Flanker is now afloat! But !

[Flanker]

Hi everyone,

I have at last bought a boat fro my son today. The problem is that it is not a RIB. I bought a pretty boring boat, but I think for a 16th birthday present, he should not complain. If he can handle this well, then next year I will look at an exciting RIB for him. The boat I bought him is a Glastron GS 209, it is a 6.2mtr Cuddy with the galley, sink, fridge and toilet pack. I have got the upgraded engine from volvo 3 ltr to volvo 4.3ltr, it has a top speed of 50mph. The boat was £12,000 more than the RIB but two peole can easily sleep in it, which is handy. I am buying him a years moorings at Shamrock Quay marina in the Hamble to get him started, so I guess he will see some of you lot around. He can still get his RIB thrills on the 14mtr Redbays, which he loves.

Thanks again for all of your kind help, I guess now we have bought a non RIB we better stay silent on the forum. I will however keep looking as you have some great info on here.

Thanks again to you all,

Pete (now de- stressed)

[Richard B]

Pete,

6.2m + 200(or more) hp certainly ain't boring!

I'll be pleased to take you up on your offer of a trip out on the boat as I like getting out on the water on any type of boat, and I'm sure that you and your son will enyoy it.

OK it's not a RIB, but at least it's not a bowrider, as these are freshwater ski boats.

Enjoy!

[Flanker]

Pepper,

You and some very kind others have certainly helped in guiding me through some mistakes I could have made in choices. The time given in e-mails and long phone conversations have paid off I think. I was very surprised at the speed that this boat does, I am having it anti-fouled due to the fact it will be in the marina, is it true that this slows a boat down, or does it even up with the lack of sea life clinging to the bottom?

Although I have paid for the boat, we will not be using it until next March / April, so it is being stored for my son. It is a new 2003 boat that has just arrived and the warranty will then not start until he gets delivery. I have a few months to get the inside sorted, e.g. shore power kit, decor, spare battery fitted, and any electric gizmo's like fishfinders, fitted. I don't think my son or I will be going out of site of land, so I guess our handheld Garmin VHF and a couple of mobile phones will do the job re comms. I bought a large Snipe trailer (double axle) just in case we take it somewhere, not sure where, but it may be useful one day!

I have a RYA 2 course being lined up so I should be a responsible (although new) sailer soon.

Thanks again

Pete

[Richard B]

Hmm...

Pete, if you're spending £24k -ish on a boat, I reckon that you're skimping a bit on the nav and safety gear.

Re-read the email that I sent you on courses to do over the winter... then do them. Get a fixed GPS (eg Garmin 126) AND a budget chart-plotter (eg Garmin 176). Then get a DSC VHF installed and do the course. Make sure you've got a compass installed, and have a spare hand-held compass or compass-binoculars on the boat as well. You've got the space for the gear, so use it! Once you've done the courses, you'll know what to do with the gear, and what else is of use (like charts and all the manual nav stuff).

Buying the boat is only the beginning - it's now that you will really need quality advice on how to avoid becoming a statistic on the MCA or RNLI websites. The RYA courses are ideal fo this (certainly better than my amateur recommendations).

Rich.

[Richard B]

...If you reckon that 2GPSs + hand-held is overkill, have a count of how many there are on this console....

Electronics + sea water + vibrations don't mix, so better have more units than too few.

[Flanker]

Pepper,

Yes Dad! I will get the bit's. Dear me you have already cost me a fortune, are you in this marine business? money for the boys! I will need to get one of those cross bars/ roof racks to put all this stuff on! I was told not to be so stupid today when I went to buy a 4 man liferaft in one of those boxes. I was told that if you shout for help on your mobile a helicopter will be over you in 10 mins! I must say when it comes to safety, I will make sure I have my stuff just in case it doesn't turn up.

What about the important stuff, will the anti-foul slow me down, and what is the best stuff to use (not that I am doing it, but I will tell the garage to use it)?

Pete

[Richard B]

Pete, you've moved into the territory of the ybw.com forums. I don't know what the fouling will be like in Shamrock Quay. As for performance degredation, I guess that you may loose a knot ot two at the top end, but I dunno cos I've never anti-fouled a sportsboat, only a little displacement boat. I've always used either illegal commercial anti-foul (did I say that?) or Cruiser Premium from Jimmy Green's (allegedly an International Paints formula) but don't get bogged down in the semantics - a boatyard will probably just slap on whatever their supplier can sell them this season. However, I did do a coat of undercoat this season - I can let you know if it helped when I re-do it next April.

