Operating cost Sport Fisher - 47 to 53 feet

All 3 are good boats. Probably CATs in the Hatteras and MAN's in the Viking. MAN's, DD's or CAT's in CABO. I've owned MAN, CAT and Volvo in that size range. Assuming the boats don't come with deferred maintenance, are issue free, and you're looking at <200hrs/yr. The roundest of numbers assuming nothing breaks-

Annual-
Bottom job and prop speed with no blisters, bearings or damage- $10K
Oil change, fuel filters- $3-5K
Wash and wax- $10k.
Recovering cushions, strata glass, and replacing stuff that get's tattered- $7k
Pumps, windless, ice makers, refrigerators and the zillion other bits that are corroding as I type- $5-10K
Insurance and a hurricane plan- $10K
AC service $2K.
Bottom cleaning- $4K in warm water.

Every 2-4 years-
Add to the annual-
Major service on motors pulling the heat exchangers and transmission coolers- $20-40K
Electronics refresh- $5-15K for a couple of MFD's, sounders, stereos and stuff you have to have.
Refresh and recertify safety gear and life raft- $1K


Hold about $50K in reserve in the event of a minor failure. Sky is the limit if something goes bang.
Touch the bottom and running gear repair will be $5-10K
Interior refurb will cost 3x what you think it should.
The Cabo and the Viking in that age range will be subject to crazing on the gelcoat. If it hasn't been remediated it's big dollars to repaint.

The above assumes you start with a good boat and keep it in top condition. Also, that you are able to curate a good yard and set of specialists to work on it.
Round numbers anyways but based on a lot of experience. Hope that helps.

 

Damn. How much would a paddle board run?

 

Saltwater or freshwater?

I think when looking at boats people to get too caught up in the gallons per hour. The fixed costs add up but the good news is that the more you use the boat the less painful it is.

 

The boat show is coming up in FTL and I was helping a guy preview a boat. There are three elements you survey- sea trial, motors and hull. The survey will give you a very accurate picture of where the boat is at. It needs to be bolstered though by asking what will the boat need in the next 2yrs. For example, the boat I was looking at had 4 AC's which is pretty common. They were all R12. So if you have a problem, which you will, your have to replace them with R134 units. The test run had a light vibration which means the props would probably have to be pulled and sent to a company that does top flight balancing. It's a haul out and $3K or so to have the props tuned.
Boats are like exotic cars. Some people truly take care of them with an open checkbook and wouldn't have it any other way. Just like some of the owners on this site. You know it when you see it. Buy a boat from that guy.

 

As the old joke goes>>>

If it flies, floats, or fornicates... it is cheaper to rent!!!

 

Charter

 

Tom @BoulderFCar nailed it.

Owning a boat is a lifestyle. If you have great friends and they enjoy the water......what you want to do is possible. That said if you haven't been on a boat for weeks on end.....you may want to charter one first to make sure that it will fit your lifestyle.

For example.....just the trip from Baltimore to Florida (1,000 miles) is four days if you stop at night, drive all day and the weather is decent. You can shorten it if you run at night but that requires two more people to run the boat and big fuel tanks. Again....in good weather it is a great trip to make. In bad weather the trip can take a week or more to complete. Good friends make the difference.

 

To me, apples and oranges. Doing a charters vs running your own boat is a great vacation experience but it is like going to EPCOT and thinking it was just like going to Germany. When you're running your own boat the people you meet, the planning you do, the knowledge and judgment required are probably a bigger part of it than where you end up. It's immersive, expensive and a challenge to do safely. Like @INRange says, it's more of a high impact lifestyle. Seeing my kids learn the skills still warms my heart when they talk about preparation and the freedom of rolling your own plan in the open ocean with a squall coming.

If none of the things around boating matter to you, chartering is the way to go.

From a cost basis, A good smaller boat charter in a good place with cost $50-75K/wk. They do a fantastic job and you'll be fast forwarded to see water and do activities that only a charter captain knows. I was doing 5-8 trips/yr so it was much less expensive for me to run my own show plus I had the pleasure of a perfectly dialed in piece of gear. Both are good.

 

The best boat of all is your friends boat. I was the friend.

 

Exactly, my buddy just picked up this Azimut 2022 35M. Just gorgeous.

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You can’t do a week on a 45’ azimut. Too small. No crew qtr, water, adequate refrigeration, etc.

the 72’ will work. You’d have a water maker, ice makes, etc. For a week you’ll probably have a captain, mate and cook. Provision food and about $400/hr when moving for fuel. 7days/6nights will be $60-75k plus tip depending on how old the boat is and how expensive your booze is.

I was just in a friends 90’ charter in Nantucket. Boat was a 7 out of 10. Crew of 3 and they sucked. Boat was dirty and they were worn out. The food was tired too.
$90k plus tip for the week and they never left the dock.

 

What’s the point of a yacht charter that stays at the dock the whole time?

 

The stupidest thing ever.
It’s a way to hob nob with the Nantucket crew while eating average food.

 

I had a 320 Outrage too. Really nice size and quality. Do some FLA to Bahamas and Keys runs with that. Super fun. Enjoy the Whaler!

 

Owning a boat/yacht is definitely a lifestyle . i have owned several boats from 55 to 65 feet . And have run from nantucket to florida several times
Now it is mainly my wife and I and we have taken our boat from va. Beach to Palm beach the last several years .I cannot put into words the satisfaction we have with our boat. Meet many people travel with a few ..but it is definitely a lifestyle , if you don't love it . It will make you miserable…
I just signed an order for a 2026 Maritimo 60 ft that should be delivered to me at the Lauderdale boat show..next Nov.

 

Wow awesome - just looked it up.

I was surprised how cheap this was ….

https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwi0hoyl0JaKAxWmNtQBHernMH4YABAOGgJvYQ&ae=2&co=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgdC6BhCgARIsAPWNWH1ThFWtRew4tOyOPkN03W1wLGqNN6ctKyU8vYetOyOMUptzKcw_wJ4aAsS_EALw_wcB&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESd-D2FJgs-BPflHWb0z_e7IpRDeXJRuZ62hwbnG5h-m1mc5hGxqNcsq0IEe28hsi6430tTwlVUE31dC-gDCSxceN_4KVj6c6Ambf8g9jBO2ejw8Y8cQhwldb_y5GwoBYcHOpCzMB0HQAfB73QYaKIGy-TaJHxt1p6&sig=AOD64_0bSuGHiGacI4r64ujem7n7hOaekA&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjE64Sl0JaKAxU978kDHbVdImAQwg8oAHoECAkQDA&adurl=

I had a 2 second thought of buying it and parking it in Fort Lauderdale …. Any idea the cost of keeping a boat there ? I’m
not really serious but was just curious.

MDS

 

It’s not necessarily the cost to buy a boat. It’s the slip, insurance, maintenance, fuel, etc…

 

$5000 / month ? Lower ? Higher ?

 

Depend on the location but for the slip i had last year thats about right mine was in west palm beach and the old boat 60 ft ..the new boat will be 5 ft longer over all length