In this article:

1. Examples of Popular Sailboats, and How Much They Cost
2. What Does it Cost to Buy a Sailboat?
3. What Does it Cost to Own a Sailboat?
4. Make or Save Some Money
5. Related Questions

Examples of Popular Sailboats, and How Much They Cost

boat	price class	one-time cost	monthly cost
Island Packet 26'	medium	$25,000	$470
Catalina 22'	low budget	$2,500	$115
Ocean cruiser 35'	low budget	$38,000	$450
Luxury yacht 40'	expensive	$166,000	$1,300

There are a lot of great boats out there for a good price and there are also some boats that are so expensive (or so cheap), it's not even fun to look at them.

But one thing's for sure: there are plenty of boats available, and even if you're on a very tight budget, you could absolutely still make it work. Sailing is in and of itself actually not that expensive: wind is free, water is free, boats can be cheap - if you're willing to look around a bit. It's all the little extras that add up quickly.

Listed below are 4 boats that make great beginner boats. Since more than 80% of all boats that are bought are second-hand, I'll use the prices of used boats I found on Craigslist.

If you want to know exactly where the numbers come from, don't worry, I'll explain them after the 4 examples.

1. Island Packet 26' for stressless weekends on the lake

• The one-time costs are $24,860
• Your total recurring costs are $5,650 per year, or $471 per month

Let's say you're like me and most other people and just want a nice boat without too much hassle. So you pay people for complex maintenance. You do the required maintenance and save up for future repairs. You do a little yourself, which saves you a couple of hundred of bucks a year. You also join a (cheap) sailing club to learn how to not trash the boat. You get the right trailer, and you save up some money for future repairs. You don't want to buy a bad boat, so you pay a fair purchase price

One-Time Costs:

	Cost
Price of boat	$20,000
Registration at $10/ft	$260
Taxes at 5%	$1,600
Sailing club	$1,000
Trailer	$1,000
Total one-time cost	$23,860

Recurring Costs:

	Cost
Mooring at $15/ft	$400
Insurance	$300
Maintenance	$2,000
Fuel	$150
Winterize	$2,000
Sailing club	$800
Taxes	varies
Total cost per year	$5,650
per month	$471

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2. Extreme Low Budget Catalina 22'

Ok, I'm very interested in how cheap you could actually go (in theory). Is it do-able to buy a very cheap sailboat and just keep her afloat, never change sails, and only pay for maintenance that is absolutely necessary to not sink?

In this scenario, I don't care about speed, so I don't change sails. I certainly won't join a sailing club, and I try to save some money on the marina by boondocking. I also happen to live in a cheap state registration and tax-wise.

Docking costs can get out of hand

For an average sailboat, depending on your area and wishes, up to $5,000/year.
Read everything about docking costs

I try to pay as little as possible for the boat itself (and I've actually found a Catalina 22 for $2,250 on Craigslist today!). I don't save up for rigging and hardware (tomorrows' worries). I try to get an extra 2 years out of my bottom paint and I only do the essential repairs, and I do them myself. But because I saved so much on the purchase, this little boat needs a lot of maintenance.

Luckily, I have time on my hands and know my way around engines and rigging, so I do all of it myself (with the help of YouTube).

I don't bother with winterizing my boat, I'll just sail somewhere warm. Oh, and I'll use the engine as little as possible to save on gas.

Will your boat be happy? Definitely not, but your wallet will be (for now). Can it be done? It's optimistic, but yes, I think it can be done. But you have to be mechanically inclined, and pretty creative.

• The one-time costs are $2,428
• Your total recurring costs are $1,380 per year, or $115 per month

One-Time Costs:

	Cost
Price of boat	$2,250
Registration at $5/ft	$110
Taxes at 3%	$68
Total one-time cost	$2,428

Recurring Costs

Recurring Costs:	Cost
Mooring at $5/ft	$130
Insurance	$150
Maintenance	$1,000
Fuel	$100
Taxes	varies
Total cost per year	$1,380
per month	$115

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3. Low Budget 35' Ocean Cruiser for traveling the world

If you dream of crossing oceans, you need a comfortable ride. Usually, most sailors pick a boat that's between 32' - 50' for two person ocean cruising. Anything under 32' gets pretty uncomfortable in high waves, although it can be done.

