It's probably because you're confused. You must have hit your
head. It's a turnip TRUCK, not a wagon. All you have to do is engage the Way Back Time Machine and things will be just fine.
In reality, the cost of new boats is absolutely astronomical. But you may have to look at things differently. My boat, when it was made in 1986 cost $55K including
sails. When we bought this then 12 year old boat in 1998, we paid $54 for it in immaculate condition, and new ones then were up to $106K for essentially the same boat with a slightly but unnecessarily larger
engine. A new
Catalina 355, essentially the same boat is now just shy of $200K!
Unless you absolutely have your heart set on "new", there's nothing wrong with older boats. Besides the fact that they'll already have anchors and other "stuff", for example, my
engine has 2750 hours and it will run, with care, for another 2750 or double that. Even full time cruisers may not put more than 100 or 200 engine hours on a year. The motors are just getting warmed up!
Then think of other systems on the boat:
electrical - pretty easy to deal with and my panel still has
fuses (!) and works just fine, most have breakers; presuure hot cold - little hose and a
water pump.
What's left? Standing & running
rigging and
sails. Many skippers have found old boats that have been maintained with relatively newer
rigging, which many feel can last anywhere from 5 to 15 years. At the risk of sounding pushy, "at your age" (!) you'll have to do it once on a boat you get, new or used. Do it now or do it sometime later (I'm 68, I hear ya
)
There are millions of boats out there with "good bones" that some
elbow grease and attention to detail of the systems won't be very much different between new and used. When we bought our boat, before I made the offer, we went to look at new ones. The doubled price sealed the deal for me, 'cuz our PO kept the boat in superb condition and double price just wasn't worth it.
Good luck, happy hunting.
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