should I........

[halyardmonkey.]

I am fed up with the age of austerity, it dull and boring....... Should I just spend all my savings on a yacht and have a laugh whilst i have my youth and hopefully have time to re-save it....... What does 15-20k buy yacht wise?

H.M

 

[iain789]

Go for it, you only live once. I bought my first boat five years ago after waiting till I was financially secure and could easily afford it. I wish I'd done it decades ago.

When the time comes for summing up your life, it's the things you didn't do that you'll regret.

 

[Lakesailor]

Leave a bit over for stuff.

 

[oldfatgit]

It is quite surprising, sometimes, how not bad an investment a yacht can be. Granted, if you buy new and sell in only a couple of years you will loose out as a result of initial depreciation and on the things you would have bought to get her to your liking. However, buy second hand or new and hang on for a good few years, spending cautiously in order to maintain her seaworthiness and serviceability and should you sell, she might reach a price which is not disagreeable. I bought first boat for £20K and sold for £21K 13 years later, I had spent quite a bit in between, but enjoyed that and the sailing. In the end I thought I'd had my money's worth.

A faint heart never gets the beautiful girl......

 

[TQA]

I am fed up with the age of austerity, it dull and boring....... Should I just spend all my savings on a yacht and have a laugh whilst i have my youth and hopefully have time to re-save it....... What does 15-20k buy yacht wise?

H.M

I did just that 20 years ago, spent 15k to buy a roughish 38 ft steel boat, put 5 k into her then went sailing. Sold her for 12 k after 7 years as a liveaboard mostly in the Caribbean. One of the best decisions I ever made.

You can find 36 foot steel boats in France for 15 k Not pretty but the French go everywhere with them.

There is a Mk 1 Warrior on offer just now that I would look at plus a few Westerly Renown/Longbow etc all in your price bracket.

 

[phantomlady]

Just do it!

 

[temptress]

Go for it

A long time ago I had the choice to buy a boat or a house. I bought the boat and NEVER regretted it. Later on I also bought a house and a bigger boat. I have often had discussions with friends that wanted a boat but convinced themselves they could not afford it even though they earned way mpre then me.

So buy the boat and enjoy it. You can save up again for something else....

 

[ProDave]

Yes go and buy your boat.

What we found was prices now are much cheaper than they were 6 years ago. The price drop due to the "credit crunch" meant we found a boat we could afford, wheras 6 years ago when we last looked everything was too expensive.

 

[pugwash60]

Money invested is depreciating at about 3% pa.
You won't save money buying a boat but at least you can have fun with the investment.
15 -20 K is ample for serious fun.
If you're in an expensive to berth area go for the smallest boat you can envisage being happy with, (berthing costs are generally a multiple of length and the less systems there are the less maintenance, also the cheaper it is to replace rigging, sails etc.) remember a few years ago a 25 ft boat was seen as fairly big for a pleasure boat. If that's not an issue go for the smallest boat you think you will be comfortable on. Tons of boats in your range. In the main it's cheaper to buy a boat that's more expensive but ready to go than one requiring work. I've sailed the W Coast of Scotland and my Father sailed around Ireland in a Kingfisher 20. (circa 3k) I now have an Elizabethan 31 which is far bigger than I need but I get a lot of pleasure from her and from tinkering and envisaging future voyages.

 

[Victoria Sponge]

I wouldn't even talk about investment and yacht in the same sentence! Go and buy your yacht, you know you want to. Life's too short!

 

[sighmoon]

Why not have your cake and eat it?

You could be sailing something small, scruffy and simple for about 10% of your budget.

 

[savageseadog]

I did just that 20 years ago, spent 15k to buy a roughish 38 ft steel boat, put 5 k into her then went sailing. Sold her for 12 k after 7 years as a liveaboard mostly in the Caribbean. One of the best decisions I ever made.................

What, selling her?

 

[halyardmonkey.]

Cheap moorings are not a problem...... Perhaps rent the flat out and let it pay for itself for a bit and enjoy what sailing has to offer...... The problem I now have is bloody hell there are alot of boats out there for that sort of money....... Finding the right one should be fun though!

H.M

 

[sighmoon]

Are living onboard? Yes, spend what you can then.

I had a look at a few boats in that price range. My favourite was the Albin Ballad.

 

[Searush]

Cheap moorings are not a problem...... Perhaps rent the flat out and let it pay for itself for a bit and enjoy what sailing has to offer...... The problem I now have is bloody hell there are alot of boats out there for that sort of money....... Finding the right one should be fun though!

H.M

Think long & hard about the sort of sailing you plan to do - then get the boat that suits that sort of sailing. Get the best maintained & equipped boat you can, extras soon mount up.

Don't forget, there may be problems with the flat let, have you someone to act as agent, or will you need to be coming back to deal with any issues? Allow for 10% to a commercial agent & at least 10-15%pa for unlet periods or repairs/ redecoration. Unlet periods can extend into 12 months or so, so keep some reserve.

Are you practical enough to do work on your own boat? If not, running costs may be high. If yes, you might make a few quid in hand working on other people's boats.

 

[Norman_E]

My biggest regret is that I did not buy a yacht until I was 60. I missed out on far too many years of fun, when I was fitter and stronger than I am now. Go for it. I knew far too many people who worked in dull jobs and dropped down dead soon after retiring, and most of them had dreams of a good life later, and never got there.

 

[TSB240]

"There are no pockets in shrouds"

Spend the kids inheritence now

 

[Babylon]

Chance your arm, but not your whole body

Too little personal information - like age, any dependants, what you do for a living, earning capacity, prospects, value of property and capital in it, possible inheritance, etc - but as you've asked us to 'spend' your money, I'd add my voice to those who say buy a yacht.

You're wise however to keep your real capital in the flat intact, as you don't know what the future will bring.

I bought my yacht when I was 43, after years of building my vocational skills and income-earning capacity, and had the leisure time available whilst still working and providing for a family - neither twenty years too early, nor twenty years too late.

But still don't know what's round the next corner!

 

[TQA]

What, selling her?

Both! goingwas great and as for selling her, well I had to go back to work and steel boats deteriorate if not used and maintained. Also she needed a new main sail, bottom job etc etc.

 

[halyardmonkey.]

Too little personal information - like age, any dependants, what you do for a living, earning capacity, prospects, value of property and capital in it, possible inheritance, etc - but as you've asked us to 'spend' your money, I'd add my voice to those who say buy a yacht.

You're wise however to keep your real capital in the flat intact, as you don't know what the future will bring.

I bought my yacht when I was 43, after years of building my vocational skills and income-earning capacity, and had the leisure time available whilst still working and providing for a family - neither twenty years too early, nor twenty years too late.

But still don't know what's round the next corner!

Good BitsAge 35
Male
Sailing for a couple of years on others boats
Live in girlfriend- who doesn't mind my need for adventures
No children
Not much equity in the flat- but circa london so should be able to be rented out if worst comes to the worst.
Mortagage is cheap due to low interest rates...... But could go up as they say!

BAd bits
Work in voluntary sector and NHS- just what's gonna get hit hardest......
Maybe not as brave as one should be