![]() ![]() The lighter boat will reward you with better handling and speed. You’ll avoid repeat buying, gain space, and stow things smarter. Go through every boat locker twice each year. With just a few skills, proper tools, and practice, you can save hundreds of dollars with one simple repair. ( Practical Sailor, July 2011, March 2015) Lines-running and mooring-can last for many years if you don’t let them rub or slap. Where I live, I’ve been very happy with PCA Gold purchased on sale ( Practical Sailor, September 2015). Check past PS tests and compare with local results from slip-mates, or marinas. ![]() ![]() While there are some great dedicated products out there (see Practical Sailor, July 2018), weve been happy with Lanocote, Loctite Marine Anti-seize, or Tef-Gel for most uses. Frozen fasteners discourage repair work and can make it expensive when stuff breaks. With very few exceptions, a good cleaning and a coating of waterproof grease was a permanent fix ( Practical Sailor, December 2010). With every new-to-us boat has come a host of electrical gremlins. In 30 years, the only sail or canvas repairs Ive paid for are a dodger window replacement, a sacrificial UV strip on the genoa, and two new sails. There are few secrets you can’t learn through practice, reading, and imitation. A stitch in time really does save nine, and sitting in the cockpit with a needle and palm is therapeutic. You do need to have the time and develop some skills. Anything you can do yourself can save money. some of the biggest savings will be in maintenance costs, especially labor. The definition of laid-up can be very modest, requiring just two weeks of the year-even allowing the boat to stay in the water. Cover only the seasons you sail for example, boats stored in the water year round are eligible for a discount if winterized or otherwise laid-up. Buy coverage for where you actually sail, not for your dreams when distant travels are imminent, call for an upgrade. Unless exceptional ice conditions require annual hauling, you can stay in the water (see Practical Sailor November 2016 online), and dry storage and hauling expenses are avoided. How about an older work-boat marina? At my workboat marina, I went 20 years without an increase, paying 3-5 times less than sailing marinas within a few hundred yards of my own. Search for houses with a few unused slips out back. We will follow up with advice geared more toward live-aboard cruising.īoat storage is one of the biggest annual expenses for many owners. As a result, I know my boat inside out that’s a good feeling, an important part of seamanship, a blessing when something goes bust on a cruise, and a big help when time is available but funds are thin.īecause I’ve only lived aboard for short periods, the advice is geared toward the shore-bound readers who only live aboard their boats during short cruises, typically in the summer. In 30 years of boat ownership, I’ve only used contractor services for major sail work, new canvas (only because I’ve never taken the time to learn), and hauling out. These are all time-proven methods that I’ve had to employ, not stuff we dreamed up or read somewhere.Ī key principle, at least from my perspective as an engineer, is knowing your boat. Having been a victim of corporate consolidation and low oil prices, and determined not to let my love of sailing be a casualty, I’ve learned to take my small, shrinking allotment of boat bucks and spread them wafer thin. But even our Budget Buy products are not always the cheapest option-maximize the use of what you already have. Our Budget Buys are those products we feel deliver basic function and durability at the best price. We’ve done our best to find equipment and supplies that work at the best price. "node_modules/browserify/node_modules/browser-pack/_prelude.For more than 30 years, Practical Sailor has provided serious sailors and DIY boat owners an unbiased source of evaluations. ![]()
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