How much does it cost to run a boat?

[prv]

That sounds like you're sailing past SSC.
[...]
Details here: http://www.southamptonsailingclub.com/

Yep, well aware of all of that. As I said, I was all set to take my future boat over there when we sell Kindred Spirit, as I expected us to go our separate ways boat-wise and I can't afford the current pontoon berth on my own.

Been something of a change of plan over the bank holiday weekend though, watch this space

Pete

 

[William_H]

Yachting

Further to what Searush says above while cost might seem a good question in looking from the outside of sailing it really is much less significant than the question "will I love it".
So definitely do some sail training and do try the charter in the Caribean. You might in fact find it more rational to rely on charter in warm places than sailing in UK. I think that most sailors in the UK persevere because they love owning a sail boat and sailing when they can.
Regarding size of boat. That is a real problem. A small boat can be a lot of fun and is not such a commitment in terms of cost of you don't like it. On the other hand you and your family are more likely to enjoy the bigger boat more room more stable etc. But a huge waste of money if you don't use it a lot.
A sharing can reduce costs but I would never do that. Boating can involve damage to the boat bumps and scratches that would be very embarrassing if someone else shared the boat. I occasionally use other peoples boats and while they are nice boats I much prefer my own cos if I scratch it, it is mine. Likewise I like to DIY on my boat in ways that others may not agree with. So I would and do happily lend my boat to others but would not want a sharing arrangement. However if you do make it a lopsided arrangement with you as major decision maker and owner. perhaps your friend could do a rent deal from you. good luck olewill

 

[Amulet]

How much does it cost to run a boat?

You want the figure I tell my wife? Or the truth?

 

[Caer Urfa]

How much does it cost to run a boat?

I am often asked this stupid question but I always have the same answer, that is from the day you buy a boat
'Your Bank balance will never be the same again'.

 

[Zagato]

Moor, store, service 2 engines (myself), anti-foul, general maintenance etc myself, insurance, harbour fees, £3250 per year

Petrol travelling to boat say 20 times per year £500

Diesel to run boat engine - not sure
marina,mooring fees away - not sure.
Any big maintenance purchases, spars, sails etc - not thinking about.

Depreciation on money (value!) tied up in it £1000 per year plus boats actual depreciation .

Total 4K per year anyway in cash to fork out.

No wonder trailer sailers sell for a premium!
slip fees £400
Insurance £100
Wheel bearings etc £100
engine serviced say £100 by someone else, got to be about 1K all in!


My father on the other hand sails only around Falmouth Harbour and over to the Helford passage. His mooring is £150, insurance £100, engine service £100, anti-foul every two years £50 - he can do it all for about £500 per year as he also doesn't have to drive to get to the boat. He has never replaced rigging, sails, engines etc on any of his very old 21' 2-4K boats. On the other hand his mooring is very tidally restricted and because he will only go out in less than a F3 he only gets roughly 8 sails per year. He's 80 so ....

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

To add a slightly different angle, one mistake people new to boat ownership often make is to buy as big/flash/new boat as they can for their money, ignoring work that needs doing, by thinking "i'll do the work myself"

Much CAN be done diy, but be very mindful of the costs...

I've done something similar in the last 12months... Only its not my first boat... or second... or third... So eyes wide open...

I say this, as i've already spent £10k on new instruments, fridge, radio, lights, varnish, ropes, batteries, chargers, wiring, pumps, switches, plumbing, etc etc etc... And probably another £15k or more to go.... And that's all diy... I knew what I was getting into and budgetted for it.

Its easy to not see these costs...

Buy a well maintained and sorted boat, and you'll keep running costs under control. You'll learn over time what is expensive and what isn't... until then best avoid 'projects' IMHO

 

[Jamesuk]

10% of the value of the new boat each year unless you keep it in Ibiza. Ive heard that a few times before it works with the current boat im on BUT if you leave the yacht on anchor instead of paying marina fees then it is much cheaper when not using the boat. Pay a local to check on the boat or possibly some friends for piece of mind

 

[Searush]

There is another approach to boat ownership . . .

