$350,000 46' leopard catamaran $35,843 per year maintenance doing 80 or 90% of the work yourselves $41,000 living expenses Thanks for the insight, we better start saving hard. That's a lot of making coffee at home!
Thank you for sharing this information. For those of us, including people like me who are still on the fence, this information is very helpful. I also very much appreciate your more thoughtful approach to monetizing your channel. There is a fine line to walk and I think you are doing it well. Some channels feel a bit crass in their constant request for tips so viewers can subsidize their lifestyles. On the other hand, good content deserves recognition, including recognizing the hard work put in to videos. I gave up on other sailing channels because it felt a bit more like watching young and beautiful people frolic and then ask for tips for the privilege. No disrespect intended , There is a time and place for that content as well. But your channel has a nice mix of education, information and entertainment. Well Done Sail Clarity Team.
Hey thanks. A fine line indeed. On the one hand we don't like the idea of begging or asking folks to support our frivolous lifestyle. On the other hand, this is indeed a lot of work and we are not trust fund kids or retired. So when someone kicks in a few bucks, they are really helping to prolong this little party we've got going. A win for everyone I think. But who knows what the future might bring. Heck, sure didn't see this season playing out like it seems to be! Be well Duncan.
I was thinking the same, it's so noticeable at the intro of this episode as you both take turns on the commentary and presentation, almost like watching a news anchor team. Sailing Ruby Rose and Ran Sailing couples (great channels btw), have same style as you guys, but have to say you both are a bit more polished.
It's always sobering when you break down the actual cost of everything 😳 We're trying to do much the same and tackle 90% of the boat work ourselves now, and rapidly learning how to do so. Nice to see such an honest break down of the costs. Thanks and stay safe ⛵️🐾👌🏻
Yes, sobering for us too. It’s been our experience that typically the longer you are in this game, the more you end up doing yourself. Not just less expensive, but better quality work oftentimes. Good luck on the journey! Thanks for the note.
Great video! Someone once said, “you can always make more money but you can’t make more time.” And I think about that a lot Nick. Thanks! It was you, of course. We were planning our first extended cruise (would have shoved off about 10 days ago) but of course it has been temporarily sidelined due to the Pandemic. We’ll get there! Thanks again for your videos and inspirations, and stay safe!
I love it. Such a solid truth, eh? Here's one that didn't make the book: time is all we really possess. So if our coming months are spent in brown water instead of clear, I refuse to be bummed about it. I am going to find a way to enjoy. Otherwise it will have been wasted time. The only one that can take that from me is...me. Thanks for checking in and I hope our paths cross next season.
@@TheOKellys Amen, brother! There is a positive to every situation (and I have been in what most people would call some bad situations) Brown water is still better than no water. My joy is my joy. No-one can take that from me.
Just found your channel and find your frankness & openness inspiring. Unfortunately I will never be able to realise my dreams of following anywhere near your path in life but watching you two enjoy such a fantastic lifestyle is truly hear warming. From an old would be sailer in the UK I wish you fair winds & calm seas. 😊
I appreciate how you guys share the load of camera time, a lot of other channels it’s either one or the other squawking away but I love your dynamic. Nice work.
Guys - My wife and I have y'all (we're Texans, lol) on autoplay, but I always feel an obligation to go back and 'like' each one because we enjoy your content so much. We might be talking away, me playing guitar, my wife Lisa bringing dinner, but we love it and just think so highly of you both. I am backtracking to so many, missed videos to show y'all Mas Texas love Thank you for your great videos, intellect, humor, wisdom, and much more? Best wishes from Austin, Texas. Paul and Lisa Snare
Another great video guys. Prices are also regional. I find USA prices really high compared to our part of the world. Yes a boat part is a boat part but labour, haul outs etc In many parts of the world are half what you pay there. I mean for my Leopard 40 I am in the process of redoing all the standing rigging for $3800 and this is from the factory rigging company in South Africa. I was told that this would cost $10000 in the US.