But this is also the range that gets expensive - quickly. So if we're on a tight budget, but also need a good and reliable boat: how much will it cost?

The boat will cost you $35,000. For this price, I've seen a beautiful 1983 wooden cutter (by Robert Tucker), multiple Beneteau Oceanis from '88 - '89, multiple Bavarias ... plenty of solid choices on the second-hand market here.

In this example, you don't join any sailing clubs (I assume you're pretty experienced if you want to cross oceans). You also don't winterize (you're sailing the Caribbean by now). No trailer, as you won't haul it out of the water any time soon.

You do pay a fair price for the boat because you don't want any surprises during your Tour du Monde. In need of a lot of bottom paint, since you're in saltwater most of the time. It's also a good idea to invest in at least SOME navigation equipment, so for $500 I've added a simple but capable GPS chartplotter and compass.

You can get a cheap but reliable chartplotter and compass for less than $500 - in total. If you want to learn more, head over to the recommended gear section.

• The one-time costs are $37,590
• Your total recurring costs are $5,425 per year, or $452 per month

One-Time Costs:

	Cost
Price of boat	$35,000
Registration at $10/ft	$340
Taxes at 5%	$1,750
GPS & compass	$500
Total one-time cost	$37,590

Recurring Costs:

	Cost
Mooring at $15/ft	$800
Insurance	$525
Maintenance	$3,500
Fuel	$500
ICC	$100
Taxes	varies
Total cost per year	$5,425
per month	$452

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4. Powerful 40' Yacht (and everything that goes with it)

Let's say you're in the game for the fame. What does it cost me to own a grande yacht with all luxuries (and costs) that go with it?

I join an expensive sailing club, hire pros that maintain the thing beautifully, and I also pay for winterization, the best trailer I can find. I replace my sails and running rigging every 5 years - since speed matters to me. Because she's my pride, I paint her every year. I spend an additional 500 bucks a year on special soaps and waxes.

I want a prime mooring location, so I pay a premium. I also get a small boat to hang from the large boat, to get to shore more quickly.

• The one-time costs are $166,400
• Your total recurring costs are $15,150 per year, or $1,263 per month

One-Time Costs:

	Cost
Price of boat	$150,000
Price of small boat	$1,500
Registration	$400
Taxes	$7,500
Equipment	$2,000
Sailing club	$4,000
Trailer	$2,500
Total one-time cost	$166,400

Recurring Costs:

	Cost
Mooring at $50/ft	$2,000
Insurance	$2,250
Maintenance	$5,000
Fuel	$300
ICC	$100
Winterize	$4,000
Sailing club	$1,500
Taxes	varies
Total cost per year	$15,150
per month	$1,263

What Does it Cost to Buy a Sailboat?

There are a couple of important factors that determine how much money you end up spending.

• Size - length determines mooring costs, insurance, amount of paint on your hull, literally everything gets more expensive with every foot of length
• New vs. used - of course, it makes all the difference whether you buy new or used. Typically, the price of a 25-year old used sailboat vs. a comparable new one is 3-4 times lower ($60,000 vs $200,000).

You can actually sail a large sailboat alone

But what's the largest boat one person can operate? Hint: it's bigger than you'd expect).
Read all about the largest one-person sailboat

With used sailboats, I find that the price generally increases rapidly from 30 feet onwards

It's the same with new sailboats - or actually, it keeps increasing with every extra couple of feet. The reason is that as the boat gets bigger, it also gets more luxurious (upholstery, finishing, equipment).

