Hello....my BIG assumption...

[Andiamo2018]

To decide if you want a sailboat or a powerboat, ask yourself if you agree with this statement. “The wind is free and everything else should be.” If you agree with that statement, you’re a natural born sailboat guy.

There is a lot to that statement. Maybe not totally literally but the idea for sure. The freedom of sailing and being able to move the boat wherever you want it is more than just getting the boat some place. The quiet, the infinite limits...it's like the 'Force' in Star Wars.

I did just take a little trip in the trawler today though. It was pretty nice to wash my hands in warm water and flip a switch to turn on the genny and make some hot tea for a toddy

 

[mvweebles]

To decide if you want a sailboat or a powerboat, ask yourself if you agree with this statement. “The wind is free and everything else should be.” If you agree with that statement, you’re a natural born sailboat guy.

Might explain why many (not all) sailors I met really bristled at paying someone to deliver their boat. That said, pretty sure owners of racing boats are generous as they have a budget, but they'd be the last to say "wind is free" unless followed by a belly-splitting laugh.

I didn't enjoy delivering sailboats, at least not between Southern California and points north. Not only are sailors often a frugal lot, but that ocean is damn cold for sitting in an open cockpit for hours on end. And there are a lot more ways to get hurt on a sailboat which mattered to me because delivering boats was my full-time gig back then. Plus I'm not the worlds best sailor which meant i needed akilled crew. So once I hit a vein of trawler-esque powerboats, I politely declined moving sailboats.

Peter.

 

[Hippocampus]

Sometimes I wonder if I’ve been living in a different world than others.
Cruised a 46’ built for me Outbound pretty much full time for nearly a decade. “Wind is free” is a bad joke.
It was a constant financial drain to keep the boat ready for blue water sailing. Although we started new replaced running rigging piece by piece. Had multiple visits to the sailmaker for things like washes, stitching, even one patch where a reefing hook went through the tack of the main sail. UV covers replaced on various sails as well.
Blew up a vang (kicking strap) and replaced seals on the hydraulic running back stay. Replaced sheets several times. Crew blew up a block being heavy handed with a power winch.
There’s absolutely nothing free about wind and it’s new owner is due for replacing the standing rigging, main sail and Solent if he wants to continue to do blue water.

Then there’s the same systems as any cruising boat. Watermaker, hydronic heat, air conditioners, two heads, engine, genset, solar, TV and stereo, KVH, electronics, SSB, dinghy etc.
And the same trickle of boat bucks when you hit something you can’t fix or don’t have the tools. We didn’t need to replace the standing rigging but every few years has a professional rigger go through the rig in detail. Both for a professional tuning but more importantly to make sure there be no problems on passage or off cruising away from yards.
The expense drip is never ending. “Wind is free” but capturing it and using it is sure not free.
Have a friend who’s a mega yacht captain for sail. The annual trip from the eastern Caribbean to the Med is done under power not sail. Why? Because it’s cheaper. That’s right cheaper. Sails that big are hugely expensive. Only a few places in the world make them so can charge what they want. Each sail is custom made. No stock sails. Just getting sails that big on and off is a specialized task and quite expensive. There’s a reason ships use rotor sails not fabric. Fabric has less service life and is more expensive. Fabric is for aesthetics and beauty not to be cost effective. Magnus effect is cheaper, more reliable, needs less crew, makes more sense once you get up to that size.
Engines are engines. Servicing is cheaper as they’re the same stuff as engines in other vessels that size. So trans Atlantic is cheaper under power than sail for yachts that size. Also needs less crew. Owners rarely do such long trips. So sails may go up only when owner or charter is aboard.

 

[socalrider]

That's a sobering post, Hippocampus. I remember talking with a cruiser while I had my First 405 sloop about how fast everything degrades in the tropics. My 40' sloop was pretty easy to keep going in San Diego with our light winds & moderate conditions - he confirmed that he was constantly spending $$ on rigging while cruising MX and Central America.

