The saying goes that boat owners are happy twice with their boats, when they buy it and when they sell it. Well, I have to confess that there is some truth in it. If you consider to buy a boat think twice!
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| 2008, Palmarola |
Do you have the spare time to stay at least 4 weeks per year on your boat and to spend at least 1 week of your yearly vacation for maintenance work? Are you keen of sorting out all kind of problems or do you just want to go sailing to beautiful places?
If the latter is true, do not buy, just rent. It definitely will save you a lot of money. Just think about the yearly costs for the berth, insurance, repairs and upgrades, and likely also for the travels you may need to get to your boat. This brings you back easily several thousands per year. Thus, it definitely does not pay off to own a boat.
But why the hack are there then so many boat owners out there?
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| 2012, Sardinia |
It is bit of a hate-love relationship. It is your boat, you like her 'look' and you have equipped her according to your needs and taste. You know all her weaknesses and strengths, you enjoy maintaining her and even if you hate that there is always something not doing what it is supposed to do, you love 'diving' into the problem as it deviates you from daily routine and problems. It gives you relaxation and satisfaction. And then there is also the freedom of a 'Gipsy-life' which you do not have when renting. Such as sailing from place to place, 'hopping' from island to island and leaving your 'mobile home' with most of your stuff for your return and further discoveries. It also helps to overcome rainy, icy and grey-in-grey winter days, fuelling your dreams for next discoveries and enriching your retirement plan with the planning of more extended cruises.
If all this attracts you, if you have the required spare time and necessary resources, and if have the backing of your family, then go for it and enjoy it!
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| 2014, Panarea |
How to convince your partner?
Another issue is to convince your partner to jump into this financial insanity. I had convincing arguments which I am happy to share with you and which may come in handy to you in a modified form.
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| Helm station (with pirate) |
T-Fish is our third boat. We started sailing with a 20ft kim keeler on the Berlin and Mecklenburger lakes. When my first daughter was born I convinced my wife that a 20 ft boat is simple too small for a family. We then bought a Bandholm 27 - an excellent boat - which we transferred via canals and the Ijsselmeer to Leiden, Holland (we moved from Berlin to Leiden because of a new job assignment). With this boat we did many canal cruises in Holland, sailed the Ijsselmeer, the Frisian Islands and did our first North Sea crossing to England.
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| Saloon (crew planning next landfall) |
In the meantime my second daughter was born and as kids tend to grow fast (by way too fast!) it was getting a bit tight in a 8 m boat. There were only two options which I explained to my wife. Option 1. saving money for the next 20 years to buy a bigger boat but then the kids are grown-up and likely do not want to go sailing with us any longer, and Option 2. to take an extra mortgage on our house and buy a bigger boat now, which would allows us to make many joyful family cruises before the kids leave their parent's house.
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| Nav station (with young navigator) |
And - yes - she bought it! (she does not regret looking back to the many nice family vacations we spent on T-Fish).
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| view from the owner's cabin |
By the way, later friends keen to sail bigger boats, advised me to get a third child!
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