So what are the alternatives ?
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, from a Solent base 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 £2,500+ per weeks charter.
Therefore just 14 days charter a year is likely to cost £4,000 plus
3
Owner Member
A way to make your boat work for you, for further details click the owner member button at the bottom left of this page.