For the window seals you might want to consider hiring a battery powered caulking gun. Depending on the viscosity of the silicone your using it can be very hard with a regular gun. An electric gun will make this job a lot easier. Also an electric gun will give you more consistency in the glue bead. Buying an electric gun might be overkill for you (don't buy a cheap one). I like the Milwaukee guns, but they are around 400$. Do some small test runs on a piece of cardboard in advance, just to get the hang of it. Just make sure that the gun your getting is matching the product you're using. I switched to a bigger gun two years ago, the Sika Powercure. It's a great system, truly love it, but it's heavy and bulky. If I pick up a regular Milwaukee now, it feels like a toy :-) If it wasn't for the ocean between us, I'd be happily coming over to help you guys with the window seals. If you want more info, tips or tricks on this window job, feel free to ask. Greetings from Belgium
The information you detailed on your search and ultimate purchase was amazing. I also was appreciative of you revealing your annual budgeted maintenance costs and really admire the both of you. Thanks for educating viewers of so much to be aware of if contemplating a leap into living on a Cat, or other type sailing vessel. Hope your family are safe and healthy. God Bless! Mark Las Vegas, Nv.
Yep...antifouling paint and prop paint are definitely expensive. We just applied Coppercoat antifouling which wasn’t much more than traditional antifouling, and we always use Propspeed on our prop. Hopefully we will see some savings there over the next decade! We always clean our own bottom no matter where we are, but if you are paying for bottom cleaning. Copper coat could save you serious money there too. Our bottom cleaning takes 20 minutes now, instead of 2.5 hours. Just an idea -Rebecca on SV Brick House
Would love to do that. Prep time in the incredibly expensive yards here make it prohibitively expensive. And you can’t skip on prep with coppercoat. Glad it is working so well for you guys!
Thanks you two that is a breath of fresh air and a reality check on the cost of boating. A couple of things that I didn't hear you mention, insurance, mooring and slip costs and engine/generator replacement.
This was just maintenance. Moorage and insurance will vary drastically based on where you are and we covered that in the referenced video from last year. Genset replacement? Ours won' be replaced. In fact we will be getting rid of it when we can. No need for it. Thanks for the note Roger.
Love your videos. 100k this last year plus minus ouch. Let's donate folks! You have hope and strength. And our love. Be safe and keep loving each other. Enjoy what you can be safe. Hugs from Canada
New subscriber.. i am currently binge watching your videos. While i cant afford your boat.. I am currently LOOKING for A sail boat.. after this little virus stops scaring the gov and we open back up.. i plan on taking sailing classes and learning to sail. So glad there are videos like yours to allow me to get to know the boating good and the boating bad.
You guys, helping the rest of us to keep going! Life in lockdown is so unpleasant. It looks wonderful where you are but I know you’re in just as much difficulty. Love you’re positive attitude, something I will try to aspire to. Best wishes from 🇬🇧.
Thank you David, this is really something but we are all in this together and will get through it. Hopefully soon! We were joking about trying to re-make "Groundhog's Day" but it was too much. It does feel like we're all in that movie though doesn't it?
I’m coming out of the gate in 2022 chasing the dream like a world cheese wheel champion! Over the next year is all the preparation. Thanks for the info....🖖
In the matter of bottom paint check out RAN sailing Episode 66 at the 2:33 mark. Johan’s friend has his sv Courageous on the hard with Hempel Silic One bottom paint that has been on for 3 or 4 years and it looks like brand new! Barnacles sense the paint as water and won’t attach to it. Soft growth can easily be wiped off with a sponge or towel. The paint costs twice a much but lasts 5 years or even more. Also, I second the recommendation for Precision Sails in the Seattle area. Love your videos and please stay safe.