HTH,
Rich.

[batfalcon]

As I said before (in another forum):
"THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND BOYS IS THE PRICE OF THEIR TOYS

[Charles]

Crikey !!!!!!!! 16 years old and he gets all that. I was lucky to get a chain for my bicycle if it snapped?! I really hope he appreciates it, he must be quite special?!

Anti-fouling will slow a GRP boat down marginally. With the set-up you have described you probably would not notice it anyway. Bear in mind, once you have applied the anti-fouling it really requires doing yearly after that.

This is something you really do not want to hear, but I think you should have definitely gone for a rib as a first boat. For the kind of money you have spent and are going to spend, you could have have purchased a pretty decent rib with all the electronic gizmos etc you could have wished for. If I had been in any any other boat two weeks ago it would have been at the bottom of the English Channel! Anyway, whats done is done, its a thrill getting on the water with any boat ----the rib can come in a few years time.

[Alan]

Only one comment to be made...............


"hairdressers boat"!

[Alan Priddy]

Even "OUR" hairdresser would not be seen in that boat!
Alan P

[Flanker]

Charles,

Thanks for your useful comments. I think that some people are missing the fact that on the odd occassion the rest of the family will be taken out on it, that includes a 10mth old baby girl, On a RIB, I don't think so. This and the fact that he can drive the 14 mtr Rebays whenever he wants was a factor. I guess it would be boring having a 10 mtr Scorpion with twin 300hp Yanmar's and the use of the Redbays (although the Scorpion looks fantastic). A change is good for him.

Thanks for your very useful input Alan, it shows human nature unfortunately, and is a bit sad, but that's life! I respect RIB's and have not said a bad thing about them, I may even buy a small 4.5mtr to try myself in the summer next year.

We are only keeping this boat for a season, it would be stupid to pay over £100k for a first boat. I know it is the Ford Escort of US boats, but the reviews on it's performance and people I have spoken to people who have the bigger engine that we are upgrading to say it is great value for the money (but not in the USA where it is the same price in USD's). I think it is easier to work your way up, rather than make a huge mistake.

Let's face it you can't lose more than £24k on it, the Sealine's would lose that as soon as you walked out of the showroom.

Anyway I'm glad to say he is happy with it, although I wouldn't sleep in it. Maybe with a lot of hard saving we can get a magnificent boat like Charles has next Autumn.

Pete

[Alan]

Oh thats my wrists slapped then. Thing about Speedboaters, they lack a sense of humour

Seriously Pete, Good luck with the Glastron. A mate of mine had one last year (with an even bigger engine). Nice toy but absolutely bugger all use unless its flat calm. Suspect your son will find it a bit boring, (although that would be a tad ungrateful for him having been bought a boat at age 16).

One recommendation would be to join the Pathfinder Powerboat Club (www.ppc.org.uk) who organise cruising & get togethers for sportsboats in a similar manner to BIBOA.

Alan

[Flanker]

OK Alan, I will forgive you. As for Alan P, when he was in trouble across the pond I was up for helping out financialy with fuel if it would have helped him achieve his aim (see the thread on that). Would I do the same now? But perhaps that is the TRUE Alan P coming out (my initial thoughts on his last reply, as I don't know him)

Must go now, I have an appointment at 11am to do some highlights a perm and a blue rinse wash!!!

Pete
(with a sense of humour, if I didn't, why buy a money pit, perhaps it is because I can!)

[Richard B]

I've just come back from a weekend of hairdresser jokes, so no sympathy from me

[Charles]

Richard, take my advice...go see Vince about that hair on your head!

[TIPS]

Ignore them, end of the day you've got yourself a properly nice boat. I can't think of many 16 year olds I know that can say they have a 24K boat, let alone a boat full stop. Enjoy it mate

Mark

[Flanker]

TIPS,

NICE to see there are genuine people on the Forum. People like you and others I have spoken to make the world a nicer place.

Remember :-

'Not all your mates are your friends'

Friendship is deeper, not shallow and glossy bulls..t. Those type I keep well clear of, leave them to talk nonsense each other, life is too short.

Pete

[Charles]

Mr.Flanker

For the record......you will not meet a more genuine bunch of like-minded people like ribsters. They might tease you mercilessly, but when the chips are down and the proverbial sh*t has hit the fan, these are the people who will be there first....where and when it matters.

Thank you.

[Flanker]

I realise that, and that is why I have appreciated all the help I have had from this great site.

I hope that when / if we get a RIB we will have the opportunity of a few beers somewhere.

Cheers,

Pete