Cost of owning a sailboat?

[jbrosser]

I'm a first time buyer and will be purchasing my first sailboat soon. It will be an older 30' built in 1984 and in good condition. However, friends and others that think they know what they're talking about continue to tell me that "owning a boat is like throwing money into a black hole". My feeling that anything you own will cost to maintain (ie. house, cottage in the woods, etc.) I'm very excited about my purchase, but the comments are taking their toll on my wife. Any advice or suggestions as to real costs on the average will be appreciated.

 

[Don12364]

Are You a DIYer?

I do all my own maintenance work, service the engine (easier than a car), paint the bottom etc. I don't need to call in the boatyards or marina jackalls. My costs are only the materials and these don't amount to much.If you are not continuously buying new toys and your sails are good - and you don't intend to race - then your costs will mostly be for your mooring and insurance.If you do not use a marina for this (like me) then it all comes easily from a pension.Of course there is the depreciation of your asset, but even this can be kept to a minimum if you look after her.BUT - A boat is a way of life not just a sometimes plaything.Buy, work diligently and enjoy - wife too.

 

[RAD]

Depends,

Can you fix it,build it,do the maintance yourself cause on an older boat there are issue's that come up and if you have to pay someone to do these issues than it can be exspensive, the fact that its in good condition is a plus but after you pay for a season's slip,haul out and relaunch like you said its no different than a cottage in the woods that is well maintained.BTW the mairine store is no different than the Home Depot and the Pool store there all 100 dollar stores cause no matter what you go in there for its always over a hundred.And tell your friends that made the comments when they want to go sailing that they need to help offset the black hole and pony up some dough

 

[Ross]

After I finished the rebuilding of Bietzpadlin

I have kept an account of my costs for maintaining her. It comes to two gallons of topside paint, six gallons of bottom paint. six quarts of engine oil, six oil filters, two new impellers for the water pump, a new seal kit for the water pump, A hinge kit for the fore hatch and a quart of teak oil for the interior. All of the labor was my own at no charge. This has been over the time span of 1999 to 2006. Now if you ask about the cost of keeping the car........

 

[droopy]

Your friends are right!

but, you can stick to somewhat of a budget. Check on marina cost in your area, figure 1000 per year misc and how about 1000 for dinners and food for the boat too?Good Luck,Droop

 

[Rick]

There are costs and then there are costs...

I bought a 1984 Catalina back in 2002 (I now own a 1990 Catalina 34). The C30 was in almost perfect condition due to the previous owner. I did lots of my own maintenance, but I also had a shipyard fix a blister issue, epoxy coat and paint the bottom. When I decided to switch from a tiller to a wheel, I bought the parts myself at the best price and found my own rigger. So yes, a boat needs lots of maintenance and it all costs money. Do the work yourself when you can and always shop for the best prices.By the way. My weight is now down. Blood pressure is down. Acid Reflux went away. I now enjoy the hell out of my weekends and look forward to chatting with the other owners at the marina while working on my boat. As someone else said "It's a way of life..."Cheers,Rick

 

[Ross]

Don't make the mistake of counting the

cost of food on the boat as a boat expense. You have to eat somewhere. There are many ways to keep you expenses down, be careful about how generous you are with entertaining. There are takers and there are sharers. If you provide the boat they can bring the food and drink. Feeding them 10 dollars worth of shrimp doesn't balance the books with a five dollar bottle of wine.The more work you can do for yourself the less cash you have to come up with. A good cook stove can save much money if you know how to cook. I can buy a large pizza or three large chickens for 17.00 dollar. You get a lot more meals from the chickens.

 

[Joe]

Like they say - Just Do it

Do not pay any attention to others. You have to spend money on entertainment anyway. What does it cost to go on a vacation in Hawaii?, How much will you spend in Vegas? You have to be a do-it-yourselfer and save on the repairs. Sailing on the water is truley priceless. Do not look back. One day when you are older and can not do this anylonger, you will always wonder "what if you had baught a sailboat and spent time on the water with your wife and friends...", nice memories!

 

[Bob7291]

Four slips down from me

A couple in their mid 50s took the leap and bought a twenty year old 27 footer that was in pretty good shape this spring. They had never sailed before, but were relatively adventuresome and not afraid of doing some maintenance. Yesterday the husband told me he was so happy to have discovered a whole new world this year that has given them challenges, beauty, and new friends. They did their first race and had an absolute ball. Of course, they learned something new each time out (don't we all?). There will always be someone with a wet towel to smother your dreams - don't listen to them, or you will someday be like them, rocking on the porch saying, "I could have." Go for it - why do you think we all love it so much?

 

[MikeH]

Rick is right on.

