Boat Use

L

Levity

New member
It is amazing to see the number of boats that never leave the dock. The Chesapeake is home to thousands of boats. With holiday weekends an exception, relatively few boats are encountered while underway. There is an established relationship between boat size and frequency of use. What other factors do you think influence frequency? Since many boats sit idle beside waterfront property, proximity does not seem to be a major factor. Everyone is very busy but some seem to get out more than others. Lifestyles aside, are there physical attributes of boats or ease of use issues that contribute to greater time spent on the water?
Mike 'Levity'
 
Mike,
For me personally, the ability to trailer a vessel is a huge plus! I can't help but think that there are many vessel owners that become bored "plying" the same waters all the time, because their vessel is too large to trailer from one location to another. I've heard former "sailors" in the Puget Sound area say that they switched to power boating because when sailing they would leave the marina and only have enough time to go repeatedly to the same destinations. (When we leave our home we have the "ability" to "trailer" North closer to the San Juans, South - closer to Olympia - and obviously East to Lake Roosevelt, Lake Chelan etc).
 
A similiar observation I've made is the number of killer waterfront properties that one motors by on nice sunny days with no one outside enjoying them!
 
The observation is certainly correct. Many boats look as if they are never used.

The first reason to come to mind is boat owners getting tired of traversing the same waters. It was to have variety that we purchased (last November) a boat that could easily and quickly both move around the Chesapeake as well as be easily trailered to other waters.

Our previous boat, a trailerable Precision 21 sailboat, met neither of those criteria. For us, getting to the Bay meant a 45 minute trip down the South River. It got old after a while. It also had the potential of being rough (when the tide and wind were in opposite directions).

Hopefully time will show that our decision was such that our boat usage will be much greater than boat owners generally and more like the usage of the c-brats.

It may also relate to peoples expectations... for example, someone who perhaps fishes three or four times a year purchases a boat with plans to fish 6-8 times a month, and then they find they don't really like fishing that much. Or they buy a sailboat and discover the requirement to have adequate wind may not be met that frequently, or the work required to put up/take down the sails starts becoming monotonous and tiresome.

Because boating is not generally a solitary endeavor, using the boat likely means the participation of other family members. This can mean that families with children are going to be minimal boat users even though the children may have been the biggest proponents of boat acquisition. There is so much going on, that there will be tradeoffs between boating and other children's activities (athletics, etc) and I'd guess the more social activities are dominant.

Boating takes time to do well and to enjoy. I have an unproven impression that a fairly large number of the people that boat a lot are retired. Children and jobs both have a high priority and probably result in much less boat use than the purchaser originally anticipated.



Bill.Secure
Edgewater, MD
 
boat is three years and two months only. I have not been out more then six days since september this year and I have 675 hours on it. I am not even retired.

I have heard several places that people are getting rid of there boats because of children. My kid is the reason that I got into boating. I was raised around boats and camping from a young age, still in diapers. I have had my boy james camping and fishing with me since he was in diapers. Being out doors with your kids is the greats thing . I would not give up any of the places we have been or the things we have seen for one soccer game. Camping hiking boating fishing are the only sports I have ever been interested in and believe that they serve a far better purpose of teaching what life is about then getting the next touch down, basket or goooooooooal as the say down south.
 
Only about 10% of the boats are taken out regularly. On our street there are only two or three of us who use our boats on a regular basis (like once or more a week).
 
Up at the head of the Chesapeake Bay we mainly see weekend live aboards of all kinds. We Marylander's have a pleasant name for them... we call'em the Pennsylvania Navy... as most come a couple hundred miles or more to get to the water. Good people to say the least.

I too am perplexed as to why some boats NEVER leave the slip. There is this Dentist and his wife (or at least I think it's his wife :crook ) that slip a 32' Carver Aft Cabin three slips from me. In the three years I have known him the boat has not left the slip. He says he's afraid to run it and don't even think that he would have the CAZONGAS to back into a slip... ain't gonna happen. The only time it has been out that I know of was the time he wanted to cruise to Annapolis, a three to four hour comfortable ride. My sons and I piloted it for him, his family, and some of their friends.

The boat is four years old and has less that 40 hours on each engine. He keeps the boat in perfect condition... all the time cleaning and waxing when not entertaining. Geeze... the rub rail looks as if it came off the showroom floor.

As far as the rest... I hear it is the price of fuel these days that keeps them in the slips except on holidays :cocktail :beer :cigar.
 
I think it has alot to what Starcrafttom eluded to being raised around boats and the water. Many people seem to buy boats as a new toy and quickly tire of them. Boats are a lot of work even if you have the resources to have someone else do everything for you. For myself I was raised around boats and the ICW in Wilmington NC. My granddad had boats as well as my dad and three uncles. It was a family event in those days. In the south too it is a year around sport. I live on the ICW and all my neighbors have boats but only myself and my next door neighbor use them reguarly. My next door neighbor is Captain of and ocean going tug and spends weeks at a time at sea in his work. As soon as he comes ashore he's either out in his Mackee Craft Ski boat or his offshore rig. It's something I think once it gets in your blood it's hard to ignore. My finest childhood memories are of with my dad in his old wooden fishing boats. Both my daughters love the water and boats and I already have a life preserver for my grand child (sex unknown yet) who will be born in July.
 
