Who has more than one boat?

[Neil2]

I've heard it said that if you dislike an individual you should buy them a boat.   But if you really hate their guts you should buy them two.

We did for a short period own two boats but it wasn't deliberate and certainly wasn't intended to be permanent but as we approach full time retirement I am considering the possibility of having two boats.  There's all sorts of reasons behind this and I'm sure some will understand without going into detail.  From a few recent threads I've noticed that quite a few members have two boats and some have several.  I'm generally interested in how/why some ended up with more than one boat and what they have learned from the experience, or any comments at all really. 

[Alan de Enfield]

Yes - Two boats each with different capabilities.

One for Rivers/ Coastal / Channel hopping, and the other for ocean crossings

Edited July 16, 2017 by Alan de Enfield

[MtB]

Mine are in two different areas. One in the south, one in the midlands.

[koukouvagia]

Our butty was bought simply because it was available.  Josher butties don't come up very often and we thought it would go well with our josher motor.

It took us the best part of thirty years to realise that perhaps we'd bitten off a bit more than we could chew!

We're hoping to spend more time on boating and less time in maintenance, now that we're back to one.

 

[MtB]

On 16/07/2017 at 10:50, koukouvagia said:

Our butty was bought simply because it was available.  Josher butties don't come up very often and we thought it would go well with our josher motor.

It took us the best part of thirty years to realise that perhaps we'd bitten off a bit more than we could chew!

We're hoping to spend more time on boating and less time in maintenance, now that we're back to one.

 

 

Curious. That's one of the reasons I have two!

When (not if, usually!) one boat is out of action I still have the other to get my fix. 

[koukouvagia]

Just now, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Curious. That's one of the reasons I have two!

When (not if, usually!) one boat is out of action I still have the other to get my fix. 

I've not yet found a way of fixing one myself and boating at the same time on the other

 

[GUMPY]

We have often had two boats mainly because we were/are tied to a location with one and the second boat is to go boating in.

Second boats have been, not at the same time

10m NB covered most of the system in 5 years weekending

7.5m motor sailer out on the east coast

Freeman 22 on the Gt Ouse

Albacore sailing dinghy, not a success

Norman 20 moored on the Nene 300yds from the cottage, used for day trips at weekends

 

[mrsmelly]

Not being a millionaire like some of you lot I tseems I only have one. I tried two once but found it very hard to steer them both with one foot straddled on each boat.

[haggis]

We shared a boat in Englandshire for many years and when the Scottish Lowland Canals were being reopened it was not a case of would we have  a boat up here but what sort of boat would we have? By chance we came across Sea Otters and as they are lighter and towable we bought (second hand), 26 foot long  gamebird. We still have her and she has travelled far and wide. First narrow boat to boat from end to end of the Forth and Clyde canal, first narrow boat to boat the Crinan canal, she has cruised the Caledonaian, (including Loch Ness) she has been at every opening event on the Lowland canals (being an escort for the Queen and Princess Anne), she has cruised in the Clyde estuary (several times), the Firth of Forth (once), she has cruised a lot of the down south canals, including the Lancaster (twice) and attended many IWA festivals. Although we don't use her much now and it would perhaps make sense to sell her, she has so much history we can't bear to part with her. A few years ago, we gave up our shared boat and bought Kelpie on which we now do all our "down south" boating. 

We didn't set out to have two boats, it just sort of happened!

haggis

[rusty69]

The Royal Navy.

 

Although they were thinking of sharing one with the French 

[DeanS]

Started with a narrowboat. Upgraded to a widebeam. Now have a widebeam and a narrowboat. The kids live in the narrowboat. Missus and I live in the widebeam. 

 

B L I S S

 

Edited July 16, 2017 by DeanS

[Peter X]

The Narrow Boat Trust, because one boat can carry 20 tons but a pair can carry 40 tons. I think there were hundreds of pairs in operation at the peak of canal carrying, but the number still around as pairs is far less, a lot of butties having either had engines put in, or rotted away if wooden hulled, and only a handful of the remaining pairs are still actually carrying anything much.

