[NCC320]

On the issue that owning a boat is expensive.....It's not free, nor is any other hobby or sport that you really pursue. While it's wise to consider costs, don't destroy the dreams of would be newbies who want to enter sailing before they start. My experience:

Within the range of boats that I have owned, I found that expense more or less goes up with the size of the boat. So if expense will be an issue, stay small. Smaller boats are fun also. You will not be able to cross oceans, but you will find an ease of sailing that many big boats don't. Each has it's own rewards, but often somewhat different.

If you need to keep the costs low, you will notice a significant jump in annual costs (at a real gain in convenience) when you move from a trailerable boat to an in-water boat. The in-water boat brings slip fees and haul out/bottom paint costs. After you are permanently in the water, costs go up somewhat proportionally to increased size. I don't know about really big boats, but I suspect the costs are much higher than the increase in size because most people owning such boats will tend to keep things more pristine and do almost all work using the yard.

I've owned or own the following:

!988 Sunfish (14 ft). Bought used in 1989, paid $1,000, bought trailer several years later $350. Actually is my son's boat. Still own it today. Expenses: $35 for a jam cleat pivot, insurance is home owners policy, so $0. Property taxes ~$35 per year. 20 years ownership and counting.

1970 Venture 24. Bought new, paid $3,900. Kept it 5 years and sold for $5,000. Paid lot storage of ~$35 per month, insurance was no additional cost on my home policy. Maintence items other than soap and water for cleaning, maybe $250 - $300 total for the five years (paint the trailer, 1 new winch cable, a homemade trailer tongue extension, a few tubes of caulk for a leaky swing keel pivot ....new boat, no real maintenance)

1977 Kells 28. Bought new, paid $14,000. Kept it 23 years and sold for $8,500. I checked price on used market during that time, and in the mid period, the resale value was more than I intially paid. The boat, when sold, had some interior issues (that a good DIY could easily handle..I am not a DIY). Also, windows had aged and were ready for replacement. Book value was about $11,500. I discounted it to move it quickly (had another boat on the way) and to cover the anticipated repairs. Annual costs were slip fees of roughly $750 per year, insurance of $320 per year, haul out, bottom painting and hull wax (by yard) $1,000 every 2-3 years. No real maintence problems in those years...bilge pumps, float swiches occasionally, two fuel pumps, exhaust connector, Grp 24 battery every 2-3 years, oil changes, etc... estimate $100 - $200 per year, property taxes ~$200 per year.

2000 Catalina 320. Bought new, paid $80,000. Was looking at a 93-94 model used, dealer explained that I could buy new for just a bit more than the used ones at that time. Still own the boat. Spent perhaps $1,000 on items I added after purchase over the years. In 9 years, no maintenance problems (resew jib cover, resew bimini seam, replace plastic bimini buckles, occasional oil change, engine alignment, replace batteries ($350). On the used market, boats of similar age and equipment, are listed for ~$69K - $80K.
Haul boat every 2 years, paint bottom, wax hull, replace zincs $1200-$1600 each time. Insurance $450 per year. Property Tax ~$400 per year. Slip fees about $2,000 per year.

2001 Catalina 22, bought new $18,300 (includes replacing outboard motor that was stolen). Co-owned with my son. When in water, slip fees $1600 per year, insurance $250 per year.....now on trailer, no slip fees, no storage fee.
Taxes ~$100 per year. Added perhaps $500 in items after boat purchased. No maintenance costs so far...but battery needs replacing ($60). Resales are hard to find, but seem to be about $16,500.

So the costs are not so terrible. All in all, a nice sport at reasonable cost if you keep it simple.

If you go really inexpensive and buy a old, small boat at $1000 - $2000, you'll have to spend money to bring it up to serviceable condition, but if you do the job correctly, you will recover most when you sell it. For project boats just don't do what happened to the Kells 28 (see post Project Boat? - sad case of K28) in buying boats section.