For those wanting to take part in "stay on board" cruising activity on a sailing yacht capable of sleeping 6 to 8 in comfort, and sail coastal and cross channel waters in safety, the current options are...

1. Buy a boat

New Boat - Capital investment typically £80/180,000
Then add maintenance costs; marina mooring fees and insurance together a likely cost over £6,000+ per annum; then take account of loss of income on a large capital sum, or the cost of loan repayments on a substantial marine mortgage lets say another £6,000 per annum, and finally add another £6,000+ for depreciation and your sailing will cost you £18/20,000 a year.

Used Boat - Probably 10 to 20 years old - capital investment typically
£40/60,000 - secondary marina or club mooring - higher ongoing maintenance and replacement cost therefore annual commitment still over £6,000+ with money costs and depreciation you are still looking at £12,000 year.

Budget Boat - Typically 25 to 35 years old - capital investment
£20/35,000 - less accessible club or local authority mooring - ongoing DIY maintenance carried out by owner; yes you may spend plenty of time on the boat but not necessarily enjoying sailing it ! You might get the outgoings down to £3,000, but still have £30,000 of capital tied up or borrowed as a personal loan meaning this figure doubles up so sailing will still cost around £6,000 a year.

2. Charter (hire)

The UK market is split principally between a number of small operators, chartering mixed fleets of sometimes well used boats on an ad hoc basis, average week mid season £1,500 and a couple of larger operators running substantial matched fleets, principally targeting the corporate event and sail training market. Holiday Charter - large and small operators located worldwide, but for comparison a Mediterranean based, average week mid season with budget airline flights at say £3,000+ per weeks charter. Therefore just 14 days charter a year is likely to cost £6,000 plus

3. Private group or boatshare syndicate

Requires putting a group of people or friends together who can agree what boat to buy, when, and how to allocate sailing time; or taking the chance of buying into a group with strangers. Capital commitment of £25,000+ usually still required and annual contribution to costs of say £2,500. Often difficult to exit.

4. Owner Member

A way to make your boat work for you. For further details see our Owner Member information.