Price Hike

Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
What an eye opening thread. Life onboard is more expensive than I thought. We lived aboard a 56' boat for 3-1/2 years and my father always said it was CHEAP. Maybe in the 70s it was, but even on a mooring, there's a significant annual outlay of money when you consider all the costs of boat and tender wear and tear, fuel and or time to row ashore, dinghy dock membership fees, parking fees. Only for the love of sailing.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
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capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
What an eye opening thread. Life onboard is more expensive than I thought. We loved aboard a 56' boat for 3-1/2 years and my father always said it was CHEAP. Maybe in the 70s it was, but even on a mooring, there's a significant annual outlay of money when you consider all the costs of boat and tender wear and tear, fuel and or time to row ashore, dinghy dock membership fees, parking fees. Only for the love of sailing.

-Will (Dragonfly)
Will, given that home maintenance and boat maintenance, are about equal, I find living aboard, which I have been doing since 1969, to be pretty reasonable.
For instance, in Charleston SC, I had a slip in a fabulous marina in downtown Charleston (basically on the waterfront millionaire manor row) for around us$700.00 a month. It was walking distance to most places on the peninsula and included free parking, garbage, water, electricity, internet, clean showers, and laundry machines. Not to mention a very friendly dock staff that helped with anything they could, including golf carts for lugging heavy items to and from the boat.
Almost all my adult life I have lived aboard where most people vacation, at rates significantly cheaper than the tourists paid for the cheapest, most barebones hotel. On the pick or a mooring it would be even more affordable, of course.
 

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
What an eye opening thread. Life onboard is more expensive than I thought. We loved aboard a 56' boat for 3-1/2 years and my father always said it was CHEAP. Maybe in the 70s it was, but even on a mooring, there's a significant annual outlay of money when you consider all the costs of boat and tender wear and tear, fuel and or time to row ashore, dinghy dock membership fees, parking fees. Only for the love of sailing.

-Will (Dragonfly)[/QUOTE I had been on the waiting list for a mooring in Plymouth, MA for twelve years when a mooring finally became available. But when I considered the added fees and costs of maintaining the mooring and having it inspected, I had to reconsider. In addition, there were no shore facilities available or parking for my vehicle, and the town required me to use the mooring 8 weeks of the year or lose it. So I gave up my application, but the boat and I are happy at our yacht club.
 
Feb 2, 2010
373
Island Packet 37 Hull #2 Harpswell Me
I'm sorry, but I just can't find it my heart to be very sympathetic. Most moorings down here range from us$20.00 a day to well over us$60.00 a month and very few if any are guaranteed, or even regularly maintained.
However if, as I suspect, your post is tongue in cheek, well then good job, as I needed a bit of light humor today.
You suspect rightly Capta, i know when i am onto a good thing and that doesn't even include the beauty of sailing in Maine.
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,399
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
$4 per month. Oh dear.

When rates are below market, inflation is not a valid reference. Happens all the time.
 
Aug 5, 2016
25
Catalina Capri 22 Cambridge
I know we have nearly 3% inflation but i just paid 100% price hike for my annual mooring fee, absolutely ridicules.

Its jumped from $26 all the way up to a horrendous $50.
Bless your heart. Worst case of gouging I've ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
The cheapest I've seen in the Chicago area was $600 in the toxic waters of Lake Calumet. That place was so toxic that when they went to clean it up workers had to wear full body suits with oxygen tanks. I'd happily trade a steak dinner for an entire summer's mooring/slip
 
Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
Our government “Mooring Fee” (“Tax”) doubles last year to $500. We own the mooring itself, and this increase was justified as needed for “enforcement”. We are on the mooring full time year round, except for 3 months during hurricane season, when it is in a marina hurricane hole. That’s another $1000 per month (plus electricity). We don’t plug in and just continue to use our solar.
 
Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
Will, given that home maintenance and boat maintenance, are about equal, I find living aboard, which I have been doing since 1969, to be pretty reasonable.
I think boat maintenance is MUCH higher than home maintenance. Insurance is comparable, at over $5000 per year each, but haulouts, bottom paint, mechanical, varnish, constant replacement of “something”... and varnish really add up. I concluded long ago that the two of us could live full time on a cruise ship and save money!
 

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
I think boat maintenance is MUCH higher than home maintenance. Insurance is comparable, at over $5000 per year each, but haulouts, bottom paint, mechanical, varnish, constant replacement of “something”... and varnish really add up. I concluded long ago that the two of us could live full time on a cruise ship and save money!
Having not actually lived in a house, you may be correct, but from what I've heard and read, when you consider the big ticket items like a new roof every so often, digging up the lawn or tearing into walls or floors to fix water or electric problems, especially on an older home, I'm not sure they are so far apart. Then there is snow removal which we never, ever have to do. lol
However, you have chosen a much prettier, bigger (and older?) boat than most, so perhaps that has some influence on your outlook.
 
Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
Then there is snow removal which we never, ever have to do.
True that. And certainly , as you well know, the Caribbean has its perks. But that salt environment does take its toll, especially on a steel boat. As we speak, we are hauled out for a week to repack the shaft, weld some stanchions due to hurricane damage, and do lots of button spot treatment before a new application of anti fouling paint before relaunching. Snow would make all that a lot more problematic...
 

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
True that. And certainly , as you well know, the Caribbean has its perks. But that salt environment does take its toll, especially on a steel boat. As we speak, we are hauled out for a week to repack the shaft, weld some stanchions due to hurricane damage, and do lots of button spot treatment before a new application of anti fouling paint before relaunching. Snow would make all that a lot more problematic...
Another thing we both forgot to mention is taxes, which might be considerable on a home and are not applicable on a boat if one is outside their home country. I haven't paid one single penny in taxes on this boat in the US, but of course, I do not use any services either.