Cruising Sailboats: a Dying Breed?

[a64pilot]

The younger generation cannot use tools like we can, that is a fact and is borne out in Lowe’s and Home Depot sales plummeting, and at least Lowe’s is having classes to teach such things as how to read a measuring tape, cause the kids don’t even have the basics, me if they can’t read a measuring tape, it’s unlikely that they are going to tackle a kitchen remodel themselves.

Times have changed and priorities with them. You can get an education, and a pension with medical coverage after retirement. All the armed forces are hiring. I didn’t say it was easy.

For the guy who is 33, don’t lose hope, your only 33. You’ll likely have to do like a lot of us did, save your entire working life, and cast off after the kids have left the house. That is what we did, we left the year our youngest started College, which made me a little guilty, but I did it anyway.
Only very rarely can younger families leave for a cruising life, and I suspicion some that do, do so on a trust fund or something, or at the minimum don’t have a plan on supporting themselves when they get old, or very rarely made some kind of killing and hopefully can fund a Retired life for 40 or 50 yrs.

[cyan]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

That is California right?

Not California.
Canada. (".ca")
I think you found a discussion between a Canadian and an American, where phrases like "six figure salary" were not equivalent at all.
IE $76,000 Canadian = $100,000 USD
It might be easier if we all speak in beers, for international clarity.
10,000 beers per year is a good salary, indeed.

[DeValency]

Originally Posted by cyan

Not California.
Canada. (".ca")
I think you found a discussion between a Canadian and an American, where phrases like "six figure salary" were not equivalent at all.
IE $76,000 Canadian = $100,000 USD
It might be easier if we all speak in beers, for international clarity.
10,000 beers per year is a good salary, indeed.

Something in this math isn’t really working for me....
But anyway — Sailing in Canada is indeed even more challenging. The season is maybe 2 months a year? .... and the average income is ~30% lower? - this means your cost per sailing day is x10 the cost in the US....

[cyan]

Originally Posted by DeValency

Something in this math isn’t really working for me....

Lol, scratch that, reverse it.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

The younger generation cannot use tools like we can, that is a fact and is borne out in Lowe’s and Home Depot sales plummeting, ....

Kinda weird to state this as a fact then follow it with misstatements on Home Depot and Lowes. Both companies have had annual sales increases for many years.

[DeValency]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Kinda weird to state this as a fact then follow it with misstatements on Home Depot and Lowes. Both companies have had annual sales increases for many years.

Ha! That’s probably from the business of all the early retired baby boomers fixing things for their kids homes.... I mean, those that didn’t burry themselves at a golfing community in Florida...

Very few of them are going sailing - even on the light side of daysailing etc. They may own a boat that never leave the dock... Have you ever seen these?...

[AKA-None]

A majority of boats that rarely leave the dock has always been true in my lifetime > 50 years.

[Borschelrh]

I generally agree with the opinion about new sales. As for people sailing less, that is definitely not the case here in Europe. I live in Hungary and boats are plentiful but getting a slip at a marina is problematic. But, I do see the majority being used and often we see boats over 50 years old in great condition. There are some elegant classics from the 20's still sailing. Some marina's have over 2 year waiting lists.

Here on Lake Balaton and most of the larger boats are purchased as an alternative to buying property. I have a friend who lives near Munich in Gauting and the nearby Lake Starnberg often has upwards of 8,000 boats sailing at once which is a serious problem. I generally won't sail on Saturdays here on Lake Balaton for similar reasons.

I also agree that the licensure can be prohibitively expensive (similar to a pilot's license). I got my ICC in Croatia "cheap" at a bit over $1,000. It would be double that here and double that again in Germany. That is just for the license exam. However, one thing that is different here is that sailing lessons are offered through the schools and there are 100's of them out and about on any given day. I also see many younger sailors on racing teams etc., so perhaps it is only in the US that it is becoming a dying sport? There is definitely a large amount of interest here in sailing. It is partly why we moved here.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Kinda weird to state this as a fact then follow it with misstatements on Home Depot and Lowes. Both companies have had annual sales increases for many years.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/busi...lloQ2CuScsycI/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefffro.../#85394e51991e

[rvoigt40]

Well here in Seattle the average house is about 800,000 and a slip is about 15 bucks a foot and you can't find a slip without being on waiting list for a year, Also you can't do any work at most marinas yourself you have to pay someone to do everything so yeah i can see way sailing is dying off. it use to be boat meant Bring On Another Thousand now its Bring On Another Ten thousand,, you get soaked for every Penney you have.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by DeValency

But the boats depreciation cycle is even faster now with the loss of millennials interest in sailing, so let’s see. Agree the 70-80’s boats are not going to get a significant interest from buyers in 5 years or less - meaning close to zero Value. . Even now it is close to impossible to sell these.

Hmm, not so sure in Europe. Mid to late 1980s boat are still in the "remortgage the house to buy bracket" for most blue and white collar workers. However, they are dropping slowly. Once they hit the equivalent price of a ordinary second hand car then you are into personal loans bracket, which is completely different and ordinary people can afford. So they will bottom out and then hold there price if maintained in a tidy condition.

Originally Posted by a64pilot

The younger generation cannot use tools like we can, that is a fact and is borne out in Lowe’s and Home Depot sales plummeting,

Funny enough I was thinking about this on Sunday morning as I ran a 6mm die down a snapped bolt. Three nuts on the broken end, some WD40 and heat then out she came slowly a little bit at a time with care and finesse. Total cost, perhaps 30 minutes of my time.

Pete

[stimpsonjcat]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

It's interesting how these kind of threads talk about Baby boomers, and millennials, but completely skip over Generation X, what happened to them? Aged from around 40-55 now (give or take a year), these are ones that might be looking a early retirement now and possibly going cruising.

51 right here...doing research for my planned refit of some ancient boat. Just gotta get the daughter into college and then I'm off like a prom dress!

I might loop with the wife for a year, but the burning desire is to go to Ireland/Shetland/Faroe. 5 years, 6 if the daughter still wants to hike the AT between HS and college, I can see the starting line!

[Bruce hartley]

Hi
Well , I’m not sure what to think after reading your article.
I cruise the Pacific Northwest mainly..
I find during the peak sailing seasons the ports are full of boats it’s a big ocean so plenty of room.
Off season. Quite different.
My feeling is I see a great market for well made used boats, that compete with buying a new one.
I have seen the market change as the average size of a sloop for cruising us usually around 40+ feet. Whereas twenty plus years ago a 35 footer was the ticket.
Thoroughly enjoy” getting away” on my 44 ds jeaneau 2004.
Meet all kinds of folks from varying age groups and backgrounds.
However , the saying still rings, when you want to learn how to waist money, .... buy a boat.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by stimpsonjcat

Just gotta get the daughter into college and then I'm off like a prom dress!

https://youtu.be/otCpCn0l4Wo

[Xpet]

Here in Europe ALL big monohull producers have bought up a catamaran brand and are producing like MAD.......big change in the attitude of boat owners especially the retired couples.
Are these catamarans in the figures you supplied ?