Do you have to be up for your own maintenance and repairs to sensibly own a sailboat

[Rblakenyc]

Follow-up questions... related but slightly off topic...

Mooring vs slip... how much harder to do in the water repairs (no electricity, limited water), cheaper and how much more isolated at a mooring vs a slip?

Nights on board at the marina/club.... probably every combination of rules out there but are several nights a week on board typically acceptable in season (in New England)? Same story if at slip vs mooring?

[thinwater]

IMO, if you can't or won't work on the boat, you should do what you would do with a car; get one that is <10 years old, well maintained, and smaller that you dream. If it is older and cheaper... guess why? Because like a 20-year old car, the repairs will cost more than the boat is worth. Boat repairs are more expensive because the boat has to be hauled, they have problems that are hard to estimate, the work is weather dependent, the work is not steady (hard to keep good help--get lousy help when they are busy), and because parts are often not available.



Don't buy a classic. Forget relying on a survey; you will learn that like an old house (that is soaking in seawater), there are many things that were passed because it is just "a condition of age," meaning it's old and will need work sometime soon.



Buy something newer that you can afford. I like working on boats. But if I did not there is no way I would go beyond 10 years. I would buy smaller and I would look for quality in-demand brands. They won't be cheap, but you will get most of the money back.


You get what you pay for. Cheap boats are expensive.

[Rblakenyc]

Any good boat clubs in CT or RI (monthly fee for boats I can sail for several nights - once qualified)? I haven't uncovered anything around here.

[Clivevon]

How do you get a small fortune? Start with a large one & buy a boat.
Owning a boat is a form of insanity but sometimes its good to be mad.
If money is an issue, crew for other people. If you are any good you will soon be in demand, treated with respect, & getting all the sailing you can handle.

[Squanderbucks]

There are several aspects of maintaining a boat and different approaches.
1. Do most everything yourself. Saves significant expense as specialty labor is the most expensive thing we purchase for our boars.
2. Have someone else do all the maintenance - saves you a lot of time but takes a significant bite out of our wallet.
3. Find some in between level you can both afford and realistically handle.

To me one of the main considerations to take into account is where and what kind of boating do you do. If all you do is day or weekend boating in and around coastal waters the just being a boat owner/operator and do nothing technical can work pretty good. If a problem develops you have Sea Tow or Tow Boats to call.
However if you are one who routinely goes to distant destinations where local services are minimal or non-existent then the cost of not being able to take care of many of the most common mechanical problems becomes considerably more problematic (expensive). Often there is no one locally that can do the work even if they had the parts.
Boats are not like cars with a service center around every corner and a loaner available to eliminate any inconvenience.
Often people with no technical experience see the fun side of boating and think that a boat is just a car on the water. They can drive a car ergo they can drive a boat.
Cars today are tremendously more dependable than they were even twenty years ago. Seldom do you see cars less than 10 years old broken down on the road (excluding flat tires). Not so with boats. With salt water and humidity taking it's toll along with boat engines are typically run at far greater loads for long periods of time.

IMO - If you are going to be a "hands off" owner you should consider putting the boat on a strict written service contract with someone knowledgeable and setup to go through a checklist on a regularly scheduled basis.

[billdre]

I haven't read all the replies to your question. However, I faced some of the same questions 11 years ago and I sail in the same space you're talking about. So here's my story with things I might have done differently.
I wasn't interested in taking on big boat projects, I wanted a boat to sail on the coast and I wanted my wife to enjoy it. My target boat was 30ft. Since I have never sailed a boat with an engine I didn't want to become a mechanic. First I went looking for a place to keep it that I could afford. Then I went looking for a boat. I started one fall and had a boat the following August. I bought a 28ft. O'Day sloop that had the saildrive removed and was powered by a 9.9 Mariner extra long shaft outboard. I was thinking being about to sail in light air. Now I know that for Buzzards Bay especially a heavier boat with a more deeply curved hull would be better. Today I would buy a 30-32ft. boat with a diesel engine and get an engine surveyor to be sure it was good. I used a certified surveyor to review the three boats I seriously considered. The O'Day has a bullet proof hull, and all the mechanics, rudder, rigging, was in good shape. Sails were OK and I expected to replace them over time. The cabin was big, bright and in perfect condition, new cushions, etc. The deck was soft. I paid $6,000 for the boat and with a referral from the surveyor spent $3,000 to repair the deck. I also paid a certified marine electrician $3,500 to rewire the boat. Since then I upgrade something each year. I do my own bottom painting. I've done my own rebedding of hardware, but paid to add a bimini, $1,600.00 replaced the dodger last year, $1,800.00. Over the years bought new sails and paid to have a new roller furler installed. Also last year I switched to a Yamaha high thrust 9.9 extra long shaft outboard. My annual budget for upgrades to the boat has been $2,000.00. I probably spend $500 a year otherwise on annual maintenance. So I've used professional people to do specific tasks beyond my skill range or willingness. The annual take care of stuff I do myself. The boat has been great and I've been as far west as Mystic Seaport, CT. and Sag Harbor, Long Island. Mostly I sail Buzzards Bay, Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod Bay and Newport, RI. I've been stopped mostly by weather that I thought was beyond my abilities to handle. The boat does fine. Never felt at risk. Good luck to you.

