Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Sailor’s youtube

Its a very different life to a life of work and an annual charter. I have met more than a few of the sell up and sail away people and mostly they seem to enjoy it for a few years. I havent met anyone who has done it for a lifetime, even those who have been born on board to parents who were sell up and sail away eventiually go land based.. The logistics are much less of an issue than the ones we take as routine living on land, though as one guy put it to me - "you try getting your gearbox repaired in Pago Pago.". Health care is an issue for the older folks despite a nominally healthier life style. Contrary to what most people imagine, it is not a dangerous life style . Few drown or are shipwrecked.

However, some foreign ports are clogged with those who have started on the dream, got so far and then become harbour bound a bit like "travellers" who dont travel. You want a cheap long distance boat - check out harbours in the canaries, gib, the windies etc. Pal bought a lovely 40ft schooner rigged Freedom for not a lot in St Vincent. Had been abandoned there by the young couple who couldnt continue. Came fully equipped with everything from scuba kit and compressor to baby bottles and cot. His only problem was getting it back to the UK.

No I am not ready to hand up my sou' wester! Head tells me that I should but I am royally pi55ed off at what I have done and had a miserable night thinking about it. And the odd thing is that the bits I found myself missing most were bashing to windward round Lands End in the middle of the night. On my own in the cockpit, longships light flashing, dire straits in the earbuds, rollers passing under the stern. Times like that rather than in a sunny harbour. Beats car driving into a tin hat.

If its any consolation Howard, when my brother lived in Burnham on Crouch and was unable to afford a boat, he found that as a competent crew he could get more sailing than any of his chums who owned their own boats.

I too sold my sloop after many years of sailing and as the result of my better half`s difficulties to continue enjoying the experience as we aged, her ever arriving home after a weekend trip with a few bruises having been bounced about the cabin in the less than calm conditions we oft times enjoyed while sailing around around the Clyde, it`s sea lochs, and out to the Western Isles, and Northern Ireland, the latter two areas when on holidays over the years. The other reason to sell the boat was that I was setting out on a self build home extension project to modernise our 50`s build bungalow in order to more match modern-day expectations that ladies seem to have acquired... perhaps a tad similar to old Morganeers having their Morgans modified to suit their more modern ideals... (-:

Despite occasional sea sickness my good lady persevered and put up with all sorts of weather, and ever felt less queezy when at the helm, other than in a real blow.. Having typed that she often recalls the many wonderful days sailing and idyllic evenings anchored up in isolated locations, with nothing but nature all around. We occasionally sailed in company with one other couple but mostly on our own never seeking out anchorages harbours or marinas busy with other vessels and crews, though have sheltered in such places on occasion. I too often sailed solo, yeah lots of happy memories and some old photographs to assist in refreshing those memories on occasion.

Fortunately I can still get afloat now and again with a pal who is in his late 70`s hanging on in there self maintaining his Nic 48 ketch suffering a recent a triple hernia while in the process of doing so. Another pal of his in his 80`s, a one time harbour pilot in various places around the world, had to call out the RLNI when things became to difficult for he and another 80+ year old pal acting as crew on his vessel... That skipper sold his boat and set about building a steam engine and boiler for his replacement and smaller sea going vessel, in order to keep him active in matters boating..

There are many good reasons to part with a much enjoyed pastime/way of life, as opposed to hanging on in there till it cripples or kills you, or worse still someone else...?

At least my Morgan can continue to provide a degree of involvement with what had been a very much enjoyed pastime even if for many a year it has existed more as a garage queen, and with minimal cost, and demands on time compared to my marina based boat, even if I still keep the Mog taxed, MOT`d and ready to go, at the drop of a hat, summer and winter... I had held on to the boat for a couple of years while doing groundworks for my self build, but with neither the time or energy to make use of it, and the need to still maintain it, it just became a no brainer to keep hold of it. I totally get the thinking of time aboard in heavy weather and that feeling of both you and the boat having come out the other end to arrive safe and sound at an anchorage or back on berth... All of which for me over time has kinda transferred to my relationship the Morgan, in that it too has carried us on European adventures on a few occasions returning us home safe without fuss and bother. I had never planned for the Mog to be a substitute for my boat but it seemed to have fitted in nicely for almost twenty years...

Whatever the outcome I suspect you will find something to keep you busy Howard. Seems so many vessels based at marinas can become little more than expensive floating caravans for their ageing owners with the passage of time ..?

I took the opposite route when I gave up the Morgan to concentrate on sailing! It got to the stage that I only ever drove the car down to the boat as my wife found no pleasure in either driving or being driven in it. I found the discomfort inherent in a 1972 4/4 was more than compensated for by the sheer pleasure of driving, but she didn’t, and there’s only so much time you can reasonably spend on hobbies you don’t share so the Morgan went. I hope whoever now has TGW101L is making better use of it.

What do you sail Mark?

I'm enjoying my sailing more than ever. A year ago I moved to the darkside and bought a launch for cruising but I could never not sail and was lucky enough to pick up a sport trailer yacht designed. by a friend of mine. Super lightweight, all carbon, fast and so much fun. I turned 61 last year and loving the thrills.

Looks like good fun, Philip Looks a bit like a 1720 design of sportsboat here in Ireland!!

Cheers!

That's a decent [flappy bits/non-flappy bits] ratio ..... bet it's fun to sail.

K

Pretty fancy colour for a gaff rigger 😁

Similar thrills I'm sure. Mine has a tight cabin with 3 berths. Loa 7.5m beam 2.4m draft 2.3m
And light, all up weight is 600kg with 300kg in the bulb. Bare hull and decks 125kg
We regularly hit 18knots and our top so far is 19.3 and 20 seems achievable.