I just got back from a sailing holiday where I remembered this true tale
you might be interested in.

A friend was looking for a second hand boat (a Laser) to buy, when he
hit on a great idea…

At his sailing club (the Queen Mary in London) there was a large trailer
park and a smaller yard where the management put trailers and boats if
the owner didnt pay their membership for 12 months. The Queen Mary club
is very big and at the time there were three or four Lasers in this
yard that judging from their condition hadnt been sailed for at least
a year.

My friend took down the numbers of these boats and asked the club secretary
for the owners address so that he could make them an offer. The first chap
he rang said he wasnt interested in selling as he was going to sail it
himself one of these days.

He then rang the second owner who lived about 100 miles away. A woman
answered the phone and confirmed that they did still own the Laser. My
friend explained that he had seen it in the defaulters yard and that as it
clearly hadnt been sailed for a year – did she think her husband would be
interested in selling?

Oh no she said, there must be some mistake – come rain or shine my husband
spends one weekend a month in London sailing…

I bet he had some explaining to do when he got home!