How many times so far

[Lemonbonbon]

I am finding it difficult to find the time to get out in my new boat. I was wondering how many times people have been out in theirs so far this season

[spartacus]

Sorry to say, just the once this year back in March, but it was to the Summer Isles so I’m not complaining.

Weather and work commitments aside, fuel prices are obviously a concern. It’s not so much the boat running costs, it’s just 70hp, but simply hauling to a location and return. I’m still planning fishing trips later this year but undoubtedly there will be less of them but I’m opting for better ones where I’m looking for a change of coastal scenery.

[TmMorris]

Originally Posted by Lemonbonbon

I am finding it difficult to find the time to get out in my new boat. I was wondering how many times people have been out in theirs so far this season

Once so far.

Unless you live by the coast, have flexible work hours and low family commitments it can be difficult.

For me, it's something that I do with my young children so that limits it to weekends until the summer holidays and then the weekdays are still limited by work commitments.

Those moments then need to coincide with fair weather. It's a two hour drive minimum in any direction to find water and simply the weather has to be good for the children to have fun.

So we get down to a day when we are free and the weather is fair to good. As I'm launching the boat each time I then need to co sides the tides. I favour a high tide towards the middle of the afternoon but midday to 4pm is about the range. This means I can launch on a rising tide and not feel any time pressure to come back in if everyone is having fun and it also tends to tie in with grabbing supper down there so the girls can fall asleep in the car and I don't have the issue of having to wake them up and feed them after a bad drive home.

So to get everything to align (free time for all three of us coinciding with suitable weather and suitable tides) is a small miracle and I generally hope for at least 2-3 outings a year and anything else is a real bonus.

I did contemplate a RibShack boat share as this would rule out the tide aspect but where it fell down was with my personality. I'm simply not someone who would pay money to have defined when I could or couldn't do something. It's not something that works for me. If I spend money it's to categorically get away from that. I don't want to have set dates where I feel obliged to do something because of the amount of money paid.

If the girls really get into it then dry stacking a used 5-6m RIB will be the sensible solution. I'm just going to see what happens to prices over the next year or two as they could dump next season in certain markets and that would present a buying op.

But the girls love the SIB and I enjoy it and the low cost and easy storage means it doesn't make me feel obliged to use it, which makes it a luxury in my eyes.

[chipko]

Slow start this year as the new tractor launch didn’t start operating until early May so lost a month. Only 4 launches for our rib.
We’ve also managed another 5 outings in the tiny rib (albeit some only river runs) whilst our sib is winning hands down thus far with at least a dozen trips since April.

[Lemonbonbon]

Originally Posted by chipko

Slow start this year as the new tractor launch didn’t start operating until early May so lost a month. Only 4 launches for our rib.
We’ve also managed another 5 outings in the tiny rib (albeit some only river runs) whilst our sib is winning hands down thus far with at least a dozen trips since April.

You are doing very well indeed

[The Gurnard]

I had a very good friend as a co worker.He was 10 years older than me and was “officially” retired 4 times before finally retiring at 69 years old. He did hard manual graft for work and his back was killing him, which eventually forced him to go. Often I asked why he did not retire so he could enjoy life. His reply was always ...

“Donny, I cant retire, work is all I know. If I retired I would spend all my time down the pub which would kill me.”

Sadly , he was correct, he died three months after retiring for the last time.

RIP Mike. I learned a very valuable lesson from you.

I retired myself at 59 to lead the life I always dreamed of. I spend my time afloat in my boats ..wandering around the west coast of Scotland. Covid lockdowns even made me move to a location I can boat every day as I was cracking up being locked into the city. Im not a rich man because of my life style but I believe I lead a far richer life than many .

I started boating late this year ..first day on the water was 5th January. I know because the photos in my phone remind me of dates as time of year means little to me... and I have not missed too many days afloat since.

January. Collecting wood for my log stove..it passes a pleasant day and keeps me warm at night.



February.. first outing of the year with my regular boating buddy.. bitter cold but we had a ball and were on the water from sunrise to sunset.



