5 Myths About Buying a Boat
Myth 1: Boats Are Only for the Super Wealthy Boats aren’t just for billionaires. While superyachts can cost millions, there are boats available for a few thousand pounds, especially in the second-hand market. From modest dayboats to luxury catamarans, there’s something for every budget. Thanks to flexible marine finance options and a wide variety of models, boating is much more accessible than many people think. The key is to buy wisely, just like with any other major asset. Myth 2: You Must Pay the Full Price Upfront You don’t need to pay 100% in cash to own a boat. Marine finance providers offer loans with flexible deposits and repayment plans, often up to 10 years, with competitive interest rates.Most lenders will expect a decent deposit (typically around 30%) and a stable income. If you have seasonal income, you can choose a lender who understands and accommodates this. Myth 3: Bigger Boats Are Always Better It’s tempting to buy the biggest boat you can afford, but bigger doesn’t always mean better. The right boat depends on how you plan to use it.✅ Smaller boats are easier to handle, cheaper to maintain, and often surprisingly spacious.✅ Larger boats offer more luxury and room, but come with higher costs, more upkeep, and may require crew.The key trade-offs when buying a boat are size, age, and price. Myth 4: It’s Only Worth Owning a Boat in Hot Climates Boating isn’t just for the Mediterranean or the Caribbean. Many of the most active boating communities are actually in cooler countries like the UK and Scandinavia.British lakes, rivers, canals, and coastal waters offer fantastic boating experiences, often with fewer crowds. Modern boats are also built with better insulation, heating, and weather protection, making them comfortable year-round. Myth 5: Buying a Boat Is Easy Some people walk into a marina, fall in love with a boat, buy it—and then regret it. Why? Because buying a boat isn’t simple. It’s a big decision.Think of a boat as part house (bedrooms, kitchen, toilet), part car (engine, electrics, navigation), and part floating home exposed to the elements. There’s a lot to consider legally, technically, and financially.
Blue Space, Boating and Mental Health
What Is Blue Space? Blue spaces are officially described as ‘outdoor environments–either natural or manmade–that prominently feature water and are accessible to people’. In short – the collective term for rivers, lakes or the sea As well as being a source of calm for both body and mind, Blue Space has proven health benefits – for example, regularly getting out of the city into a “blue space” can result in improved focus, a greater sense of calm, improved sleep and decreased stress. It can also play a major factor in another sector…mental health. There is a compelling body of evidence that suggests that being in contact with water, can promote human health and wellbeing – and this isn’t just some new age pseudoscience – it’s a growing area of scientific research being taken seriously by scientist and research experts. Blue Health In 2016 a research initiative called BlueHealth was launched, to understand how blue space affect health. Between 2016 and 2020, BlueHealth (Home – BlueHealth (bluehealth2020.eu) conducted over 20 studies in more than 18 different countries across the world, exploring what impact urban waterways have on health. NHS The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of being outdoors to people’s mental and physical health, as well as the lack of access to green space. Social prescribing is a way of helping people to manage their health and wellbeing, by enabling them to identify and meet their own needs, through the wider community not just the NHS. The NHS Long Term Plan commits to significantly expanding the number of social prescribing link workers in primary care. Link workers can support individuals who may have complex health care needs who might otherwise be admitted to hospital. Boating People who are frequently with blue spaces, whether through paddle boarding, surfing, sailing or fishing have mentioned the therapeutic quality which it possesses, as described by Hilaire Belloc in his book ‘Moods to fill the storehouse of the mind’. If you’re reading this article, then the possibility of undergoing boat-based treatment sounds pretty appealing to you. Boating Therapy is a form of experiential treatment that allows you to take part in sessions that are based on first-hand practice. The sessions are designed to allow you to learn and heal through the practice of recovery. The opportunity to be present——-within the simplicity of being at one with your environment, without agenda or destination, is a wonderful gift emerging from this space. This can also have a positive effect on us in the blue space and we may somehow feel more at home there; even in a strange way. The Sail into Life programs run by Sea Sanctuary have been taking advantage of the sea’s mental health benefits since they began. The programs allow clients to be at one with the sea, enjoying the space and the sensory awareness. It is these moments the research team believes that can help those suffering from conditions such as depression and anxiety to enjoy a step-change in their treatment. The air is filled with the salty sea air as you capture your surroundings on camera. Suddenly, you begin to feel warm inside and realize that it’s because your boat is moving forward toward a new chapter in your life. During this time, each patient has a unique experience where s/he will figure out the direction she wants to go in life and how she would like to live that life. The patients encompass the motion of the boat on the water, experience the sea salt scented breeze and are given a chance of self-reflections without worldly distractions. Greenery It’s no secret that nature is good for you. People who live in areas with greenery around have more positivity and calm than people living in the concrete jungle. Nature therapy is beneficial to people suffering from ADHD and dementia. Living and spending time in a green environment helps increase creativity, productivity, and reduce aggression. When we listen to the tweets of the birds and the sound of a waterfall, we feel calm and at ease more than when we hear the noise of traffic. Listening to the sounds of nature helps us relax and even improves our health in measurable ways. Nature can make you feel more alive, connected, and peaceful. Environment Secretary George Eustice announced a £4 million investment in July 2020 for a cross-government project aimed at preventing and tackling mental ill health through green social prescribing. This fund has since been increased with additional contributions from NHS England and NHS Improvement, Sport England and the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP), taking the total to £5.77 million. Finally, the project’s goal is to embed green social prescribing into communities and test how it can improve mental health outcomes, reduce health inequalities, and reduce demand on the health and social care system. The project will also work towards developing best practice in making green social activities more resilient and accessible. We can take from this article many useful points, for example how blue space is peace to the mind and eyes, how greenery freshens you up anew and finally how beneficial boating can be towards moving to an more healthy mind.
