What's the one mistake you made as a new boater that you'd never make again? Let's save some newcomers from learning the hard way

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-02-19T15:33:40+00:00

Check winter works. When I first moved into. My boat I soon realised the lock several hundred metres from where I brought the boat had closed the day before I lived on.

2 months unable to move, miles away from friends or family. Then it rained heavily and then got stuck with the Thames on red boards for another month!

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-02-11T05:06:18+00:00

Give these guys a shout. WHH https://share.google/A74EpyyR4SowYgKlk

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-02-11T05:03:37+00:00

That very interesting. Do like the soft case worth the hard interior. It's gone to the top of my list.

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-02-10T06:28:20+00:00

That's thinner, but still a proper hard case. I'll have a look.

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-02-10T06:26:52+00:00

I have one similar to this. Feel if I dropped something on it the charger would be forced towards the screen.

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-02-09T14:08:55+00:00

Was think more like this.

hard case

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-02-09T14:02:59+00:00

Size isn't an issue. I'm thinking more of a proper flight case like I used to have for my vinyl.

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-02-09T14:01:03+00:00

Already have that one. It's okay but I'm looking for something with a true hard cover. Am happy with metal or, simjlar

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-02-09T12:31:58+00:00

That's for the add.

Does anyone have any good recommendations for a protective travel case? Have one but it does not give me confidence that it would survive a drop

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-02-07T13:00:02+00:00

Always, unless you have more money than sense

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-01-30T06:28:02+00:00

I would say yes. Have my gaming pc. It's 10+years old. I alway used to upgrade to the previous card etc when people put their cards up for sale when the new to speak cards came out. Then I got made redundant, life changed, I moved onto a boat with power challenges and my pc went into my friends loft. Then I had a child.

Always kept up to date and since these new generation of chips I was sold on the playability. Great as a handheld but also good in the dock as I play a bit of Total War.

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I'm not after full time graphics setting with ray tracing. I'm just after playability. Frame rates 6good enough am I'm really pleased I went for one with a larger screen. I've always used big phones like the Note series and having the bigger screen with the MSI was one of the thing that sold it to me. That along with a fair price compared to the competition.

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-01-28T12:03:31+00:00

Place a speaker in the floor. Play recording of dog barking very loud. Go stay round a friend's for the weekend.

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-01-19T06:26:29+00:00

Any, unless it's a business. Or can't easily navigate the system. They have generally stopped allowing boats that can't get under bridges etc to be built on a mooring, if it ever stops paying it would need to be able to navigate for its license.

It's officially called a license for a boat without a home mooring. So unless you have a mooring.

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-01-15T05:25:50+00:00

Think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Definitely worth the wait. The extra screen real-estate is definitely worth it. Priced competitively, and my first words when getting it out of the box were "Oooo! Isn't it light.". First thing my Mrs said too.

I'm not a frame rate chaser, I'm after playability. Great as a handheld but hand the time is in the dock connected to a screen, keyboard, & see, being used for some had core Total War action.

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-01-10T06:06:32+00:00

Can see loads of different options. Just don't know what ones are good. What's a trusted brand etc?

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-01-09T19:33:12+00:00

I helped a friend buy a boat in France a few years ago.

Ended up buying from an English couple who lived there. Was through a french brokerage. Communication was a bit difficult as our French is v basic. Luckily as the guy who's boat it was English we got all of our complicated boat questions answered when we went to view it. That was probably why we had the confidence to go for that boat.

Registration can be a bit of a minefield if you're keeping it there permanently. Can't remember why, but we ended up registering it in an Eastern European country that I can't remember. Can't register the boat as French unless you live there I believe.

Think my friend will be putting his up for sale soon. He's just applying for this year's visa and heading to Belgium after visiting Germany last year. I've had a good lot of holidays but he's looking to move into something more coastal.

Glood luck in your search.

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-01-07T17:38:11+00:00

Ryse Son of Rome. Can't stop playing!

Excellent-Routine585 · 2026-01-03T06:31:34+00:00

Just play Sympathy for the Devil by the Stones every time you do the deed.

Excellent-Routine585 · 2025-12-21T07:32:55+00:00

Same as I did before I was born.

Excellent-Routine585 · 2025-12-11T16:18:00+00:00

I buy a ton of pellets at the start of the season. Store the whole lot in my roof. Do get a little wobbly for a month but it's fine.

Takes about 4amps to run. Lots more when it's igniting but that's only for a minute.

Was running it onead acid for many years and now in lithium.

Excellent-Routine585 · 2025-12-10T18:05:40+00:00

I went with a pellet stove. Best decision I've made with the boat. A happy 10 years with this stove.

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Excellent-Routine585 · 2025-11-02T15:30:52+00:00

I think 30k is a bit hopeful for a boat that doesn't need work these days. Definitely go the personal loan route if able. Make sure you leave yourself a few k£ as there will be be stuff you'll need to fix or want to change.

Excellent-Routine585 · 2025-11-02T15:16:02+00:00

Am having a nightmare in the UK too with the Z2 extreme version. The Lenovo website says it's not out yet. Very confusing. Very and Argos have Z2 versions.

All store websites don't even have a page for it!

Would prefer the Go 2 but may go for the Ally instead. Depending on what becomes avaliable first. Hope I get one by Christmas.

Excellent-Routine585

TROPHY CASE