You can buy a good boat, do your own maintenance, keep it seaworthy and enjoy your time on the water "as is", or you can buy a boat, do your own maintenance and upgrades, keep it seaworthy and steadily make "improvements", and therefore go either way on the money question. A third option is that you can buy a boat that is in need of repair with hidden structural issues and continually sink money into it, trying to get it seaworthy and never really enjoy it.Your best money spent is to get a thorough survey from a reputable marine surveyor that confirms it is in good condition. You got your house inspected before you signed the final papers, right? Get the boat inspected by a professional. Or by two professionals. If you're certain when you sign the papers that you've got a solid, seaworthy boat then you're ten steps ahead, like any purchase of a car or house.After that, the costs are up to you.

 

[Scott]

Expenses are endless ...

You can spend only as much as you need to or you can double or triple your expenses on upgrades in a heartbeat! Only you know where your spending habits will lead you. We bought a 20 year old 27' Starwind with a small diesel inboard, for our first small cruiser. The boat purchase was just the tip of the iceberg. Then we had the survey, insurance, decommission and trucking the boat to a new location, recommission. We replaced all cushions, head, hoses, hatch, mainsail, genoa, new lifelines, just to get started. I painted the boom last winter, going to drop the mast and paint that this winter. Refinished the sole, the hatchboards, the companionway, grab rails. Intend to paint the wheel pedestal. All that paint and varnish costs plenty. Replaced fairleads, bought numerous blocks and traveler components, including parts that I can't use and are sitting in a box.Winter storage costs more than the summer mooring for us, but you probably won't have that problem. I've had only minor costs on engine maintenance, but am thinking of replacing motor mounts. I don't think I'm up for that job, the space is too tight for me to struggle with it, so I'll pay the yard. I already bought the mounts, and they're expensive.A valid question is how much do I expect to get back for my investment when we want to sell the boat for a larger cruiser? I really don't expect to get anything back. I expect that the next owner will end up with a pretty good deal. How much more will I spend before we're ready to sell? Well, roller furling/reefing is a possible upgrade (couple grand), since hanking the headsail is getting old. I've got my mind set on autopilot (a grand), I've been planning on replacing the port lights (another grand). The wind indicator hasn't worked so a new one that links to the autopilot is another grand. I did replace the thru hull transducers for speed and depth for a couple hundred, and am pleased that they work great now. A handheld GPS came as a gift from the kids, but charts for it will cost extra when we need them.The bottom needs work, so sanding and repainting will be added to the agenda, and then it would be nice to replace the prop with a folding prop. I've been replacing cabin lights lately, which has been at least 3 hundred. The switch and cables have been replaced and 2 batteries, including the mounting brackets. We do not have shore power on our mooring, but if we do when we move, a smart charger and an inverter would be nice additions, plus a battery monitor. Then I would think about a water pump, water heater, new fixtures, maybe refrigeration. There are countless other upgrades that I'm not even considering. I might take a hard look at the alternator on the engine.You may have all these things already but if they are original equipment, I'll bet it all could use replacement since you're talking 20 years old.I never expected that the additional costs would be this much, or that maintenance would be so time consuming. And it is really difficult to find time to do the maintenance, after working 50 hour weeks, and between the time spent on maintaining a home, spending time with family away from the boat and finding free time to sail as often as possible.It's money AND time that disappears down a black hole in copious amounts. I estimate that we've spent more in 2 and half seasons since buying the boat as we did on the purchase itself ($9,500), and the boat was in very good condition to begin with. Despite all that, the enjoyment is immeasurable, and the knowledge and experience we're gaining should be priceless when shopping for the next boat!

 

[Rick]

Buy a good boat!!!!

All seem to agree on the same issues. You either have to be a good "Do it yourself" type or have a healthy cheque book. Most important of all is to have your future purchase gone over thoroughly by a reputable hull surveyor. Also look for a vessel that has many of the upgrades already done. Ie: Charger, inverter, hoses, sails, electronics, furler......Upgrades run into many thousands of dollars but the of boating life is minor. Good luck on your purchase.....

 

[Big Joe]

Expenses

A lot of good points have been offered to you. If you buy right and get a boat that surveys well you will be fine. As others point out, you need to be handy or pay up. You can learn to be handy. A site like this will be a big help. It's helped me.I believe the rep. of boats being money holes is reflected in the cost of owning a powerboat. My neighbor, next slip over spent $300 on fuel to go to Catalina Island a few weeks ago. It takes me longer but I motor to the breakwater then I'm sailing. A full tank of diesel lasts me 2 years. Buy well and you will be fine. Regards, Big Joe.

 

[Landsend]

the bottom line is yours...

