How Much Does a Boat Cost?
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
I have owned my Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40 Sailing Boat for around 7 years now. Everyone's boat and situation is different. I share my own personal experience of owning the boat. A year by year break down of cost.
Of course, owning a boat comes with ongoing jobs and expenses. Marina fees, maintenance, upgrades—it all adds up. Thankfully, my marina is much more affordable than many others, which helps keep the overall costs manageable.
My journey into boat ownership wasn't driven by a lifelong dream of sailing around the world. It actually came about because of my circumstances. I'd saved £24,000 for a house deposit, but as a single person I couldn't get a mortgage. Rather than let that money sit there, I started looking at alternative ways of living and eventually decided to buy a boat.
I don't live aboard full-time, and like many marinas, mine doesn't allow permanent residential use. Instead, the boat has become a bit of a floating retreat. I split my time between staying with my parents, who I care for, hotels when I'm away working at events, and spending a few months each year in warmer, more affordable countries. The boat fits perfectly into that lifestyle—it's essentially my floating hotel room.
My goal has always been to make it as self-sufficient and efficient as possible.
Hopefully, one day I'll be able to cast off and head out on longer adventures while continuing to grow my YouTube channel and live more affordably. Which includes cutting cost and building income.
Financially, buying the boat made more sense to me than renting. I used the savings I'd put aside for a house deposit, along with an unsecured loan, to purchase it. Instead of my money disappearing into rent every month, it went towards something I own and enjoy.
One major project I didn't mention in the video is building a solar arch. I already own the solar panels and have tested them successfully, but fabricating the stainless steel framework is going to be one of the more expensive upgrades.
Over the past year I've completed quite a few improvements, including installing Victron electrical equipment, upgrading the chart plotter and Garmin sail pack, fitting a new VHF radio, switching to lithium batteries, upgrading the alternator, and adding a DC-to-DC charger. I also upgraded the anchor.
Because I'm mostly in fresh water before heading into the sea, antifouling hasn't been a major issue. I use VC Offshore antifoul, which contains copper powder that's mixed in from the lid before application. It's apparently popular with racing boats, and I've found it to be excellent.
Looking ahead, the solar arch is still the biggest project on my list. Once that's finished, it'll bring me one step closer to adding a full cockpit enclosure.
I also need to rebuild the cockpit table, as the original wood has suffered water damage. That project will probably include replacing the chart plotter enclosure too.
Another idea I'm excited about is integrating my portable fridge/freezer into one of the cockpit benches. I'm considering mounting it on sliding rails so it can be pulled out when needed, rather than sitting on top of the chart plotter bench as it does now.
Finally, I'd love to make the cockpit a more comfortable place to spend long periods of time. Since I often use the boat as a workspace—and I'm a gamer, coffee lover, and content creator—I can easily spend hours there. The original 2002 cockpit cushions are only about 2–3 inches thick, so comfort isn't exactly their strong point! Replacing one of the seating positions with a comfortable chair, perhaps something similar to a leather gaming chair, alongside a better desk setup, would make the space much more enjoyable for working, editing videos, and simply relaxing.
Interested in becoming a boat owner?
The link will take you to the sail boat tour playlist post
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