If I buy this actual boat (1979 O'Day 28) what will yearly cost be?

[jmfell]

Hi All-

Although, I've been on boats for most of my life, I am just learning to actually sail and I would like to purchase my first boat. I'm looking for rough averages about what it would cost to own a boat. I have a budget of 10K for the initial purchase. I'm looking for a 27 - 30 sailboat that will be comfortable for weekend trips and still fun to sail. A few questions:

1) Pros and cons of this boat - 1979 O'Day 28 (boats.com/boat-details/O'day-Sloop/22246501)
2) Any other suggestions for sailboats?
3) If I bought that boat (or similar), what do you think would be a ballpark yearly average I would spend on storage and maintenance on a sailboat of this age?

Thanks in advance for any feedback. Great forum here!

-jf

[bljones]

You will spend as much as you have to spare, and no more.
Seriously.

I need more info. Where do you live? Do you plant to keep the boat in a marina in a slip, or on a mooring?

[emoney]

Welcome to the "New Sailors Club".
1st, let me say, there will be quite a few people who will much more intelligent advice that I, but I'm throwing my $.02 in anyway.
First of all, 10k is a nice budget for a 1st sailboat budget and you should have a lot of options. Take your time, study, ask lots of questions and get as much assistance/advice that you can. A person can spend 10k and get a great deal, or the same person can spend the same amount and purchase a nightmare. You say this is your 1st boat to own, so it would be most advisable to make sure you get a 'survey' before you purchase anything. For a few hundred dollars, and 3rd party professional will inspect the boat from top to bottom and point out all the areas of concern and even give you a rough idea of what will be involved in the repair/upkeep. Second, revisit the 1st advice and get a survey before your purchase (lol). I can't stress that enough as many boats will look great on the surface to the untrained eye only to be found hiding a myriad of problems, some even fatal. And again, don't forget it's a buyer's market still. You're the one in control so if someone hits you with a , "Well, I've got 3 other people looking at, so you better hurry". Kindly nod, thank the person and move on!
As to the expected yearly maintainence costs, a lot of that is variable in that we don't know what you're expecting. For instance, can you do any or all of the repair work yourself or will you be using a "Yard" or professional for hire to do the routine and the repairs? Those are two entirely different figures with a large gap in them, keep in mind.
It's good to see that you at least know that there will definitely be an annual expense to owning this 1st one of yours. That's a nice start. But, since you said it's the 1st, keep in mind there's nothing wrong with going even smaller and less expensive while you learn to sail/own a boat/etc. and then take your time knowing what you like/dislike, want/don't want, must-have, can't-live-without, etc. Good luck and keep us informed of the process.
Oh, btw, the rule is simple; pics or it didn't happen!

[jmfell]

Thanks for the advice, that was quick! I live near Boston, MA.

I've been doing a lot of research online (great info on this site). After researching and calling around this is where I think it's at, but I'd like to get more first hand experiences:

1) Slip at Boston Harbor Shipyard: $3,800/year
2) Mooring in Winthrop Harbor: $800 Intial Setup $350/year
3) Roundtrip Launch/Hauling/Winter Storage: $2000
4) Insurance: $200/year
4) General Maintenance: ????

Running Yearly Avg. (mooring): $2550 + maintenance
Running Yearly Avg. (slip): $6000 + maintenance

Do those numbers seem in the ballpark? I'm a little foggy on what the avg. maintenance will cost for a boat of this age, but I actually look forward to working on the boat myself as much as I can in the off-season.

Thanks again!

[zedboy]

JF,

You've got a good handle on the starting points of cost-of-ownership.

There are going to be some incidentals, some of which will depend on the boat's current condition (that's the part about the survey again!)

• Engine - inboard or outboard? It'll need regular servicing - oil and filter changes, plus new impeller, cutlass bearing for inboard, etc every so often. How has it been maintained?
• Standing rigging - is it in good enough shape to last a good number of years? Eventually these things need replacement
• Running rigging - same deal
• Bottom condition - you'll need new paint at least every few years, better every year. You can save money by painting yourself. Marine paint is expensive!
• Sails - they can last a long time if you use them gently and take good care of them, but eventually they wear out.

I'm sure people can add tons more to this list.

And then of course there's the stuff you hope the survey shows you're not going to have to worry about - the most important being water getting in around through hulls, chainplates, etc, keel bolt condition. If you discover waterlogged cored decks or something, things are going to get expensive fast! But if it's healthy now, careful maintenance should make sure it stays that way.

If your boat's really in good condition, none of this should add too much to your basic overhead of moor/slip, haul-in and -out and winter storage.

[GMC]

If you store your boat in the water for the winter (wet), you might save about a thousand or more. They will pull boat in the spring, power wash bottom and change zincs (although they didn't have my zinc). I did this at Admiral Hill Marina in Chelsea last winter. You may want it out for other reasons, but that is an option.

[sailingdog]

While you can store your boat in the water for the winter, many insurance policies require that you haul it for the winter layup period. YMMV.

[jmfell]

Thanks for the great feedback.

It looks like I have a lot to learn about maintaining a sailboat (wasn't even aware of 'zincs'). I plan to look at as many boats as I can over the next few months and continue my research. The summer and fall still have many great weeks left in which I'll focus on learning "how" to sail.

The first boat I'm going to look at is this 1979 O'Day 28 (boats.com/boat-details/O'day-Sloop/22246501).

Pros and cons based on pics and listing? Anything jump out about this particular boat I should know about before I go and take a look?

Thanks!

[sailingdog]

I'd recommend you read the Boat Inspection Trip Tips thread I started, as it will help you determine whether any boats you look at are even worth going forward on, saving you the price of a survey on boats that aren't worth looking at further.

[jmfell]

Thanks Sailingdog - great thread!