How Much Did You Pay, or Are Willing to Pay, for Your Cruising Vessel ?

[David_Old_Jersey]

I rather smugly voted under $50k

But then I thought to myself - if I had spent 250k maybe I would be out there rather than tied to the dock? as would have forced me off my backside to get max use from that money / boat.........

Maybe something a tad larger that I could fit my armchair on

[Butler]

Total for making a start with our 32' cutter will be anywhere from $22-25,000 (I hope!)

$10,000 for the boat
$5,000 so far in upgrades including new 520Ah battery bank, new DIY standing and running rigging, beautiful wood burning stove and a few other things including, new mainsheet system, cutter rig refurb, title/transfer fees, documentation etc.
$5,000 (at least) for improved ground tackle, DIYrudder and deck work, steering Vane, Dutchman flaking and new DIY mainsail.
This gets us away from the dock for local cruising and next we tackle
electronics at anywhere from
$2 to $5,000 including solar panels, passive ais, active radar reflector and forward looking sonar.
Don't even want to think about manhours...

[Bill Lee]

We paid $375,000 for our little dream and spent lots on "boat stuff" including another $75,000 of "stuff" (davit, glendinning cablemaster, etc...) that will stay with the boat. We keep the boat 5 minutes away from home - so we're on it all the time. After work - I can go there to relax or host some pals, and we use it year round including being away for the entire summer. For us, it is a financial stretch - but its worth it for now. We do have to give up other things to make this happen and we NEVER take it for granted that we're fortunate to have our dream. We're planning on selling the house and liquidating everything in order to retire on a trawler. Its all good....
Cheers,
Bill

[CharlieCobra]

Twenty US dollars. Of course, by the time I'm done, I'll have about 25K in a basically new boat and new engine.

[Canibul]

We are presently looking for a Gemini 105Mc, as close as we can find to where we live. Somewhere down in the islands would be a better sail home for us than bringing something down here from Florida, but we are prepared to go either way for the right boat. We expect to pay something between 100 and 150K for a 2001 and newer boat with a few options. Not loaded down too much, but liveable.

[boatman61]

I paid 1500 euros.... sorry $2000
But I was sailing the day after I bought her....
Its the little yellow one...Uk to Portugal
Fitted $220 worth of solar panels while I sailed down... one new battery $100..
New Dinghy...$500...

[sailorboy1]

I started at less than $50,000 because everyone knows that if you got a $10,000 etc boat, it wasn't probably in condition to go cruising so costs more really. Guess it's my age etc becuase I just can not image that someone really plans to go cruising (as opposed to just sailing) in a 27' or so boat.

But at this writing; 41% are for the less than $50,000, and 58% is $100,000 or less. Something to consider during questions like "how much are you planning to spend cruising" etc. as a $1500/mo budget is going to be a lot different for each group.

[mesquaukee]

We looked at a lot of boats and never saw one with a layout that suited us. So we went looking for a boat with a solid time proven hull, rigging and engine. We paid US$40K in 1998 for the boat. Gutting and re-doing the interior along with all the other electronic toys added US$40K. Then over the next 10 years we added US25K of other stuff we just could not do without while we were cruising.

[Alexei]

Let's see.

I paid $17k for Icefire. $2500 for head gasket repair. $1000 for dinghy and motor. Another $1000 or so for upgraded ground tackle. $1000 for safety gear. $80/yr for electronic charts. Plus all the other usual docking and insurance costs.

Yeah, I'm still well under $50k.

[bloodhunter]

Think a better question would be price plus necessary fixes/upgrades/enhancements.
I paid $54,500 (not counting Maryland tax of 5 pct). But have spent as much for fixes and enhancements would have to add up all the receipts to see just how much. Those fixes include complete engine overhaul (to manufacturers Specs), complete new electrical system AC & DC including panels, wires, monitors, batteries, mppt controller (solar panels were there no controller) some interior fixtures and nav lights . Complete fresh water system, new head, new fridge, new running rigging, new cabin floor, new cushions, dodger and bimini, new (used) primary winches, new GPS. And that doesn't count labor, cause I did most of it myself . Actually all of this probably cost more than I paid for the boat. And there's more to come mainly a water maker and a wind generator. Haven't added up all the receipts but wouldn't be surprised that by the time we move aboard full time and head down to the Caribbean in two years we'll have spent 50k on the boat and 100k getting it in the condition we want it to be in

[White Feather]

I probubly got the deal of the centry. A boat listed in the upper 80's for $26K. paid a few g's on back bills and drove it away with owner financing. In about 12 payments we own it. Where else can you get a 57 foot running/floating home for that price? I am upgrading some systems but that is because I want to not because I have to. Everything was working when I pulled off the dock and cruised here. Now, sa soon as I get the monster fuel tanks filled we are off again on another adventure. The last time we cast off we were gone 9 years. Time for to play!

[DaveC]

My dream to retire early and cruise was somewhat stalled by the US market crash, but I found a Cape Dory 28 for $8500 so I bought it. Luckily it turned out to be a great deal. Previous owners who had cruised on her had already beefed up her rigging and mast only a couple years before, as well as added heavy duty ground tackle and such.

I spent another $3000 or so getting her in shape. I did all the work myself so i learned alot, including installing new chain plates and replacing all the running rigging, bottom job (had a boatyard do this since they don't let you sand bottom paint around here), etc....

Now I'm ready to go again and with the market slowly recovering I may end up better off than I would have in the first place since I didn't spend a fortune on my boat.

I love my boat and I think it's really great, but in fact spending so little on the boat basically made it a disposable. This not only lets me relax under most situations because I don't have to worry about damaging it as much, nor do I have to worry about a payment or hefty insurance and stuff, but if it ever sinks or otherwise gets manhandled by a hurricane in port or whatever I can get another inexpensive one to replace it without threatening the cruising kitty too much.

I'd love to have a brand new $200K sailboat, but I think it might be more fun to have an $11K sailboat and $189K cruising kitty!

[Bill_R]

We are looking at less than 30k, ideally under 20k for a Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean cruise. Looking at boats in the 28'-34' foot range for such an undertaking.

I think a lot of the variety of answers depends on folks' current age and social standing. For instance if you are younger and broke, you'll go now with what you can get. But if you are older and used to the comforts of an upper middle class life you'll be looking for more of that in your boat.

[nautical62]

I own two boats:

Just finished a 3-month cruise on a Hunter 30 I bought a year ago for 26K.

I purchased a new Beneteau for $119K 3 years ago which is about what my house costs. That's a bit misleading however. Since it's in charter I have no overhead and it produces an income of $960/month

My first cruising boat was a pocket cruiser I bought for 11K.

Prices in US$

[Sea Maid]

Don, we paid $17,000 for our 1976 Ericson 39b. She basically sat beside a pier for 25 years or so and a few years on the hard. We have had her 4 years now. She had 86 hours on the orginal diesel, so that should tell ya something. We got her so cheap because areas of the cabin top balsa was rotted, chain locker and steering balsa. A very, very expensive repair if you do not do it yourself. Anyway repairs turned out great. We have just over $51,000 into the boat, and that includes the price I paid of $17,000, plus $7,000 to ship (Baltimore to Washington State), that $51,000 also includes new (rebuilt) perkins from TAD, 100% new plumbing systems, water and sewer and every single piece is new including holding tank. New electrical panel, 100% new wiring of 12v and 120v. New depth, knot, vhf, stereo, 2 televisions, new foam and cushion material, all led lighting, seperate freezer, already had fridge, new running rigging, new cook stove and diesel fire place, and she is about 80% insulated with closed cell foam, and a bunch of other stuff has been done.