Gentoo
New member
As to surveyor, I've had good service from Tom Elder at Teem surveys - Clyde based as my boat is at Ardrossan
I'm gonna buy a Fulmar tomorrow. Should I?
- Thread starter roblpm
- Start date
dunedin
Well-known member
Whilst a lot of comment on the financial aspects, one key factor may be time availability to go sailing pre-retirement. Any yacht entails time committed to maintenance, as well as cost. To get “value” (never to be measured in £££ !) from this ”investment“ (of time) I suspect most feel it necessary to be able to sail their boat for 2-3 weeks in holidays, plus 5-6 weekends, ideally a couple of these long weekends to get somewhere different.
If this is feasible for the OP, then I would tend to be in the JFDI camp (another acronym!) - and poured my own money down this particular route.
But if the OP has other demands on his weekend and holiday time it may be better to go the charter route for a couple of holidays.
And/or buy something much smaller but newer and faster as a weekend plaything on the Clyde - with smaller maintenance and financial demands (eg a 22-24 foot First or similar)?
If this is feasible for the OP, then I would tend to be in the JFDI camp (another acronym!) - and poured my own money down this particular route.
But if the OP has other demands on his weekend and holiday time it may be better to go the charter route for a couple of holidays.
And/or buy something much smaller but newer and faster as a weekend plaything on the Clyde - with smaller maintenance and financial demands (eg a 22-24 foot First or similar)?
doug748
Well-known member
Time slips away. Two more good un's:
Irene Handl said:
"One day, when I was about 55, I went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea, when I came out I was near 80 "
Martin Amis:
"..at the age of 50, I quite suddenly understood that things were going to end badly"
That's right, apart from the suggested capital outlay of around 25 thousand , running a Fulmar would probably cost most folk between 6 and 10k per annum. These figures have to be considered when trying to build a prize pot for the 40 footer.
Something like this:
Spring Run for sale
.... might be available t for maybe 5 grand. This type of capable boat plus trailer could be run at minimum cost. You may not want to cross the North Sea in it but, with a business to grow and run, long summer holidays might be a dream rather than reality anyway.
.
Irene Handl said:
"One day, when I was about 55, I went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea, when I came out I was near 80 "
Martin Amis:
"..at the age of 50, I quite suddenly understood that things were going to end badly"
That's right, apart from the suggested capital outlay of around 25 thousand , running a Fulmar would probably cost most folk between 6 and 10k per annum. These figures have to be considered when trying to build a prize pot for the 40 footer.
Something like this:
Spring Run for sale
.... might be available t for maybe 5 grand. This type of capable boat plus trailer could be run at minimum cost. You may not want to cross the North Sea in it but, with a business to grow and run, long summer holidays might be a dream rather than reality anyway.
.
awol
Well-known member
I'm surprised you don't recommend a boat share.
dunedin
Well-known member
Actually I was indeed thinking that a boat share might be ideal for the OP. The only problem is finding suitable share-eesI'm surprised you don't recommend a boat share.
Other commitments (kids sailing) were the reason we stopped yachting for a while.
awol
Well-known member
?Actually I was indeed thinking that a boat share might be ideal for the OP. The only problem is finding suitable share-ees
roblpm
Well-known member
Yes the outlay now vs the saving up is a key factor.
I have plenty of free time though.... The business is pretty well organised with other people doing all the work..... ?
roblpm
Well-known member
Actually I was indeed thinking that a boat share might be ideal for the OP. The only problem is finding suitable share-ees
Other commitments (kids sailing) were the reason we stopped yachting for a while.
I shared a racing boat for a couple of years. Didn't really enjoy it....
roblpm
Well-known member
This isn't a problem. I can work remotely anywhere I can get a phone signal. However I do have two kids who aren't quite independent yet so buggering off anywhere very far for more than a month at a time isn't really a great idea yet.
In actual fact having read all the very useful comments I am leaning towards one year of saving. 5 years of Fulmar or something else 32-35 foot and then maybe upscale when I have more time to go further afield.
I think there is a definite argument for cold boat.... Hot boat..... In fact buying in the med vat free in 5 years might be an option for med and Caribbean.
steve yates
Well-known member
Ach no, its the same size as my longbow which costs around £500 a year including sailing club fees, down in essex. I know the solent is expensive, and some of the clyde marinas can be too, but there are plenty other options, none of them anywhere near 6-10k.
Stemar
Well-known member
Put her on a mud berth (soft mud, so she sits upright), and you could knock a few £K off that.
ashtead
Well-known member
Put her on the River Medina and it’s probably just a few hundred a year to moor and insure. Might be even cheaper if you able to join Hornet sailing club where I believe ex navy chaps keep their Westerlys.
Kurrawong_Kid
Well-known member
But can you put your trousers on within the cabin when Scots rain is thundering down?
mrming
Well-known member
I keep my Fulmar in a mud berth, in a marina with power and water. In Kent that costs c. £2k a year.
roblpm
Well-known member
I'm in Scotland!
roblpm
Well-known member
If you see my post a few up. The new plan is delay a year to sort finance so it is painless. So maybe 2 feet longer will be in order....
dunedin
Well-known member
One good thing about the Fulmar (and many of that generation of boats) is they have a good bow roller and a substantial central bow mooring cleat - hence quite well suited to a mooring to save marina fees. Quite a few places with moorings in Clyde, some I think with courtesy ferry to get to & from boat (but others on here are more up to date on this to advise).
Fortunately don’t have many places with mud berths in the Clyde, so can sail any time of day or night without needing to worry about tide times.
bitbaltic
Well-known member
Interesting. I think if you included the purchase price and worked it out over a long-term ownership your figures would be about right, outside the Solent. 10 years ago I bought my boat for (I think) 28k. In 2016 I added up the total cost of sailing to that point (I have receipts for absolutely everything, and I included absolutely everything- the boat, all RYA training courses for SWMBO and I, other paid sailing experiences and a refit in 2013 costing about 13 grand for sails and handling gear) adding up to 90k spent at that point. Since 2017 the boat has been berthed in Milford Haven for 2k per annum and I’ve probably spent about a grand each year on maintenance; it needs no betterment cos that was all done in the early years. So that’s another 15000 let’s say. So 105,000 for everything- absolutely everything- across a decade on a reducing trend.
If I keep the boat into my older age (let’s say another 20 years) the annual costs will not increase much so although the figure you give seems large I think it depends on where in your sailing career you start the accounts!
Baggywrinkle
Well-known member
After keeping a '99 AWB in the med for a decade the cost was 1/3 purchase price 2/3 marinas, maintenance and repairs. In total, the best part of 120K ... and worth every euro-cent. .... I've just sold her and will be doing the same again with a slightly bigger AWB.
If you plan to keep the boat for any length of time then the running costs will out-strip the purchase price by a considerable margin .... more so the cheaper and older the boat.
.... I've just sold her and will be doing the same again with a slightly bigger AWB. If you plan to keep the boat for any length of time then the running costs will out-strip the purchase price by a considerable margin .... more so the cheaper and older the boat.
Martin&Rene
Active member
I certainly know of one Fulmar in Largs for sale that has been owned only one person and it has been looked after by him throughout its life and it is in very good condition, having been on it a couple of times. If this year has shown us anything, it has shown us that you cannot predict the future. Our yacht has certainly been a great blessing from both a physical and mental viewpoint over the last 2 years, so just get out there and go sailing NOW (OK wait until it has warmed up a bit).