I was brought up with boats from an early age. My father bought a Seagull outboard, without a boat. We just hired a rowing boat on holiday, fitted the outboard and off we went, exploring the myriad lochs and islands of the west coast of Scotland. I can still remember the starting technique: you unscrewed the petrol air lock, switched on the fuel, closed the choke, set the throttle to half way, wound the rope round the wheel on top and pulled on the cord, after warning all those behind you to sit well back!
In my teens, I was desperate to have my own boat but all I could afford was a kayak, or a canoe as we called it in those days. It was made of canvas and wood, and came as a kit. The handyman who assembled it for me also built a trailer for it so that I could fit it to the back of my bike and cycle the 4 miles to Loch Lomond and go canoeing any time I wanted. Happy days.
Why do I tell you all this? Because 58 years later I am still kayaking and all that experience on river, loch and sea has stood me in good stead for cruising on my bigger boat – Tiptoe. When I’m caught out in stormy weather or on a powerful tidal race, I’m less stressed because I’ve paddled on much worse in my kayak, and survived. A wave over the head is no big deal!
PADDLE POWER
Wind the clock forward to 2005 and at last I could afford my own motorboat. It was a second-hand Bayliner, and cost me £10,000. The salesman said, “You’ll soon be on to something bigger and better!” And of course he was right. By 2011 I was onto my third boat, a brand new Finnmaster 76CA, which cost me close to 10 times the price of my Bayliner.
Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting.
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Denne historien er fra July 2020-utgaven av Motor Boat & Yachting.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Lofoten or Bust- Part 4- Grandezza owner Per Harrtoft heads back to Sweden after an epic 3500nm adventure deep into the Arctic Circle to visit the mythical Lofoten islands
After ten memorable days in the Lofoten Islands in the far north of Norway, we are on our way back south towards Sweden. We have already made it as far as Trondheim, a charming place even if it was raining so hard we had to cycle round the city centre clutching umbrellas. But now we are back on board Deamare, our Grandezza 40 Fly, eating up the miles at a steady 31 knots.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YACHT TRANSPORT
As the name suggests it's a means of having your boat moved professionally from one location to another. It might be as simple as hiring someone to tow your RIB a few miles down the road or as complex as shipping a superyacht halfway around the world.
HANDLE A SINGLE SHAFTDRIVE BOAT PART 1
Single shaftdrive boats are relatively rare these days but the reduced costs of buying, servicing and fuelling such a simple but reliable drivetrain does mean they are making a bit of a comeback.
COCKWELLS MOTOR LAUNCH
There can be very few boats that have appeared three times at the Southampton Boat Show and been sold off the stand each time.
INSTALLING AN AUTOPILOT
Rick Channon makes solo boating simple with a Raymarine Evolution Autopilot
GOOD AS NEW
Why fit a brand new engine when Volvo Penta's remanufacturing service can rebuild you an old one to the same standard for a fraction of the price?
BENETEAU SWIFT TRAWLER 54
Alex Smith heads to France's Beneteau HQ for a UK exclusive on what might just be the best Swift Trawler yet
ΧΟ EXPLR 44
Can XO's all-new aluminium flagship really make it big in the Med?
BUYING OUR FIRST CLASSIC
Instead of whiling away their retirement playing bowls, Rob and Shona Adams decided to invest their time and money in a classic Silver gentleman's yacht. Would the gamble pay off?
PRINCESS S65
Torn between the V and F Class flagships? The new S65 might be the boat you've been waiting for...