The average price of a new sailboat per foot in USD:

• under 30 ft: $2,400 per ft
• 30 - 50 ft: $5,700 - $8,500 per ft
• over 50 ft: $11,900 - $65,400 per ft

On average, second-hand sailboats go at 1/3 - 1/4 of the cost of a new boat:

• under 30 ft: $815 per ft
• 30 - 50 ft: $3,020 per ft
• over 50 ft: $5,100 - $17,000 per ft

If this is too much for you, you could always rent a boat instead. I recommend chartering. You can get great sailboats at great prices. Check out my charter recommendation here.

Price of new sailboats

I've looked at the prices of thousands of yachts (really) on one of the largest yacht marketplaces in the world (- not manually, don't worry: with the help of their search function). This is what I came up with:

Length Range	Low	Average	High
15-19ft	$22,000	$24,000	$27,000
20-24ft	$41,000	$50,000	$71,000
25-29ft	$71,000	$96,000	$133,000
30-34ft	$155,000	$183,000	$260,000
35-39ft	$191,000	$251,000	$420,000
40-44ft	$245,000	$326,000	$522,000
45-49ft	$348,000	$400,000	$526,000
50-60ft	$563,000	$654,000	$902,000
80-100ft	$5,677,000	$5,889,000	$6,518,000

Source: Yachtworld.com Q2 2022

The price of new sailboats ranges from roughly $24,000 - $654,000. I've used these numbers to calculate the following list:

Prices per foot in USD

The price of new sailboats ranges from $1,412-$65,433 per foot. Here's the detailed price per foot for all lengths from 20 to 100 feet:

Length Range	Per Foot
15-19ft	$1,412
20-24ft	$2,273
25-29ft	$3,556
30-34ft	$5,719
35-39ft	$6,784
40-44ft	$7,762
45-49ft	$8,511
50-60ft	$11,891
80-100ft	$65,433

Price of used sailboats

We did the same for used sailboats, comparing thousands of listings. Here are the complete data:

Length Range	Low	Average	High
15-19ft	$5,000	$8,000	$19,000
20-24ft	$6,000	$19,000	$59,000
25-29ft	$7,000	$30,000	$96,000
30-34ft	$9,000	$66,000	$228,000
35-39ft	$14,000	$111,000	$392,000
40-44ft	$22,000	$150,000	$512,000
45-49ft	$36,000	$162,000	$518,000
50-60ft	$60,000	$281,000	$897,000
80-100ft	$433,000	$1,534,000	$4,720,000

Source: Yachtworld Q2 2022

Prices per foot in USD

The price of used sailboats ranges from roughly $471-$17,044 per foot. Here's the detailed price per foot for all lengths from 20 to 100 feet:

Length Range	Per Foot
15-19ft	$471
20-24ft	$864
25-29ft	$1,111
30-34ft	$2,063
35-39ft	$3,000
40-44ft	$3,571
45-49ft	$3,447
50-60ft	$5,109
80-100ft	$17,044

Prices on Craigslist

The price of used sailboats ranges from roughly $354-$1,845 per foot.

To get an average of the price of a used sailboat, I went over to Craigslist. I took the first 10 relevant search results for sailboats under, and over 30 feet.

Of course, the averages here are very speculative, as prices vary from day to day. But it gives a broad range of what to expect.

Over 50 feet, listings become meagre. I believe people tend to not place their 80-ft yacht on Craigslist, but sell it through a broker instead. So I've kept used yachts over 50 feet out of the picture for now.

Median Craigslist price of a used sailboat:

• under 30 ft: $7,900
• over 30 ft: $96,900

I've calculated the median price, not the average. The median is the price that's most common within the price range. This way the highest and lowest prices don't have as much impact.

