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Old 31-08-2018, 16:36   #46
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

Sabot 10 years
Newport 20 2 years
Ericson 26 2 years
Excaliber 26 6 months
Yankee 28 5 years
Morgan 33 3 years
Yankee 24 2 years
Ericson 40 6 months
MC Scow 4 years
Catalina 22 1 year
Seaward 25 1.5 year
Cape Dory 300 3 years
Island Packet 35 3 years

That is the sailboats.
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Old 31-08-2018, 16:43   #47
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

Wellllll....Brace yourself. I bought my first legitimate boat when I was 21. A Southerly 23 built by Compass Yachts in Auckland. That was 43 years ago, and I still have it! It's a strong, capable, sweet little sloop with a fin keel and a skeg hung rudder that I sailed inter-island in Hawaii more times than I can recall. In all kinds of weather. Some trips I wouldn't do today, but I was young and invincible... Prior to the Southerly I owned a 16' trailer sailor for about 4 years and that was my first sailboat that I learned on. Later I bought a Tartan 30 that I owned for about 12 years, then a Pretorien 35 that I've owned for 10 years, and still do. So why did I keep the Southerly you're probably wondering? Well, I figured at a young age that at some point in my life, I'd have a hard time pulling the strings on a big boat. I had this great little boat that never let me down, goes upwind like a banshee, and has nearly a 50% ballast/displacement ratio. Why sell it for a couple thousand dollars, then buy something like a Catalina 22 later? It's cost me minimal over the years- I've had it on a trailer for over 20 years. Some day I'll have to go back to sailing my sweet little boat, and that'll be it. But hopefully not any time soon...
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Old 31-08-2018, 16:48   #48
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

51ft bavaria, floating condo as some would say. spent a small fortune on it of necessity. replacing all the component parts which have come to the end of design life, relays, solenoids, thin wiring, lighting, pumps, lots of hoses, thru-hulls, clamps, lots of parts on the diesels.
This money is sunk, gone, never to be reflected in the yacht's value, but I will get the value from the expense over the next decade (I hope) from a very comfortable and reliable cruising home.
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Old 01-09-2018, 13:36   #49
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

Just for fun, read Nelson DeMille's novel The Gold Coast. He loved his boat too much to let the IRS take it for back taxes, so he sank her. DeMille is a good read. Sequel is called The Gate House.
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Old 06-09-2018, 18:30   #50
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

Quote:
Originally Posted by thinwater View Post
I see a lot of "I will keep this one forever," but not a lot of big numbers. I thought I would keep my last one. I really liked it. And then my priorities changed.

I was really glad to sell it in good condition so that the next person can get the same joy I did.

My reason for asking was curiosity regarding how people look at upgrades. Do you do it for...
  • Reduced maintanance
  • Resale value
  • The joy of doing
  • Immediate enjoyment (comfort or speed or seaworthiness)
... since the upgrades will last far longer than your ownership (particularly if you have already owned the boat for 5 years). Sometimes it is all of these.

Or if you have in mind that you will sell the boat within 5 years (and you probably will), do you ever adjust your projects accordingly? I never did, because my decision to sell was a sudden realization. I think sometimes I upgrade to keep the thrill in it, and then when I'm done, I'm suddenly ready to move on.
Upgrades have essentially no resale value. I do them for my own enjoyment.

To answer original question:
Cruising CAL 35 18 years
Oyster 55: 8 years and counting

After many double handed ocean crossings decided I wanted room to share the experience with friends.

Both vessels full time liveaboard
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Old 07-09-2018, 07:34   #51
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

Hmmm.....
CUrrent boat 5 years, but it just went through a total refit, so I'll keep it until I'm done with our current long term cruising plan, then sell it for a smaller boat when my sons move on.
The previous boat 12 years.
Before that 10 years.
Most before that were owned for short periods of time, depending on what my situation was at the time.
But I've had several auction boats I refurbed and sailed or sold.
6 months, to slow and not what I needed
3 months just to refurb and flip
2 years, even though I already had another boat.
Etc, etc.
The bigger boats I've owned were the result of more serious purchases and fit my needs at the time. Most of the others were just opportunities that were just to good to turn up, so I bought, tried out and then sold, after doing some repair work.
It all depends on what your needs are.
If your looking for a particular purpose, like doing some extended cruising, then your purchase will be more thought out and serious.
If you just want to experience different boats to see what they're like and what you feel will work for you then either rent, charter or talk your way onto other peoples boats, it's a lot cheaper and a lot less work. Trust me on that one. Volunteering to crew on weekly beer can racing boats is also a way to check out some different boats, most yacht clubs and racing organizations have weekly series and many captains are always in need of crew.
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Old 07-09-2018, 08:23   #52
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

Vancouver 27 - 9 years. It was my first house and with any luck a few decades from now it will be our last. Small and seaworthy .. easy to adapt to changes in life circumstances .. whether full time cruising or trailered and tucked away in backyard somewhere. May also end up being on loan to a younger cousin for a while, as his "first house".
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Old 07-09-2018, 10:01   #53
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

I built my boat in the seventies and have kept it ever since.... I have sailed around the world, had all kinds of wonderful adventures and mishaps as is described in my book about the building and sailing etc... It has been forty years, and is like a time machine for me, I go on board and am immediately surrounded by forty years of the memories associated with those years, all the good, the bad and the ugly
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Old 07-09-2018, 10:40   #54
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

Quote:
Originally Posted by thinwater View Post
I see a lot of "I will keep this one forever," but not a lot of big numbers. I thought I would keep my last one. I really liked it. And then my priorities changed.

