Cost of owning a sailboat?

[Paul Akers]

Always something unexpected

There are always some unexpected costs. Boating isn't free. It will cost you for the fun. Your first year may be a shock, but you will learn how to control some of those costs. Enjoy your time on the water!

 

[gpd955]

This was our first year

with our '79 Catalina 30. She is our first boat. I came up with my "budget" after my survey and list of things that I needed to and wanted to upgrade/replace. I came pretty close with my estimates and then started to find the "little things" as the season went on. I learned to do alot of the work myself and only paid for an engine alignment! Everything else I did on my own.I think with the money I saved, I purchased some things for her that I probably wouldn't have if I paid a professional to do the work!One thing that I can't put any price tag on was the fun and education we got from boat ownership! We met some great people and learned alot about ourselves. I also have become much more adaptable and innovative! If I'd have spent triple the amount of money I did this year, I still would say I got a great deal! Boats, especially sailboat, are dynamic so no one will ever be able to give you a good estimate as to how much the boat will cost. So just look at your survey, look over the boat real good (if you have a friend with experience, take him/her along) and go with your gut! Be reasonable with your purchases and shop around for equipment and services. You probably won't regret it!!!Best of luck and fair winds!Jack ManningS/V Victim of FateAtlantic City, NJ

 

[tom]

A new Engine??

You can add up your fixed costs without much effort. Call your insurance company and marina. The costs of upgrades are unlimited. But fortunately most aren't required. I've seen radar on 30' catalina's that are mostly day sailed in fair weather. Good to have? Yes Required? probably not. We have done pretty well with paper charts and a Handheld GPS. GPS $100 charts depends upon how far you roam. Chartkits from Maptech are a lot cheaper. Bottom job about every other year. for a 30' probably $1200.00 Could be a lot cheaper or more expensive. Even if you do it yourself it is probably $300+ just to haul out and block. Then another $300+- for paint.  If money is important buying a trailerable boat with an outboard motor is much much much cheaper than a boat that isn't trailerable. You can buy a new outboard for the cost of a mechanic to come and look at your diesel and you can pull the boat home for a bottom job. A trailerable sailboat is the way to go unless you plan extensive cruising or living aboard..if money is important. Trailering is a great advantage if time is important. It takes a lot of time to take a sailboat anywhere by water. But on a trailer you can go down the interstate at 65+ to a new cruisng ground. Say you want to sail in the Pensacola area. Probably 2 weeks to get there from Galveston. That means a month vacation. But down the interstate one long day there five days in the bay and one long day back..easily a two weekend week's vacation.  Water ballasted trailerable sailboats probably give you the most fun for the dollar.

 

[Calif. Ted]

Last week while leaving the dock from my boat,

had a gentleman stop me just to say "never sell your boat, I sold mine to please my wife, biggest mistake of my life, never sell your boat". He's not the only one who I've heard that from. I've never heard ANYONE say "I wish I had not bought my boat"

 

[Mick]

Cost of Owning a Boat

If you consider it a "Hobby" then there are plenty of "Hobbies" that are less expensive.If it is "A Way of Life" then it is not expensive.

 

[Dick Westwood]

DIY isn't difficult

I own an old (1967) Cal 20. A lot of repairs come up. Plus, I've chosen to upgrade her in a number of ways (adding a vang, cunningham, and such).I'm not a 'handy' guy. I don't do projects around the home. I haven't a clue how to do even minor repairs to the car.But work on the boat: it's not all that challenging. So far, I've done everything myself - nearly always succesfully first time, always succesfully by the second attempt. So far, I've never - never - used professional help (other than searching online for 'how tos'. If someone like me can do it, you can do it.Doing it yourself keeps costs down. Personally, I try to stick to a budget of $1,500 per season - and remember, this includes upgrades as well as maintenance.The 'hole in the water' phenomenon comes, in my view, from the love you develop for your vessel, and the constant temptation to lavish gifts on her. As in marriage, you may need to resist this!

 

[Doug_Meyer]

Its an Investment

Its obvious that buying the boat is the "cheap part" as my son would say. Sure, it costs money to maintain it, ( BOAT is the anacronym for Break Out Another Thousand), but that is dependent on boat size and your ability to learn how to do things yourself, and to shop for the best prices. I know a lot of sailors on literal shoestring budgets. They would never part with their boating habits, they TAKE CARE of their boats, and enjoy doing the maintenance as much as the pleasure of sailing.I started out as a dinghy sailor with a used boat in good shape, sold it at a modest profit, bought 3 other racing boats, raised my kids at the sailing club, where they learned to sail, rig, and repair equipment. It was a great environment and there weren't any parental worries about where they were and what they were doing with their spare time.My wife and I now own a Beneteau 323 which we had the luxury of buying new. we still see the kids on weekends (Now 32 and 28) and enjoy the time. My wife has taken sailing classes at Womanship in Annapolis and is a competent boat handler on the bigger boat.I am blessed to be able to do most of my own maintenance, and have installed all of my own electronics. I have reached the point where I can afford some of the less necessary gadgets.You meet some really graet people along the way, and develop some lasting friendships.Would I put a dollar sign on the cost of ownership NOT A CHANCE!

