Season Prep costs

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GeorgiaBII

GeorgiaBII

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Jun 14, 2011
277
Hunter 22 Fin Keel Lake Martin
Do you ever start adding up all the receipts for the "minor" projects before the season starts and find yourself wanting to hide under the bed before the wife see's the bill?

All these "small things" are adding up quick again this year. :eek:
 
Joe

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,323
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Yeah... that's your first mistake..... keeping the evidence.... just hide it in the boat book. Cash might be a good idea if you don't want her to trace it.

Trust me.... golfers have the same fear.
 
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LuzSD

LuzSD

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Feb 21, 2009
1,009
Catalina 30 San Diego/ Dana Point, Ca.
Nope, money spent on our boat always feels like money well spent. sorry, no hiding receipts here, all in agreement!:)
 
finding41

finding41

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Nov 23, 2011
2,023
MacGregor 26D London Ontario Canada
I took my family to our local yacht club on Sat. to check the place out and apply for membership. She was incredibly calm when we discussed the money. She thinks its worth it for the first few years of ownership. It's relatively cheap too. $750
 
Ralph Johnstone

Ralph Johnstone

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Jan 4, 2006
7,650
Hunter 310 West Vancouver, B.C.
Some Years Ago ......................

................. I had to abandon the idea of someday being buried in a nice crisp bed of new $100 dollar bills. This was shortly after buying the new boat.

Don't keep track of your expenses or you'll wind up doing something foolish and very regrettable :eek:.
 
Fly_H23

Fly_H23

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Mar 2, 2011
489
Compac 14 Charleston, SC
Don't count "minor projects" as capital investments on your boat, instead consider them "routine maintenance" to make the boat safer, reliable and more comfortable.


"A bad day of sailing beats a good day or rowing"
 
dparilla

dparilla

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Jan 22, 2008
597
Oday 35 and Mariner 2+2 Alexandria, VA
Think how much it costs to maintain a car or house. A boat is somewhere in the middle, all the systems of a house, plus the engine of a car, the sails are the only truly unique expense. (that's my story and I am sticking to it.)
 
Indysailor

Indysailor

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Oct 10, 2009
1,099
Catalina 27 3657 Lake Monroe
The amount of money we spend for a slip and getting our boat ready every year is still less than it would cost to go on a nice vacation at the beach for two weeks and I get to play on my boat for seven months. As long as that math works, I don't worry too much about it. And my wife is on the same page, which makes it that much better. :)
 
Dave602

Dave602

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Jan 22, 2008
321
Hunter 29.5 Gloucester, VA
I agree with Indy, we were taking two one week vacations a year. The boat is now one of them. Hopefully Christmas too. This year we hope to add Heat and Air.
 
T

tkaser3210

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Dec 10, 2010
43
Hunter H26 South Haven, MI
Seasonal prep costs

I suspect most of us rationalize our cost of ownership one way or another. We live in Northern Indiana and sail Lake Michigan out of South Haven. A lot of friends and neighbors own (inland) lake cottages, but we consider our Hunter 26 to be our lake cottage. Initial cost was a fraction of the cost of a cottage, slip rental and seasonal upkeep are much less the the annual cost of a lake cottage, and no grass to mow!

It all makes sense to us.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
23,358
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Why not keep track. Taxes? anyone... I keep a detailed inventory of everything I spend, including date, model numbers, remarks and cost. I can find anything I ever put on the boat, so years later if I have to replace it I have the source, and the model number. I once called West Marine while miles off the coast 'cuz I needed a new autopilot belt. It was there when I arrived in port. Couldn't have done that without the inventory list, and model number.
 
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rjarrell

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Jan 22, 2008
55
Hunter 37.5 Jacksonville FL
Needed a replacement part that I had purchased at West Marine. They keep a record of all expenditures and easily referenced the needed part number. Their records also include all the money you have spent with them. OMG!!! Don't ever look at that list. It will probably ruin your day.
 
GeorgiaBII

GeorgiaBII

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Jun 14, 2011
277
Hunter 22 Fin Keel Lake Martin
Hehe I've not spent any money with West marine but just D&R marine plus home depot is putting me in the poor house.

1 board of TREX cost me almost 60 bucks! All that for toe rails yikes!

Then add in the new engine, fuel tanks, Jib sail, fuel lines, rewiring the entire boat, Solar charger, new rub rails, rebuilding the rudder, 2 deep cycle batteries, and on and on.....

But it's one heck of a fun hobby!
 
higgs

higgs

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Aug 24, 2005
3,736
Nassau 34 Olcott, NY
I make it a point not to keep track of what I spend on the boat. i don't want to have to justify what I spend. Like the visa commercial says - some things are priceless.
 
finding41

finding41

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Nov 23, 2011
2,023
MacGregor 26D London Ontario Canada
One of the reasons I got our boat is to use it as our floating cottage. As mentioned before no taxes, etc. We love to camp and with the boat we have we have a great opportunity to camp on the boat and go places others can't. I mentioned above that we just joined a yacht club, well its 5 min from the house and with the boat docked and ready to go we will play more. That $750 expense will most likely be the biggest one year one until we need new sails. That said' I am making new cushion covers and painting inside the bilge storage areas myself. There is another $300 that will last another 15 years.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
23,358
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
finding41 said:
One of the reasons I got our boat is to use it as our floating cottage. As mentioned before no taxes, etc.
Click to expand
As a second home, you get to use a tax deduction for boating expenses if you have a good tax guy or good tax software.
 
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