Sailing is for Rich People only

[Rucksta]

If you have enough rice to eat and clean water to drink you are richer than the vast majority of the earths population.

Any thing extra is a bonus.

[Mike OReilly]

It's heartening to see everyone here telling the OP to ignore the snobs, and that he can go cruising without being rich. But all too often I also see definitive statements here about how much one must have to go cruising.

Usually it's expressed in 'must have' at least a mid-40s boat that is tripped out with lots of expensive tools. One must have a budget of at least $2k/month or more. Just check out most of the budget threads to see this kind of messaging.

So which is it? Can people cruise inexpensively, or do they have to be well off (as most people are here)?

[SV Siren]

Just goes to show that money does not buy class...ignore the idiots, maybe go so far as to move to another marina. One of our local marinas has a more than a few millionaires, and one billionaire. Most are pretty nice, some just simply are in their own world with handlers and people who do everything for them. A classic member of this crowd is DeVos, of Amway fame(?) who keeps some of his boats at this marina. He is ok, but will do anything to win the Chicago-Mackinaw race every year. He hires the best pro's he can to crew, and spends tons of $$$$$ on the boat, he has never won..lol... I am sure it grinds his gears, but I take some solace in the fact that money does not make the sailor...

2019 Race Results:
USA 52015 Windquest 1.2547 Doug DeVos Macatawa, MI Monday - 06:03:54 40:33:54 50:53:48 9(9th Place!!)

You do you, learn what and when you can as others have suggested...and enjoy what ya got.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by atoll

I used to be rich,but owning a yacht has led to poverty....does that count?

Funny how that works!

[sailorboy1]

On the other hand

"rich" is an undefined word really. So maybe you don't have to be "rich", but you definitely need to know how much it will cost for YOU or you end up joining the boats anchored under a bridge covered in bird poop.

[thomm225]

Usually "cruising" costs the amount of money you have to spend.

It all depends on the amount of money you have and what your idea of cruising is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lwbHYOFD-4

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

It's heartening to see everyone here telling the OP to ignore the snobs, and that he can go cruising without being rich. But all too often I also see definitive statements here about how much one must have to go cruising.

Usually it's expressed in 'must have' at least a mid-40s boat that is tripped out with lots of expensive tools. One must have a budget of at least $2k/month or more. Just check out most of the budget threads to see this kind of messaging.

So which is it? Can people cruise inexpensively, or do they have to be well off (as most people are here)?

It depends. Where you want to go, how many people are coming with you, what comfort level do you expect, how hard you're willing to work at various things, etc. all determines just how much equipment you either need or should have. Budget will also vary based on where you go, as some places are just easier to cruise cheaply than others.

It's certainly possible to take a fairly small, cheap boat to many places without much fancy equipment. Plenty of people do it. But some of the extras can either make life far more enjoyable on some of those trips, or can increase the range of conditions you can reasonably operate in, letting you either go more places or go more often (by not needing as perfect or as long a weather window).

[Lake-Effect]

We are still looking for a bigger boat, but for 14 seasons we have been sailing a trailer-sailor (a 19' micro cruiser) and the most recent 7 seasons we've been members of a yacht club (a no-hassle self-help club). I've crunched that numbers, and our TOTAL cost of sailing - boat purchase, maintenance, insurance, consumables, club membership, etc - is about the same as smoking. For the same daily cost of smoking a pack a day, or 2 lattes a day, or buying lunch every day at work... a person could own our boat, keep her in-water at a club, and sail as often as you like.

In our area there are a number of inexpensive clubs that give one a choice of a few different types of sailing, from dinghies to 40+' cats on moorings.

You don't have to be rich to sail.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

It depends. Where you want to go, how many people are coming with you, what comfort level do you expect, how hard you're willing to work at various things, etc. all determines just how much equipment you either need or should have. Budget will also vary based on where you go, as some places are just easier to cruise cheaply than others.

It's certainly possible to take a fairly small, cheap boat to many places without much fancy equipment. Plenty of people do it. But some of the extras can either make life far more enjoyable on some of those trips, or can increase the range of conditions you can reasonably operate in, letting you either go more places or go more often (by not needing as perfect or as long a weather window).

Oh I agree. I say it all the time. In fact, I live it. But that's not the message most often heard here.

[wolfgal]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

We are still looking for a bigger boat, but for 14 seasons we have been sailing a trailer-sailor (a 19' micro cruiser) and the most recent 7 seasons we've been members of a yacht club (a no-hassle self-help club). I've crunched that numbers, and our TOTAL cost of sailing - boat purchase, maintenance, insurance, consumables, club membership, etc - is about the same as smoking. For the same daily cost of smoking a pack a day, or 2 lattes a day, or buying lunch every day at work... a person could own our boat, keep her in-water at a club, and sail as often as you like.

In our area there are a number of inexpensive clubs that give one a choice of a few different types of sailing, from dinghies to 40+' cats on moorings.

You don't have to be rich to sail.

While Mike O asks the best question above, this answer takes the cake, Lake-Effect!

[sailorboy1]

a lot less to be a "sailor" than a "cruiser", the OP said cruiser

assuming "cruiser" means no home place and that you move regularly to new place/different place

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

a lot less to be a "sailor" than a "cruiser", the OP said cruiser

assuming "cruiser" means no home place and that you move regularly to new place/different place

I'd add a further distinction in there. Part time vs full time cruiser. That being the difference of whether you have a home base and just spend periods of time on the boat away from home vs not having a home base to go back to (or at least not to take the boat back to).

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by Time Theory

I am fed up. Today at our sailing club it was brought to my attention that since I am not Rich, I will never be able to afford to become a "Real Sailor." Granted I know that based on my income I will never be able to afford a cruising sailing vessel. It just irks me to no end that these "Rich" people who can afford any yacht that they want can judge me and look down on me as a low class unworthy individual. I realize now why people say that sailing is only for the Rich and powerful people. I apologize for venting. Now that I know my place in society, I need to find a new qoal in life.

Im 84 and have had 10 cruising sailboats in past 50 years, I have never joined any club. Sounds like you may have problems unrelated to sailing.

[boatman61]

Forget about buying a 'Yacht' and going cruising.. yachts are for poseurs who love to call themselves 'Captain'..
Just go out and buy an old boat that floats and it's mast stays up, get it clean enough to be comfortable on then just go out and play.
My first boat was a near derelict pitch pine on oak framed boat with bilge keels that I spent 18mths working on getting her presentable, watertight and rigged.
She cost me 500 quid and after epoxies, tool rentals and yard fees I totalled 1700quid to launch day.. I spent the first year sailing the UK S coast and the second making my first step across open water to France.. have not looked back since.
There's an old saying.. "It's not what you've got, it's how you use it" that is never more true than in sailing.
There's an old thread from years back you need to read started by David Old Jersey a former active member called 'The under $500 Club' or something like that.. give it a read.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

a lot less to be a "sailor" than a "cruiser", the OP said cruiser

assuming "cruiser" means no home place and that you move regularly to new place/different place

Well, thread title is "Sailing...", and OP is complaining about their club... which implies they're not out trotting the globe. I'd also respectfully point out that the majority of "cruising" probably is people out for weekends/a week or two/a season from a home base. We've towed our boat to several places within a days drive, and cruised for a few days to a week or longer on some decently large cottage lakes that most keel boats can't even reach.

And I regularly crew on larger boats, and we've done a bare boat charter...

Now, my definition of rich is not having to show up somewhere to do stuff you'd rather not do, or not having to kiss any backsides. So I personally would say that people who can afford to do extended cruising are rich, by that yardstick... but this might be different to the 'rich' the OP is complaining about.