged Gato Negro, but what is that shapely little grey coloured boat in the back of the photo under the lights?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Alden, it's actually green, the lighting just isn't good that far back. Erica's solent SCOW

    http://bursledonblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/scowling.html

    http://1001boats.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/solent-scow.html

    ReplyDelete
  8. Alas London new build flats for some reason do not provide space for owner-occupier's boats (and the assorted gubbins) so I have no opportunity to start a collection of my own.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. My wife, who is not a boaty type, practices admirable forebearance when it comes to my time on the water in my Melonseed Skiff THREE CHEERS. However, she has stated firmly (and only partially teasing)that the only other boat in the collection will be a gravy boat! I can live with that. Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Allright let's talk seriously now. What did you spot on eBay??

    ReplyDelete

COMMENTS - If you would like a reply to your comment please leave your email address

Thanks