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Next-Juggernaut7404@reddit

I inherited my dads old maxi 77 when he passed. I believe I was around early 20s. And soon I found out I was in no state to fund owning a boat, so I sold it after a year. Turning 37 I got the keys to a Jeanneau 51 which I had for a few years. And now by the age of 41 I’ve downsized to a 27 footer.

Plan is to flip it and get a 32-36 long keeled for long distance sailing. After trying the boats above this seems to be the right size for me and my needs

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2Loves2loves@reddit

Early 20's Hobie 16 that needed some work.

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Raneynickelfire@reddit

I have a Catalina 22. It was given to me after the previous owner passed and his wife couldn't deal with it. I've rebuilt the entire boat - the only original parts on it are the hull itself, the mast, and the boom.

With all the (new) and custom sails I have, including the cradle she's worth about $5k give or take.

I'm almost $12k into her over the last 6 years.

Don't regret a penny. I turned 38 on monday, so I guess I was 30-31 when I got the boat.

That being said, had I not got the boat for free when I did (pre covid) I'd never be in a position to own a boat, ever.

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chisailor@reddit

Beneteau 352, bought it for 60k with two friends at 24. Was able to finance it. I’m out of it but one of the original guys is now the sole owner.

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LollieLoo@reddit

I raked leaves and shoveled snow to buy an old ex-rental Sunfish when I was 13, does that count?

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No-Necessary-405@reddit

33yo - Raven 26 Keeler - $5000 NZD

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Brandgeek@reddit

My first, second and 3rd boats were all free to acquire. Then hundreds to low thousands were put into quality of life upgrades. Just now starting my first true restoration project but I’m starting on a dinghy so it’s low stakes and low cost :) just want to learn how to do good work before I take on a larger project.

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YourFavoriteKraut@reddit

Bought a used optimist at 14, was about 300 bucks in today's money, I think the seller took pity on me.

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the-montser@reddit

Bought my first sailboat (an old Laser) for $2000 in 8th grade after saving up money from mowing lawns and things like that. I’m almost thirty and still have it.

Sailing doesn’t have to be expensive if you don’t let it be expensive.

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kerberos824@reddit

How do you keep keelboat sailing cheap though? The marinas have gotten so catastrophically expensive compared to what they used to be. In the late 90s early 2000s, I slipped a Beneteau First 235 I picked up for $2,500. Needed work outboard work and some heavy cleaning, but was otherwise great. Loved it, and only had to pay $600 a season for dock space on the Hudson. Now, that same slip, is $3,800 a year.

Trailer sailers only for me, now!

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cuisinart-hatrack@reddit

Simple. Don’t waste money on a house.

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the-montser@reddit

I keep in on a mooring in my city’s municipal mooring field. The permit is $15 every 60 days.

Insurance is $12.47 per month from State Farm.

I bought an adjustable J24 trailer off marketplace for $700 that I use to haul and launch the boat at a city owned ramp for free at the beginning and end of the season.

Membership in my local racing club is $200 per year and includes free registration to any event they put on.

Most parts I buy either get purchased new on sale, or used from other local sailors or marketplace.

I do all my own work on the boat, including cleaning the bottom.

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kerberos824@reddit

Whoa...

Just curious, what city is that? Considering a move...

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the-montser@reddit

Charleston, SC.

I recognize that I have a particularly affordable situation, especially with storage.

But even not considering that, I am able to save a ton of money by find a good boat for cheap, being smart about when and where I buy parts, and doing most of the work myself. For some people that wouldn’t be worth their time, but I’m not rich and I love to sail so it’s worth it to me.

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kerberos824@reddit

Oh man, I already loved Charleston...

I fully agree - sailing does not have to be a rich man's hobby. It certainly can be, but if you don't mind doing the work and buying things intelligently, it really doesn't have to be. My mom and I grew up... poor, really. In all sense of the word. But, we always scraped enough together to keep a sailboat on the Hudson. Did all the work and all the maintenance, and it was never much to look at. But it taught me that sailing can be "cheap." And thank god for that.

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Extreme-Mood5605@reddit

Me too! I bought a Laser with money from my newspaper route and lawn mowing etc. I was about 13yo. I’m now 64 and still miss it! Fourtunanly I teach sailing during the summer and still get to mess around on them. I currently have a Ranger 23, that I absolutely love, and live on a 36’ Ed Monk trawler. Still kick around the idea of another Laser…. Best bang for the buck boat out there, and really good for keeping up your racing skills! If I want to sail on a big boat, there are more than enough opportunities to crew on someone else’s boat and let them spend the $$$. I scoured Craigslist and marine flea markets for years, finding everything from really good racing sails, winches, spinnakers, etc etc for pennies on the dollar. It just takes patience and knowing what you are hunting for.

