Boat ownership. trying to get a handle on fixed recurring costs.
assume regular racing, some ocean work, prob want cat3, assume the boat starts at cat3.
assume it's not timber so doesn't need paint applying regularly
Mooring
Insurance
Fuel - what are 30 footer sailors using the boat / motor 20-30 times per year spending on diesel?
Haulout / scrape (annual?)
club membership
Engine service (annual?)
liferaft / epirb service?
Standing rigging - 10 years?
Why do winches need servicing?
Cheers,
jon
assume you haven't seen this, it's literally the truth.
Size of boat has a big impact on cost, I have heard 10% p.a of the purchase price is a rough figure, that holds true for me, but the majority of that is in marina fees. Getting close to moving onto the boat, then it will turn around because I will rent the house, retire and go sailing.
Saw another Meme on FB yesterday " Boats are like strippers, they stop working when you stop paying out the $100 bills"
Definitely 10% minimum of purchase price + have at least $5k sitting in Boat Account for Dramas .
+ Insurance you can rely on ! = Fun !
Mason
Depends on what you can do yourself marine tradies seem to be charging $90 - $150 / hr
sooo many variables, full comp insurance, or 3rd party only, marina or mooring. I run on the close to poverty model a biannual haul out $2.5 - 3k & a NSW mooring license & pro inspection if I'm lazy or scared $1k / annum. Most mugs can pull a sheet winch apart and re grease it
Do your own maintenance apart from the big stuff like re rigging and engine replacement. Even these jobs can be done if you have the time and patience to learn.
All that is left are insurance, mooring fees, mooring service annually, engine servicing items e.g. oil and filter, fuel filter. Lines every 5 years or so. Bits and pieces like head repairs.
S&S34 cost me about $3-5,000 pa 4 years ago. Usually closer to $3,000.
I gather you want cat, 3 min. that pushes things up a bit .depending on boat size and how keen you are to win pickle dishes and what Club you want to join eg. Sandy , Brighton or Hobbos , Ocean Racing means ORCV as well . New Sail/s yearly , regular haul out or monthly diver to keep bum smooth , personal gear for you and crew ( ouch) ,better to rent life raft when required , plus all mentioned above . For a 30 footer I would
set aside 10,000 dollars p.a. but thats just me.
A marina berth in Melb is about 7k for a 10m berth. Plus club fees etc. A mooring is about $2500.
On liferafts..these are about $2500 but servicing is up to 1k every 2.5 years. I rented one recently for 2 weeks and it was $380. I was told you can rent for $900 pa on an ongoing basis.
An important consideration is whether a 30 footer is big enough for competing Cat 3 these days. It would have to be quite a quick one to stay in touch with the fleet from my understanding..but l am not sure. Also how many Cat three races are there and do they have size limits?
Having said that l have a 30 footer and it's a handy size. But l don't race it.
Obviously if you pay people to do stuff it will be expensive. Depends also on where you live. My slipway fee is about $1000 and antifoul $600 every two years. 3rd party insurance is reasonable. I'm a vet so only pay 50% of the government stuff at country fees.
I bought a new gearbox and drive plate yesterday for $2300 but that is an unusual expense. Still easy to keep a 34 foot yacht on a pension.
As usual, great answers thanks. Only really interested in doing cat3 races for the endeavour aspect of them, not to win (we'll see how I feel when I get on the start line lol). Renting a raft sounds like a good solution - explains why so many boats photographed with rafts aren't sold with them.
Looks like I got most of it. I'm lucky enough to live near somewhere a mooring is cheap to buy and likely easy to sell-on.
10% seems like a sensible number.
You need lots of either time or money. Or both, but if you had both you wouldn't bother with us, you'd go straight to a broker. As Ramona and others have said, if you do all or most stuff yourself the costs are quite manageable. I was expecting to have to sell my 28 footer when I retired onto a part age pension, but here I am 6 years later still enjoying it.
Cheers, Graeme
