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Happy new year to all Boaties. 

This is Boat Buddys first winter and I am happy to report that new members are joining at much the same rate as the summer. In some respects this should be expected as armchair boating is all most of us are doing right now. The planning of cruises to come, whether down the Thames or across the channel seem easily achievable, and reflection on last years efforts has edited out the problems. All we need now is a great summer - and a boat - and a buddy.

That's were we come in of course and now is the right time to put your profile/requirements on the site to find what you are looking for. Remember it costs nothing.

As November nears its end, it has proved to be a good month for new Boat Buddy members. There has been no reduction in the number of people opening an account, and the range of skills on offer are quite amazing. You don't have to be a great sailor if you can cook. A crew is a team and a practical approach to a problem and a sense of humour can go a long way.  If you have recently joined, don't stop there, put your profile on the site as a free advert, either as a potential buddy or a boat owner. You have nothing to lose and there may be an opportunity or some willing help out there just waiting for you. 

Keep those advertisements going, because although this season is over, next season has already started. Check out the advertisements on the site and place your own because now is the time to start making plans for next year.

If you are a Boat Owner now is the time to get a Boat Buddy on board. Don't leave all of your boat jobs until the spring. Although winter is upon us, there will be many good days over the coming months, and if you get started now with all those odd jobs that you have identified this summer, by springtime you will be ready to take advantage of the first good weather to get her completed and back in the water.

If you want to get involved as a Boat Buddy, get started now. Boats need a Buddy anytime, but you could be a big help to an Owner over the next few months. Even just keeping an eye on an Owner's boat for him can be quite a comfort if he lives some distance away.

Every Boat needs a Buddy.

This was what our most recent Boat Owner said in his advertisement for a Boat Buddy. I'm repeating it here because it encapulates the very essence of what Boat Buddys is all about. Helping others in order to help yourself. That sounds like a deal to me.

Whoever responds to this advertisement and gets stuck in ( no pun intented ) with that varnishing work, and anything else that comes along, will feel needed and involved. May make a new friend, and when the season starts next year, they will feel part of it all and ready to go sailing.

There will be a learning process going on during the work, getting to know each other, telling stories, making plans. 

What an opportunity.

If you are reading this don't think of this time of year as the end of boating until the spring. This is where the new year starts. So advertise yourself whether you are an owner or a buddy, you are needed.

Following an approach from an American gentleman earlier in the year an agreement has been reached and a US site is now well underway. Hopefully it will be launched within the next month and soon be helping Boat Owners and Buddys over there.

Our UK site is going from strength to strength with new Owners and Buddys joining daily. We would still like to see more of our members advertising because there is a rich diversity of skills and commitment available within that membership, so why not tell others about yourself. 

It's been a great summer, and it is not over yet, so let's free those boats from their cozy berths and get them out doing what boats should be doing.

Boat Buddy postcards were distributed around marina car parks in the solent area over the weekend. There was much positive comment from the people that we met, unfortunately we offended the staff at a couple of marinas, who objected to the postcards. To those guys we can only say sorry, we won't do it again.
It's difficult to get the word out and the weekends operation was hard work, but, we met some good people and had a couple of beers.
If anyone wants to help distribute some postcards to say sailing club members please get in touch. It's worth a tee shirt!!

A German version of Boat Buddys is now up and running. It's exactly the same concept because the problems are the same the world over. Just look at any marina, and even on a sunny weekend the majority of the boats are tied up. Their owners too busy with their lives to spare the time to get down and enjoy their boats.

A large percentage of those that do make it down are busy with maintenance work, because whatever your boat, unless you are wealthy enough to put it in the boatyard each spring, you will be playing catch up all season on essential maintenence. You need a Boat Buddy!

A Buddy can help on a practical level or financially to enable you to enjoy your boat more. A Buddy can contribute to those ongoing expenses so that you can justify ownership.

Let's get those boats out there.

Our apologies to those people who have been effected by our server problem over the last week or so. Ours had decided it didn't like certain email account providers. Good job it's not human or it would have been accused of all sorts of things. Those who registered an account but didn't receive a verification email will now be able to use their accounts, as I've done the verification manually.
Thanks for your patience, it's like waiting for the tide. Well maybe not, at least you know the tide will be back.
Thanks all at BB

We are hoping to escape the control tower an attend some boat festivals throughout the summer. These are usually really good, and of course there is some beer involved. If anyone wants to help out by dishing out some leaflets let us know and we will send you a Boat Buddys tee shirt.