The O'Kelly's never mind all the other ridiculous expenses like the crew salary for 10-30 people, or the $30,000 a month they spend on data xD. But hey, that’s their money that they worked their asses off for so whatever they want to spend on something that they find enjoyable or relaxing is fair enough 🤷🏼♂️. I would never want the jobs they have if only because of the stress that comes with the type of job you need to have to be able to afford those yachts so they can keep them :p
Nice to see you guys again. Wow talk about BOAT, bust out another thousand. Excellent piece on true cost of ownership, defo agree spend on preventative care. Stay safe and especially healthy. 👍👏🇬🇧
Not many understand the video editing etc behind the the scenes for a 23 minute video of this caliber, this production is Netflixable! Thanks for the info.
Back in the States now. Your videos are great as they are the most accurate views of a cruiser’s life I have seen. Your professionalism in front of the camera shines through. It’s been a tough year, but glad to know you are making the most of it.
Thank you so much, so appreciate the good vibes and happy you made it back to the States safe and sound. Yeah, tough year for sure, trusting it will get better soon!
The wife and I are catamaran shopping right now. You guys' content is fabulous. Very helpful. We are blessed with an early retirement , and rather comfortable fixed income. In choosing between a monohull or cat, your content has been some of the best we have come across.
I believe the most important is your time ,the time it took you guys the hours saved your hands on not contractor time , probably the greatest savings of all the sewing and sail ,and the maintenance besides upgrades , of all the podcasts and videos I've seen their sailing adventures are not as smooth as you guys , but your the only team with a meteorologist on board , ,you guys are great , and a great team , I so enjoy watching and learning
"Nick, they want to see your eyes!" LOL yes! The first video I ever watched from you guys was when you went looking at catamarans and Nick had sunglasses on the whole time. Your numbers pretty much match up with ours-the first time we had a quote for an oil change on our Yanmar 29's it was $1300-breathtaking...
Glad I found your channel, we currently have a flying RUclips channel but are considering sailing (never done it before) when we retire, now we have some real life data for budgeting, thanks again for your transparency!!!
@@TheOKellys We flew from Kansas to the Bahamas last year end of June 2019; Bucket List Item!! in Cessna 182 and we loved it, I was a little apprehensive as I have only been flying for a couple of years (late bloomer) We re-watch some of our videos, longing to go back! And maybe see the Bahamas from a different perspective....Just "subbed" to your channel, like y'alls interaction!!!
Lotta little planes in the water out here.... SEL and instrument in ‘92 myself. Nothing beats a boat for these islands. It is like another planet. Glad to have ya with us!
Great video with lots of top shelf content! The numbers don't lie, you can pay me now or pay me later, no matter what, you will have to pay one way or another. We will be in your area soon on a new to us 2018 46' cat after previous years spent on a 1975 47' offshore ketch that got the job done but needed a little TLC once in a while;). It will be fun to experience the difference in so many ways.
I was thinking if you had kept the 350' from your Golden Gate "Fun" Cruise (in the steepest seas in the channel you had ever seen) you could have saved that much anyway? I know it wasn't funny at the time but it sure is now. You do really good videos and I enjoy them very much. I know this video is going to help many "noobies" and help other boat owners such as you compare expenses. Thank you.
FYI, bought a new Dacron main from Precision (Seattle) last summer and am very happy with the workmanship and detailing. Around $8,000 which included the "offshore" upgrades. Physically built in Hong Kong or Singapore but delivered to me in Norfolk, VA. Good vibe from all the people I dealt with there. This is on a Lagoon 470 so similar size. Was thinking square top but they talked me out of it for cruising. Does have a lot more roach than the prior main. Used my old batten hardware and had to install those, but not a big deal.
Cool, thanks for the info. Someone else here was talking about them. Will check it out. We’ve got plenty of roach already....no need to square it. There is already a lot of power in this sail. If we end up not doing many miles this year, we may be able to hold off. Would really like to go laminate with the next time. We put Doyle Stratus on the last boat.....wow! But spendy! Anyway thanks for the info.
