Costs in Scotland

C

Cabo

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Hi All -

Apologies in advance for a newbie question...

I am looking to purchase something 2nd hand, around 26ft and in GRP in the near future and wondered if anyone had worked out the average annual running costs (maintenance, storage, other fees) for a yacht of this type based on the West coast of Scotland. Also - what are the alternatives to marinas? Do the yacht clubs have more cost-effective moorings?

Thanks.
 
Where do want to keep your boat? If it's the Clyde I could maybe offer some useful advice or info. If it's not the Clyde I am sure someone will be along soon to help you.
 
Hi

Welcome to the forum.

Our 31 foot boat share lives in a marina (Largs). The annual costs are £1,500 each - a total of £6,000. This is inclusive of berth, maintenance, insurance, fuel, ongoing upgrading and all the little miscellaneous things that you don't think of.

I'd expect a mooring to result in a reduction in those costs of around 50%.

Good luck

Paul
 
Thanks folks. I am thinking of the Clyde or perhaps somewhere further up the cost if that's realistic - most of my yachting will be at the weekend for the time being due to work commitments therefore don't want too much of a long journey from Glasgow
 
If you go outside the Clyde cost of moorings come down but they vary considerably depending on convenience. Marina fees are similar to the Clyde. I understand that Ardrossan is cheapest. The new marina at Portavadie has plenty of space but is a bit remote. There are few yacht clubs out here now that don't have a waiting list for moorings and an even longer one for hardstanding in winter. You can still get a mooring once you go north of Oban (try Linnhe Marine for instance) While cruising on the West Coast suits fin keelers it is now becoming so difficult to find reasonable moorings that shallow drafted boats are becoming more attractive as moorings can sometimes be found for them inshore. Bilge keelers are now becoming almost as common as in Wales. I keep a 33 ft. boat in the Crinan Canal, (Waiting list now as they have decided to concentrate on transit business, they have recently been refused Planning Permission to put additional berths in the Canal because the sight of boats offends the eye of ramblers using the towpath) Berthing costs about £1200 per yr. plus £400 for lift out every second year. I do most of my own maintenace about £2-300, we buy a new sail about every second year (say £1200)
About 200 litres of diesel and 4 bottles of gas. Once we go cruising we spend about £ 15-25 for mooring about every second night. Depreciation is negligible if a quality boat is well looked after, about parallel to inflation.
Members of Ardrishaig Boat Club pay something like £50pa. for mooring in Loch Gilp but they do not encourage new members as they believe they are at capacity, other places likeTayvallich or Ardfern are similar. Northern Ireland is different with great enthusiasm for encouraging Club growth in places like Cushendall, Larne or Belfast Lough, I knew a sailor from Ayrshire who kept his boat in Carrickfergus Marina. However the cruising is so much better west of Crinan that the first passage of any cruise is to Gigha or Port Ellen.
 
HI Cabo,

We keep a 27ft Albin Vega up near Oban. We paid £800 to put a mooring down. Ongoing costs are £55 a year to the moorings association/crown estates plus inspection and replacements (probably averageing around £150 per annum). THis means Summer afloat is £200. Winter haul-out and storage in the local boatyard is £800 including mast craneage, with £100 for antifoul - so I reckon our total annual cost excluding repairs / renewals is around £1100, although this was greatly reduced the year we left her in the water over Winter.

This is cheap, but even if you use a boatyard or marina mooring it is nothing like the Largs prices quoted.

e.g. Ardoran Marine:
£165 per metre annually for six months afloat and 6 months ashore (includes lift out & in). An additional hourly charge is made for mast removal and storage. This is around £1500 a year for a 26 - 27 footer.

For other places moorings and winter storage are available have a look HERE

- W
 
Probably a bit far for you but annual berthing in Stromness marina is currently £99 / metre. Drive up to Scrabster and take the ferry as a foot passenger. The marina is the other side of the ferry berth in Stromness.
 
I keep my 27' boat in the Gareloch in the summer on a rented mooring for c£600. But for this there is also a pontoon to bring the boat alongside, a dinghy park, slip for launching the dinghy, water supply, toilets, showers.

This winter I'm keeping the boat ashore at Dumbarton for £700. This is good for easy access from central Scotland north of the Clyde, and has good power and water supplies. Also has a small on-site chandler which is very handy when working on the boat in the winter.

So that is a total of £1300. After that runing costs vary hugely from year to year. My boat is 30 years old so there is always something!

Have considered getting my own mooring to keep costs down - going rate seems to be around £400 to buy one in the Gareloch. However the facilities at the yard are really handy e.g. don't have to trail the dinghy back and forward in the car; an eye kept on the boat by yard staff; access to water and toilets handy when working on the boat on the mooring.

Good Luck

John
 
Thanks everyone for your replies - very much appreciated. The information provided has given me plenty to think about. As someone who is just getting into boat ownership this is extremely useful.
 
On the Clyde there are several marinas within easy access to Motorways/airports trains if that is what you need. Prices available on line for Inverkip/Largs/ Clyde (Ardrossan) or Troon all berthing and lifting costs available online.
My 26 ft costs around £2100 per year plus about £220 lift in/out. Antifoul around £60 per year, diesel cost next to nothing as I get 5-6 hours/gallon. I have ben lucky and my boats has not cost me much but there is always the odd £30 every so often for a broken something.
 
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