Are you aiming to idle away your retirement years or make every day count? Don’t really see yourself as a grey nomad? Tasmania has some of the finest waterways in Australia, so why not explore them from the deck of your own boat?
Boat buyers are flooding the market in record numbers and we are seeking quality listings. If you're thinking about selling, call Boat Sales Tasmania or fill in this online form. We deliver top service and get the results.
Exorbitant bills from marine tradies? We’ve all had them and wondered how a simple job could cost so much. But how often do owners understand what is involved in work they commission? I’ve been on both sides, and I would love a dollar for every time an owner insisted ‘it’s only a five-minute job’. I often thought, if it is so easy, why don’t they just do it themselves. Take this rigging job for instance…
Choosing a boat name can be even trickier than naming a child. Apart from the sound and meaning of the name, consider the radio transmissions you might engage in. Your call sign should be clear and unmistakeable to the listener, perhaps working through static or poor reception. Shore station operators have a propensity to guess at a familiar-sounding name, rendering even simple names into something totally different. Our Zeston 36 Amica was often called Omega by shore stations unless we spelled the name phonetically each time.
If you sail for long enough, at some point you will have an engine failure. Instead of calling for help, a bit of preparation and – dare I say it – practice, might save the day and let you sail in. I learned the hard way, by sailing an engine-free yacht along the Queensland coast for ten years, in all weather and all seasons. It took a while before I became confident, but these are my top 12 tips:
Ah, the distinctive smell of…boat. A mixture of diesel, cooking fumes, mould and stale air, sometimes with a hint of wet dog - instantly recognisable to anyone who has looked at second hand boats. That odour is not only a turn-off for buyers, but contributes significantly to seasickness.
There’s no excuse for this smell, although some old salts seem to think it is both inevitable and, well, salty. The main causes are poor ventilation, oily bilges, deck leaks and dirt. Back in the day, it was accepted that boats leaked, ventilation was mainly to keep the timbers sound, and cleaning was not necessarily a priority. Thankfully we have moved on from this. Modern boats should not leak - from the hull or anywhere else.
However much we love our pets, there is still much to consider before taking them cruising. How long will you be gone? Will the pet miss you, or settle easily with someone else? Some animals adapt happily to life afloat, while others hate it, or are simply unsuitable due to temperament or size. Traditionally cats and small dogs have made the best furry shipmates, but there is a surprising array of pets and their owners happily sharing the confines of a boat.