costs

Anchoring. Living at anchor, that is, in a bay somewhere tethered to the earth with ground tackle is free. Although many places now regulate where you anchor and for how long, and sometimes paid permits are necessary (especially near big cities). Living at anchor is the cheap way to go, although getting a good anchor and rode is important as it will keep your boat safe.

Mooring buoys. Some bays will have moorings installed that you can tie to for a small fee (often around $10-15 per day). Some mooring buoys have a size/weight limit, usually marked on the buoy(if any).

Marinas. Marinas often have guest docks with power, WiFi and showers, for a medium-to-high cost ($300-$900.) The longer the boat though, the bigger the cost. Some marinas charge per dock space rather than boat size, beware of these places. Moorage near cities is more expensive, and the price goes up during the high season (summer). In winter, marinas charge less than in the high season. A marina that charges 900$ per month in the summer can charge 500$ in the winter.

Annual Moorage. Annual moorage is cheaper than by-the-month moorage, and is cheaper and easier to get if you don't liveaboard(living aboard incurs more costs, see below). Annual moorage is more difficult to get if you liveaboard, very few marinas allow it nowadays(they still exist though). It is more common to get winter moorage(only part of the season). If traveling abroad in your boat, those long-stay rules are generally waived(mostly because they know you won't be staying forever). If staying in a marina on an annual basis, you'll likely need liability insurance.

Liability Insurance. In BC, Canada, boats that are 0-60ft require LOA’ $2million liability coverage, while 60ft and over $5million liability coverage. Prices of liability insurance varies depending on the size and age of the boat, and can start at 350-400$. Liability insurance is needed to dock into marinas for longer periods, it insures that damages can be paid for if your boat sinks in the marina, or if you hit another boat.

Survey. Depending on the age of your boat, and when it was last surveyed (if ever), you may need a full condition out-of-water survey. A new survey is necessary every 5 years, and 3 years for wooden boats. This means paying a marina to lift your boat out($277CAD for a half lift for a 33ft boat, 2023, marina in Canada), and paying the surveyor. A surveyor will point out mandatory items that need fixing and/or replacing, if these items are not complied with within 60 days the insurance will be void. See this page for approximate costs(note that this is much higher than what we were charged for an out-of-the-water survey).

Liveaboard. It can cost up to $150 extra per month. If staying in a marina in a foreign country, liveaboard fees are often waived. Some marinas charge for electricity and water, be sure to take that into account, especially if you have plans to winter there and that your heating is electric.

Hauling out. Yard fees vary from place to place, those closer to large cities will cost more. In New Zealand, it cost us NZD$420 total, including bottom rinse, haul in and out and days to stay on the hard. The most expensive part of a haul out is the travel lift. While in Japan, it was about double that price for half the time, mostly because the travel lift doubles as hard stands, and so only one boat can ever be lifted for bottom work (this was in Minamiise). In BC, Canada, for a 10m(33ft) boat, a full lift can cost $426.00CAD, a pressure wash can cost 3.15/ft(31–40ft), plus $71.00 per night on the hard.

Bottom paint: If we want to wait longer between haul-outs we paint more coats (2-3), otherwise 1 every year. We use ablative anti-fouling which costs about ~$250 to paint a 10 m yacht. Ablative wears out over time and when it does it will become less effective at repelling sea critters. Eventually, stripping the bottom of all paint down to the gelcoat is necessary, paint can build up and the older layers will start to flake off, making it difficult for new paint to adhere to the bottom. If painting the bottom from gel coat, adding a layer of primer is necessary so that the antifouling paint can adhere.

Sailing Offshore. Sailing offshore means more wear because the boat is under more stress. Repair and maintenance can cost between $500-800 per year for a 10 m yacht like ours. This price goes up and down depending on where we go, and what has to be replaced that year. The size of the boat has a big influence on the cost of things. Larger boats need thicker, stronger hardware, rigging etc.
In 2018 while in New Zealand, we spent around $10k on Pino (see projects and pain) to get it ready for Japan and the subsequent trip across the North Pacific Ocean. This was the most we'd spent in a year and was due to the purchase of a new AIS system, mainsail, throttle cables, window replacement, saloon hatch, galley plumbing, replacement batteries and solar panels. We did most of the work ourselves, all except for the mainsail. Our first year was also expensive, because the boat was not outfitted for sailing offshore, we had to buy life jackets, jacklines, a drogue, extra lines, shackles, a medical kit, extra tools, a location device, a handheld VHF, a PLB, a satellite phone, foul-weather gear, engine spares etc. We wrote an offshore checklist to find out what you may need to buy.

Engine maintenance costs. Engines require spare parts like oil ($25) and fuel filters ($10, more for primary filters), they should be replaced 250 hours (300 hours on some models) or once per year, whichever is sooner. Water pump impellers ($40), water pump and alternator belt (15-$20), zincs (inside engine, $8 each), coolant (if fresh water cooled) shaft zinc ($16 each) etc. Buying the official part for the engine will always cost more. Depending on the item, finding an equivalent from another maker is tricky. For an alternator belt, measure the outer an inner diameter, the width at the top and at the base and visit an automotive store.
See engine care for detailed notes on how to maintain a diesel engine, what spares too carry and how to troubleshoot problems.

Wood upkeep. A liter of resin can cost 30-40$, and harder is about 50-74$ per liter(although sizes tend to be much smaller. UV-resistant varnish can cost 40-80$ per liter, depending on the producer.

Pyrotechnic signaling devices (including aerial flares and hand held signals) Aerial flares cost $75 per pack of 6 (in Canada).

Life jackets. Auto-inflating PFD cartridges cost about $35 CAD.

life rafts. Re-packing a liferaft is very expensive, and varies depending on the model, and your location in the world.