Costs of owning a boat

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Katouf

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SBC's post about SBCs set me thinking. How much do you need to spend, as a minimum, to run an average sailing boat such as a Centaur; costs are those you have to pay regardless of use. Repairs not included.
My own are swinging mooring - £75; chain - £16 (assume renew 12 metres every 3 years); Insurance - £185; 5 months ashore at £4.50 per week - £90; 2 haul in/out - £60; Boat club membership -£65; antifoul (XM cheapo) - £45.

Total £536 minimum. Am I a spendthrift, a miser or somebody who should have a windsurfer on the roof rack? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Boat Club membership? you throwing money away? /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

"Repairs not included" is probably the key phrase here. I guess it is often hard to decide what is actually a preventative "repair" rather than an optional "enhancement".

For me always seems to be something that eats the money. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif.......although I guess somethings could be lived with a bit longer.
 
The boat club membership is a self-run / self-help club for motor boats and (now) a few raggies. Necessary to be a member to get cheap winter storage in a secure compound and very cheap haul out fees. Not a luxury!
 
The cost of owning a boat would have to be "all you can afford"

Even excluding maintenance you omitted to add depreciation, the more you paid, the more you lose.

Also unavoidable is ware and tare, not just anti fouling. sails have a limited life as does the standing and running rigging, the charts, instruments, and so on.

Also consumables, batteries, LPG gas, fuel, etc, etc.

Avagoodweekend......
 
[ QUOTE ]
to be a member to get cheap winter storage

[/ QUOTE ]

Thought their must be a reason! Agree with the thrust of your post though costs can be kept down, but just that IMO folk do need to budget for repairs, even if they can get put off for a few years. How much? dunno - I deliberately never keep track of my spending!!! (I think I may not be the only one!)
 
I live in South Wales. I am very much a new strter with a small 20ft bilge keel boat. The problem I find is its either marinas or boat clubs round here bot hof which seem very expensive for what they are.

Unless any one knows of any difference around this region, I too am in a bit of a quandry.

Sounds familiar ???
 
Hi mate,

My costs as per your criteria..

£200 insurance £600 year round drying berth...

Will need a few weeks lift out next year and maintenance and improvement has cost a fortune.

But as a hobby it does not have to be as expensive as some would have you believe.


Jim
 
Just worked out that mine costs me about a £100 a sail if I only sail 12 times a year. Got me thinking maybe I should sell up, but concluded what else could I do !!
 
Quote "mine costs me about a £100 a sail if I only sail 12 times a year"

Don't ever, EVER cost a boat as cost per day or even cost per hour! It's too frightening and if ever SWMBO saw that valuation my life wouldn't be worth living.

As Jim says, it's a hobby and should be compared as such.
 
It costs loads if you think about it - best not to!

If you keep an older boat and its sub 30' it seems to cost masses less than for a newer 30'+. I just can't see how people can afford new boats when they cost so d*mn much.

We spend over £120 per month over the year but that excludes the cost of the boat to start with.

And we ARE cheapskates! A lot of DIY.

As people say to us - we must be well off, as we have a boat. And we reply "No, we are poor, because we have a boat!"
 
[ QUOTE ]
Just worked out that mine costs me about a £100 a sail if I only sail 12 times a year. Got me thinking maybe I should sell up, but concluded what else could I do !!

[/ QUOTE ]The moral is to go sailing more often! Go 24 times a year and it halves the cost. Think what you'd spend on all those weekends away in a hotel somewhere if you didn't have the boat. Now deduct the cost of a couple of weeks abroad and you're quids in. Owning a boat actually saves you money!

(Accounting by Enron /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif)
 
Fuel, mooring/marina fees when you go away? Charts, almanacs?

You'll probably find, if you look at it really honestly, that it's a good bit more than you reckon!
 
I agree, its best not to add it up, if I have the money, I happily spend it on the boat or equipment. Think of the value of keeping sane and not needing expensive therapy!
Have you seen what some people spend on watching football or playing golf?

I have a 25' Cobra and my 'running ' costs add up to about
800 pounds a year, with repairs and improvements on top of that, but the value is incalcuable!

Peter
 
When I do this ......... I do try not to ! .......... I end up in cold sweats.

Marina : £130 a month
Lift out / Lift in annually : Nil ..... it happens only when needed.... so we'll put about £40 total there.
Insurance : £140 pa ( no survey needed)
Maintenance : here I am a real cheapskate !! - probably about £50 a year max.

I don't antifoul, I don't lift in / out, rigging / sails etc. are checked and remain ....

Annual bill ............... about £1790 on above figs .... more likely to be nearer £1700 ....

Actual days spent on her annually ... could be anything from 10 to 20 days a year ... more likely 10 - 12 !!

Oh dear ........... But as another says - you can't live without them ... many try - but boy are they sad people !

Now if we take my Race boat recently sold ....

Marina $300 for 6 months in ... incl. store trailer
Lift out / lift in next season $30 and rack of trailer
Winter ashore $150 6 months max
Maintenance to maintain race standards about $500 a year
Licence about $20 a year

My weekender at home ...

Marina : nil but have to maintain own pontoon about $20 a year
Winter storage : Nil - drag it up the bank
Maintenance - doesn't get any !!

ber boom !!
 
We reckon to spend roughly £10 a week on having a boat. Mainly mooring (£380) tender landing (£100) and insurance (£70).
Of course there are a few cupfuls of fuel and odd bits and pieces of maintenance. We don't even have to use the car to get to the boat.

But what else can you do for £10 a week? Tha major advantage to our mind is that the boat cost less than a grand, the new sail and motor were a one-off purchase, so if we don't use it for 2 or 3 weeks we don't start getting guilt feelings. On the other hand we get unexpected opportunities to get out when the B&B is full and the weather is beautiful.

It's not a cost, it's a pleasure and an honour to get out on the water in England's most beautiful place [/subjective opinion]
 
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