 

[KennyH]

Boats can be maintained fairly easily

I have owned a sailboat for 37 years so far. My current boat is the least expensive to maintain because it is smaller and I have learned more about how to do it yourself. I own a condo that comes with a boat slip. I rent the condo and use the boat slip for free. I have improved my years to haul out in several ways. I have learned if you move a boat between salt water and fresh water it keeps the bottom clean needing only a good cleaning with a brush every few years. I now go 7 years between haulouts which is always your most expensive part of maintaining a boat. I do all my own work and enjoy that part of boat ownership as much or more than actual sailing the boat. My current boat a Hunter 25 I have had for two years. Expenses so far have been about 400 dollars which was mostly anchor upgrades and items needed not left by the previous owner ie boat hook, good battery etc. Just keep in mind the lenght of boat increases the expenses expodentualy. Buy as much boat as you need but not more than you need.

 

[Dragonfly6689]

Sailing with wife --- PRICELESS

Average Yearly costs for Beneteau 331 bought new in March 2003, sailing season St. Pat's Day(March 17) through Thanksgiving. I do my own work. Payment, maintenance, slip, and insurance are my big 4 cash expenses.Boat Payment: $9,000Slip fee: $1,200Insurance: $750Maintenance: $500Discretionary upgrades:$500 (matress, GPS, better radio, etc)Wine: $250Fuel: $25Sunset sail with wife - PRICELESS2001 and 2002 annual costs of 1992 Beneteau First 285 purchased in 2001.Boat Payment: $4,500Slip Fee: $1,100 (same slip, price increased)Insurance: $250Maintenance: $250Discretionary upgrades:$100Wine: $250Fuel: $20Secluded anchorage with wife - PRICELESSFYI, daughter graduated from college in 2002 allowing us to buy a bigger boat in 2003. ;-)Mark

 

[tom]

Reality Check

If you have kids: They are usually OK with sailing when young but as they age they have things that they want to do on weekends. Football ,baseball hang out at the mall. My experience with 4 kids is that my escape was their prison!!! Especially as they enter high school spending the weekend on the sailboat with the parents is their definition of hell. My biggest conflicts with my wife and boating have usually centered around kids or church. Sometimes kids and church if they are active in church they often don't like to spend sunday mornings on the water. As for romance it is extremely hard...did I say impossible??? to have romance with kids around on board a small boat. We had some great times as a family on our sailboats but mostly when they were younger than about 10. Now that they are grown we get together some weekends on the boat. Daysailing with a few overnights was most popular with the kids. The boys especially liked to fish at night.

 

[Tony Z]

Ditto on Buy a good boat

Go for it. No it's not cheap. But it's well worth it if you use the boat often.Just make sure you know what your getting into. A solid motor and a fresh set of sails, new running rigging etc.... all add up. I you are buying a wreck, it going to get you up front. Doing your own work is a major dollar saver. This website is beyond valuable for advice, direction & information.Find a mooring rather than a slip. They are cheaper, quieter and better for the boat in bad conditions anyway. I pay less than 200.00/season for my mooring and around 1000.00 to store off season in Massachusetts. Your season will be longer than ours.

 

[sailortonyb]

Do not buy a "Fixer Upper

I have owned many boats and never felt like it was a money pit except for the fixer uppers I have owned. They took too much valuable time of NO sailing and cost more than they were worth. Buy one in good shape. One that the hull, motor and sails are all good and it just needs cosmetic work. I never resented any money for cosmetics. Generally, anything more than that is not worth the extra money nor the time. Once you get a boat and start pricing out stuff, you will see what I mean. My next statement will start a fight here, but here goes anyway.....I personally have never met anyone that has turned a "garbage barge" into anything other than a more expensive "garbage barge". If you see obvious damage to a boat, there is probably 10 times more that you dont see. I have seen people, including myself, buy a 'bargain' 32 footer for $5,000. Three years and another $5,000 later we still had a 'bargain' 32 footer worth $5,000 and spent 3 years of no sailing.My personal attitude is....If you cant motor AND sail it the day you buy it, dont get it. Good luck in whatever you do.

