Getting started in sailing can be relatively inexpensive. Small, used day sailors can be found on local Craigslist, marina bone yards and forgotten slips for next to nothing. As the size goes up, so does the cost to some extent. Same is true for equipment. The more you have, the more upkeep, repair and expense. We try to do it all ourselves or with the help of fellow sailors, thus saving $$ and learning skills as we go.
For us, the cost is measured more in blood, sweat, tears and time.
Time - Sailing on various day sailors - a Starfish, Sweet 16 and two different Hobie 16's, we started planning and saving. The day we emptied out the "sailboat account" to pay for our new to us 1972 Catalina 22 s/v No Worries, we started saving again for our next boat. Approximately five years later we emptied it out again to purchase our 1988 Catalina 30 s/v Distant Drum and immediately started saving for our first blue water/ salt water cruiser, the lovely and strong s/v Honey Ryder.
Now all money and purchases are measured in boat dollars and need. Example - "Do we really need XXX for $$$ because that is equal to 1/75 of a months slip fees on s/v Honey Ryder." All presents to each other are actually boat presents of some sort. Honey Ryder had Xmas gifts before we even owned her.
As for the blood, sweat and tears part- years of sacrificing nights and weekends to work on rental houses. The latest blood being Tom's attempt to cut off his thumb with a brand new, sharp hole saw while working on a rehab house.
Additionally, long hours and hard work to develop each of our professional careers.
Planned holidays that were learning, skill building, sailing holidays.
The ASA, SSCA, Diesel Marine, Kansas City Sailing classes and seminars. The hundreds of books and thousands of magazine articles.
For us, these are our true costs with just rewards!
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