Boat ownership in the snow.

[glassdad]

I live in Southern California where I can sail year round. For example, saturday 12/11 we went out in 15 to 20 knots wind 5' to 7 foot seas and temps in the mid 60's. Sunday the wind was 5 knots the seas 1' and the temp at 2:00 was 72 degrees. Obvoiusly we don't have this weather all the time but being able to sail all year was a big factor in deciding to buy a sailboat.

For all of you in the colder zones, how did you justify the cost of a boat for only 7 or 8 months of sailing? Is your annual cost higher or lower than in warm climes? I pay slip fees 12 months of the year but I do not have to haul out during winter. How expensive is it to winterize the boat? You can do regular maintanence during the cold months, I have to wait for rain or miss a day of sailing.

I am not desparageing anyones choice here. I am looking for information.

Thanks


s/v Odyssey

[Minnewaska]

Originally Posted by glassdad

....how did you justify the cost of a boat....

The answer to this question most certainly has nothing to do with how many months are available to sail. It may work when someone invents a year with a couple of hundred months.

[bljones]

How do you justify living in a land of earthquakes, mudslides, fires, traffic, declining property values, lousy schools and the Kardashians?

Probably for the same reason we sail up here- when it is good, it is very very good, and when it is bad.....



it is still pretty damn good.

[T37Chef]

Sailing isn't the only thing I/we enjoy doing. During winter we ski and hike whenever we can and visit family and friends. Then there are house projects (and boat projects for that matter) that need attention . From April to end of November we typically sail just about every other weekend, more during May/June and September/October.

Haul-out is typically an additional expense around here I believe. Winter is time for many to take a break from sailing, tackle some projects, or just wait for the upcoming season I suppose. I for one have a pretty long list to complete over the winter while the boat is on the hard. Still, there are plenty that sail around here all year round as well

[sailingdog]

Just curious, what is the cost of a slip annually in your area?

I pay less than $2000 for my mooring and my winter storage. I usually have the boat in the water by April and haul around Thanksgiving.

I can do some of the maintenance and such during the winter, but much of the off-season is way too cold to do it much of the time.

BTW, I would probably still own a boat, even if I lived in less temperate climes like Minnesota or northern Maine.

[BubbleheadMd]

First, we don't all haul out. Some of us are crazy and sail in very cold weather. Second, we don't all necessarily pay high slip fees. I don't.

I get why you're asking the question but I think it also depends on how much disposable income one has. Someone who makes more money may justify it on the basis that it's not that big a chunk of their disposable income.

[erps]

For all of you in the colder zones, how did you justify the cost of a boat for only 7 or 8 months of sailing?

Who says you have to stop sailing when it's snowing? Still have a hard time justifying the cost of the boat though.

[scottyt]

who said anything about snow, here is my boat last year when we had 6 feet of snow over a few weeks

[T37Chef]

BTW, here we are coming back from Annapolis last December

[Quickstep192]

I try to stretch the season as much as possible. I leave the boat in the water year round and try to get out on anything approaching a nice day. This year's summer heat and windless days were probably more of a detriment than the cold days of early spring and fall.