 

[Maine Sail]

Here are my costs for a 31 foot boat in Maine

Here are my 2005 season costs directly from my spread sheet. I combined many maintenance costs into one number so you are not reading a list a mile long of West Marine purchases such as painting tape, rollers, acetone etc.Insurance $980.00, town mooring fee $250.00, parking/launch service $1000.00, winter storage $950.00, shrink wrap w/door $650.00, pressure wash $60.00, mast up/down/tune & crane fee $512.00, winter sail care wash/dry $175.00, ablative bottom paint 2 gals @ $179.00 per gallon, reg/excise tax $180.00, miscelaneous expenses not including gear not directly associated with the boat such as foulies clothing etc. but winch handles, electronics upgrades, sheets, lines, fenders, ground tackle, paint rollers, tape, LP gas etc. are included here - $2800.00. My total cost for last season excluding transient mooring fees, any boat payment you may have, or the cost of food & booze for weekends etc. was: TOTAL 2005 sailing spread sheet $7885.00Add approximately this number to what ever your boat payments will be if you decide to finance. My costs are within 1k +/- of this number each year but I don't spare any expense on my boat and keep it in pristine condition. Keep in mind my boat is brand new (2005) so my maintenance costs are relatively low and I have no exterior teak to maintain. I would guess your costs could be on a 30 footer, at best, possibly 2k to 3k less than mine if you skimp on quality bottom paint store with mast up, make your own winter cover if your boat yard will allow it etc. etc...These are real numbers and I noticed no one else was giving you the data you asked for and this number assumes you are doing all you maintenance by your self and not paying a yard to do it..

 

[newsailor06]

Depends on what you would do otherwise.

We bought a used Catalina 25 (1985) this past March that is in excellent condition. The previous owner had taken care of her with kid gloves. That said, here are the projects we have undertaken since the purchase.1. Replaced the old porta potty with a new one. (not hard, but did have to be remounted.)2. Added new stronger hold down latches to the table in the main cabin.3. Bought and installed a harken furler for the jib. Got a great buy on a used on, but had to have the sail cut down since it came off of a boat with a taller mast.4. Refinished the teak on the outside. Previous owner helped since he was planning it anyway. I supplied the beer.5. Installed a new steaming light new anchor light, and windex when the mast was down for the furler install.6. Installed new masthead sheaves when the mast was down.7. Installed new combings in the cockpit rather than refinish the old ones.8. Installed cabin speakers to the CD Player/FM Radio.9. Re-ran the lines back to the cockpit after installing the furler. They were there already, but needed to be rerun into different blocks.I didn't have to do any of these, but I 'chose' to do them. The cost?...heck if I know. That wasn't the point to me anyway. My wife and I became empty nesters last year after our son graduated from college and set out on his own. I was a Remote Control airplane flyer and my wife had little interest. Now we both look forward to going to the lake and even just sitting in the marina is fun. My wife was reluctant at first, but we are now looking to move closer to the lake. It was she that wanted to move.One final recommendation, make sure that you can sleep comfortably aboard. Our C25 is a great boat, but it's sleeping accommodations are a little on the small side. One of my next projects is to rig up the cabability to use a queen size aerobed in the main cabin. Should be very comfortable then. So I guess the bottom line is that more than likely you will spend the money on something. Might as well be a boat. Oh.. and I already have my next years projects lined up.

 

[tom]

Sail Year Round

In Galveston you should be able to sail year round..at least we did in Mobile and Panama City. Actually some of the best sailing is in the winter as there are no bugs and generally mild temperatures. I don't remember any frost at Panama City but a few frosty mornings in Mobile. It can get rough when fronts pass but these are usually forcast days in advance. On the gulf winter is when there are more birds. Everything from eagles to whooping cranes. I really love the loons which surprised me by being several miles out in the gulf in 80' of water!!! I'd always associated loons with northern lakes. But they are quite happy in Florida.  But most people at Panama City leave their boats in the water year round only hauling for bottom paint or other maintence. So that is one expense you can avoid.

 

[Scott]

Watch out for a maintenance headache ...

Your wife may resent the time spent on maintenance more than the money spent on re-fitting, and if this is the case, be sure to look for a boat that is in very good condition and don't underestimate the effort it takes to fix all the things that may appear to be simply cosmetic. Sailortonyb said it well. I fell into this trap, to a small degree. If you have a home to maintain and kids, you will find it very difficult to spend time on the boat that you are not devoting to sailing. Often times, when the daysail is over, everybody is in a rush to get home for dinner and/or other activities and you simply won't be allowed to dawdle over the small or large tasks that you want to get done either before or after your sailing. If you spend a lot of time tinkering on your boat there could be some resentment building at home that you could avoid if you take the time to shop for a boat that has everything in good shape and working order and doesn't need a lot of upfront improvement. If you are like we are, we like sailing and relaxation a lot more than maintenance and re-fitting.I overlooked the sour smell from the old head and hoses, the smelly old upholstery, the guages that didn't work, the old sails, the worn running rigging, the old looking lifelines, the uncared for teak, etc, basically because I underestimated the time and money it would take to get things in great shape. I considered these to be cosmetic changes that I could accomplish with additional money and time spent. I figured I was getting a good deal for a solid hull & spars, solid standing rigging, good sailing performance, and a well-maintained engine, all verified by a good survey. Basically, we got what we paid for and are satisfied, but I would take the knowledge and experience I gained from this boat to be much more critical when it is time to make another purchase. I enjoy the effort put into the upkeep and re-fitting but the time constraints are stressful and not everybody can be pleased.It helps to be armed with this knowledge when looking at a boat to purchase! Good Luck!