I am curious about cost comparisons on the smaller end of the spectrum, say a Willard 30 versus a ~34' bluewater sailboat. I suspect that even with less usable space the 34' sailboat would be signifiantly more comfortable on passage, and maybe safer as well (probably no get-home engine on the Willard), but it's purely conjecture. Sailboat costs scale down quickly with size.

 

[Russ.]

my boat isn’t as economical as our last one but we had reasons for trading away from our trawler. But the myth that sailboats are cheaper is just that. And unless you like living in a submarine like setting trawlers are much more open and airy.

This.

 

[Andiamo2018]

Sometimes I wonder if I’ve been living in a different world than others.
Cruised a 46’ built for me Outbound pretty much full time for nearly a decade. “Wind is free” is a bad joke.
It was a constant financial drain to keep the boat ready for blue water sailing. Although we started new replaced running rigging piece by piece. Had multiple visits to the sailmaker for things like washes, stitching, even one patch where a reefing hook went through the tack of the main sail. UV covers replaced on various sails as well.
Blew up a vang (kicking strap) and replaced seals on the hydraulic running back stay. Replaced sheets several times. Crew blew up a block being heavy handed with a power winch.
There’s absolutely nothing free about wind and it’s new owner is due for replacing the standing rigging, main sail and Solent if he wants to continue to do blue water.

Then there’s the same systems as any cruising boat. Watermaker, hydronic heat, air conditioners, two heads, engine, genset, solar, TV and stereo, KVH, electronics, SSB, dinghy etc.
And the same trickle of boat bucks when you hit something you can’t fix or don’t have the tools. We didn’t need to replace the standing rigging but every few years has a professional rigger go through the rig in detail. Both for a professional tuning but more importantly to make sure there be no problems on passage or off cruising away from yards.
The expense drip is never ending. “Wind is free” but capturing it and using it is sure not free.
Have a friend who’s a mega yacht captain for sail. The annual trip from the eastern Caribbean to the Med is done under power not sail. Why? Because it’s cheaper. That’s right cheaper. Sails that big are hugely expensive. Only a few places in the world make them so can charge what they want. Each sail is custom made. No stock sails. Just getting sails that big on and off is a specialized task and quite expensive. There’s a reason ships use rotor sails not fabric. Fabric has less service life and is more expensive. Fabric is for aesthetics and beauty not to be cost effective. Magnus effect is cheaper, more reliable, needs less crew, makes more sense once you get up to that size.
Engines are engines. Servicing is cheaper as they’re the same stuff as engines in other vessels that size. So trans Atlantic is cheaper under power than sail for yachts that size. Also needs less crew. Owners rarely do such long trips. So sails may go up only when owner or charter is aboard.

Yes, you live in a different world than 90% of the rest of us. 'Rich People Problems' lol. I'll take it that you were kidding by asking the question at all.

On a side note there have been a lot of complaints about the costs of shoes. Having them made for you is a tiny part of the overall cost. The person who cleans the shoes, the cost of the back up shoe cleaner when the regular shoe cleaner takes time off for cancer treatments, the walk in shoe closet for each season...shoes just cost too much! It is way cheaper to have someone carry you around so you don't need the shoes in the first place.

 

[mvweebles]

Yes, you live in a different world than 90% of the rest of us. 'Rich People Problems' lol. I'll take it that you were kidding by asking the question at all.

You're probably low - my sense is that Hippocampus has seriously cruised a sailboat for over a decade. So he's probably in the <5% range.

If your point is that its easier to shoe-string cruise a sailboat than a powerboat, granted. There are some real PoS's sailing the waterways (barely) that somehow manage to make it from one place to another. Or fair-weather weekend sailors who do not stress their rigs; don't even know their sails are blown-out let alone inclined to replace them. Shoe-string approach is dicier with a powerboat.