Thanks, Nick and Megs. Really informative video. Nick, take care of yourself, buddy. I need more weather instruction. Megs, are you up for a cooking video onboard Clarity? Maybe one of your favorite recipes? We love you guys! PS. Don't forget to mention your podcasts on your video. -Darin
Darin! Thanks man! Appreciate it! Yes, we are trying to figure out what direction to point the bows in and that will have a big impact on what kind of videos follow! Weather stuff definitely on the way if have to pack it in for the hurricane season. Megan's cooking show needs to happen regardless! Appreciate the note and the very very generous contribution!
What Ive learned from people sailing, is that sailing costs pretty much the same in depreciation of a house, maintenance and insurance but doesnt have the benefit of owning any land to pass on and offset the capital losses. So really only useful for people who dont plan on having kids or people ok with leaving their kids pretty much nothing to build off from capital wise.... or if you're rich and this cost doesnt matter. Interested to see how a Silent Yacht stacks up compared to sailing yachts in the costs to own/run. Seems like an expensive initial capital investment but really cost saving way to own a boat over the years
Another great video! Would be fantastic if pulled it all together in the future with a total cost of ownership (TCO) vlog which includes things like depreciation (around 5% per year?), cost of capital (5% per year?), insurance, moorings/marina/on the hard fees, customs/cruising permits, etc. I am afraid though the final number will be really sobering.
Have thought about doing that. A lot of variables. Depreciation tends to flatten at about 1/2 replacement value, but subject to market fluctuations. 5% cost of capital? You can’t make an assumption like that. Regardless, a boat is not usually a good financial decision. You do it for other reasons.
These breakdowns are the best for us newbies wanting to learn. Any tech or how to videos would be good to. I liked having the explanation of what the Code 0 was for, thanks!
Awesome detailed breakdown. 10% is thrown around a lot as a cost per year to run a boat, and it seems to hold fairly true for you as well, although you did not include dock fees, insurance, etc. And doing so much of the work yourselves there are certain activities you are saving a bundle of labor like the cushions and tramp, and others, where it's not such a big deal. Your boat is also a bit older, and I think the 10% rule of thumb goes up on larger cruising boats as they age and important pieces of equipment wear out. Always a pleasure to spend 20 minutes with you guys - a welcome break from reality! We had two solid days of snow here in Denver earlier in the week!
Denver! My old stomping grounds. Too many mornings there a KUSA after cruise #1, but we loved it there. I think 6-8% is a good average for a DIYer. For the less able or interested, yes 10% minimum. I would argue that the “recurring wear items” are the same, regardless of the boat’s age. So are the annual maintenance costs. Perhaps the only difference is in the upgrade category. A new boat is going to need less modernization. Thanks for the note Mike!
You guys are always best at logically explaining your expenses. This is not easy to do; you have a communication gift. Your “splendid isolation” is causing me some waves of jealousy🤩. You two are the Boat Bomb - period!
Aww thank you John, that is sweet of you to say. We are grateful to have such a beautiful backdrop, even though we're in the planning stages of our trip north :-(.
Thanks for thanking me for watching your video. All my life I’ve been careful with money. I could now afford a boat as featured but unfortunately I’m geared for being careful - so I’m going to be getting a much smaller boat - more like the dingy shown.
Great breakdown of expenses! Love the tip on the washing machine. Will be looking at that when we return to our boat. We are in BC Canada, boat in Florida. Hopefully be cruising in the Bahamas after Feb. Fingers crossed! Cheers and Merry Christmas!