Average Craigslist price-per-foot of a used sailboat:

• under 30 ft: $354 per ft
• over 30 ft: $1,845 per ft

This is what I found on Craigslist under 30 feet:

Washington DC

Boat	Year	Length (ft)	Price (USD)
Columbia MK II	1975	26	$6,500
Newport	1979	17	$5,000
Catalina	1983	22	$4,950
Macgregor Venture	1977	22	$1,800

Source: Craigslist Washington DC Q2 2022

Los Angeles

Boat	Year	Length (ft)	Price (USD)
Catalina	1998	25	$18,500
Catalina	1974	27	$13,999
Pacific Seacraft 25	1976	28	$11,500
Newport	1979	28	$10,500

Source: Craigslist Los Angeles Q2 2022

Houston

Boat	Year	Length (ft)	Price (USD)
Catalina	1983	25	$7,900
Catalina	1985	22	$5,000
O'Day	1977	22	$3,800
Vagabond	1981	17	$3,750

Source: Craigslist Houston Q2 2022

South Florida

Boat	Year	Length (ft)	Price (USD)
MacGregor 26X	2001	26	$13,999
Cape Dory	1979	25	$8,500
Precision	1990	23	$7,500
Dusky	1998	17	$7,000

Source: Craigslist Miami Q2 2022

New York

Boat	Year	Length (ft)	Price (USD)
C&C	1985	27	$12,000
O'Day	1987	27	$11,500
Impulse	1987	21	$8,500
Catalina Capri	1986	22	$7,900

Source: Craigslist New York Q2 2022

Here's what I found for 30 feet and up:

Washington DC

Boat	Year	Length (ft)	Price (USD)
MeadowLark	1970	37	$43,000
Pearson 323	1983	33	$18,000
O'Day	1988	17	$3,300

Source: Craigslist Washington DC Q2 2022

Los Angeles

Boat	Year	Length (ft)	Price (USD)
Cheoy Lee	1984	48	$112,000
Hunter Legend	1996	43	$109,900
Vagabond Ketch	1984	47	$102,000
Marine Technologies Ketch	1979	48	$99,500

Source: Craigslist Los Angeles Q2 2022

Houston

Boat	Year	Length (ft)	Price (USD)
Trintella	1982	42	$105,000
Hunter	2001	46	$96,900
Hunter	1997	34	$59,000
Mason	1983	43	$49,999

Source: Craigslist Houston Q2 2022

South Florida

Boat	Year	Length (ft)	Price (USD)
Hunter	2005	38	$104,900
Endeavour	1989	51	$99,000
Beneteau	1998	40	$99,000
Hunter	2004	36	$94,500

Source: Craigslist Miami Q2 2022

New York

Boat	Year	Length (ft)	Price (USD)
Catalina Mark 2	1998	42	$97,900
X-119	1992	40	$84,000
Cape Dory 32#7	1986	33	$38,000
Irwin Citation	1984	31	$35,000

Source: Craigslist New York Q2 2022

Sailboat price development

Compared to our 2019 research, the median price of new sailboats has gone up 4.6% (from $240,000 to $251,000). The average price has gone up 7.8% (from $230,000 to $248,000).

The average price of used sailboats under 30 ft on Craigslist has gone up 63% (from $5,200 to $8,500).

You can check our data from 2019 here:

Also read:

Average Sailboat Prices in 2019

Catamarans are 60% more expensive

If you dream of owning a catamaran, you should expect to pay roughly 60% more for the boat, and 60% more on annual cost like upkeep and mooring. There are exceptions, of course, and for some boat lengths, new catamarans may be slightly more affordable than a monohull.

I've researched thousands of catamaran listings as well to come up with those numbers. The exact numbers are summarized in my guide on the average cost of buying and owning a catamaran. It's very similar to this article, so if you like this and are curious about catamaran prices as well, I encourage you to check it out.

Also read:

Average Cost of Buying & Owning a Catamaran (With 4 Examples)

What Does it Cost to Own a Sailboat?

So let's take a quick look at the costs for owning a sailboat.