My audiologist's in-laws (apparently he's a retired pilot) have an 80+ footer parked at Cap Sante in Anacortes that has not been moved in a year and a half. They have a 40-footer that has not been used much more. Age is probably one factor, but certainly not the only one.

Warren
 
Even though I've already posted my thoughts on this thread, an additional thought certainly comes to mind.

In the PNW, as in I'm sure other geographical areas, having an enclosed cabin and a stove for heat (such as we have with our C-Dorys), makes us far more likely to take our vessels out on the water in the inclement weather that we frequently experience.

I can't recall how many times I've been asked if I'd "put my boat up for winter", to which I reply...."Why, I use it year round!"
 
I've always felt there is a certain group of people who want to possess a boat so they can refer to their (insert mega bling boat here) with a sneer at those who don't, as to actually using the boat, well what would that do to the manicure/pedicure/hairstyle, reputation for being in control, etc. etc.. C-Dory owners on the other hand are sort of the "Anti-Bling" group who actually like getting their hands dirty and are pretty well uncontrollable as we all know! :D
 
Great ideas, folks, and a good posting initially. About all we'd add is that buying a another toy and quickly tiring of it seems to be a trait of our culture -- now, that opens Pandora's box as to why (perhaps) our culture encourages, condones, or excuses this type of behavior, but that's for a long evening shared in a cockpit with drinks in hand watching the sunset ...
 
An interesting thread! I don't have anything new to add, but a few reflections...

Like many Americans, I have TOO many toys, so when I do have time for recreation (I am still working full-time), I have to choose between them. The ones I have owned longer (such as a SCAMP trailer) tend not to get used as much as those (such as the C-Dory) that are "newer."

I have found that the easier a boat is to use (and for a trailerable, that includes launching, retrieving and towing), the more inclined I have been to use it. It is not uncommon for me--when we are at our cottage--to have the C-Dory in and out of the water (L. Ontario) twice in a day (early morning and evening). The late afternoon/early evening breezes are best for sailing!
 
Time driven events are another reason to enjoy pilot house type boats as our C-Dory boats. Just had a friend in for the weekend who I had not seen for any length of time in a couple of years. He had a "time slotted" 4 day pass from his military duty... and he came to see me and my "new boat" the C-Dory 18' Angler with the camper back on it. Just as my luck runs... the winds were a constant 20 knots....the waves were ever changing directions/heights....and the temp dropped... But, with this boat, we had a great day... Just put her on about 9 knots...and cruised for hours.... and really forgot how hard the wind was blowing...until time to dock her. On 1st approach, after turning my boat "beam to" the direct wind as to place the gunnel of the boat against the dock.... I got blown back/away from the dock about 8' before I could say Bingo. Attempt #2 had me scared....cause I was basically running at 9 knots straight into the wind...and into the dock...but, that is all it took to get on the dock and tied up. So, next day, same conditions...and another 8 hours of great fun and comfortalbe easy cruising... And like Dav said.... Winterizing??? It don't happen.

Byrdman
Fall06_183.sized.jpg
 
I grew up just across the river from a now defunct yacht club in Norfolk, Va.
While in high School I would often "drive" my 15 ft Wagemaker Wolverine with 40 hp white Merc around the slips and marvel at all of the big power boats that NEVER moved. Hehe these people hired divers every year to scrape the bottoms and shined and cleaned the teak and glass almost daily. It wsn't the cost of fuel in those days. It's a lifestyle; hang out on the dock, grill out, and watch sports...mostly just socialize. :smilep
I just saw it again last fall when we cruised up the Chickahominy to a beautiful marina called Rivers Rest for dinner. There they were, the 30-50 footers....and all the folks cooking out on the grill on the dock, deck chairs in a circle, and NFL football blaring over the multiple conversations from the stern of one of the big Sea Rays. I had my wife and 3 kids with me, but somehow it was a flashback of some 38 years or so. 8)
 
Welcome to the site JimD. Glad to have you aboard.

Often times the C-Dory wannabe's first move toward becoming a C-Dory owner is to join this site. The members here will encourage and help you in that endeavor. Hang around us long enough and you will no longer be a wannabe.
________
Dave dlt.gif
 
We've seen this plenty... come into a marina with big beautiful boats and no one around...

LittleCD.jpg

Seems to me that it's less a matter of size and more about convenience and the time to use it. If someone chooses to buy a boat to use as a weekend cabin in a marina... well, that's still a choice. I've never been in a financial position to buy a big asset and just let it sit. And while I can understand the pleasure of sitting in the cockpit, enjoying an adult beverage, good conversation, and a sunset, it's even more fun when the setting changes regularly. :D And that's easy to do with a C-Dory.

I've mentioned this before: the C-Dory is the type of boat that seems to invite use... functional, reasonably affordable. The buyer of these boats isn't the typical boat buyer, either. Walk a boat show - you don't see the "high heeled, gold chain" crowd at the C-Dory display (and I certainly don't mean that in a condescending way). Likewise, how many C-Dory owners lust after a Cigarette-type boat? Out of curiousity, I've looked at them, but know it's not for me. Same thing with the huge yachts (of course, it would take a BIG lottery win :wink: ). I think for most of us here, this is a passion, not just a casual pastime.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
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