Interview with Blue Davies
Go Earth Marketing Manager, Jacey Roberts, had the pleasure of sitting down with Blue Davies, to talk about all things boating. Blue has a wealth of experience within the leisure-marine industry, including 5 years as the Head of Training at British Marine. More recently, Blue has joined the team at Go Earth as our Brand Ambassador. With a plethora of knowledge and contacts, invaluable to Go Earth and it’s clients alike. Firstly, welcome to the team, Blue! Secondly, what do you think of Go Earth’s new website? Thanks for the warm welcome, Jacey! I am thrilled to be working as a Brand Ambassador for Go Earth. The new website looks great – it looks slick and is easy to navigate – making it easy to locate the services you may be interested in. How do you think Go Earth’s services can help boat buyers? The Go Earth offer is unique and offers such a broad range of services that a boat buyer will be able to access a range of independent advice and guidance in their journey to buy a boat. What trends do you see or predict in the boating industry? The main trend I think will be technology and how it makes boating easier to access, simpler to partake in and safer. This in turn will attract more family-oriented users and hopefully a more diverse section of the community. With the easy-to-use technology, a wider range of people can get into the boating industry, compared to a white male dominated market. Also, social media will help, seeing a variety of different people to get into the boat search. How would a beginner put ‘dip their toe in the water’ with boating? Seek out your local Sailing Club, most will have opportunities for beginners to give it a go, whether is sailing or powerboating. Take a course, get qualified and build your confidence, then in time the next step is to give Go Earth a call and look in to buying your own boat. What are some great reasons people should buy a boat? A lifetime of adventures awaits you, and what better way to experience that than in your own boat? It has great health and wellbeing benefits as well; fresh air, exercise and the freedom of the seas. Owning a boat can seem daunting and there is much to consider before buying, but ultimately it can be easier than you may think. Purchasing a boat doesn’t have to cost the earth either, starting from as little as £3000 for a 5-metre sail boat. There are excellent programs for children as well, where they can learn to sail and be confident in their abilities. What are some questions you should be asking the seller before purchasing a boat? Always have a survey completed on the boat you are buying and if possible, it’s like when buying a car, you wouldn’t buy a car without checking if it has an MOT. Also, take someone with you who knows about boats, especially if you are new to boating. This is where Go Earth come into their own, providing all the advice you will need to make a purchase or not as the case maybe. What are some destinations you would recommend to visit on a boat in the UK? I live in the Solent on the south coast of England and the waters around the coast line are fantastic, with the Isle of Wight close by and rivers like the Hamble and Beaulieu easy to access with stunning scenery. Jacey: I live in the ‘Cheshire circle’ which hosts a number of canals, nestled within chocolate box villages. The canals are a great way to spend time on the water – you can hire narrowboats which is great fun for all the family.
Innovation for Boat Buyers and Boat Brokers
Here at Go Earth, we pride ourselves on being innovative and resourceful – and like to ‘think outside of the box’ when it comes to how we approach our products and services. With that in mind, we thought it would be interesting to showcase our latest innovations; The Boating Enterprise Search Tool (BEST) and Boat Simulator game. Brand Ambassador, Blue Davies and Marketing Manager, Jacey Roberts discuss the BEST and the Boat Simulation game created by Go Earth. To kick things off, can you briefly explain what the BEST Software is? Blue: In simple terms, the BEST Software is a tool to enable brokers to have access to more boats, to enable a larger volume of boats to be sold. A straightforward process using the software to quickly locate and identify a specific type of boat and price to meet the buyer’s requirements. What are the benefits for a broker using the BEST Software? Blue: The main benefit is the access to a wider selection of boats to match the ideal boat their customer is looking for, ultimately doing more business. Jacey: We are ultimately eliminating all the hard work for the brokers by adding hard to find data of brokers which sell all types of boats. On average, how much faster do you think the BEST Software is compared to a generic Google search to find the ideal boat? Blue: I would suggest it would reduce time spent finding the ideal boat for a customer in terms of days. Jacey: We got transport providers and surveyors through geo-location, so if a broker is unfamiliar with a location, we have resources to assist with the deal, such as transportation. Who should buy the BEST software? Blue: Simple, any brokers looking to increase their boat sales. You can try the BEST Software and you can make your own mind up to how helpful it is to your own business. Moving on to the Boating Simulation game – Did you have fun playing it? Blue: Yes, I am not a gaming person, but I did enjoy the Boat Simulator and getting a feel for what it could be like trying to manoeuvre a boat. It’s an introduction of what it will be when you get a chance to get on a boat in real life. How realistic is the boat game to real life? Blue: Like any simulator / video game it cannot replicate the real environment, but it does give the user the opportunity in a safe space to try their skills, without endangering anyone or anything. Having answered all the key questions related to the BEST software we hope we have made it clear, what is the BEST software. We would like to thank Blue Davies and Jacey for their valuable feedback on the new and exciting ventures which Go Earth has taken on!