Is it possible to see an overall summary in written form - of both maintenance and living costs. We are hoping to move to a boat as soon as we sell our home (after the SA lock down!) and this is up to date information that is very useful in our planning
Great video, I sold my 100k Catamaran a few years ago and I plan buy newer and cruise full time starting this fall knowing the real costs and I agree with your numbers. And I hope this video saves a few dreamers from their worst nightmare. One thing I would add to my sail drive maintenance budget is hauling out somewhere where they don’t allow you to do your own repairs. I hauled out in Kemah Texas and Y.E.S. The only Yanmar repair service in the area forced me to pay them $3500 to replace my seals they lied and said they replace a shaft I argued about it for about a week until I got sick of living in a hotel and just paid them. $3500+$500+expensive meals. I would never again haul out listing a repair. Haul out for a survey and sneak in after hours and replace your own seals and zinks.
oh man that's terrible. It is not a complex affair. Only time it gets strange is if the output shaft has a groove in it and you need to change the spacers. And you are correct, never haul where you can't do your work. If they insist on sanding and painting, fine, but the rest of it will be done or directly managed by me. That is the ONLY way to do it. Been down that rode (road) before. Keep the faith!
The O'Kelly's Sorry I forgot to comment on your new upholstery, It looks awesome. I am a practicing student of sail-rite and I know good work when I see it.
My two cousins and their wives sailed the Pacific and Indian for 20 years, working the summers in Vancouver, BC then sailing the autumn, winter, and spring. They finished in 1997. 50' monohull, built themselves from concrete. No GPS, solar, automatic rigging, or other conveniences. They loved it though.
NIce presentation of the real story of what it takes to operate a yacht correctly and really great that you detail out all the specifics . . . very good! One other consideration that you may want to include is the reality about how regardless of how well you maintain & upgrade your boat the resale value continues to drop year after year. This is really 'news' to most people who are used to the idea that in real estate the value of their property will typically rise in value almost regardless of whether you maintain/improve it or not.
well, real estate doesn't always appreciate either....lol. But good point. However, it depends on the boat you are talking about. Some, if properly maintained, do hit a spot at about 1/2 replacement value and stay there. L43, L46, Catana 43, Catana 47, Logoon 380, Lagoon 410, and some would say the MaineCat 41.... what says you?
@@TheOKellys Yep, I suppose that's a good possibility . . . although, as you point out, it takes a very large investment in annual 'maintenance' costs to *maybe* hold value whereas the maintenance costs for houses are typically much lower. I think that the value stability of boats would probably be more comparable with how cars hold their value (i.e. - not so much) than to houses. Too bad because I enjoy my boat more than my house, but maybe that's just the cost that comes with more fun. :-)
Once again, I'm late to the show... I always love your tech/info/DIY videos (the realities of the cruising life). NOBODY does it better! Have y'all met Alejandro, Andrea, Ozzy and Echo on SV Hakuna yet? They are down there close to you now. Awesome young couple and fur babies. Stay safe ❤️🤙
Hey Curt! Thanks man! Can't read that without Carly Simon singin it in our heads! Yes, we met those guys briefly in Georgetown before all the lockdown weirdness. Those dogs have serious coats on. With our bandwidth issues we have been trying not to watch videos, but looking forward to checking their stuff out when we get the chance. They seemed really cool. Our kind of peeps!
@@TheOKellys and then it makes you think of "The Spy Who Loved Me" 😂 Fun fact.... I saw that movie for my 8th birthday at one of those old dinner theaters (way different than they are now). I had BBQ Ribs! And yes, I just aged myself 😂
Glad Nick's eye is getting better! As for the expenses that's a lot!! I barely make 1k a month! For the membranes, i think contaminated waters are everywhere and the oil will continue to show up, unfortunately, hope the filters are cleaning the water 100%! Hold on to your resources! Hopefully this pandemic should be over soon! Stay Healthy O'Kelly's!
Thank you for the note, we are happy to have so many replacement filters on board. Yes, we need to look at cutting costs and really hope the world opens up again soon. Take good care!
Great summary. Like a lot of things in life boats require your time, your money or both. Best change/upgrade we made on our live-aboard cat was to go to a foam covered hard dingy called an OCTender. Allowed us to continue to use our old 15hp engine as it planes way better than a RIB. Now consume 1/2 the fuel as before also as it is not at full throttle very often is an added bonus. Plus we are usually the only boat in the anchorage with one.
