How much does a cruising boat cost?
Boats cost according to size (price goes up with the cube of the length), quality (we have what is somewhat disdainfully referred to as a “production boat” of medium coastal cruising quality), condition and equipment. It is possible to spend as much as you want on boats. Our first boat cost under $100,000. It had fairly new sails and a new engine for a boat of 7 years of age. It is kind of an average white boat of 40′ length. Specifically, it was an ex-charter Beneteau. It was bone simple with out most of the fancy boat toys that make for higher maintenance and purchase costs. Among the things we didn’t have are: water maker, air conditioning, EPIRB, life raft, television, radar, satellite communications or internet connections. Among the items we don’t consider toys are: good inflatable dinghy, High Frequency Radio and radio modem for email, portable PC, an adequate stock of books for exchange and a very comfortable bed. Our new boat is a “blue water” boat which cost about three times
