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38ft vs 42ft

2K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  MarkofSeaLife 
#1 ·
Hey everyone. I'm looking closely at two Catalina's on the Chesapeake. Both are great for what I'm looking to do but was hoping the vast experience here could help me scope a question.

Clearly bigger boats will be more costly to maintain. What I need help with us understand all of those costs differences between a 38 ft boat and a 42 ft boat. The obvious ones to me are slip fees and bottom paint. Can anyone help me quantify the paint costs? Any other regular maintenance cost differences? Insurance?

Thanks in advance.
 
#4 ·
I think the best way to compare anticipated costs is to compare displacement - that is the best measure of the "size" of a boat to my mind.

For example - if you are comparing a Cat 380 with a Cat 42, the only real cost dif should be moorage and other things that are charged on a LOA basis. Sails, gear, paint etc. will all be much of a muchness because the boats weigh almost the same.
 
#6 ·
All the above make hugely important points.
I once bought a one off used for an OSTAR. The equipment was top notch. The boat was meticulously cleaned, everything serviced. Then put away. It sat for several years before the owner ( English ) sold it at a bargain basement price. I put in an interior more suitable for cruising. Used the boat and sold it for more than I paid. Cost was sweat.
I bought a used Tayana. It was used seasonally as a coastal cruiser. It had trouble with a wet deck, winches were worn and not lubed, wet exhaust was shot as was cutless bearing, one injector, and one water tank leaked. We replaced all lines, some standing rigging, a headsail and got everything working. Wooded the whole boat and put down fresh Epiphanes. Added new electronics and a Fleming windvane. Got it up to Bristol to do Marion Bermuda. Sold it after a few years. It was a continuing drain.

Point being its not size that matters so much as condition of the boat, condition of components, and nature of the vessel. A Concordia is a lot smaller than my current boat. But to keep such a boat with the whole hull in bright is well past my annual maintenance budget.
 
#7 ·
Can anyone help me quantify the paint costs? Any other regular maintenance cost differences? Insurance?

Thanks in advance.
If you do the painting yourself it will be the same price because you had to buy the same amount of paint. If not it is whatever the per/ft charge of the yard.

My experience is the size matters less on maintenance than the boat condition age. But they we same age/condition a 38 & 42 foot boat really pretty is the same for maintenance.

Insurance, size doesn't matter only price you insure it for and the boat age.
 
#8 ·
I just made a similar jump, went from a 37 to a 41 and although much of the systems are the same or similar, there tends to be more of them. For instance, I went from a single galley sink/faucet and head with a pull-out shower faucet to a galley sink/faucet, a vanity sink/faucet, head sink /faucet, separate shower and a transom shower. So it can be the quantity of the systems as well as the size of equipment. I do all of my own work so the labor costs are zero, my marina doesn't care what size boat, it's the slip size that they price. I'm sure you can find a similar marina pricing. Insurance is more due to the increase in boat value, but not significantly. Fuel consumption typically is higher due to a larger engine. Sails are more costly as are the dodger/bimini's. Ground tackle is more, but you don't replace this very often.
Create a spreadsheet itemizing both.....
 
#10 ·
when I went from a 1988 39' boat insured for $65k to a 2001 43' boat insured for $115k the insurance cost went DOWN because the boat was newer

just saying
 
#11 ·
The Cost Benefit analysis must include the extra living area.
I am in a 39 foot boat and, yeah, cost would be a bit higher for a 42 but I would JUMP at the extra length. Every foot longer is exponentially larger but the costs may only go up linear.

I live on my boat and activly cruise: I couldn't see the extra cost of an extra 4 foot of boat being more than a few hundred dollars per year. Probably negligible.
 
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