boatone
regular
Reged: 29/07/2001
Posts: 6770
Loc: Surrey uk
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Is the word yacht doing us a disservice?
Owners of a £100,000 narrow boat are perceived as ' nice middle aged/elderly working/middle class people enjoying a hobby.
Owners of second hand £50,000 cruisers are perceived as rich fat cat poshies.
Is it time to give ourselves an image makeover? Should we become boaters instead of yachtsmen?
The ATYC, TMYC, MTYC, UTMYC all sport that dreaded word yacht !
How about the Association of Thames Boat Owners - doesnt that sound so much more middle of the road?
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"Don't tell me why not, tell me how..."
ThamesBlog
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Andrew_Fanner
regular
Reged: 13/03/2002
Posts: 5496
Loc: ked into poverty by children
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Your licence calls your pride and joy a "launch" so that could be an alternative. Mind you, ATLC, TMLC, MTLC, UTMLC all sound like acronyms of serious medical conditions:-)
I'm dirt poor, actually I aspire to that level of brokeness but "yacht" does have a pleasing air of Edwardian gentility than "launch" does not own, unless the word "slipper" is used as a prefix.
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Two beers please, my friend is paying.
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boatone
regular
Reged: 29/07/2001
Posts: 6770
Loc: Surrey uk
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Ah, but don't you think ATBO has a certain something...??? 
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"Don't tell me why not, tell me how..."
ThamesBlog
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Ramage
regular
Reged: 09/07/2006
Posts: 545
Loc: Hampton Hill
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Sounds like something a Magistrate would dish out! 
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Paul
http://www.braycruiserclub.co.uk/
http://www.birchwoodboats.aceboard.com/
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Coastgal
regular
Reged: 14/06/2007
Posts: 63
Loc: Putney
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Surely there's a "Royal All Medway Boat Owners" somewhere? Just imagine all that testosterone
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boatone
regular
Reged: 29/07/2001
Posts: 6770
Loc: Surrey uk
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The word 'launch' is really a quaint carry-over from days gone by and not really suited to 21st Century imho.
We live iin a world where public opinion carries far gereater sway than it ever did and how we are perceived by the public must be of concern to us?
Just measure the different implications of:
"I am a boat owner"
"I own a yacht"
Which would you feel more comfortable with? Which would you expect joe public to have more sympathy for?
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"Don't tell me why not, tell me how..."
ThamesBlog
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Andrew_Fanner
regular
Reged: 13/03/2002
Posts: 5496
Loc: ked into poverty by children
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Quick survey of three of my youngest's friends yestereve.
"Who can draw a yacht?"
Three pictures of sailing boats. Youngest tells all her freinds that "our boat has engines".
You can often get the same in a primary school if you ask the kids to draw a railway engine. 25 pictrues of Thomas and the one who's dad has a model railway may draw a diesel locomotive.
It might be very instructive to compare the running costs of Joe Average's £25K boat on a cheap mooring with someone paying for a full Sky subscription, three nights in the pub, 2 weeks in Majorca for 5 people, 20 football matches a year and so forth.
However, I do agree that B1 has a valid point, the Y word is used by politics of envy types with which to beat innocent boaters.
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Two beers please, my friend is paying.
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Forbsie
regular
Reged: 09/03/2002
Posts: 2705
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Well I certainly don't have a yacht.
I tell everyone that I have a big pinnace.
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Chris_d
regular
Reged: 15/06/2001
Posts: 1530
Loc: Oxfordshire
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Actualy I think the word "Club" on the end of all those is probably a bigger problem. Association, Users, Owners etc... all have less Cliquey images.
Aspiring to own a Yacht is ok, but to aspire to be member of a "Club" is a bit more dodgy.
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No_Regrets
regular
Reged: 09/07/2007
Posts: 1281
Loc: Welwyn Garden City, Herts UK.
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I would never describe my humble-yet-beautiful little Birchy as a Yacht, not even in the company of a family of Slovakian peasants, but I consider most leisure vessels over 60 feet to be 'Yachts' although my own description in discussion terms would be 'Boat'
I settle for 'Cruiser' as it's far less likely to attract spite... 
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Birchwood Owners Association (BOA) forum now open here -> http://birchwoodboats.aceboard.com/
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