Invariably the dream will play out something like this, ‘I’m going to buy my own small boat. I want a boat that I can tow and launch anywhere and whenever I like. With my own boat I’ll be able to fish offshore whenever and with whomever I choose. I’ll be able to target the fish I choose to catch, as I will be the skipper.’ That’s the dream, but what’s the reality?
Running your own boat properly is a big undertaking, and you should be under no illusion that it requires a serious investment of your time, effort and, most of all, money. Forget the oft used saying, ‘unless you enjoy standing in a shower ripping up £10 notes, then running your own boat is not for you.’ That is simply not true, these days inflation has upped the cost to £20 notes!
When you are the owner, ensuring the boat along with all essential items of safety equipment are maintained in a seaworthy condition will be down to you. It’ll also be down to you to navigate your way through the ever-changing conundrum of tides and increasingly variable weather patterns when planning each trip and, of course, the precise marks where you intend to fish. You will be the one