One-time costs:

• Registration: costs of registration differ per state, but usually run anywhere from $3 - $10 per foot.
• Taxes: differs per state and country. Most governments want you to pay property tax and sales tax. Sales tax is usually about 5%. Property tax varies and is more complex, so I'll leave that up to you to figure out.
• Trailer: $1,000
• Sailing club initiation fee: $1,500 - $4,000

Recurring costs:

• Mooring: $10-15 per foot per year (can be much higher for prime locations)
• Insurance: typically 1.5% of the total value of the boat. So a $50,000 26' cruiser will cost 750 bucks.
• Maintenance: a good rule of thumb is 10% of the boat value. Expect to spend anywhere between $500 - $2,500 per year for small to mid-sized boats.
• Fuel: depends on how much you use the boat and the engine, but on average something between $100 - $150. - Find out how much fuel a sailboat uses in my article here (opens in new tab).
• International License: if you want to sail on international waters, you have to get your ICC (International Certificate of Competence). Plan on spending anywhere between 400 to 500 dollars.
• Safety equipment: plan on spending anywhere between 150 to 600 bucks for lifejackets, first aid kit, and distress signals.
• Winterize boat: $2,000
• Sailing club: $800 - $1,500

Maintenance

Part	Replace every	Cost
Engine	20 years	$5,000
Standing rigging	10 years	$4,000
Running rigging	5-10 years	$5,000
Sails	5-10 years	$2,000 - $5,000
Safety equipment	10 years	$500
Batteries	4-6 years	$600
Deck hardware	20-30 years	$1,500
Bottom paint	2 years	$500
Avg. cost per year		$1,730

Your average maintenance cost will be roughly $144 dollars per month for boats under 30', or just under $2,000 per year.

Maintainance involves a lot of hidden costs

We took an in-depth look at everything. The result is a comprehensive article that lays it all out for new boat owners.
Read all about maintenance costs

Engine

Gas engines run for about 1,500 hours, diesel engines run for 5,000. After that, you'll need to change them out.

Most engines will last you about 20 years.

A standard 15HP or 20HP outboard gas engine will cost you about $5,000 - $6,000 and needs replacing every 20 years or so. If you do the work yourself, it's more something like $1,000 - $1,500.

A smaller engine uses less fuel, reducing your total cost

You can actually use a pretty small engine for most sailboats. To learn how small (and efficient) you can go, I've written a guide on how to calculate it yourself.
Read all about outboard engine size

Replacing the sails and rigging

Most people that own a sailboat will have to replace the sails and rigging at least once in their lifetime. Replacing the mast is uncommon, but if you're unlucky and get demasted, it will need to be fixed. So I've added it to the "be aware this might happen" list - but won't add it to the monthly recurring costs.

If you need to replace the mast and boom, prepare to spend anywhere between $15,000 - $25,000.

I won't go into detail, but I have written a long article about the cost of new sails (opens in new tab). It's a really helpful post (with a formula) if you want to know what to expect.

Good quality cruising sails will need to be replaced every 10 years or so.

The cost of new sails is on average:

• 26' Bermuda Sloop rig will cost you about $1,000 - $2,500.
• 34' Bermuda Sloop rig will cost you about $3,000 - $5,000.

The cost of the new rigging is on average:

• Standing rigging - every 10 years at $4,000
• Running rigging - every 5-10 years at $5,000

Bottom Paint

Your boat will need bottom paint roughly every 2 years (could be longer, but to be safe, let's keep it at two). It's also called antifouling paint because it helps to protect your hull from weeds, barnacles, and so on. Barnacles can slice through your boat's bellow! So you don't want them on there.

On average, it costs about $15 to $20 per foot to get your sailboat hull painted professionally.

For a 26' sailboat, that's just 500 bucks. Money well spent.

Replacing safety equipment

USCG safety regulations require you to replace safety gear regularly.

• Lifejackets have to be replaced every 10 years.
• Flares have to be replaced every 42 months. You could consider buying a LED electric distress light instead, which will last you a lifetime.
• If you carry a life-raft you'll need to replace that every 12 years as well.

Adhering to the minimum safety requirements shouldn't cost you more than 150 - 250 dollars every 5 years. But if you want the good stuff, need more fire extinguishers, plan on spending more like $600. If you want a life raft, that's another $1,500.

