Small Crafts
If you were to ask me why people buy boats, I wouldn’t be able to give you a clear, straight forward reply.
Some of them buy it for transportation. To go from point A to B. But these kind are dwindling in numbers, fast,
especially in the developed world. Sure, there are ferries and boat charters, but more often than not, its about
the journey itself, and not merely about being taken to your destination.
Some of them buy boats for the joy of owning a boat. I’ve known people who buy boats but don’t even know how to swim. Their boats are often kept in the garage and friends and guests are paraded before it as they glide their hands across the smooth, wooden surface or ogle at the finely crafted oarlocks.
Then there are the boating enthusiasts who will visit each and every boat show within 500 miles of their home. They’ll marvel at the boat designs, roll off names of famous boat designers and haggle with every boat owner for a price. These are the people who are consumed by a “boat lust”.
Then there are the sailors, men who’ll use boats for a living – fishermen, captains, etc. etc. These men love their boats and often treat them like children, or pets.
There are also the rich yacht owners who live to, one day, sail off into the sunset after retirement, hopefully with the love of their life by the side.
Boating can very easily be compared to motorcycling. Motorcyclists are often very zealous about their bikes; I’ve heard many a biker call their bikes by personal pet names, just like boat owners. To compare further, most motorcycle and boat owners care more about the journey than the destination. Some motorcyclists ride zippy race bike, while some boat owners swear by fast speed boats. Some will ride heavy cruisers for cross country adventures, while some boat owners will save earnestly for years to buy that sailboat for the ‘across the world’ trip they’ve been planning for since childhood.
Whatever your motive, boating is, and will remain, a profoundly pleasurable activity that will always remain more than just a means of transportation.