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rickens_jr@reddit

I got my maxi 77 at 18

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fasionably_latte@reddit

I bought a Catalina 22 swing keel at 30yo for $2,000 on fb marketplace, found a mooring for the season that includes the dinghy dock space for $2,000, and trailer and winter storage for $10/ft. The only expenses on top of everything was a new battery and replacement mast light, and the possible addition of a chartplotter and AIS unit (~ $800). You can find some cheap and decent options on marketplace if you’re willing to put in some elbow grease to get it cleaned up, seen too many sad boats that need work for dirt cheap, under $400 for live aboard sized.

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HicksAndTheCity@reddit

23, 6k sailboat, justified by use as a live aboard on the hook

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n0exit@reddit

I got mine for free. Buying a boat isn't the expensive part. Keeping a boat is what is expensive.

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GiantPandammonia@reddit

I'm not sure. I'll let you know

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Tikka2023@reddit

Amel Supet Maramu 2000, 33.

Sold a business and wanted to take the path less travelled rather than sitting in an office for another two decades

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sailonswells@reddit

I bought my first sailboat, a Hallberg-Rassy 35, when I turned 37. It needed work so I got it relatively cheaply. And if you ask how I afforded it, the answer is I didn't have kids. It's also the reason I've retired young. Do I regret not having kids? Not for a second! 😁

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hifromtheloo@reddit

36, and purely by luck. My house value skyrocketed after COVID. Cashed out and bought my dream sailboat

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doyu@reddit

I quit my job and started a business at 38.

Working for someone else is a bad way to get boat money. Go walk around any marina and ask people what they do.

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barefootviking@reddit

26 yrs old, 3 friends chipped in for a 30 yr old 30’ s/y in San Diego. 36 yrs old, I bought my own 36’ s/y in Miami (I had not noticed the numerological coincidences till just now

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gsasquatch@reddit

I was just under 30.

My $15k house was all but paid off and for not having a house payment anymore, I decided I could afford a boat. Houses in that town start at about $60k now, and my $15k house was cheap for being small and run down, but $60k would still get you something there if you're not fussy, and there are jobs there that will get to 6 figures with overtime and a 2 year degree. That town is about 1.5 hours from the boat, so that's a drawback, along with winters which are a little chilly.

When I bought my boat, all in I could live on about $1000/month, and I was bringing home about $4000/month. So a $4k boat, was not a big deal.

So I bought a boat for $4k. Instead of driving a nice new car at $300/month, I drove a $1000 cars to be able to afford the slip fee. I still drive junk cars for that reason. My slip fee is the difference between the cost of running a string of teenaged rust buckets and keeping a car that is always less than 5yo.

When all else fails, lower your expectations.

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danielt1263@reddit

A neighbor had a Sunfish in her yard as a decoration. She decided she didn't want it there any more and said if I dig it out, I can have it. I was in my 20's.

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millijuna@reddit

My secret is that I only own 1/3 of a sailboat. I share it with two friends. I bought in almost 20 years ago for $3000 USD.

These days, my share of expenses is $4000 a year, including moorage, insurance, C-Tow, and a contribution towards the kitty.

Last year, we repowered, my share was $17,000 CAD.

This is for a 1973 Ericson 27 that is equipped like she’s a 35. We like our toys.

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mynameis____@reddit

33 years old - bought a 1986 Cal25 for $5k

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coldafsteel@reddit

Built my first boat over the winter when I was 14. I bought some plans online and borrowed some tools. Slapped together a little 15-ft boat in just a few weeks.

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Super_Jay@reddit

I was about 24 years old and paid $500 for a used \~1980 Alcort Sunfish

(Not my boat, just sharing for illustration purposes)

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kharneyFF@reddit

Can a sailboat ever actually be affordable?

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Ninja_Wrangler@reddit

I exchanged my labor for currency

Early 30s. Probably could have managed mid 20s but I was focused on getting a house first so I could move out.

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tobdomo@reddit

Mid 20's I bought a Simoun 445, HFL1500 including trailer.

Not only the first boat I bought, it is the only one I ever bought (and probably will). These days I rent one, both cheaper and less hassle.

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gnew18@reddit

Never

Affording a boat and having one are not quite possible for the majority of people.

