Houseboats?

[Blacky]

Boat is an acronym for Better Organise Another Thousand.

I love the 'boating lifestyle' and for me it is very cheap entertainment. I cand spend $200 and have a whole weekend of fun. However, we put in excess of 800hrs on our engine last year, and a bit less this year (so it gets used a lot!!).

They say on average a boat will cost you about $1,000/ft/year. This will vary some depending on usage and your maintenance schedule, but will be pretty close. Our small boat 23ft will cost about $3-$5k each year in R&M then once every 3years or so we need a new engine (fairwell $15k). So it's a bit less than the $1,000/ft but ours is on a trailer (and I haven't calculated any depreciation). And we have an anal maintenance regime (being stuck 100kms at sea isn't fun).

So the question to ask is how much will you use it? Is $1000/ft/year worth while for you? It is for me. Buying a boat though is a lifestyle choice, not a financial consideration.

Blacky

 

[o0o]

Buying a boat though is a lifestyle choice, not a financial consideration.

 

[INVSTOR]

Boat is an acronym for Better Organise Another Thousand.

I love the 'boating lifestyle' and for me it is very cheap entertainment. I cand spend $200 and have a whole weekend of fun. However, we put in excess of 800hrs on our engine last year, and a bit less this year (so it gets used a lot!!).

They say on average a boat will cost you about $1,000/ft/year. This will vary some depending on usage and your maintenance schedule, but will be pretty close. Our small boat 23ft will cost about $3-$5k each year in R&M then once every 3years or so we need a new engine (fairwell $15k). So it's a bit less than the $1,000/ft but ours is on a trailer (and I haven't calculated any depreciation). And we have an anal maintenance regime (being stuck 100kms at sea isn't fun).

So the question to ask is how much will you use it? Is $1000/ft/year worth while for you? It is for me. Buying a boat though is a lifestyle choice, not a financial consideration.

Blacky

It sounds like we're about to inherit another boat that needs a new engine. Not sounding fun already! Better start saving!

 

[123]

 

[Ajax]

The two happiest days of boat ownership:
1. The day you buy it.
2. The day you sell it.

If you want one of these for holidays, you're probably better off hiring when you need it.

I reckon that even applies to a small boat. I had a Hobie 16 and even that cost a lot (shackles, sheets, trampoline, swages, halyards, trapezes). But it was a heap of FUN!!!

If you have a large wooden boat sail it to Indonesia (maybe Sulawesi) and let their craftsmen work on the timbers at a fraction of the cost in Australia.

Nothing beats the experience of a boat sailing close to its maximum performance.

P.S. Hobie 16ft more like $1500/year