What price sailing ?

[arfa]

I notice that there have been quite a few posts about costs/depreciation of boats/comparisons with cars, old vs new and what represents good value.
I ask what price sailing as I now know my own answer.
I rather clinically looked into chartering small boats (sub 24 foot) at the beginning of the season and found it was a non starter (lack of availability). I then worked out how much a boat would cost in depreciation/upkeep and worked out I needed to use my 21 footer 10 times to make it work financially.
As the season draws to a close, I now know that those calculations are irrelevant beyond affordability. The pleasure gained from introducing my young family to even the briefest of outings, a sunny day out with the wife or a singlehanded passage all are now priceless to me. I don't know how many times I've been out as I stopped counting. As a result I will continue to to pay all the expenses as in my mind they are worth it.
So my question to other forumites is what "price" sailing ?

 

[stevebrassett]

I run my 23-footer for less than the price of 20 fags a day. No contest.

 

[narooma]

Over the last three years have covered about 2000 nm per year at about £5000 per year. This includeds maintenance but not new items or upgrades. This in a 14m motor sailor

 

[photodog]

Agree 100%...
if you are counting the pennies, or worried about depreciation, or think its a "Not Bad" "investment" then your missing the point.

If you want to compare investments, If you were to buy a decent pad in Salcombe youd be out £750k at least, hell we roll up in our £45 k boat and get the same view, and when we get tired of that we go someplace else.....

There are just so many great things, How much would I pay?

Well I think its great value!

 

[Channel Ribs]

Like you, I gave up counting.

I do not sail enough, but when I do it is worth every penny (or pound, or thousand).

 

[alec]

" He who is staring at the sea is already sailing a little "


Just get the wallet out !

 

[Koeketiene]

Left to themselves, all boats depreciate.
Keep them in first class nick, they hold their value - more or less.

Previous boat experience (Etap 38i)

- Bought 10 years old - 50K
- Over the next 5 years spent 20K on her (new engine, new sails, new electrics, new electronics, new anti-slip on deck).
- Sold after 5 years for 67K - sold 4 months after she hit the market (private sale)

If you add mooring (East Coast - 2K p/a), insurance (350 p/a) the cost of owning the boat was approx 3K p/a.
For that kind of money we had one big summer cruise every year (3-4 weeks), a spring and autumn cruise (1 week each) plus as many week-ends as we wanted.

Two weeks bareboating p/a will set you back more than that.


Don't spend anything on the boat - say "bye, bye" to the money.

Another Etap 38i (same age) hit the market the same time as ours. Everything still original. Askingt price was 65K (5K less than ours) at the time. One year later she was still for sale. Later asking price dropped to 55K. And she recently sold for less.

 

[Salty]

He who knows the price of everything, knows the value of nothing. Glad you've seen light Arpa! Those great moments are, truly, priceless.

 

[Moonshining]

With the poor summer, we haven't used Moonshine (35 years old, 27') as much as we'd have liked, but for the second year running, we've had a blast.

One of the main things has been that when we've spent a weekend on her, we feel as though we've had a real break. If we spend that time at home, a weekend often feels wasted and Monday morning is upon us almost before Friday evening has passed. That's never the case when we've been sailing, even if it's just been to pootle around Chichester Harbour for a few hours on a Sunday.

Mooring fees £2,200 a year, probably about £1000-1200 in other costs, probably £1000 in depreciation. (She'd had a new engine, rigging and upholstery when we bought her, otherwise that would be less). It hardly starts to balance against the fun we've had.

 

[sailorgirl]

Watching the sun go down over St Martins as we sailed away from The Scillies or waking up to a misty morning in Iles de Chausey - both experiences from our recent sumer cruise. And both worth far more than the money we spend owning the means to be there; its a worthwhile investment offering great returns that can't be measured in financial terms.

 

[miko]

I agree with Arfa, can't put a cost on the experience and fun of owning/sailing your own boat. Though my boat cost less than many mountain bikes do, so the smiles per £ are quite high.

 

[Billjratt]

Don't dare count the cost, otherwise common sense may attempt to take over. Couldn't do without a boat of some sort, the need is like diarrhoea, it runs in my genes. Certainly, improving second-hand boat lulls you into a (usually) false sense of 'secure investment' since you have already had to destroy all the receipts, to keep 'her' in the dark, and only look at the purcase and subsequent sale prices. phrases involving "thin ice" and "anchor stuffed down gullet" spring to mind.