But Hippocampus's point (which I agree with) was that if you want to operate a well maintained vessel with fit-for-purpose gear designed for safe, reliable, and efficient operation, costs are deceptively high for a sailboat; and on-par with a powerboat.

Peter

 

[psneeld]

"want their boat to perform at top level when cruising either for safety reasons or reliability reasons"

A valid concern and some are willing to pay for it in time and money.

My experience with the barefoot Navy of the Bahamas and south Florida regions would chuckle.

They do it for far less than many here. Some go years using a couple shackles and strong nylon to make old fashion turnbuckles. Emergency repairs that just keep going like the energizer bunny.

Most I knew had boats that cost comparatively way less than most of our trawlers (my trawler cost and sold what some here spend on dinghies every few years or so looking for the perfect one) including mine.

Either sailing or trawlering can be done from a tight budget to a lavish one...does that really surprise anyone?

Like posted before about the low cost sailboat with a 15hp outboard enjoying the same cruising grounds as multi-million dollar sailboats... it is being done frequently.

My rich friends who are older and just retired (and very well off with big sailboats or motor yachts who never go anywhere) keep telling me I am living the dream.... funny, I have dreams of washer and dryers aboard, or a water maker, maybe a dishwasher. and some other niceties.

Virtually all of them do it on older sailboats, so somehow sailing if not anal about things can be an inexpensive way to "live the dream".

 

[ranger58sb]

I expect there are probably cradle-to-grave life-cycle costs associated with sails and standing/running rigging, too. Cost of creating fabric or Mylar or whatever in the first place? Cost of recycling fabric, wire, etc. at end-of-life And so forth.

-Chris

 

[Hippocampus]

The distinction isn’t size nor bells and whistles to the degree proposed here. Rather it’s blue water v. coastal. Same as in power. Coastal you can wait for things to break and fix them when you can afford it or have the time without endangering your life. Blue water that’s not the case.
Yes there’s a large variance in initial cost. New v used. Big v small. Fancy v barebones. But other then in the extremes of people with homebuilt barebones cruising BWBs pretty much have the same stuff in them. Other than the sailing kit pretty much the same stuff I’ve seen in blue water power as well. My exposure as been as a owner of a midrange BWB and crewing for others as well as having friends who own vessels I can only dream of owning. The snide remarks are way off target.

The Bahamas aren’t part of the Caribbean.Nor is Florida. The Gentleman’s Way South isn’t blue water. Please look at a chart. There’s many ex Blue water sailors here. Perhaps they would chime in and support youre comparing apples with oranges. Few of us are Lin and Larry . I wish I had their skills I love the 28’ Bristol Channel cutter which was based on their Serafin. But few people would tolerate long term blue water cruising on such a vessel as seaworthy as they are.

 

[FWT]

In PART its a first world problem of our own making.

Coming back to boating after an extended absence, my last boat had no fancy electronics, no AC, no hot water, and so forth.

My new build has two heads, standing shower, two AC zones, hot water, a luxury galley, two helm stations (one up top), nice dink with electric motor, and a big list of electronics. Heck the electronics package will be 5% of the build cost. With or without all that stuff the boat would be just as stout.

Luxuries become necessities. And it all eats in cost and maintenance time.

Hippo has the experience worth listening to. But apart from sail vs power, there is substantial opportunity to get thrifty on the experience if one chooses. But in the end we all choose the nice stuff.

 

[diver dave]

A few decades ago, we found ourselves at dinner talking about how unreliable boat heads are. This was at Hawk’s nest cat island. My wife then announced our boat didnt have a head. The room went silent for a while.
Not sure how we even found san sal, our loran c didnt do well out there.

