Just curious…where is Bob storing his boats when not in use? The Duffy, for example, is an electric boat and needs to be charged. If Bob hasn’t maintained the Duffy, or used it, it’s likely worth under $5000. I say that because friends here bought a Duffy that hadn’t been used in years. The battery needed to be replaced, and The Who operation system needed to be rebuilt (steering…everything). They had to get a new awning, and seat cushions, and table. This family was able to do the rebuild with some sweat equity and money, but if they had needed to hire someone…it would have been expensive.
Mooring a boat isn’t cheap. Storing a boat year round isn’t a bargain either.
And taking that current boat out on a gusty day isn’t smart.
I have no idea, but I think he has a slip. I will ask some more follow up questions on the group chat.
I am not sure that one of them isn’t at the son’s house. He lives on a lake. It maybe docked there. Honestly, he (the son) did marry an Alpha gal! lol. She is the one who owns the house they live in. I looked it up in the property records. They have been a couple for many years but didn’t marry until three years ago. My understanding was some part of that decision was related to his health situation, but idk.
And, I’m not sure the grandson doesn’t have the other boat. I just don’t know.
Out of pure curiosity, I looked up how much it costs to park a boat at the lake marina near our favorite restaurant… anywhere from $750 to over $2,000 a month! Even if Bob’s fees are half of that, it is still a pretty penny!
And even if not using a dock, there is a cost to dry dock or store boats…unless you have a spot in your own backyard. We know Bob doesn’t have that space…there wasn’t even room for MILs car.
Copy and paste of mil’s text with names substituted/ changed:
“It was great. The son brought his son, who is a proficient sailor, and schooled him on the operation of the bigger boat. They pretty much did all the driving. Bob and I climbed to the top and could see for miles. It needs to have a good cleaning, but I think it’s going to be a lot of fun for us.”
I learned the other two boats owned by Bob (the Ranger Angler and the Duffy Classic) are kept at the son’s house (it’s actually his wife’s house) which is on a different, smaller lake. So, at least Bob is only paying for one slip. There is a waiting list for slips at the marina where Bob keeps the sedan cruiser (32’), so no prices listed online.
At some point Bob gave his son his large sailboat which the son subsequently had to sell for financial (medical bills) reasons per mil. Bob gave a smaller sailboat to the grandson which he still has. Idk if Bob used to have five boats or if he transitioned from sailboats to motor boats when he got too old to sail himself. Since that Ranger is a 2021, Bob would have been 81 years old when he bought it. Oh, and he and the son jointly own the Duffy Classic, per mil. So, Bob currently owns 2.5 boats.
Idk if the son needed the grandson because that big boat requires two people to maneuver or not. Like for docking. If that is the case, I’m not sure how often they will be able to go out since the grandson (early 30s) obviously has a job as well as a new baby.
I also have no idea how Bob could, “see for miles,” since his vision is terrible.
Yeah, that’s what I want to hear about, an 85 year old practically blind, deaf guy piloting a boat as big as a house with no one to help but MIL who doesn’t seem to have any boating experience.
My overarching concern is that Bob is going to want to utilize the boat more frequently than the son or grandson will be available (or willing) to accompany them. Then that frustration will allow his ego to take over and think he can handle it himself. “I’ve been doing this all my life, blah, blah, blah.” Hopefully, I am wrong.
This is easier to say than do, but if local boating provides them a lot of pleasure and they can physically handle getting on the boat and being on the boat (I still think someone else should be there for the majority of the driving) I think you gotta say “God Speed” and let them enjoy it. If you love boating that time on the water is priceless and unmatched.
I do have to say…how other people (anyone here) know someone who owned 5 boats - sounds like at once? Or even the means to buy 5 boats and keep a few of them at once??? Boating regardless is an expensive hobby. Bob has spent some $ in his days.
I think I can see why Bob was so keen to find himself a new wife.
The fact is that while there can be opinions. At the end of the day it’s mil’s choice to spend her money how she wants to and to do activities that she wants to do.
I for one hope Bob and MIL enjoy the boat while they can. If they have a slip at a marina then that solves a lot of the physical exertion of boat ownership. And the boat is probably much easier to control than a smaller one. 32 ft is really a medium size boat. I know a lot of boat owners and they aren’t that young.
Mil’s brother passed alway on Friday, and his service was yesterday. We drove mil and Bob for that (three hours each way). It was a long, exhausting day. It was pretty radio silent in the car on the trip there. Sil was polite, but cool to both of them (more so to Bob) at the visitation before the service. Not a lot of interaction. I sat with sil and dear nephew. Mil and Bob sat on the, “sibling pew,” but at the opposite end. Dh was on the front pew with the pallbearers.
We went to the gravesite for bil and crypt for fil at the cemetery afterwards. Notwithstanding dh’s leaving the car running and saying, “Y’all don’t have to get out,” they both got out at bil’s grave as sil placed new flowers. (Sil and nephew are in their own car). I understand mil getting out of the car, but I really wish Bob would have stayed in our car and waited. He never knew my bil, and it’s not as though he and sil have a warm relationship. Why mil didn’t say to him to, “just sit tight,” idk. I more understand his getting out of the car to go with mil to fil’s crypt (we drove in between - different area of the cemetery), but I really don’t even get that.
Mil was appreciative of our taking them and acknowledged on the drive between the funeral home and cemetery she wasn’t sure they could have managed. They insisted on taking us to dinner when we got back to our town. I wasn’t keen, but told dh I would defer to his decision. He said he wanted to be with his mother on the day she buried her brother, so we went.
Most disturbing - at the end of dinner, mil and Bob had discussion about who was paying. Bob reached for his wallet, but mil already had her credit card out. Then there was discussion about how they have figured out the best thing to do for paying when they go out is to just have them split them check. Bob asked about that (splitting) for our meal last night. Mil said, “Too late it’s already done. You can get the next one.” He is on the outside of the booth so in addition to this verbal discussion, she has passed the card to him, he has passed it back to her for signing, and he has set the merchant copy and the server’s pen back on the edge of the table. We sit a bit longer as dh finishes his beer and mil finishes her margarita. Now it’s time to go. Bob: “We need to pay or they are going to run after us on the way out.” Very disturbing/worrisome given the discussion about how they usually split tabs and his tactile interaction during the signing process by mil.
I also noticed many questions from him during the drive to and from about our location on the route. Idk if this is because he can’t see road signs well or if his sense of time is not great.
Sorry it was not an easier day. My first thought was that Bob could have stayed home. But I suppose it is nice he wanted to be there to support her in her grief.
Even if Bob’s fees are half of that, it is still a pretty penny!
Very disturbing/worrisome given the discussion about how they usually split tabs and his tactile interaction during the signing process by mil.