maintenance cost

Tasks like hauling-out (to get the bottom painted) is once every 2-3 years for an offshore boat, but can be every year otherwise. How often you haul out depends on your personal preference.

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).

Paint

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.

Offshore sailing costs

Traveling 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 costs

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.