 

[Hippocampus]

Good post FWT. But would still argue much money goes into the things you don’t see at the boat show. Strength of the laminate,what coring (if any) was used or coatings if metal. Wiring, plumbing framing, durable components. Vacuum bagging v hand squeegee. Intermittent tabbing or fully glassed in bulkheads. Proper backing plates.how the hatches and port lights are done, engine room air intakes and exhausts. Stick built or modular construction. Finishing wood with at least sealant even though it’s not visible. All the little details that make for a strong durable liveable boat. Those costs don’t sell at the boat show. You are not infrequently unaware of them until years down the road.
On a boat yes you can add a small or even large fortune on aesthetically pleasing details and finish work but I would argue it takes money to build to a standard that’s required to make for a durable strong ocean passage maker. Most of that stuff does not show without a very detailed look.

 

[Andiamo2018]

Sailing is cheaper than motoring. There is no arguing with that. Some sailboat certainly cost more than some power boats but that doesn't change that sailing from one place to another is cheaper than motoring there.

There are some bikes that cost more than cars. Barring some extreme circumstances it is simply cheaper to bike than to drive.

Wind turbines need to be ridged and that is why they can't be made out of cloth. Turbines do NOT provide lift to power anything - they spin to generate electricity or pump water etc. Sails, as in a sailboat, provide LIFT like an airplane wing. They can even be ridged like the faster than wind race boats but it doesn't have to do with cost of materials.

These days there are so many things being denied or avowed that are just factually wrong. It's true that I cannot personally prove the earth is round but it is. And sailing is cheaper than motoring.

Wind IS free just like breathing is free. There are costs associated with not being dead which can be factored in to the cost of breathing I suppose and the same with sailboats or riding a bicycle.

I truly hope that folks here have some awareness of how lucky they - we - all are. Power winches are on less than one in a thousand sailboats but their cost isn't inherent in the cost of sailing. Having any kind of boat means we are fortunate. The more fortunate we are often means our 'stuff' costs more.

It probably costs Elon Musk $100 per breath based on what he spends daily and he complains about that cost. If he breaths more while walking that doesn't make walking expensive.

Sailing is cheaper than motoring

 

[mvweebles]

Sailing is cheaper than motoring. There is no arguing with that.

Ummm.....I think a LOT of people have argued exactly that. Including several who have circumnavigated on a sailboat, and then switched to a similarly appointed trawler and continued cruising long distance. Over a long period where total cost of ownership can be compared, it's a wash.

Peter

 

[HopCar]

“Wind turbines need to be ridged and that is why they can't be made out of cloth. Turbines do NOT provide lift to power anything - they spin to generate electricity or pump water etc. Sails, as in a sailboat, provide LIFT like an airplane wing. They can even be ridged like the faster than wind race boats but it doesn't have to do with cost of materials.”

They have been made of cloth for hundreds of years. Even the modern rigid turbine blades have a wing cross section.

 

[psneeld]

I think sailing is cheaper...but how and when you do maintenance factors into the numbers being thrown around here..

As I said, I know a lot of sailors enjoying South Florida and the Bahamas for a fraction of what most trawler owners I know spend...and a LOT of that is the frequency and choice of maintenance...not just the moving part.

One might say safety is compromised by going cheap...yet not a one of those barefoot navy people I have known through the years has had any major issues, probably less than many I read in threads here on TF.

 

[Andiamo2018]

“Wind turbines need to be ridged and that is why they can't be made out of cloth. Turbines do NOT provide lift to power anything - they spin to generate electricity or pump water etc. Sails, as in a sailboat, provide LIFT like an airplane wing. They can even be ridged like the faster than wind race boats but it doesn't have to do with cost of materials.”

They have been made of cloth for hundreds of years. Even the modern rigid turbine blades have a wing cross section.

I stand corrected! And nice pic

 

[Andiamo2018]

Ummm.....I think a LOT of people have argued exactly that. Including several who have circumnavigated on a sailboat, and then switched to a similarly appointed trawler and continued cruising long distance. Over a long period where total cost of ownership can be compared, it's a wash.