I was really glad to sell it in good condition so that the next person can get the same joy I did.

My reason for asking was curiosity regarding how people look at upgrades. Do you do it for...
  • Reduced maintanance
  • Resale value
  • The joy of doing
  • Immediate enjoyment (comfort or speed or seaworthiness)
... since the upgrades will last far longer than your ownership (particularly if you have already owned the boat for 5 years). Sometimes it is all of these.

Or if you have in mind that you will sell the boat within 5 years (and you probably will), do you ever adjust your projects accordingly? I never did, because my decision to sell was a sudden realization. I think sometimes I upgrade to keep the thrill in it, and then when I'm done, I'm suddenly ready to move on.

I think everyone knows you won't get your money back out of any upgrades.


One powerful reason NOT to change boats is to not lose money on what you did to fix the boat up and make her fit your purpose, at least, to get some use and enjoyment out of them before you hand them over to someone else.



I don't really see how you can get to know a boat and then really make her yours, in less than about 10 years, and the process is basically never-ending, provided you don't reach the point where you are dissatisfied enough that you don't feel like it's worth it. I've owned mine for nine years and the process continues apace. The last boat stayed in the family for more than 20 years.



I will sell her within the next couple of years if I earn enough money to build a new one -- I've been working on the design brief for a couple of years already -- but I consciously treat my present boat as if I will own her forever -- I'm afraid I would go crazy if I didn't.



I have some vague hope that the fact that I have continuously improved and upgraded my boat all these nine years will somehow be at least somewhat reflected in the price I get, but it would be a one in a thousand case so it's probably a foolish hope. I'm pretty sure that she's the best Moody 54 extant (out of 40 or so built), but will anyone be willing to pay for that? Time will tell. Being reasonable for a moment, I doubt it.
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Old 07-09-2018, 10:41   #55
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

By the way, out of the possible reasons for doing upgrades, you left out one:


To gain experience with a given system, in preparation for the next boat.


That is the main reason why I am considering doing a LiFePo4 power system in my boat. I won't keep the boat long enough to amortize the cost of it, but it will be a great learning experience which will greatly help to design the system right in the next boat.
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I behold from the beach your crooked inviting fingers,
I believe you refuse to go back without feeling of me;
We must have a turn together . . . . I undress . . . . hurry me out of sight of the land,
Cushion me soft . . . . rock me in billowy drowse,
Dash me with amorous wet . . . . I can repay you."
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Old 07-09-2018, 11:02   #56
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

I purchased a 1979 Bristol 35.5 CB in 1989 from the original owner. I still own and use the vessel. 29 years. Still a beautiful boat.

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Old 07-09-2018, 11:29   #57
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

3 boats in 38 years:


Seabird yawl: 10 years
Catalina 30: 25 years
Custom cat: 13 years, probably keep it for another 20


I like my boats to be 'just so', so I tend to keep them a long time.
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Old 07-09-2018, 12:23   #58
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

First boat was a PT-30 that was a project with no experience on my part.
17 years later it was dismasted by an accident in the yard and replaced with a C&C 29.
Three years later we upgraded to a C&C 38 that was going to be our "last boat."
Ten years later we wanted a "retirement boat" so that we could travel further and out of the Chesapeake Bay, so we moved to a Tartan 4600. Four years into the Tartan and we have started our plans for "going south" for at least a few months.
Each change had a reason; mainly comfort, safety, and more amenities. This is either our last boat or our last sailboat, depending on which of us you ask.
Oh yes, all improvements and upgrades are for us, without concern of resale. We know that the next owner of any boat we have had will enjoy her almost as much as we did.
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Old 07-09-2018, 12:48   #59
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Talking Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead View Post
By the way, out of the possible reasons for doing upgrades, you left out one:


To gain experience with a given system, in preparation for the next boat.


That is the main reason why I am considering doing a LiFePo4 power system in my boat. I won't keep the boat long enough to amortize the cost of it, but it will be a great learning experience which will greatly help to design the system right in the next boat.
Absolutely fair!!! That or convince a friend they need it and help with the install
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Old 07-09-2018, 12:56   #60
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Re: How Long Do You Own a Boat?

Quote:
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...Or if you have in mind that you will sell the boat within 5 years (and you probably will), do you ever adjust your projects accordingly? ....

What I was thinking about when I said "5-years" was projects that didn't occur to you until you had already owned the boat for 3-6 years. That happens to me a lot, since it often takes me 3-4 years to get to now here properly and decide what she needs.


I've always seemed to won boats for about 10 years. At that point, something in my life seems to change.
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