To avoid you have to go cheap on your safety gear, I've put it in the budget for $500.

If you want to know exactly what the USCG safety requirements are, including checklists, definitely check out my article here.

Winterizing your boat

Winterization is an often overlooked cost, but it can be one of the largest expenses each year. If you're like me, and not so lucky to live in Florida, you need to winterize your boat.

Failing to winterize it will increase your maintenance cost over time, as the engine wears out more quickly, and your plumbing and equipment will fall apart. Winter storms and ice can damage the hull and mast as well. Learn all about the dangers of failing to winterize here.

It's the best way to protect your boat in wintertime, period.

It consists of two parts:

1. Winterizing - costs $500 to $1000 - This is the preparation for winter storage. You flush the cooling system with anti-freeze, and the boat gets wrapped in a shrink wrap cover.
2. Winter storage - costs $50 per ft on average

Some other maintenance costs:

• Batteries: deep cycle batteries need replacing every 4-6 years at $600
• Deck hardware: every 20-30 years (bullseyes, tiller, eye straps) at $1,500

Joining a Sailing Club

If you're new to sailing, you might want to consider joining a sailboat club. This might help you to get tips, make friends, and learn in a safe environment. Most clubs also organize races, which are a great way to quickly improve your sailing skills.

But it comes at a cost. Sailing clubs are very expensive.

Initiation fees range anywhere between $1,000 - $4,000. But that's not all.

Then there's an annual fee of $500 - $1,000 per year. And lot's of additional fees: for dining, lockers, etc.

If you're willing to skip Christmas, go for it.

Make or Save Some Money

How about making up for some of those losses? There's just no better feeling than earning back all that cash with the same thing that you've spent it on in the first place.

There are lot's of ways to earn a little extra with your boat - if you're willing to put in the effort. Here are a few ideas:

• hire yourself out as the captain of a personalized cruise (for families, newly-weds, groups of colleagues)
• take people to go fishing
• hire your boat out to yacht charter companies
• teach someone to sail
• take photographers, film crews, and artists on tours
• organize dolphin and whale watching tours
• delivery of cargo - some places just can't be reached by car, for example, the city center of Giethoorn (Dutch Venice). So you have a competitive edge here!

Some ideas to save money:

• install solar panels (no more dock power)
• buy a and cheap small boat (kayak or someting) to get to offshore anchorage (which are cheaper)
• shop around for insurance
• get gas at the gas station, not the marina
• do your own maintenance as much as possible
• find a friend with water access to avoid mooring
• use it a lot (prevents stuff from breaking)
• fix things that are broken immediately
• keep your sails out of the sun
• do your own upgrades

For example, convert your winches to self-tailing yourself. I was really surprised by how cheaply this can be done yourself. Read my article on how to do it here (opens in new tab).

Related Questions

How much does it cost to paint a boat hull? Painting a boat hull with antifouling paint will usually cost between $15 - $20 per feet. For example, a 25-foot sailboat will cost roughly $500. A 35-foot sailboat will cost $800 to repaint. You can get premium paints and services, which can quadruple the cost. Typically, a boat needs to be repainted every two years.

Why are used sailboats so cheap? Sailboats require a lot of skill and patience. They can be quite expensive to maintain and to keep in slip. Some people find they can't afford the marina rent, upkeep, and other costs; sometimes they simply don't want to; others don't want to sail anymore. In some cases, expensive and important parts are missing.

How much does it cost to charter a sailboat? The price of a charter depends on location, size of the vessel, crew or bareboat chartering, and so on. However, on average, a bareboat yacht charter will cost anywhere from $5,000 - $10,000 per week. Crewed charters cost anywhere between $10,000 - $15,000 per week. Superyachts may cost up to $150,000 per week.

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Thanks to Jean-Pierre Bazard for letting me use his wrapped boat photo under CC BY-SA 3.0