What is your cost per outing? $100? $3,000?

[Tim R.]

I call this the roller coaster theory

There are people who love to ride roller coasters. They will pay a fair amount(travel, park fees, etc) to get a 10 minute ride. When they are done they have nothing to show for it except the big smile on their faces.Sailing is my roller coaster. As my wife says "after all, it's only money". She always has a big smile on her face when she says it too! Now, I know I have never made money on a sailboat, but I have never sold one for less than I paid(purchase).Similar to MaineSail, I have been sailing/boating all my life and chose Portland for it's proximity to some of the best cruising grounds in the world. We had a great sail yesterday. There were 5 other boats sailing near us and virtually no stinkpotters. Shorts and tee shirt sailing in October. Who says you cannot sail 6 months in Maine?Tim R.

 

[Deadline]

Finally, an answer...

2,800 = 70,000 basis over 25 years2,500 = annual slip rental 500 = annual insurance2,000 = annual maintenance7,800 = total 71 = total divided by 110 days sailing

 

[ITMaster]

Not sure I calculate my cost the same way

The cost of my boat I will recover when I go to sell it, in fact I have been offered more than I have invested in it more than once. So that portion of the cost to me is a moot point since I will recoup the investment.The interest is 100% tax deductible since we declare this as our second home and the first one is paid for.My annual slip fee and electric and water is $1100My annual insurance fees are $1100My annual maintenance, haul out, and misc fees are $1100The food and drink are fixed expenses since I need them if I am on board or not.This year, I have been out on the water every weekend since the start of March except for 4 weekends. That is 30 weekends with at least 2 days for a minimum of 60 days.According to my calculator, my cost per day of going out is $55.00. What is your cost Benny?

 

[cephius (Dave)]

Get your moneys worth

My wife insists we use our sailboat as often as possible just for that reason. We sail every weekend during the season. She is very pragmatic. "If we're paying for it, we're going to use it" she tells me. However the reason its a sailboat and not some other hobby is she likes the fire in my eyes when we're under sail.

 

[larry w]

cost

I figured it out once, then promply forgot it, on purpose. I'm no accoutant, so I don't really care, it's the enjoyment and fun I like. Like a friend of mine says, "if I leave my money to my kids, they'll just buy BMWs with it, so I might as well spend it myself" Amen to that.

 

[EvenKeel]

A futile exercise, BUT...

I know it was a bad idea, but I went through the numbers when I was looking at larger boats and trying to decide whether the fractional ownership route would be better. Found just the right Catalina 350 for sale. Depending on years owned, the daily cost of use (for me) was $500-$700. Ooooooo....Then I looked at a fractional plan-- a Catalina 350 in Annapolis. Looked pretty good at $5-6000 per year-- a lot cheaper than owning. Went so far as to sign a contract. When I got my password to start using the online scheduling system, I found that virtually all of the weekends for the entire year were already booked! An this was only March! I backed out of the contract and bought the other C350 outright. The expensive route, but cheap for waterfront property! No regrets. It feels much more like our second home than fractional would have.Gary B.

 

[Marcia]

We were talking about this just yesterday

and we both decided we just didn't care what it cost. Like others, we bought an older boat and just love it. Whether we actually sail or just sit and enjoy life together onboard, it's worth every penny spent. I would much rather have our modest boat than some second home somewhere.

 

[Rich Stidger]

Gimmee a break, I only have an 8-digit calculator

Maybe I'm ahead of the game, a sailboat isn't an expense, it's an income. Consider this....Actually, I've made a small fortune with my sailboat.However, I did start with a large fortune....

 

[Roger (Ninette Manitoba)]

I don't like this game...

but just to be a sport, here are my figures...first canoe cost me $1k to build, traded it for first boat, no loss. Add $1k of add ons to boat, sold boat for $2k, but kept $1k of add ons, net gain=$2k, bought next boat for $1.7k. bal $300 to the good. Annual costs at marina $.2k/yr over past two years, net loss $100 or $50/yr. I like those figures! If you disagree with my figures, I don't care. Perhaps you need therapy. Therapy costs more! Sailing priceless.

 

[Ross]

There are many ways to look at a question.

Some people are concerned with the price of everything but have no concept of the value of anything. When you decide to place a price on the pleasures in life then you must decide where you stop. What is the value in dollars and cents of a small child bringing you a single flower picked from the garden?What is the value of being awakened by a wife's kiss when it is time to get up? If I ask how much does a kiss from your wife cost? and you even start to figure, you just don't get it.

 

[Manny]

$20

That is what I spend in gas and tolls round trip to get to the boat and back home.I don't worry about any other costs.Manny

 

[JungleJetJock]

Rodger from Dallas

What lake do you sail? I am on Lewisville.As far as my cost per sail goes I figure all the cost with insurance, slip fees, fuel, a little reserve for when stuff breaks, etc. etc. I spend about 500 per month with an H260. I also sail year round and during the summer I usually go out 3 or more days per week and a little less often in winter but still average at least 1x per week. To make it easy we'll use an annual average of 110 times sailing for the year and since my marina is close enough I could ride a bike if I wanted travel costs are nil, my average cost per trip (not including beer) is about $65. That price will go down once the boat is fully paid off.

 

[Bob Fox]

Doin it on the cheap

I figure about 1900 a year total expenses includes Yacht club mooring hauling insurance maintanence and incidentals I sail about 70 days a season Im retired . breaks down to about $30 a day. But who cares what it costs. I never stopped to think about it. I dont really care what it costs. truthfull there is nothing else that I would rather do,Bob p 26 w

 

[NautiDuck]

Who cares?

People who think that the cost-per-trip is an important number should sell the boat and rent one. The good things in life, the ones that really matter, the ones that define you, will never look good on a ledger sheet.And why cost it out per-sail? If I cost it out per-moment-of-thinking-about-sailing-and-the-joys-of-sailing then my cost is pennies per day.

 

[sardo]

STP

wow Benny STPStir The Pot!Bawhaaaaa! LOL!sardo

 

[Dan Johnson]

Roger and Randy...

are right! Sailing is cheap therapy every weekend April to November. I've got waterfront property with easy access, great neighbors, beautiful sunsets, and as much sailing as I can handle, all for about $5,000 a year. Who's counting?

 

[John R]

boat vs. car

I just got back from preparing the topsides of my boat for polishing. First I took my dogs down to the marina and let them have a nice swim. Then they lay around on the boat while I worked.My last pickup truck I owned for almost ten years. I think I polished it once, but I can't remember even that time. Get the picture? Even working on the boat is a pleasure for me.I bought my first boat at a time when I was going through some real stress in my life. The boat was the greatest thing imaginable for that. It's been the same since then - whether I'm sailing it (which I try to do at least once a week) or working on it.The only financial question involved for me is whether I can afford it. So far so good.