If it works, don't replace it! Never upgrade anything that still does what it was supposed to do. If it does break, do without!

Not for everyone, but people have sailed for thousands of years without AIS, VHF, Radar, GPS, echosounders, wind instruments, electric lights, electric windlasses, bow thrusters, chart plotters, auto-pilots, etc etc.

You may need to think carefully about where you go & when. You may need to improvise a lead line & judge boat & windspeed yourself. You will certainly need to sharpen a pencil & your pilotage/ chart work skills, but it is all perfectly doable.

 

[Jamesuk]

There is another approach to boat ownership . . .

If it works, don't replace it! Never upgrade anything that still does what it was supposed to do. If it does break, do without!

Not for everyone, but people have sailed for thousands of years without AIS, VHF, Radar, GPS, echosounders, wind instruments, electric lights, electric windlasses, bow thrusters, chart plotters, auto-pilots, etc etc.

You may need to think carefully about where you go & when. You may need to improvise a lead line & judge boat & windspeed yourself. You will certainly need to sharpen a pencil & your pilotage/ chart work skills, but it is all perfectly doable.

Well said.

 

[AMCD300]

Well said.

Ditto...

 

[fergie_mac66]

b.o.a.t

Bring out another thousand !

Not true in our case as I do everything myself but .... If you dont DIY then

B O A T

 

[William_H]

There is another approach to boat ownership . . .

If it works, don't replace it! Never upgrade anything that still does what it was supposed to do. If it does break, do without!

Not for everyone, but people have sailed for thousands of years without AIS, VHF, Radar, GPS, echosounders, wind instruments, electric lights, electric windlasses, bow thrusters, chart plotters, auto-pilots, etc etc.

You may need to think carefully about where you go & when. You may need to improvise a lead line & judge boat & windspeed yourself. You will certainly need to sharpen a pencil & your pilotage/ chart work skills, but it is all perfectly doable.

Yes I agree completely however I do believe that electric light can be cheap and a vast improvement over the alternatives. VHF and GPS (HH) can give so much enhancement of safety with very little cost that you would be crazy to not have them. olewill

 

[aquaholic]

You may need to think carefully about where you go & when. You may need to improvise a lead line & judge boat & windspeed yourself. You will certainly need to sharpen a pencil & your pilotage/ chart work skills, but it is all perfectly doable.

Bought a new to me boat last year, have replaced or fixed instruments and things that were not working with the exception of the wind speed display........I don't need a digital display to tell me when I should be scared )

 

[jordanbasset]

As an example our Bavaria 38, based in the med, over the last 2 years cost £3,600 per year. This included all marina fees, lit outs, maintenance/servicing (most done myself or with friends help), anti-fouling, fuel etc. In addition it included upgrades such as new solar panels and a new dinghy

 

[Mavisto]

Huge Thankyou

I'd just like to say a huge thankyou to all of you who posted some really helpful infomation.

As many of you have suggested, I think the first thing to do is get some training and see if we're actually any good at sailing. I certainly wouldn't want to get a boat without knowing how to sail and navigate properly.

I also think that the size of my boat of choice needs some serious thought. I'd still like something that we can live aboard, but I appreciate everyones comments about the potential costs increasing with the size of the boat.

If I'm honest, I'm not sure buying a boat would now be the best option. It may be one luxury too far. Given the initial cost of the boat plus transport to get to it and potential annual costs, I think it is just going to prove too expensive. Especially as I enjoy other activities and wouldn't want to feel that I had to go to the boat every weekend to get value for money.

So in conclusion, lets get some training sorted out and then either a flotilla holiday or a charter. After that, we'll see how it goes. Maybe we'll get bitten by the sailing bug, maybe we wont.
My next question is; where can we get some good training and experience? Preferably somewhere warm!

