Cost of running a 30 footer.....

[petem]

I was recently bold enough to mention that I reckoned it cost me about £12k per year to finance and run my 30ft boat (excluding depreciation).

Now, interesting enough I met a chap on holiday last week (in rainy Lanzarote) who runs his 28ft Fletcher Zindarro (or something like that, I was a bit pissed at the time) for a mere £1200 per year. This includes a swinging mooring on lake Windermere. (He does however hide his credit bills for petrol).

Despite this the poor chap is being forced by his wife to sell the thing!

So the answer to how much does it cost to run a boat is 'whatever you want it to!'

 

[numenius]

Real costs and spouse declared costs...

Glad to see I'm not alone in having 2 sets of figures when it comes to how much the boat costs... Quotes of mine that may be equally familiar to others: "no, of course I'm not spending anyhting more on the boat this year" or, "oh, it was only a few quid" (the latter refering to a Koden radar!!)... disengenius, who, me?

http://members.lycos.co.uk/boaty1965/index.htm

 

[DepSol]

Re: Real costs and spouse declared costs...

Its amazing how chea you can get boat equiment when the wifes asking. Afreind of mine came up to me and said how much to fit your trim tabs your wife said £235 but I was quoted £655 by same comany for same item.

With a wink and a nod I said its not wot you know its who you know

Dom

 

[ChrisP]

Re: Rule of thumb

About 10% of the purchase price per year.

ChrisP)

 

[byron]

Re: Rule of thumb

I disagree Chris. The way I work it is this. Think of a phone number, double it, divide by eleventytwo, multiply by Pi, get the square root of F.A. and add the difference between Claudia Schiffers bra size and 101 dalmations. This gives a far more accurate figure.

ô¿ô

 

[DepSol]

Re: Rule of thumb

yeah but takes too long for an answer when under pressure!

 

[BarryD]

Re: Real costs and spouse declared costs...

I disagree - there is no point in hiding the costs unless your a real chauvanist (sp?) - it's our money, I earn it, SWMBO looks after short person and we both spend it. We both like boating so we are "cool" with the costs - if she or I wasn't happy at the expense then we wouldn't do it.

However I'm not sure that £500 monthly QVC bills and at last count, 17 pairs of black boots are a major contribution to the lifestyle - but so be it. Boating is after all only a hobby (all encompassing I agree) and should be treated as such, the costs are part of the game or entry fee to the club.

Barry D.

IMHO & FWIW, NWGOI.

 

[miket]

First, I never add up the costs. I'm not brave enough.

Second, it seems that the 2 major costs are mooring and finance costs (or loss of income if you buy outright).
On a 35 footer at £100k:
Mooring 4k
Finance/ lost income 5k

How horrible. I'm definitely not brave enough to continue.

 

[Guest]

Theres only one Fletcher Zingaro on Windermere, the reason it only costs him £1200 a year is because I have never seen it move off its mooring !!

Seriously most boats on Windermere do very little milage/hours, I was on a 10 year old Sealine 330 on Saturday with only 47 hours on the clock. And they hardly ever service the engines, leave it on the water all year and never antifoul it.

 

[DepSol]

Re: Real costs and spouse declared costs...

It depends on the wife, if I told her how much it cost it would only justify her spending more on the rubbish she collects even tho she gets great pleasure out of boating in her book it doesnt count as I had the pleasure of spending it!

Dom

 

[longjohnsilver]

Cost of running my old CI 32 works out to be about £1500pa.
Mooring cost is £90 + chain etc about another £50, insurance £200, winter berthing + winter storage and antifoul another £600 or so, the rest goes on fuel which I pay on average about 18p per litre. I probably do about 1000 miles or so on average in the year so I reckon the running costs are pretty reasonable.

These figures do not take into account extras such as new electronics etc or new engine bits.

 

[Scubadoo]

Here is a break down on my 25ft boat in the Solent:

Marina Mooring £2,100
Servicing £600 (£350 Outdrive maintenance [bellows] etc every 24months)
Insurance £300
Antifouling £85 + Crane (£250)
Others costs £250 (prop recondition, general maintenance, seastart etc, VHF Li.)
Probably missed something!

Total £3,585 pa

That does not include using the boat or the boat's value changes etc. That is how I think you should look at the static cost of owning a boat. Using the boat well you need to add marina fees and diesel to start with.

So on a 30footer I guess my figure increase by £1,000 approx i.e. £4,600 (including twin engines).

So does that help.

RM.

 

[Duster]

The good news is that however much it costs that amount is not available to be spent on house impovements or things for the garden !If the money was available for these things they would then waste valuable boating time doing or organising them.
PS Glad its not just me that makes some "remarkable buys"
mikej

 

[petem]

Don't think is wife was very keen. Not unique i'd imagine. Still, he was a nice chap.

 

[miket]

Are you guys just trying to kid yourselves?

You have all either borrowed to buy your boats, or used capital (savings) which is no longer earning you interest.

As below:
Boat £100k
Cost of borrowing and / or loss of earnings on savings £5k to £10k depending how good your investments or your finance deal!!!
Forget the rest, it pales into insignificance!

 

[jfm]

Re interest on your capital

Miket:

Naa, imho. If you have £100k in cash, then yes you can stick it in the bank and (say) make £5k interest pa. And if you buy a boat, you lose that income. But you're deluding yourself if you think that's a "cost" of boating. You will suffer that cost whether you buy a boat, or a house or a plane or a diamond neckless or a breast enlargement. So it's a "cost" of spending money. The only way to avoid this cost is not spend the money, but that's not the point of money, issit?

If you're director of a company, it's different. You have to measure cost of shareholders capital etc. But when it's your money, you have to either spend it, or die with it. You will suffer the £5k "cost" no matter what you spend it on, so dont include that cost in your boating analysis, IMHO.

What I say is entirely imho and may be complete tosh but I find this approach helps......!

 

[jfm]

Re: £500/mo QVC bills

Jeez! Suggest you confiscate Heidi's TV set!

 

[BarryD]

Hide TV

Nice thought JFM, but I can't hide the TV 'cos it's too big. Anywhen she say's she sends half of it back - but I can't find the credits! Took the 8hp out last Saturday - wobbling on swapping it for a paltry 4....

Barry D.

IMHO & FWIW, NWGOI.

 

[jfm]

Re: Hello Buoys/AmPie

How was new boat? Did you get out past the bar or was weather too bad? 38knots? Full report plse!

 

[BarryD]

Re: Hello Buoys/AmPie

Nothing doing - wimped out in high wind. Had a great weekend on the boat - got very drunk at the club, playing in the RIB. Might be going out next week if I can get some time off and my pilot / guide / willing fender can show me the ropes.

Barry D.

IMHO & FWIW, NWGOI.