If you count the cost of boat ownership… generally you will end up talking yourself out-of-boat-ownership. Boating is a passion, not to be judged in dollars or sense.Boats cost money! Things constantly break and wear out. Such things as: sails, lines, engines, hardware, cushions, electronics, you name it at sometime in the life of a boat; it WILL have to be replaced. Gear also gets lost overboard anchors, lines, sails, life vests, outboards, cushions, food and beverages. You name it… it’s been lost. Any fine older boat you look at, you can bet that at sometime, everything on that boat has been replaced or refurbished at least one in the life of that vessel. The highly corrosive environment, the sea, does take a toll.The smaller the boat, the newer the boat the less fanciful equipped the boat, the less it will cost to operate and maintain. An older Hunter will usually need many replacements and this may be one of the reasons the previous owner is selling it. It’s no fun but, dangerous to sail a less than ship-shape. For example: Sails can be replaced as you can afford them but, remember it will cost about $5,000 to put decent sails on a 30 ft boat. The same goes for a new engine. The boat simply may not be worth it. In ownership, you will however, learn how to repair things and develop skills that are important.Is this the right boat to start out with? I personally think something a bit smaller, and newer may be better. But, I always thought the Edsel was a fine car. Have you rented a sailboat or sailed with friends to get a feeling if the activity is correct for you?Don’t let this discourage you. I just want you to be aware that the price of a boat, fuel, insurance, dockage and the yearly trip to the boatyard is only a small part of the iceberg.If your passion and budget can survive, sailing is a wonderful experience for you, your family and friends. It’s also a teaching and learning experience that can only be judged by indulging in it. For some people it works wonderfully, and other people never want to see big bodies of water again. Finally, you’ll never fully find the answers your looking for unless you try it. Good luck.

 

[Bill Roosa]

I very rich frined once told me

Look at what everybody else is doing and do the exact opposite. His reasoning was that they are broke and they don't know how to get un-broke. If they did they would be doing it. So taking advice from them is a sure-fire way to "get it wrong"I'd bet that your friends either do not own boats or are not DIYers or heard it from a friend who herad it from a friend who heard if from someone who does not own a boat.Does it cost $$$ sure. But you can manage it just like having kids. Baby needs a new pair of shoes but he doesn't need $250 pumpable heals with flashing LEDs in them.

 

[Ross]

Landsend, I bet you live in a cave and walk

to work. almost everybody spends more on the cost of car ownership in a lifetime then they will spend on boat ownership. I figured out sometime ago the fundamental difference between man and ape. Both species are tool makers but man is a tool saver unless he is very careless and loses things all the time. An auxillary engine should last for thirty years, sails should last for at least ten(unless you race and feel that they are shot after one season).

 

[Rich Stidger]

Romance aside, ......

A boat is an expensive hobby. But all recreation is expensive because people are willing to pay the price and the suppliers of the sport know it. I find that the greatest expense of boating is the boat yards. The costs escalate every year and you have little control. Every new boat sold competes for ever diminishing marina space. Once you have a boat that is too big to trailer, you are at their mercy for dock, mooring, and storage space. Insurance goes up too but not as fast as the yard bills, and upkeep is somewhat more reasonable ONLY if you do it yourself. The only expense that goes up as fast or faster than yard bills is college costs.Our first "big" boat was a 20 year old 30-footer. We had her for 15 years and put in lots of upgrades. Our kids grew up sailing on her and we have great memories. Now we are empty-nesters and have a 40 foot sailboat going into our 10th season. We obviously think it is worth the cost and are finding a way to fund the expense.However, you do have to pay the bills. We use our boat 50-60 days per year and I figure that the cost is about $100 per day of use. That's a day in the rain, a great sailing day, or a day in some port, whatever. Figure that you will probably also take vacations in the off season, so you can't use "vacation" money to fund your boat. And that doesn't include the $30 in fuel for me to drive a round trip to my boat every week or so.You are wise to have your eyes wide open as to the ownership cost. Better now than later. I think cars are a bargain compared to boats.

 

[Benny]

Somewhere around $500 an outing.

Figure out the boat's depreciation, dockage fees, maintenance, fuel, beer, etc. and divide by the number of times you take her out. A seaman's rule is to never provide that info to the Admiral.

 

[Franklin]

jbrosser

You are buying at a great time. Take her out and anchor out at Offets overnight next weekend if you have the boat. It's supposed to be a wonderful weekend with a bright moon. Bring along a couple bottles of her favorite wine and she will forget all about those comments.BUT...if you do follow my advice, here is a crash course on anchoring in offets. Pick a spot with 250' clearance of all boats. Motor to that spot but put her in neutral 100' before hand. You should come to a near stop at the spot...may have to play with the engine. Set anchor alarm for 20' and drop the anchor and put her in reverse at idle. Let out just enough line to keep it snug as you go backwards. Once you've gotten 175' of line out (7:1 scope for offets), cleat it off. Check to see if you are dragging (You shouldn't be by now). If so and other boats are close, start over. Once you are not dragging, hold it in reverse for a couple of minutes and then start increasing the RPMs slowly and make sure you aren't dragging while doing so. When you've hit 1800 rpms, hold it for a couple of minutes. If still not dragging, turn off engine and break out the wine. If another boat anchors near you, roll in some rode (anchor line) but no more then 50'. I'll leave the rest to your imagination

 

[Landsend]

Ross...you missed the point..you just don't get it

You must be still lost at sea with your blown out sails and yout thirty year old engine.The wheel has be invented and this is a question of currency, about how many pelts to float a boat.