March .. and the second multi day camping trip for me and an exceptionally warm day saw us swimming in the Clyde. That was a first for me as I cant ever remember swimming in March before



April ... I was now camping out regularly but still using the small F Rib to explore the Skye coastline



May ... and I started using the larger quicksilver and travelling much further distances for camping. Midges were few and far between then



June .. saw Im running in the new outboard going round the Island of Mull ..



Im 67 years of age and enjoying retirement as I think it should be. Im posting this in memory of my old friend and co worker .. Mike

[Max...]

Last year was the only year for 10 that I did not use the boat once - feels awful.

This year had a test run up the river and a quick wave jumping session out of Rye before a week on the Dart last month - heaven for me there. On a quay for the whole week so jump in the boat at Dittisham every morning and repeat for all day boating seven days in a row.

It's never east to get out unless you're lucky enough to have the boat in a marina. Age takes it's toll (beach launching and wave pounding does me in for 48 hrs after), kids grow up and move on. 99% of the time we get a F3/4. We live by the sea but here they seemingly don't want people to be able to access it easily with virtually no slips.

[Matt73]

I am lucky enough to live a mile from the sea and have had maybe a dozen trips so far, tides and weather limit things though. I have also been to ulswater twice and a lovely sedate trip down the river Ouse into York.

Hope there will be many more opportunities this year when the sun gods finally come.

Matt

[GuyC]

Probably, on average, every second weekend.

I dry stack and live less than 45 minutes from the boat. It is still a bit of a challenge aligning the weather and availability of either myself or my crew.

If it wasn't for my sons GCSE's which have dragged on interminably, we'd have been out for a few evening jaunts by now.

[Steve509926]

Donny the 2nd, 4th & 6th picture are brilliant, they have to be the moments that memories are made from.

I'm extremely fortunate that at 61 I am semi - retired, but this year has been a little slower to start than last year. However I can't complain too much, according to the little tacho I have been out on water in Redneck for 26 hours so far this year. One day out from Conwy, two days on Ullswater and two weeks on the Cornish coast around the Fal and Helford river.

I have a lot more planned though, 10 days in Anglesey, 10 days around Oban and the Scottish SIB weekend at the beginning of Sept, and the odd weekend if possible.

I know its a cheesy saying, but you do only live once.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Retired at 50 then again at 67 no time for work or boating this year illness and life in the way hoping to get my first trip in July hoping.

[Max...]

Good luck with that Jeff.

[Brinormeg]

Had the sib and outboard almost a year to the day....been out twice this year...only done 3 hrs on the tac.....over 2 hrs of that was in a bloody barrel.

Some cracking pictures and videos have been comming from you guys which encourage us to continue on, regardless of the health, work and outboard issues.

At 54 ....unfortunately I have a long time to go before I can look at retirement....but perhaps I will have the darn OB run in by that time.

I wish all those who have had problems (be it health or otherwise) a safe boating season....how ever long that may be ( of course for some the season never really ends (donny)

[Voodoo]

Ours is parked 3 feet behind the boat we live on so we have used it many times since re-comissioning in late March. It's having a new flexi teak floor fitted this week so she is out of the water for the whole week...typical as the fab weather arrives...sigh

[Max...]

Originally Posted by Voodoo

Ours is parked 3 feet behind the boat we live on so we have used it many times since re-comissioning in late March. It's having a new flexi teak floor fitted this week so she is out of the water for the whole week...typical as the fab weather arrives...sigh

You are hereby awarded the 'all time easiest RIBnet water access award' - blimey, it doesn't get better than that!

[Fenlander]

Funnily enough Max when life allows us to re-engage with boating holidays we have earmarked a couple of boats in similar situations to Voodoo's which you can hire like a holiday cottage and have the sib by it all week. As you say easiest access ever.

[Voodoo]

Its really great I have to admit.....we are very lucky.

[Max...]

Originally Posted by Voodoo

Its really great I have to admit.....we are very lucky.

Nah, you make choices in life and some make better ones than others!

[Lemonbonbon]

Originally Posted by Max...

Nah, you make choices in life and some make better ones than others!

Very true

[909]

Every weekend, and occasionally on weekdays.

It's better than going to the gym.

And you get to meet new people launching from public beaches.