Peter

So many variables to factor in over a long period of time. I just came from a client with a 40 year old Chris he lives on and a 40ft sailboat he uses regularly. He hasn't spent a dime on the Chris in 10 years. I don't think he has even replaced the freshwater pump on the Chris but he hauls the sailboat every 3 or 4 years.

General rule of thumb I suppose is the more systems the more cost.

But if you are actually using your boat as a boat and not a floating retreat the costs of a sailboat seem like they would have to be lower. But I've been thinking about it a lot due to this thread and it does seem like a lot of the savings on sailboats comes from simply not having as much stuff on them. Most sailboats don't have full sized fridges etc.

The sailboats that DO have lots of room, multiple heads, big galley etc probably are not a whole lot different in cost over years -unless you are comparing miles traveled as well. Fuel is so expensive that even short trips add up.

For sure there are very few barefoot, barebones power boaters cruising around. The vast majority of boats never leave the dock and maybe the floating room crowd is equal sail to power. But if you are going somewhere you *can* do it a lot cheaper under sail than motoring.

I really like that photo of the windmills. Wind is amaing.

 

[mvweebles]

Again, I think it easier to go cheap on a sailboat than a powerboat. But for people who actually cruise and use their boats in similar manner, they report the costs are a wash.

Exhibit 1: Steve Dashew. Granted, hi-end, but hi-end sail and hi-end power. Circumnavigations or equivilent in both.

Exhibit 2: Bumfuzzle. This is a great blog - an adventurous couple who have laid down serious miles throughout north/central/south america in an old RV; then bought a sailboat and circumnavigated. Then when they had kids, bought a Grand Banks 42 and have spent the last 6-years or so cruising the Carribbean. Everywhere in the Caribbean - currently in Aruba. They report the costs are a wash too.

Exhibit 3: There are a few people on TF who come from serious sailing backgrounds (Hippocampus being one, but I believe there was someone with a KK42 who previously cruised a sailboat).

I too have read dozens/hundreds of accounts of sailors who claim massively inexpensive experiences. They are either the rice-beans crowd, chose a sailboat over living in their Ford Pinto, or haven't owned the boat long enough to incur the large episodic costs such as mast work, sails, standing rigging, keel bolts, winches, running rigging, etc.

Peter

PS - Andiamo - wasn't it you who posted the YouTube of the Swiss guy who pulled his mast and discovered all sorts of stuff needing repair? Not a lick of that would happen on a powerboat. And that was only the mast. Not even the boom (yet).

 

[psneeld]

The people saying it is a wash spend tens of thousands on sails and rigging every so often because of offshore passages vs coastal that many are satisfied with and just don't perform that kind of maintenance for decades. I have lived on the same dock as these shoestring boaters...not some you tubers or bloggers using social media to make money. I used to invite a boat or two of my "barefoot navy friends" to dinner because they couldn't afford even cheap dinners and I wanted their company because they were truly interesting people.

I postponed a lot of maintenance items on my trawler that many never would even though their cruising year was about 100 engine hr versus mine.

Not everyone is as "PM conscious" as many here.

 

[Simi 60]

.

But if you are actually using your boat as a boat and not a floating retreat the costs of a sailboat seem like they would have to be lower.
.

.

I logged a bit over 50,000 nm on my previous sailing catamaran over several years
I spent a lot of money on sail cloth, rope, wire and deck hardware in that time, sail cloth does not last when used especially in the tropics

But I've been thinking about it a lot due to this thread and it does seem like a lot of the savings on sailboats comes from simply not having as much stuff on them. Most sailboats don't have full sized fridges etc

But a full size domestic fridge actually costs less than a sailboats 12v fridge
I am replacing our 20 year old 550 litre fridge now, never in those 20 years has a tech been out to look at it.
New one will cost $1500 delivered.

How much will the equivalent in 12v cost?
How often over 20 years will a tech be called out?