More info here: http://www.narrowboattrust.org.uk

I'm looking forward to a trip with the NBT starting in 8 days time, which will be my first long boating trip since April. I own no boat at all myself, but still get quite a lot of boating in with others, and have had various short trips this year volunteering on Tarporley in London.

[Bewildered]

3 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Mine are in two different areas. One in the south, one in the midlands.

Don't you find yourself searching for something only realise "oh bugger, it's on the other boat"? Or do you have to have two of everything?

[MtB]

On 16/07/2017 at 14:11, Bewildered said:

Don't you find yourself searching for something only realise "oh bugger, it's on the other boat"? Or do you have to have two of everything?

 

Two of everything.

I have however had trouble finding the boat occasionally. That "Oh bugger, this isn't where I moored it last week" effect.

 

Edited July 16, 2017 by Mike the Boilerman

[rusty69]

2 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Two of everything.

 

How many Smartgauges? 

That will set im off! 

[MtB]

Two. Neither of them works though. Shall I try buying a third?

[rusty69]

42 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Two. Neither of them works though. Shall I try buying a third?

Ah, i can help. Will give you a tenner for both. 

 

 

[koukouvagia]

We've only got these two at the moment  .  They're sitting on a coffee table I made from the elm bottom of Owl.

(Models made by Dave Holloway)

[nbfiresprite]

Narrowboat moored in the Fens.

3rd share in a pilot cutter moored in Poole Harbour.

 

[ditchcrawler]

34 minutes ago, koukouvagia said:

We've only got these two at the moment  .  They're sitting on a coffee table I made from the elm bottom of Owl.

(Models made by Dave Holloway)

Lovely 

[FadeToScarlet]

Between the 5 of us at the wharf, we have 11 boats..... And some canoes.

[Neil2]

6 hours ago, haggis said:

We shared a boat in Englandshire for many years and when the Scottish Lowland Canals were being reopened it was not a case of would we have  a boat up here but what sort of boat would we have? By chance we came across Sea Otters and as they are lighter and towable we bought (second hand), 26 foot long  gamebird. We still have her and she has travelled far and wide. First narrow boat to boat from end to end of the Forth and Clyde canal, first narrow boat to boat the Crinan canal, she has cruised the Caledonaian, (including Loch Ness) she has been at every opening event on the Lowland canals (being an escort for the Queen and Princess Anne), she has cruised in the Clyde estuary (several times), the Firth of Forth (once), she has cruised a lot of the down south canals, including the Lancaster (twice) and attended many IWA festivals. Although we don't use her much now and it would perhaps make sense to sell her, she has so much history we can't bear to part with her. A few years ago, we gave up our shared boat and bought Kelpie on which we now do all our "down south" boating. 

We didn't set out to have two boats, it just sort of happened!

haggis

That's very impressive.  Is your Sea Otter the standard version or is she adapted at all?  What sort of conditions did you get on Loch Ness? 

[Nightwatch]

6 hours ago, rusty69 said:

The Royal Navy.

 

Although they were thinking of sharing one with the French 

Oh! Please don't make me feel any worse. I am very sad at the state of our RN. I remember when we had a Navy.................

[mrsmelly]

3 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Oh! Please don't make me feel any worse. I am very sad at the state of our RN. I remember when we had a Navy.................

You and me both  son in law has just come out the navy and his tales of woe re NO ships is very disheartening...............I loved lining up off pompey for the silver Jubes in 77............we still had a few ships left even then.

[Nightwatch]

23 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

You and me both  son in law has just come out the navy and his tales of woe re NO ships is very disheartening...............I loved lining up off pompey for the silver Jubes in 77............we still had a few ships left even then.

I was on Flag Officer Portsmouth staff then. rear Admiral Wilf Graham of Sailor (Ark Royal) fame. See we all know somebody off the Ark. We had a dummy run in the Barge, not narrowboat, the day before, when all the ships lined the sides and hip hip hoorared as we passed. Some nugget on the third hooray threw his cap in the oggin. Oh! How we giggled. My mum and dad were onboard. A real treat. Dad died in the following February. I digress.

Edited July 16, 2017 by Nightwatch