 

[Alain Pascal]

10% to 7%

If you want my rule of thumb:Given a boat in good condition to start with, annual maintenance average 10% of the value of the boat for something around 20ft for a boat around 40ft the maintenance averages ~7% of the value of the boat.I am not including your fix cost, like slip, winter storage etc., in this rule of thumb.Also it will not cost you that amount every year but my advice is to open a bank account for your boat, put the amount in the account and if you do not use it this year leave it there, next year put your annual maintenance budget in the bank account again, one of these years you will have the larger ticket item to purchase (sail, engine, haul out & bottom paint, etc) and the $ will be in your boat bank account.Consider that you will pay this either in $ or in sweat, you just have to balance what is right for your situation.Is it a bottomless money pit? Well I dont think so: If you golf for a hobby; 20 rounds of golf = 1 year of maintenance. Same if I want to ski. Granted a set of golf club doesn't cost the price of a used boat, but how much will you get foryour new golf clubs when they are 10 years old & used???One last thing, buy the smaller boat in your mind not the biggest one and buy the best condition boat you can afford.Sailing is great unless you have to work every weekends on it or to make the $ to pay for it!See ya on the water,Cheers,a.

 

[Bob]

If Your Handy..................

First, their is a ton of reference material and this wonderful website where you can get advice and ideas and fix, repair or replace many items yourself thus saving $$$$. For many half the fun of ownership is "messing about in boats" and that includes a new part here and new line their and so on. My rule with the 7 sailboats I have owned over the last 35 years is....NEVER BUY A FIXER UPPER, unless you have the time and resources to do the work and make it worthy. Unless your buying a vessel with a beat engine, tattered old sails, old rigging and a messed up interior expect to spend a small fortune....lets say its similar to restoring a partially rusted out Porsche 356 Speedster!!The cost of ownership can be tempered with doing the labor yourself (rewards are wonderul), shopping for deals in equipment and parts (yes doing your homework and comparative shopping will yield results in savings), and having friends and family available to help whenever you need the assistance. Boat yards to me are a blast to be in and you learn a great deal from other owners.A 1984 30 footer can be a great vessel. You did not indicate what shape its in, so its hard to tell what you have ahead of you. When I bought my latest boat (1988 Catalina 30) I bought it because it was in outstanding condition, from the 400 hours on the engine to the mint interior and overall excellent condition. My dollars therefore went to a new lifesling, gas grill, cockpit cushions and a set of custom mugs! Sometimes it pays to pay a few extra bucks to keep the headache down then up!Bob

 

[jbrosser]

Thanks to all

I really appreciate all the great responses I had to my question re: cost. I looked at four boats today from a much different viewpoint. I had narrowed my search down to four with an eye on the thirty-footer buy am convinced that their would be a number of items to do before being able to sail. It's off my list. From your responses, I'm convinced that many of the to do's will be done by myself and I look forward to that. My wife and I are both 55 and are empty nesters. Since we are first time buyers, I may even select a 28' that is in great condition and has nothing that will prevent it from being sailed the day I buy it. Thanks again for all the advice. I appreciate so much great insight from such an experienced group.jb

 

[Larry Wilson]

It's all relative

My biggest recurring expense, after slip fees, is the cost of gas to drive to the boat. I'm about 100 miles from the boat, so I spend about $40 for gas each time. I try to plan so that I can get at least two days of sailing per trip, but if good weather and wind are predicted, and I can only do a single day, I'm there. I make the trip at least 4 times a month. I bought a 28 year old 29 foot Columbia 8.7. I paid less than $4000 for the boat, and HAD to spend less than $500 to get her in sailing shape. I find that I spend much more money on small optional upgrades and I've learned to stay away from E-bay where I make alot of emotionally motivated purchases that I regret later. In the two years that I've owned the 8.7, had I spent only what was necessary to maintain her in sailing condition, including slip fees, my total would be less than $150 a month on average. I do all my own maintenance and painting, and I haven't had to haul out yet. I'm due for haul out and bottom paint. I'd guess $500 would cover it.We did a 10 day cruise on the Chesapeake this summer, and total expenses were less than $500 for 2 adults. We flew to England last year for 13 days and total expenses were about $5000. The Bay was more fun. The link is a picture of our anchorage off of Yorktown during the cruise. Just that was worth $500.