 

[Andiamo2018]

I logged a bit over 50,000 nm on my previous sailing catamaran over several years
I spent a lot of money on sail cloth, rope, wire and deck hardware in that time, sail cloth does not last when used especially in the tropics

But a full size domestic fridge actually costs less than a sailboats 12v fridge
I am replacing our 20 year old 550 litre fridge now, never in those 20 years has a tech been out to look at it.
New one will cost $1500 delivered.

How much will the equivalent in 12v cost?
How often over 20 years will a tech be called out?

Not the fridge exactly, just the bigger items that don't fit on most sailboats.

It you cruised the tropics as much in your current boat as you did sailing wouldn't you have spent a lot more than on the cat?

 

[Simi 60]

Not the fridge exactly, just the bigger items that don't fit on most sailboats.

It you cruised the tropics as much in your current boat as you did sailing wouldn't you have spent a lot more than on the cat?

We cruise sub tropical to tropical 24/7 for the past 6 years
Cat would have cost about the same as what we have but not offered anywhere near the comfort level that we enjoy

Because it couldn't carry a load and lacked refrigeration and space we'd be in at marinas often to resupply - small tenders are not really good enough to carry two bodies and a month's worth of supplies out through the slop.

Whereas we haven't been in a marina in 6 years on our current vessel, big tender can carry months worth of supplies in single trip and space and refrigeration is vaste.
Happy to stay on board and not get onto mainland for months at a time.

If we got a sailing vessel that offered the same level of comfort, load carrying and big tender that we enjoy now it would cost 10x more than what we have now
It would likely be too much to handle short handed, so we'd be motoring a lot anyway
And a boat of that size would be using close to 100hp to push it @ 7.5 knots, which is about what we use.
Fuel burn would be close enough to same

 

[Hippocampus]

Spent just about four decades caring for indigent street people as part of my service and also running a periodic free clinic for a particular genetic neuro degenerative disease. P what you’re doing is like comparing their housing expense to the average home owner. What you allude to is similar to the fairly frequent hulks you see scattered throughout the eastern Caribbean. Some are sail with the sails hanging in tatters and some are power with a long beard of grass surrounding the waterline. Comparing subsistence living to active cruising is quite a reach. Like you I’ve tried to help out. Give them a ride in the dinghy when they need it. Drop off food to them when we restock. Check to make sure they’re still living or not in extreme distress. A good part of those folks have crossed the pond, run through their resources, some fallen into alcoholism or become immobilized from depression. It’s a heart breaking population disconnected from the usual social services. But I don’t think germaine to this conversation.
Please listen to Simi. He’s been there done that. Experiences vary but it’s more helpful comparing apples to apples.
Compare coastal to coastal
Mixed blue water/coastal to blue water/coastal.
Barebones to barebones
Decent quality of life with communications, HVAC, watermaker, adequate dry and refrigerated storage to the same.
Luxury to luxury
Total self service to the same
Mixed paid and self
Paid

When looked at in that equable fashion cost of ownership is a wash. Same if looked at as miles traveled, average annual cost (as long as enough years are averaged) or whatever metric you may choose. We bitch about fuel costs. But take a look at what Harken stuff costs now or high tech line or any of the components it takes to keep a sailboat moving. P is right you can get by with spit and duck tape but days at sea means more risk, more food, more wear and tear so there is an exponential increase in costs both for sail and power once you include any blue water. There’s a very good reason a blue water powerboat costs more to buy and more to run just like it does for sail.