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Bostaevski@reddit

Saved money for many years, at 49 yo bought a marlow-hunter 40.

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Westar-35@reddit

At 20yo I bought a Coronado 15 for $600, years later the step up was a Santana 20 for $1500, another trailerable boat. Trailer sailors are an easy way to get into sailing for cheap, but do imply that you have the vehicle capacity to tow the boat and somewhere on land to store it.

The cheapest way to get into it is to join a club with it's own boats.

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wleecoyote@reddit

I was 50 when I bought my first boat, a Precision 15 an acquaintance wanted to get rid of, for $500. I had sailed a sunfish as a kid, and a little time on larger boats.

I was 52 when I paid $30,000 for my 30 year old Hunter 29.5 from a marina/boatyard. The owner was with us during the survey and fixed everything on the spot, and threw in all the standard safety equipment.

I was able to afford it because I had a really good job.

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ccgarnaal@reddit

1000euros for my 28ft classic trintella 1 when I was 18. Took some effort to convince my dad that I could tackle this project.

And he helped a lot with the first renovations and building the mast.

I have also fixed quite a few of my cheap fixes from my student years over again. Now I can afford to use the right materials.

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FairSeafarer@reddit

Husband and I always had a nice 18 ft Mistral. It's one of the first thing we did together after ice climbing. The Mistral came from his family's side, on a nice little trailer. His father just let him have it. It's the boat he learned to sail on and it's also the boat our kids first sailed on with us. We would go out in the bay, each with their little starwars fishing rods and a bucket. We had one expesive rod and I swear, we never caught a damned fish on it. We did not really care if there was any wind to be honest when we got out with the kids. As long as we could get out and back, nothing to scare them. We have good memories on it.

Fast forward a decade and a half into our relationship, at age 39, we bought our first "real" sailboat , a Columbia 56. And "afford" is a big word. We put a big cash down and a small mortgage on it, like we would have on our next house (sold the house, bought a boat). It's cool because we travel the world on it with our kids. We've brought our job with us. The kids are having a mighty time. We're currently sailing between NZ and Tonga and the wind has died...

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IanSan5653@reddit

I bought my first boat out of college at 23 for $3200. Proceeded to put an absurd amount of time and money into it before deciding it was too small and selling it for $9000. Only lost about $5000 and a few hundred hours on that deal!

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Arizona_Sailor@reddit

We bought a 23’ San Juan and trailer in Las Vegas when I was 30. This was right after we finished our house. Then we proceeded to sail every inch of Lake Mead. That lake was a master class in all aspects from sail trim to harmonious marriage which can seem like heavy weather sailing at times. We’re still married and still have the boat too.

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SpunkyDaisy@reddit

Mid-30s, husband/I bought a 60-year-old 26' for $3000 after buying our condo.

Upgraded a few years ago to a 33' 50-year-old one for $7500.

We could afford more, but are happy with the old boat and don't want to be boat poor (plus I'm currently laid off)

We didn't get into sailing until we were in our 30's

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RikkiLostMyNumber@reddit

I bought a small centerboard wooden sailboat for $400 when I was about 22. Sailed it for a bit, but then the hull was destroyed in Hurricane Bob.
I had previously spend a summer living on an O'Day 22, which is something you can do when you're 20 years old.
My first "big boat" was a C&C 30, 1975, which I bought for $10k when I was about 38.

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sailing_by_the_lee@reddit

I worked a second job for a couple of years to save up enough to buy my first keelboat for $19,000. I was about 37 at the time, I think. After that, I was able to upgrade by selling the first one. I hope to do that one more time to get my forever boat.

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kirbalert@reddit

First was 24' keelboat when I was 18 with money from being a sailing instructor. Bought a 35' one design keel boat at 22. Couldn't afford it until I was 30 but did it anyway.

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turniphat@reddit

I think I was 26 when I inherited my grand fathers boat. Only kept it a few years. Hope to have a boat again by 50 (next year)

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Lord-of_the-files@reddit

16ft sailing dinghy at age 26. Followed by a 27ft yacht two years later. The yacht was bought using some money pulled down from my mortgage.of course these days the same yacht would cost less than half what it did back then, and I wouldn't dream of borrowing the money for it.

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LuckyNumber-Bot@reddit

All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!

^(Click here to have me scan all your future comments.) \ ^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)

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Coreantes@reddit

Good bot!

