May be Bailing...out of boating

[MikeP]

The way things look at the moment, this may be our last season with a boat for the first time in MANY years. We are planning to relocate to the UK, the city of Bath, to be specific, for a good portion of the year (no, it has nothing to do with Donald - we've been talking about this for 4 years) - and we need to re-allocate our time and our finances. Basically, we want to spend May-Oct in Bath and that includes some of the same time period we currently spend on the boat.

We considered keeping the boat but it just makes no sense because we would be in the UK during the boating season and it is a substantial "user" of our finances considering the maintenance and the cost associated with owning our slip.

I readily admit that I will feel weird getting out of boating but we have become more interested the past few years in other things. We ride motorcycles a lot which we really enjoy in the UK/Europe. Riding in TX Hill country is pretty nice too; riding in MD is not. My wife recently bought a new Ducati Diavel and I also bought a BMW R1200RS which we ride in TX. We'd probably buy the same bikes for the UK.

I have always loved the UK and have wanted to live in Bath since the first time I visited there in the early 1990's. My wife fell in love with Bath when I took here there for her first visit a few years ago. We spent a month there in '16 looking at properties. This year we are spending the month of May there and we are financially prepared to actually buy something.

If this works out as planned, SeaEric will have a 1980 53MY available later this year...

FWIW, I get a lot of cR@p from my biker buddies about the fact that my wife's Diavel has 40 more HP than my BMW...

 

[SEVEN]

You will have to stay in the forum. You have so much knowledge that needs to be shared. Best wishes

 

[Fanfare]

Bath is a lovely city. I know you will enjoy living there.

But Bath is only 11 miles from the port of Bristol. Ship your boat over there and live aboard--Best of both worlds! And no apartment hunting.

Problem solved.

 

[captainwjm]

You will have to stay in the forum. You have so much knowledge that needs to be shared. Best wishes

Ditto

 

[krush]

The UK ain't what it used to be (at least London), but they are going to start MEGA soon (Make England Great Again) with Brexit! Good for them.

Sounds fun. But why the UK? The weather sucks, the food sucks, and they drive on the wrong side of the road!

 

[Walter P]

Good luck Mike,

I certainly echo some of the sentiments expressed on this thread about missing your posts, but just know that your knowledge of our boats still makes you a valuable asset to this forum even if you no longer have your own Hatteras.

Walt

Not surprised that your wife's Ducati has more HP than your BMW. Both are great bikes. My nephew has two Ducati's and loves them. His car is a Porsche which he also likes very much. He told me that Italian cars and bikes are like Italian women, Hot, fast and high maintenance..... Is that true? lol

Walt

 

[jim rosenthal]

For those of you who haven't seen Mike's boat in person....

This will be the one to buy, if you don't insist on stabilizers. She is a gem. She has had years of expert maintenance by one of the best mechanics I have ever met in my life- that would be MikeP himself.

As to the proposed move... well, on the one hand I get to visit Bath, perhaps, if I ask nicely. On the other hand, I lose two of my buddies, so overall I have quite mixed feelings about all this.....

And, Mike, if you think it's expensive to maintain a Hatteras over here, wait til you suffer from boat withdrawal and try to find one there.

 

[jim rosenthal]

And apropos of nothing in particular except the mention of motorcycles above, if anyone here has a 1975 Norton Commando for sale, please PM me off line. Or email me.

 

[magnawake]

We really miss our boat "Blue Bayou". I get sick to my stomach when I see a marina. As yall know we are looking for a sailboat and traveling to BVI's, etc. However, I do feel relief from worrying about whats going to break next. We are saving more money not having to pay for slip fees etc. Overall, the day we sold our boat was a very sad day, not a happy one like people think.