 

[Hippocampus]

For a second let’s talk about the regional coastal cruiser. That’s what we did this past summer. Seemed to me on our 40-55’ finger the powerboats got more use than the sail. We’d go out to places in the upper portion of Naragansett bay. Suspect the same kind of situation as the Chesapeake or other large bays. Windless or light air days the sailboats did not bother going out. Being so high up the bay both would as the seas would be quite modest on windy days.
It takes much more work to set stuff up before leaving with sail. You still need to warm up the electronics and make sure they work properly, try the thrusters, check fluids and for drips. Check transmission works. Same as power. Then add on uncovering the mainsail, attaching halyard(s), organizing sheets, taking out seat cushions and so forth. So would see power go out for half a day or even a few hours. Sail unless very small tended to be a all day affair. Fewer sail seemed to go out and if they did it was for a day or three. Had one neighbor on a 54’ searay who seemed to rarely go out. But was on his immaculate boat and enjoyed it. Time to himself with all the comforts and entertainment. Saw that less with the sailboats.
So comparing costs think another metric is cost per hour for time on the boat.

 

[psneeld]

I was not talking destitute sailors.... just different mindsets.

 

[mvweebles]

I was not talking destitute sailors.... just different mindsets.

There may be some regional variation too. In California, there are a couple low cost marinas (relative) and anchorages where extreme budget oriented owners, mostly sail, congregate. Many drift into decreptitude. But they are few and far between. I suspect this is more common in east coast, at least in Florida.

When I lived aboard Weebles (Willard 36), the boat next to me was a Catalina 36 owned by two guys in partnership. They did a few beer can races each year, spent a week or two cruising the Delta, and several day trips. I used my boat in a similar manner, but much more frequently. Over the 10 years we were dock neighbors, I'd guess I spent less on Weebles than they did on their Car 36 even though I used my boat a lot more. These were not serious racers, just your average beer can guys. We both hauled about 4 times over the 10 years. At least once they pulled their mast and re-rigged, a cost that eclipsed my bottom job. Plus sails and running rigging. Buys a lot of diesel, a lot more than I could burn when I had a full time job - I probably burned 300 gallons a year (225 hrs or so), guessing they burned 40-50.

So I just can't see the blanket statement that sail is cheaper than power. It can be - sail can be very cheap, power can be really expensive. But in the middle/normal usage zone, it's a wash.

Peter

 

[Gdavid]

I don't think we are comparing apples to apples, some of these comparisons are akin to flying private charter versus a seat in coach. Some boat owners spare no expense while others make do on a shoestring budget, this is true regardless of their means of propulsion. An argument can always be made for where is it safe to cut corners, but a lot of it is personal preference/values.

The cost of sailboat rigging goes up exponentially with size but you can do more blue water in a small sailboat that simply is not possible with a small powerboat, they just don't have the tankage to travel as far and a sailboat has inherent stabilization as well as being self-righting.

At anchor, in order to achieve the same level of comfort, a significantly larger sailboat versus powerboat is required, this is a major cost consideration but also a matter of preference just as the anchor out versus transient docking balance.

I would suggest there is a larger difference in operating costs between DIY boaters and those who hire everything out. I have friends who re-stitch their own sails, perform all rig maintenance and only hire out the swaging of standing rigging, I also know power boaters who perform their own in frame major overhauls, perform all maintenance and boat yard work. I would argue that these DIY'ers have more similar budgets compared to those who hire everything out. Neither approach is wrong, it is all just preferences but it impacts the OP's research.

 

[socalrider]

The cost of sailboat rigging goes up exponentially with size but you can do more blue water in a small sailboat that simply is not possible with a small powerboat, they just don't have the tankage to travel as far and a sailboat has inherent stabilization as well as being self-righting.

Yeah that's what I've been thinking as well. Many have circumnavigated on ~30' sailboats with very simple systems. There's no real analog for that with power, on the cost or comfort scale, but I think that's what most are thinking when they say "sail is cheaper". Not really apples to apples, but it is a viable way of getting out on the ocean at a lower cost.

I certainly admire the minimalist cruisers - check out Webb Chiles, who has circumnavigated solo 8 times (I think), several on a Moore 24 ultralight. He's in his 80's now and just recently completed his last circumnav. His entire setup probably costs less than some of our generators. No engine IIRC.