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tench745@reddit

I built my first sailboat, a Puddle Duck Racer, for about $200 in either my senior year of high school or freshman year of college, I forget which. I sailed that during summers all throughout college, and just before graduating college I bought an O'Day 25 for $800 on Ebay. Money came from work-study in college and not paying off school loans immediately. I dropped another $3K getting a trailer for it, and then another couple thousand outfitting it for cruising over the next couple years. I was working at a West Marine after I graduated so the employee discount helped keep the outfitting costs down a bit. Met a guy who owned a small marina while I was there and he gave me a deal on dockage in exchange for help around the marina. I took my O'Day to the Bahamas 3 years after graduation and sold it a few years later.

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foilrider@reddit

This question is just "I don't have any money, how do other people have more money?"

And the answer is just always, "they have better jobs than you."

But anyway it was a Santana 22 I got when I was 27 years old - that was about 20 years ago and it seems I made $140,000 that year as a software engineer.

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Wellz-IGuessIAmHere@reddit

Bahaha that is the most stereotypical engineer perspective and answer!!

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chickeman123@reddit (OP)

I understand that sentiment; however, I've not even finished university yet and It's always been a dream of mine to sail (or possibly even live on) a sailboat extensively and I was just curious as to how people achieved that and at what age so that I could curb my expectations.

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Extreme_Map9543@reddit

It’s actually the best cheap old boat market in history right now. If you’re young, buy a cheap old fiberglass 35 footer (looks for brands like Pearson, alberg, Bristol, allied ) and live aboard as you fix it up. You’ll be saving money compared to friends in fancy houses and apartments.

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foilrider@reddit

When you're young and looking forward even a couple of years it seems so far away and out of reach but the key to success (financially or otherwise) is usually just to spend time trying. Put in effort for five years and you'll eventually find you've made a lot of progress. But five years sounds like forever when it's longer than you've been an adult so far.

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kerberos824@reddit

Or just wing it, and do something foolish, and buy a project boat and learn/do the work yourself.

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SphyrnaLightmaker@reddit

So… that’s gonna be really relative.

You’re in college, so you’re probably lined up for a decent income. Depending on what you’re studying.

The big questions are, what are you willing to sacrifice? And are you able to do your own work?

For perspective, my first DECENT boat I bought at 32. I could have bought earlier, but I have other expensive hobbies.

I bought a 40 year old 30’ cruiser for $12,000 that was in good shape. You can actually find a good number of good sized boats in this price range. But it’s not REALLY the purchase that kills you.

My slip is $270 a month. My insurance is another $80. That’s not bad. But she gets a bottom cleaning about monthly (necessary in these waters) for another $150 a month.

She gets a bottom repaint about every other year, for about $2,000. But the crane ride up and back down is $700 (there’s only one crane in the area…)

When I bought her, she needed a new Genoa ($2,500), new batteries ($500) rudder bearings ($500 in labor since the bottom was being painted anyway) and an actual bilge pump ($500).

Now she needs a new main sail (and I’d like lazy jacks) for about $4k. She needs a new pop shaft strut (another $4k). And the motor was last rebuilt in 2005, so that probably needs an over haul as well ($5k).

Of all that money, I could have cut the the cost of the bottom paint in half by doing the work myself, I could scrub my own bottom, and I could replace the prop strut for $50. But that’s DIFFICULT, DAYS LONG labor, and I just don’t have that kind of time in my life. So I’m paying for it instead. If you can find the time, and learn the skills, you can’t do much for a sail, and you’re not going to make your own blocks, but you can save a LOT of money in other places.

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Fickle-Ad-4417@reddit

Didn’t know how to sail, bought a Cal34 4 months ago at age 24 for $1000. Been unbelievably fun, now I gotta put in a holding tank before CG catches me!

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mikemerriman@reddit

"afford"????

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Friendly_Curmudgeon@reddit

Bought a Catalina 22 swing keel when I was 24 years old for $4k including a mooring. The boat was 2 years older than me. I used an 8' inflatable as my dinghy. I used my dad's 14' fishing boat as a mooring tender in spring and fall.

Total annual cost excluding upgrades and maintenance was about $400 for winter storage and crane fees at a local yard. Mooring field is municipally owned, with just a $40 one time registration fee to the Harbor authority.

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josebva25@reddit

My 1st sailboat was a Snark that I got new for free because I was working as an account rep on the Quaker State Motor Oil advertising account and they had ordered a whole bunch as in-store giveaways. Basically a surfboard with a lanteen rig sail, daggerboard, and rudder. Not very legit competition wise, but a good way to learn.

