Plan B - A boat instead of a "bach"

We had purchased a very nice 2 acres of land overlooking Oakura Bay in Northland in March 2002 with the aim of building a bach for ourselves and immediate family to enjoy and possibly retire to.

The building boom that was on the horizon had not yet got a full head of steam on and we were in no particular hurry to build as we had basic facilities on site and room to camp over the summer. It was a fabulous set up.

We attempted to get our first quote on a dwelling in December of 2002, the builder came out but by now they were getting "long" on orders and he obviously had easier pickings than this one. After hassling him for a price we got one that was three times the original estimate - for a one bedroom dwelling.

By February 2005 and on our third set of dwelling plans and prospective builder (we only wanted a quote), we had a price for a 2 bedroom dwelling on the flat with limited views (to keep earth works down) with the finishing to be done by us that was around twice our budget.

The property had trebled in value (as had the rates) but the only way we could afford to build on it was to get back into debt, something that we did not want to do.

What could be an alternative option to a bach - a boat?

When I got the opportunity I often went for a stroll around the Viaduct as a break from work. The boats always looked great but most people simple told me that boats were a sink hole that consumed all your money and time.

My boating had been limited to a double kayak that Ruth and I regularly battled the coast in although it was increasingly on my own as she did not particularly enjoy the rougher conditions and damp.

I had spotted a ketch on my walks that was for sale, nice looking boat and on the weekend of the on-the-water boat show I suggested to Ruth that we go down and have a look at this boat and well, we could have a look around the boat show at the same time.We had never been to one so it would be a new experience.

We did the boat show first and while viewing a range of classic boats saw one that was a remarkable restoration.

Eric Knight indicated that it was not a restoration but a replication. The Logan 33 was taken from the moulds of a 1912 Arch Logan designed boat and the boat we were viewing was launched only a few months earlier.

Ruth took an instant liking to it.

She wanted in a boat what she was no longer going to be able to get from the bach. Nice surroundings, different from home but with the basic home comforts, easy to manage, could accommodate family for special occasions and was something we could spend a lot of our leisure time on without breaking the bank or the back.

Added to that, it had a cabin (saloon) with windows that she could look out of as we went along.

Eric assured us that it was a very easy boat to manage and maintain. It was not a speed boat and we had no real interest in going anywhere in a hurry. We wanted the getting there to be as leisurely as being there.

I still took Ruth to view the ketch but even I had to acknowledge that it looked daunting compared to the Logan and certainly not something that we would easily manage given our near non existent boating skills.

Off home to do the sums, marina costs, maintenance, insurance and running costs did not seem too different from the costs we were probably going to incur had we gone down the bach route. Sure, we would not see any capital gain in a boat but with fuel costs starting to rumble, a boat that sipped rather than sucked gas could hold its value well in a World where fuel prices were going into blue sky territory.

Added to that, we could be on the boat in 10 minutes rather than 2-3 hours (depending upon the traffic).

The all up cost with extras, completely finished to a standard better than we would have got in the bach, was probably going to cost around half that of our scaled back bach plans. We could enjoy a boat and a house debt free.

The following day, back to the boat show and the deal was done. Our floating bach would be a reality.

We had 14 months to ponder our rather hasty decision. Land based friends and family treated us kindly given that we had obviously both gone completely bonkers. "How could we sell such a valuable piece of land and buy a liability?". The section would be worth $$$$ more in another 10 or 15 years and sure maybe we could have struggled to get something on it eventually but by the time we did, we would be too old to enjoy it. We wanted to enjoy life now.

In the intervening period we did things like get VHF and boatmaster qualifications and start to accumulate the bits of gear that we would need for our Logan "bach".

Early in 2006 we saw her for the first time and the excitement levels started to build. The building process was a breeze compared to our experiences with houses.

Finally in May she was ready, the excitement has turned to trepidation as the serial land lubbers now had to actually get on the boat and motor it back to Auckland.

As we did not want to be working under any deadlines that could "land" us in stormy waters, two weeks of annual leave were set aside for the task of getting her back to Auckland.

This proved to be wise decision as good old Murphy and his laws ensured that the weather gods would not oblige.

Eric had organised a berth at the Whangarei Cruising Club and for $15 a day we got to use their facilities, this gave us a place to stay in calm waters while the first instalment of rough weather passed.

We got to experience Agnes #36 on Whangarei harbour and struggle with the challenges of getting back into a berth.

We also had to learn a new language so that other boaties would not give us stern looks and understood what we were referring too. However, on our own we still talk about front and back, left and right, maps, and other terms that are familiar to us. Maybe in time their strange language will become second nature to us.

We got two clear calm days to drive her down the coast. It was great. No traffic, no road works, no tension. Our initial nerves soon disappeared and we enjoyed the experience - making and eating lunch, having a coffee, all while our friendly autopilot drove the boat for us.

While we are just entering winter one of the other reasons that we liked the Logan was that it appeared to be a 12 month boat rather than warm weather only. We should be able to get good use out of her over the winter as well.

Those first two weeks proved this to be correct. We experienced some very cold nights, rough weather, rain, wind and of course some nice days. The Logan was perfect for all of these conditions, we were snug, warm and dry - what more could a couple of land lubbers want?

If you think the dream of owning your own bach can now only ever be that (a dream), think again.

Cliff & Ruth Mail Agnes #36

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