 

[johnjen50]

Mike, you will be greatly missed. I have read and been educated by all of your posts, and your vinegar solution to cleaning the heat exchanger was brilliant! But..........here's my prediction. You are a boat guy, and maybe after a short break overseas you will be back, because there really is nothing better than messing around in boats. Have fun and enjoy the U.K. Stay in touch with the family here, we'll be here when you get back. Calm seas and wind at your back Mike.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Take the boat with you. Its not worth much anymore anyway, so keep it and enjoy it, along with the motorcycles and everything else over there. You will have many new boating stories that way to keep us entertained.

 

[MikeP]

Thanks guys! One thing we (OK, mostly "I") have considered for the UK is buying a "narrow boat" for the canals. We've done several week-long canal boat trips there where we rented a boat and really enjoyed it. The Avon runs through Bath, (no, not the "Shakespeare" Avon, one of the other of 5 or 6 "River Avon's in the UK) and there are handy boat docks literally in town...

Of course the Admiral has pointed out that it would make a lot more sense to just rent a canal boat whenever we want to take a trip. But common sense and financial acumen have never been my long suit!

As far as "why Bath/the UK?" The only answer I can give is that we really feel "at home" in the UK and absolutely love Bath. I cannot explain it; we have no family ties whatsoever or ancestral link to the UK. We just feel really good when we're there. BUT...who knows maybe this time while we're there for the month of May - renting an apartment in Royal Crescent - we'll look at each other at some point and say, "What the heck were we thinking?"



"Not surprised that your wife's Ducati has more HP than your BMW. Both are great bikes. My nephew has two Ducati's and loves them. His car is a Porsche which he also likes very much. He told me that Italian cars and bikes are like Italian women, Hot, fast and high maintenance..... Is that true? lol"

Yes!

 

[Boatsb]

I think you like the UK because there's so few Mexicans there.

 

[bobk]

Mike, Maybe you should lend the boat to some responsible HOF members who can exercise it for you while you try out Bath. That way if you decide to return, you still have your boat waiting for you.

I agree with you, canal boat trips are a lot of fun. We spent two weeks on the Canal du Midi and had a blast. There were some pretty big liveaboards on that one.

Best wishes with your new venture, and stay in touch.

Bobk

 

[MadHatter53]

Funny thing Bobk, I was thinking just that. I am willing to help and given Mikes financial status and a blast of good karma maybe he should just give it to me as I have been searching for a 53MY for a while. Might also benefit you when paying your exit tax.

 

[Avenger]

As far as "why Bath/the UK?" The only answer I can give is that we really feel "at home" in the UK and absolutely love Bath. I cannot explain it; we have no family ties whatsoever or ancestral link to the UK.

Knowing what the P stands for I'd suggest you Google it's origins.

Either way you decide on this I wish you the best of luck and hope you'll stay on board at least the forum, if not a Hatteras. I hope it all works out for the best for you and Mrs. P.

 

[MikeP]

Knowing what the P stands for I'd suggest you Google it's origins.

Either way you decide on this I wish you the best of luck and hope you'll stay on board at least the forum, if not a Hatteras. I hope it all works out for the best for you and Mrs. P.

Thanks! Per your suggestion, I did a search and clearly I was wrong when I said I had no ancestral ties to the UK! I had never looked into family history - all I knew is that my dad was brought up in Leedy Oklahoma! But turns out the family name originated in the UK (actually with the Normans who brought it to the UK in 1066...)! So maybe there's some DNA stuff going on re my affinity for England...

Since nobody in my family ever mentioned English ancestors, I'm sure whatever roots I have there were deeply entwined with mucking out stables or emptying chamber pots! Hey, it's a dirty job but somebody has to do it!

 

[rmatt]

Mike
I would keep the boat for one year. You should know by then if the decision to move
was the correct one. Better to spent the bucks for one season than decide the move was
a mistake and have to start over again, but that's just me.
Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

Just bring the boat down here to Florida, you can boat all 12 months of the year.. Heck, dock it where I'm at and I'll take care of it while your gone.... "oh, just leave me a valid credit card"

 

[jim rosenthal]

There will be no shortage of offers. I think leaving the boat here for a while is a good idea, but I think the chances of it are slim to none, and Slim just left town.