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Dismal-Boot-4504@reddit

You can do it now - it’s all according to how much work and time you are willing to sacrifice for your particular dream. There are people that have bought abandoned boat projects for one dollar and turned them into very comfortable and capable boats with not much more than sweat equity and a part time job. On the other end of the spectrum, you can set aside that dream until you’re older and wealthier, buy a new boat and cruise the Caribbean or whatever you want. There’s no right way, no wrong way. Money is not really the problem or the solution.

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No-Clerk-5600@reddit

I decided to join a club that has boats rather than buy a boat. It's one of the more expensive clubs in my area, but it's cheaper than owning a boat, and if my fortunes change, it's easy to drop the membership.

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caeru1ean@reddit

My partner and I lived very frugally and saved as much as possible for years and then bought a mid 80's 44' center cockpit and have been cruising the last 5 years.

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YayRideABike@reddit

Bought my Aloha 27 when I was 31.

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tiberiusgv@reddit

Bought a hobie 16 in my 20s. Currently own a formula 18. Beachcat racing is way more fun than big boat sailing and way cheaper as a boat owner.

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mcm87@reddit

Never owned. Sailed the school’s boats and crewed on Other People’s Boats, the next best thing to Other People’s Money.

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Extreme_Map9543@reddit

Bought a cheap old lake sailor at 27. Bought a proper boat at 30. Afford isn’t the term I’d use. I cannot afford it at all. I just suffer through and make it happen.

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Don_T_Blink@reddit

What do you mean, "afford"? We just buy them.

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zoinkability@reddit

My first thought was, joke's on OP, one never affords a sailboat

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Terrible_Stay_1923@reddit

FPBP

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Big_Hunt7898@reddit

33. 5.3k EUR on a 28ft boat in denmark. Living in it for 1.5 years now I have the cash to pay for it at the time. Was not a big financial.commitment for.me

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Shdwrptr@reddit

What do you even mean by sailboat? You can buy a used Sunfish for like $500 in ok condition right now so a 16 year old could comfortably afford it

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Jewnadian@reddit

My first boat was a free 20" Ensenada out of a yard. I bought new sails (on sale) and replaced one piece of rigging. Then I sailed it for most of a decade. I wouldn't have taken it out on the ocean but for a lake boat it was perfectly fine. I think Internet sailing communities can have an obsession with safety and equipment that makes perfect sense if you're going offshore but is really excessive for the lake/bay sailing that most new sailors are doing. The entire time I owned that boat I was never more than a long swim from shore and the chances that I would have had to swim all the way without some dude pulling a skier stopping to pick me up we're pretty low.

If you want to sail get something small and cheap, keep it on a trailer and get after it. Don't worry about spending real money on a boat until you want to take it out of sight of land.

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get_MEAN_yall@reddit

At 28 by working full time.

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Mynplus1throwaway@reddit

I was given a dolphin Sr about 3-4 years ago. So ~24. I sold it for $500, and bought a 22ft Catalina. The guy was moving to Japan that weekend and I was the first person to reach out.

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WaterChicken007@reddit

The question is irrelevant. People will find ways to afford the things they want. We all went to work, earned money, then spent some of it on a boat. Some will have done that in high school. Some will have done that after they retired. It depends on when the sailing bug bit them.

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Specific_Prize@reddit

Money. Adult age.

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Dofus25@reddit

Bought a 30ft back in 1990 it was a 1978 paid 8k for it got a loan put down 3k paid off 5 in 3 years ran the family business so I had a good job

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ydbd1969@reddit

Parents bought me a Hobie 14 Turbo to race against my dad, they sold both 14 Turbos when I was in college so dad could get a Hobie 17. Bought a new Hobie 16 for $3k from a marine who won it in a raffle. Bought a 45' Van de Stadt with a loan for $50k, sold it for $30k in better condition 😕. Bought a Sunsail Jenneau 47.5 out right but made good money for charter and sold it after 5 years for a slight profit😁. The experience sailing with friends and family far outweigh the expense.

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Bluuphish@reddit

Bought my E-scow when i was 22yo in college. Things were not as ridiculous price wise then as they are since Covid.

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Shorelines1@reddit

I had a paper route and bought a beat up laser when I was 12.

My first keel boat was a Cal 20 at 16

I bought my first race boat in my mid 20s. I couldn’t afford it until my mid 30s.

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Just-Smart-Enough@reddit

My first boat was a Rawson 30 that I bought for $7,000 and immediately moved aboard. I think I was around 25 at the time.