Who are you?
My name is Maarten, I live in Groningen, and I’m 25 years old. I study Small Business & Retail Management, and I am a happy user of Tubber.
What is your first experience with water sports?
When I was 12 years old, I won a sailing lesson from a well-known newspaper. Together with a friend, we could use a small sailing boat for a whole day on a lake in Groningen. After a 2-hours lesson, we were able to sail the boat on our own. Together with my friend, we pushed the limits of the boat. I really liked the experience on the water. We experimented a lot with the boat, The boat even turned over a couple times, but even that was very fun!
How does the perfect day on the water look like?
That depends on the weather. When the weather is really good, I prefer to go sailing on different lakes or through nature reserves. When the weather is less optimal, I prefer sailing on the canals of the city. It’s important to have snacks, drinks, and friends or family to share them with.
You have a boat yourself, what kind of boat is it?
In 2015, I bought a sloop, big enough to fit 12 people. There are benches on both sides of the boat, so you can perfectly talk to each other while the skipper is controlling the boat. The boat has an outboard engine, but there is a steering wheel in the boat that makes the boat easy to control. There is also an audio system and a BBQ available on board.
What are the costs of this boat each year?
The gas, the expenses of the boat in the harbor, the storage costs and insurance are over € 1.000 each year. Besides that, there are costs for maintenance for the boat and the engine. That’s a lot of money, but that is something you don’t have to think about too much.
About the maintenance of the boat, What are the most important things?
I am doing the maintenance of the boat myself. I am painting the boat and replacing some parts of the engine. I do this on the winters when the boat is in the storage. This takes some weekends, but I like to be working on my boat.
Is it difficult to maintain your own boat?
Many vessel owners have enough technical knowledge to do the maintenance themselves. I don’t have a technical background myself, but you can find a lot of information on websites and videos on the internet. When your boat is in storage, it’s also easy to ask other boat owners for some advice.
At the start of this interview, you told us you are a student. How can you afford a boat?
For the purchase of the boat, I had to save a lot. I was aware that having a boat costs a lot each year. So before I decided to buy the boat, I made a plan to earn the costs of the boat back. That plan succeeded by renting out the boat to groups of people. This was a popular activity, so I had a lot of trips last year. That means the costs of the boat were reduced to zero. Additionally, I also give these groups the possibility to buy some food and drinks on board.