 

[Tranona]

The RYA has a list of its recognised schools. The popular warm places are Canary Islands, Gibraltar, Mallorca and Greece, particularly Ionian.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

See comments from SEARUSH; The good thing about sailing is that you can make it as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. My advice is to start small and cheap then once you have learned from your mistakes and have gained experience, you can progress to big and expensive.

 

[fluffc]

For a sailing boat, i believe 10% of the boat's value is a good starting point when trying to figure the long-term maintenance costs out.

 

[ukmctc]

Hello Everyone.

I need some help and advice from all you Sail Boat owners out there. So I better start at the beginning.

I've had the cars and the motorbikes (still got them infact) but I've never owned a sail boat. I've owned a couple of RIB's when I was younger and used to do a lot of diving but even though I love the ocean and have spent some time beneath it, I've never actually been sailing.

Whilst on holiday in France, my partner and I started looking at the yachts in the harbour and thinking how nice it would be, when we decide to give up work, to be able to sail around the UK or over to France. We therefore started to think about buying one.

This isn't a short term idea, I'm not planning to go and buy a boat next week, but maybe in five years time. Our plan at the moment is to take a bit of time off work and undertake some training. Then perhaps spend a few of our summer's on Flotilla Holidays and then, if the finances allow it (and if we both enjoy it) buying something then. I really like the look of a Dufour 34.

Our idea for a sea going future had also interested some of our friends, particularly another couple who have suggested at the moment that they might consider a boat share.

If this plan is to go ahead, we are thinking of taking some equity out of our house and were thinking of about £20K each to buy the boat. This of course may all change if the cost of running the boat are excessive.

So, how much does it cost to run a boat?

How often do sails have to be replaced and engines serviced? Is it better to keep the boat in the water all year round or take it out during the winter? As you can tell, I really am new to this!!!

I've searched the internet for some ideas, but most replies seem to be from America. I really need to find out some info that applies to the UK and Europe.

I'm sorry if this is in the wrong forum, but as I said above I'm really new to this.

Its the right forum, and I'll cut out all the BULL, it costs 1K per person per month to run a 10 mtr yacht and live aboard while traveling around the UK and Europe.
That includes unforeseen problems, insurance, berthing, mooring, breakdowns, tourist things and general food and eating out.
Thats not excessive and more would be better, I've been doing what you are thinking of for the past 4 years and I love it, I stop between Octber and April and work so I can sail off again in spring. See Amazon "Boatingdreams 1-6".
The costs are relative to the size of your boat and mine is average, so bigger would be more and smaller slightly less.
Europe costs more, around £1500 pmpp.
Oh, yes people have done it for less in the 1800's but thats the costs now.
Happy sailing, and enjoy it, I do very much.

 

[dslittle]

Further to what Searush says above while cost might seem a good question in looking from the outside of sailing it really is much less significant than the question "will I love it".
So definitely do some sail training and do try the charter in the Caribean. You might in fact find it more rational to rely on charter in warm places than sailing in UK. I think that most sailors in the UK persevere because they love owning a sail boat and sailing when they can.

Very valid comment and true (in our case). Our last boat was in the Med and we thoroughly enjoyed going over to her for 5-7 weeks each year in the sun. Our current boat is in the UK and we spend most of our time on board. Despite the British weather, we do often have what we refer to as 'bonus days' when everything is perfect for sailing. Indeed one of our best day's was New Year's Day last year when we had a great sail in beautiful sunny weather with a nice wind on a flat sea!!! (OK it wasn't quite 25 degrees...). That makes being UK based ideal for us, at the moment.

All that being said, the cost of keeping a boat (I am not even thinking about how much it costs us) works for us - for others the warmer climes charter option might be more appealing/financially vivable.

As others have said, try it first without the large capital outlay. If you love it, it will be worth whatever you can afford.