[CABecker]

My experience says, do as much as possible yourself. I just spent near 10k and 9 months to get my starter removed/rebuilt/replaced, about 2.9 boat bucks, and and additional 5.7 bb to have my high pressure fuel pump/meter removed, sent to shop, rebuilt, replaced. Again remembering that this took over 9 months to accomplish. I have a old '77 gin fizz. I was constantly pushed down the schedule because I'm old, my repair was not a billion dollar project, my boat is not shiny and new. To make a long whine short, I'll never use that boatyard again. So my recommendation is to learn all you can and do as much as you can for yourself. I thought old timey car mechanics were a scam, this, well this is worse in every way. I've only had extensive interactions with this boatyard so YMMV.
In my second boat now, I'm planning on doing as much of the work as I can.

[Rblakenyc]

Billdre - particular thanks for the figures. I'm "on board" (thanks to feedback) with doing much myself and greatly appreciate the realistic assesment of expected costs.

I'll keep dreaming of that well maintained boat at a good price - and be realistic that still means plenty of chores and ongoing costs.

[fred4936]

I have sailed on the Long Island Sound for several years, but returned to the Great South Bay where I learned many years ago. Anyway, you will find mostly moorings on the north shore of Long Island, with minimal but expensive docking, from my experience. Moorings are usually OK for working on most things. You do not want to forget things to bring, but you will, and will work around that. I could not afford to do this if I had to have the yard do all the work. But having said that, as mentioned earlier, there are no service facilities in the middle of the Sound. The more familiar you are with the boat and all of it’s systems, the better off you will be. Things will go awry. As far as boatyards go, the boat we have was “yard maintained”. I spent much time re-doing what they “repaired. With our old boat, I paid the yard to compound the gel coat to bring the shine back. They did not do a good job. I wound up buying a good buffer and compound and did it myself. It looked great after my wife and I did it. I have learned not to rely on a boatyard to do what you need done. But some do good work. Most boat work is not difficult if you are at least somewhat mechanically capable. The work to be done is also therapeutic I find. All boats will need work, even new ones. Best to learn all you can, not just from a financial stand point.

[Compass790]

Lots of good advice on here,
I'd recommend Don Caseys complete illustrated sailboat maintenance manual for a book to help you.
There are some real bargains in the USA in the 30ft range IMO. I'd look for one an old guy has thrown $$$$ at in a labour of love. If it has a newish diesel so much the better. I see a few boats that hardly leave the dock but the owners spend a lot of time & effort sorting out their systems. I'd pay a few extra $$$ for one that had a lot of new stuff put on it.
I personally think you need to know how to fix things if you are away from help because older boats have more stuff go wrong.
Boats are work, it never ends. Salt water is a hostile environment.
But it's worth it.

[Sailmonkey]

With Covid ruining our plans I’m working as a marine mechanic/installer/dooer of whatever marine. I’m also an old boat owner (1976 allied seawind II).

If I had to pay me to do everything I’ve done to my boat, I’d be insane. I’ve already spent multiples of our boat purchase price on upgrades/maintenance/ etc of what we paid for it. If I had paid me to do these things we’d have been cash ahead to buy a new boat.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

With Covid ruining our plans I’m working as a marine mechanic/installer/dooer of whatever marine. I’m also an old boat owner (1976 allied seawind II).

So... how's business?

[sailingabe41ds]

I know this if off topic and not helpful.... but I don't "not throwing money away" and "sailboat" belong in the same sentence specially if you are cheap
For me...I enjoy doing most of the maintenance, installing a new heater, adding a better bilge pump, fiddling around with electrical....it is all therapy and fun.
Changing thru hulls, rudder bearing, grinding and sanding blisters....the is non enjoyable work and I will pay for someone else to do it.
It is most helpful to work through mechanical and electrical problems because there many not be anyone to help you when you are out there by yourself.


Abe

[waterman46]

After a really competent survey, get estimates from boatyards to correct the major safety related items recommended. If the estimates are more than you are comfortable with, walk away. You don't have to do this all yourself in fact I'd guess that many new owners have at least some professional help in correcting major items after a purchase.

And some that did it themselves may later have wished they hadn't.

After the purchase and the surveyor's items are corrected, most of the work will be optional and just for your convenience or comfort. Take it at your own speed, or just live with it. Every boat has several items that could be improved but the owners will decide on priorities, some more fastidious than others to be sure!

[Cool Hand Luke]

Maybe we can create a list on CF of anyone who is willing to help other CF members... hourly rate, expertise, experience, location, etc. We can all benefit as we all have "horror" stories from different yards