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Where do the costs of a bigger boat come from?

2825 Views 25 Replies 20 Participants Last post by  dinosdad
Seeing my boat is surrounded by enough snow to be clinically depressing,
I've come up with this question for you all ( while most of us await the big thaw). It's been stated here and elsewhere once you go above 34-35 feet the costs add up fairly exponentially. So let's compare my c&c 30, and a alberg 37.
Let's dismiss slip/mooring , storage /hauling, as that's a no brainer that the longer the boat the higher the marina fees. Let's keep things pretty apples to apples , both simple galleys with icebox , alcohol stoves, manual heads , Hand pump sinks, simple lighting loads etc... Just how much more does that extra length equate in added costs? Anyone have any personal experiences? I'll throw the first one out ...more bottom paint , probably another gallon , how about it,
Sail costs? Rigging? Let's throw some numbers around( what else do most of us have to do, if you live up here in the north anyway!)?
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Not that cost doesn't go up with length generally, but I would argue that displacement is a better proxy for cost than length. Sail size is selected to compliment the displacement, and the size, number and complexity of installed systems also varies more with displacement than leingth. Sail area not boat length then determines the size of the deck hardware, the loads on the running rigging, size of the fittings, ect.

As an example my Olson 30 used a 4.5hp outboard and was really more than it needed. While a J-30 uses a 15hp diesel and is a little underpowered. The difference isn't length, but that the Olson weighs 3600lbs while the J weighs 6500lbs.
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