First boat design and build

Nothing 'wrong' with the Vanguards as such - I am sure that they are built well. They would work well in your calm and protected waters, but don't even think about trying to go across the Channel in one.
I think that you might be hard pressed though to even get the smaller one into the boot of a car when it is deflated.

Why the need for speed? What is the maximum distance you will be travelling with the boat if you are locally fishing / pottering about?
Re sleeping on the boat, why do you feel a need to do this - do you want to go 'cruising'?
If the latter, you would be better off buying a second hand boat (power or sail) with some basic accommodation in a cabin - however I appreciate that in London you would have problems as to where to keep her, either afloat or ashore, both would be difficult.

 

I would get a folding trailer. I would still need to fold the boat and trailer up for long term storage but I could assemble it at home before I left and leave it out for short periods of time.

One of the main I want to get a boat is so I can sea fish. You can easily fish in a river from the bank but with the sea you are very limited without a boat.

I have driven a few boats on holidays before and they have all had engines under 5hp. The faster boats just look much more fun to ride.

Yes I would love to go cruising that is why I would like to be able to cross the channel as I don't want to go cruising in the UK. I initially thought about getting a cheap, very old and run down sail cruiser (would prefer sail due to sustainability and cost of running). I could see some for sale for under 5000 but they needed a lot of work doing to bring them up to a condition which would be pleasant to cruise in. I figured I could renovate her near London and after I became confident enough sail her across the channel and down to the Mediterranean and store her in a marina there. I would leave her docked there and fly out when I wanted to go cruising.

The reasons I decided against this were:

• I don't feel I have the skills and experience to undertake such a big project.
• I don't have a place to work on the boat. From what I read online it seems like some marinas would allow work to be carried out at the marina.
• It seems like if you factor in the cost of the renovations, it would end up costing at least 10000 - 20000, but much likely more. It would take me a few years to save up for that.
• It would be expensive to store, although I feel if I used it enough I could justify it. Brings me on to my next point.
• From what I read, it seems that most of the people that do this underestimate how hard it is and end up never finishing it and selling the boat at a loss or go cruising only to find out that they don't enjoy it as much as they thought.

I decided that I would probably be better off getting an inflatable boat and doing some mods to it. This would allow me to gain some experience doing DIY on boats and to develop my limited boating experience. If the idea still appealed to me after a few years I would then consider the sail cruiser as I would be more sure that it is going to be something I'm capable and want to take on.

I think my overly ambiguous and impractical spec resulted as my heart would really would like a cruising boat but my brain is telling me that I should wait till I have more experience.

Do you think I should re-consider? It is tempting.

 

500 will get you a boat that needs a bit of work
Sailing Boats in Need of Repair For Sale (Sailing Boats) | Boats and Outboards https://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/Sailboats-for-sale/in-need-of-repair

 

I'm surprised they are going so cheaply. Thanks for the link.

Do you know if I would be able to do the restoration myself at the marina? I have no where else I could do it. I have searched the internet but I can't find a straight forward answer.

 

It seems like a lot of these boats will sail and the work is mostly cosmetic or required for comfort. It is hard to tell from the listings though.

 

There are some marinas close to London that allow owners to work on their boats. Marina and boat storage - Wat Tyler Country Park - Basildon https://www.basildon.gov.uk/article/2420/Marina-and-boat-storage. There are also some in London but will be more expensive. You could also join the Greenwich Yacht club, but have no idea what the cost is. I used to sail there and they accepted my club membership in the USA as a guest. Even if you don't join, they are vey helpful and worth visiting. It is on the south shore close to O2.

 

I echo what Gonzo said about Greenwich yacht club (or similar) especially as a sociable way of learning about seamanship and navigation etc. If you want a boat of your own have a look at Portable Inflatable & Folding Boats For Sale UK | Nestaway Boats https://nestawayboats.com/ especially the Seafish inflatable. They specialise in folding/inflatable/take apart boats and are a train ride from you in Christchurch, Dorset. If you want to do proper sea fishing do what my nephews do and go out in a big hired boat from a Kent or Essex port.

 

Thanks for all your advice guys.

I have decided that I want to go down the path of renovating a sail boat. However I want to do more research before I purchase a boat, to make sure I know what to expect. In the mean time I will keep my eye on the market, so I can buy when I feel I'm ready and find the right boat.

I have ordered an Excel Vanguard RIB. I will use this for fishing and going on day trips, before I my sail boat is ready. I'm expecting the sail boat restoration to take some time and I want a boat to use in the mean time. When I have completed the sail boat it will become her tender.

@gonzo I will check those places out when I'm close to buying a boat.