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26-10-2013, 14:47
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 96
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Cheapest live aboard sailboat to buy, own and maintain?
Hello fellow cruisers,
I am looking to buy a live aboard type sailboat and as a newbie want to gather your thoughts on what type and model of powered sailboat is the cheapest to buy, own and maintain. What kind of budget should I allocate per month to have one in the SF bay area? I'd like something with plenty of room for a live aboard that can also do long distance cruising down to San Diego or up to Vancouver.
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26-10-2013, 15:31
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Houston
Boat: ‘01 Catana 401
Posts: 9,626
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How long is your piece of string???
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26-10-2013, 15:43
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#3
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running down a dream
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Florida
Boat: cape dory 30 MKII
Posts: 3,115
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Re: Cheapest live aboard sailboat to buy, own and maintain?
you said SF bay area .. hope you have a generous bank account
__________________
some of the best times of my life were spent on a boat. it just took a long time to realize it.
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26-10-2013, 15:46
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 96
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Re: Cheapest live aboard sailboat to buy, own and maintain?
I'd like to buy something around 100k or less and need to look at maintenance costs and slip fees for marinas in the Bay Area.
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26-10-2013, 20:35
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 96
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Re: Cheapest live aboard sailboat to buy, own and maintain?
I do well financially so not an issue. I am not a billionaire like Larry Ellison but a small sailboat is within means. Right now I will do the training course and look for a good boat and slip.
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27-10-2013, 01:11
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#6
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: May 2012
Location: New Orleans
Boat: We have a problem... A serious addiction issue.
Posts: 3,974
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Re: Cheapest live aboard sailboat to buy, own and maintain?
Cruiser,
Most sailboat of a given size and equipment list will be about the same cost to maintain, with new boats being cheaper than older boats, at least until they age.
A good rule of thumb is that it will cost about 10% the purchase price of a boat to maintain each year needs to be budgeted for repairs each year to keep it in the same shape it's in. The more systems (air conditioning, water maker, generator, ect) a boat has the more expensive it will be, but it's hard to make hard rules on this, where a boat is stored how hard it is sailed, the amount you are willing to do yourself vs hire, all play a part.
Think of boat maintenance like house maintenance. It doesn't matter much who build your house, replacing the AC is still going to run about the same. As opposed to a car, where a Porche is typically more expensive to maintain than a ford.
__________________
Greg
- If animals weren't meant to be eaten then they wouldn't be made of food.
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27-10-2013, 09:14
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 96
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Re: Cheapest live aboard sailboat to buy, own and maintain?
Thanks Greg,
This is helpful and will allow me to plan for the budget.
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27-10-2013, 18:15
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: VA, USA
Boat: S2-9.2 CC & IP40
Posts: 285
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Re: Cheapest live aboard sailboat to buy, own and maintain?
From what I have gathered from reading other posts on this forum is that the boat is not your biggest problem....it seems to be finding a marina with liveaboards allowed that don't have a very long waiting list to get a slip.
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28-10-2013, 21:51
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 96
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That's correct. Finding a live aboard slip is very difficult here in the SF Bay Area! That's why I'm doing the legwork before purchasing a boat.
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28-10-2013, 22:26
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Sacramento, California
Boat: Solar 40ft Cat :)
Posts: 1,522
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Re: Cheapest live aboard sailboat to buy, own and maintain?
Might just buy a boat that comes with a liveaboard slip already.
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29-10-2013, 08:29
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 96
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Re: Cheapest live aboard sailboat to buy, own and maintain?
+1 nimblemotors, thats the game plan and probably my best bet to avoid issues.
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29-10-2013, 09:25
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Bumping around the Caribbean
Boat: Valiant 40
Posts: 4,625
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Re: Cheapest live aboard sailboat to buy, own and maintain?
As for size, that's really a personal matter. I know couples that live happily on a 27' sloop. I also know couples who have traded up from 40' because they felt it was too small. You might want to contact a broker in your area that has a large inventory of cruisers and spend an afternoon poking around in them. Two boats of a given length can have substantially different accommodations below, some of which work for some people, and others for others. The more boats you see the more context you'll have for making an informed decision.
Relatedly, you're going to see boats in a wide variety of condition. A few will be immaculate, most of them, if older will be a bit worn although in decent shape, and a few will be completely roached. The price is obviously related to condition and refits/upgrades that have been done. The more boats you see, the better a view you'll have on what the range is and how it correlates to value.
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29-10-2013, 09:54
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#13
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cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Pangaea
Posts: 10,856
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Re: Cheapest live aboard sailboat to buy, own and maintain?
We did the same for a couple of years oboard a Hunter 450, beginning in the SF Bay area and ending up in Southern California. Excellent for your intended use, and a few of them will meet your price point.
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29-10-2013, 16:57
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 96
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Thanks I'd be happy with a nice 30-40' sailboat with autopilot, GPS in good condition that can be short hand sailed easily by just me.
Looking for recommendations on best used sailboat monohull construction. I can afford new but rather save on a used one in top condition that won't fall apart in first year.
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29-10-2013, 17:08
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Houston/Galveston
Boat: Slocum 43
Posts: 201
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Re: Cheapest live aboard sailboat to buy, own and maintain?
Boats are like fairly individual. I would recommend that you look at a bunch of them, figure out what you want and need for a liveaboard then narrow the selection farther.
Remember, a boat is a bunch of compromises. Shower or more locker space, centerline berth or offset with a desk, and the list goes on.
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