Months you spend on boat in a year

[Wckoek]

Reading the topic "Is sailing fun”, I came to realize that looking on the past I probably never spend more than 2-3 months on average a year on boats, the longest passage I've done on sea is just shy of a month long.


Aside from live-aboard or the world cruisers who really intend to circumnavigate, I started to doubt if there is a need to spend more for larger boats - time you spend maintaining would probably be more than the time you spend on using the boat.


Other than people who live-aboard a boat or currently on a long-term cruise, I wondered how many weeks/months you spend on using your boat you have spend so much money on?


I plan to do a lot of travel next year, but I still find that it would hard for me to spend more than 3-4 months on water max.

[tkeithlu]

It's the elephant in the room, I fear. Our cruising took a bad hit with a whamity-blam sequence of injuries, illness, hurricane, and now Covid 19. There is nothing economical about our boat. We still love it, can afford it, and are headed out for a short trip Wednesday.

Just look at a marina - a sea of masts and very few sails on the water.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

It's the elephant in the room, I fear. Our cruising took a bad hit with a whamity-blam sequence of injuries, illness, hurricane, and now Covid 19. There is nothing economical about our boat. We still love it, can afford it, and are headed out for a short trip Wednesday.

Just look at a marina - a sea of masts and very few sails on the water.

This is what I have observed especially since 1996 when I go back down to the coast.

Most boats don't move much or if they do it's only for a few hours on a very nice day.

Example. I came in single handed last weekend and docked. Directly behind me a maybe 30-32' Hunter was trying to get out of the slip with 4 people onboard. The boat was pointing out of the slip. They must have move the boat forward and back 6 times before making the turn to get out. This is a fin keel spade rudder boat with a diesel!

Needless to say they hadn't used it much. Actually, I had never seen it move until that moment and I've been there 2 years.

[Mike OReilly]

Normally about six months on board each year. Some of that is at the dock launching and hauling, but once we're ready we rarely see another dock till the end of the season.

[Bean Counter]

11 Months a year. 7 months in Caribbean/Bahamas 4 months US East Coast FL to MA 1 month at family's home. Did this for 5 years.

[Dtm67]

When we started planning for our full time cruising dream we didn’t really account for the poor weather in most parts of the world for part of the season. “Rose covered glasses” as they say. Now that we own our boat in retirement and can spend as much time as we like practically speaking 6-7 months has been the average per year. We haul out for winter (in the Med currently). It’s easier than chasing the seasons and always staying on the move. Luckily we didn’t sell our house when we bought the boat as originally planned and have that option. And now with grandkids it seems even more likely we will never be truly full time.

Amazing how circumnavigation dreams crash into reality. It’s a great retirement to be half time cruisers (no regrets) and it gives me a whole new appreciation for those that actually circumnavigate...

[Wckoek]

6 months a year is literally living half the time on boat even though not necessary on the move, 11 months is close to being a full time liveaboard as well.
I think given the ample holiday provided by the slowdown I still find it hard to spend more than 3 months in total on a boat.
I understand that spending more than 6-9 months on full time cruising in circumnavigation is a more easy thing, hope I can do that in retirement.


I might be able to do a longer passage and then some coastal cruising along the way.


I wondered how much time is spend on land vs on boat for those who are doing more extended coastal/inshore type of cruising ie Great Loop or Pacific NW type of cruising?

[taxwizz]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Most boats don't move much or if they do it's only for a few hours on a very nice day.

Example. I came in single handed last weekend and docked. Directly behind me a maybe 30-32' Hunter was trying to get out of the slip with 4 people onboard. The boat was pointing out of the slip. They must have move the boat forward and back 6 times before making the turn to get out. This is a fin keel spade rudder boat with a diesel!

Needless to say they hadn't used it much. Actually, I had never seen it move until that moment and I've been there 2 years.

And I will wager that after the incident you described, they don't move it for another 2 years.

[taxwizz]

I spend July and August on my boat in the Toronto area.
Then in fall / winter I spent 90 days on Princess cruise ships last year. I could easily get used to that. Wonderful food, world travel, and nightly entertainment. Did 37 days Southampton to Singapore on Sapphire Princess, in a window cabin, for $3,167 Canadian per person, plus taxes etc. The food alone was worth more than $87 per day.
I would LIVE on a cruise ship if I could.
I cannot wait to get on a cruise ship again.

[Scorpius]

4 - 6 months/year these days. If I can ever get offshore again hopefully it will be much, MUCH more.

[Stewie12]

Many yachts are little more than status symbols. Others are used July and August and then just sit there burning money for the rest of the year.

[mvmojo]

Full time live-aboard for 12 years (6 in Caribbean, 6 in US) then 6 months per year for another 14 years in the US. When part-time cruising the past 14 years, we're on the hook except for maybe a month or so either re-commissioning the boat or putting the boat to bed for the winter. Other than haul out for bottom painting every 3-4 years or so, the majority of maintenance is done while cruising. Definition of cruising, "Working on your boat in exotic places!"

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by mvmojo

Full time live-aboard for 12 years (6 in Caribbean, 6 in US) then 6 months per year for another 14 years in the US. When part-time cruising the past 14 years, we're on the hook except for maybe a month or so either re-commissioning the boat or putting the boat to bed for the winter. Other than haul out for bottom painting every 3-4 years or so, the majority of maintenance is done while cruising. Definition of cruising, "Working on your boat in exotic places!"

Exactly!

[250224]

Originally Posted by taxwizz

I spend July and August on my boat in the Toronto area.
Then in fall / winter I spent 90 days on Princess cruise ships last year. I could easily get used to that. Wonderful food, world travel, and nightly entertainment. Did 37 days Southampton to Singapore on Sapphire Princess, in a window cabin, for $3,167

you forgot to mention the pollution equivalent of 12 or 13 million cars

(https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2012/0...ollution-laws/, https://www.seattletimes.com/life/tr...aska-sailings/)

Links are from 2012, not sure if it still applies. But with what I read in Covid news it seems that the cruise ships still emitted an awful lot of dirt until very recently. (Wonder why we talk about composting toilets after reading the amount that these dirty ships dump at sea).

Offtopic but mentioned in the hope that you don't get too used to that Princess life (they should get scraped, all of them ). Enjoy your own boat!

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Since I'm still working, opportunities are limited by vacation time, but I spent 53 days sailing last year, and about an equal number on the boat for maintenance / hanging out.