Jealous Brett, the OC tender is SO cool! We would have gotten one but there was a backlog until May. Had we known about Covid in January we would have waited. We’re quite happy with our Highfield and the 30hp though. Thanks for your note!
I have heard several sailors talk about their finances, and that 10% number does seem to come up over and over. I was thinking that you two with your skill sets and work ethic might be < 10, but paint, lines, sails, etc. cost money. Thanks for the excellent and detailed info. One moral to the story for me might be to keep that 10% number in mind when buying the boat. Smaller, simpler boats are cheaper to maintain. Stay safe and well.
yes, smallest, simplest boat that will do what you want it to. Always the best choice. As for the 10%, that was high because of all the additions this year. Last year there were less. I would say 6-8% is a good solid number if the boat is in decent shape.
Thanks for sharing, love this. This helps us understand what we will be in for in two yrs when we buy our boat. Like you we plan on doing 90% of the scheduled/unscheduled maintenance ourselves. I would love to see your document you use to track your maintenance cost (without your real figures please) to use as an example so as not have to re-invent the wheel on tracking maintenance cost.... Thanks again for what you do, very inspiring...
Hi Guys! Hope you are well. Really like your vibe and channel. Would like to see an episode on "How to / how we sail a catamaran", sort of a full top to bottom series, even in it's own playlist over a number of episodes. Fair to say I think a lot of people might enjoy a comprehensive series on this! Many thanks.
Yikes! So far I’m getting by on a fraction of that, but mine is a much lower value boat, with fewer amenities. That said even on my boat the annual and lifecycle maintenance is considerable. While waiting out this COVID craziness I’m replacing most of the running rigging. I’ve yet to tally it up but it’s going to be expensive. Thanks for your summary.
The O'Kelly's I haven’t been ignoring your question but not being as well organized as you and my records are not as meticulous, it would take me some time to put my costs in perspective. I bought my boat a year and a half ago for $25k and have put another $20k into it since. A big chunk of that was planned upgrades, electronics, solar/batteries, propane system, new head, etc. She’s old but her bones and DNA are good. Also included are a bunch of lifecycle maintenance items, bottom paint, anodes, etc. This is probably putting the kiss of death on Sweet Motion but I’ve not had anything significant break, yet. While I believe in preventative maintenance I also adhere to “ if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Somewhere I hope to find a balance between the two. So looking forward I maintain a berth. That’s $7k +/- all in. Winter heating fuel costs me $200/month. I have no idea what I spend on engine fuel. My ancient Yanmar just sips diesel and I try to sail as much as possible. I’m always puttering around on boat projects and no matter how small they are rarely inexpensive, but I don’t track those costs. I’ve just finished installing new reefing lines including blocks and boom preventers for both sides of the boat. I’ve probably spent $800 on those projects. I’m about to replace the halyards, but I haven’t prepared a budget for that. Ok, I’m sure you can see how disorganized I am. FYI I do virtually all of the work myself. At the end of the day I’d like to keep my spending for the boat, including setting something aside for a reserve fund, at less than $2000/ month. Realistic? I don’t know. I’ll have to see what the lifecycle costs will eventually be. I will say I’m anxious for this COVID craziness to subside because things are a lot less expensive once I get off the dock. Stay healthy!
Awesome video folks. Very comprehensive accounting of your maintenance expenses. Thanks for sharing an honest list of your spending. I have a suggestion for a more complete actual cost of operation. Nick, I believe in an earlier video you stated you are a pilot. As you know, when calculating cost of ownership for an airplane you would include amortized cost of the plane, insurance, hangar ( mooring), and scheduled engine/propeller rebuild/replacement. I know your list was specific to maintenance and it wasn’t intended to include all costs of ownership. It would be interesting to know the total actual cost of your boat. By the way, I’m very envious of you guys . Thanks again for your videos. You guys are very informative and transparent. Your production quality is amazing.
I've been through more than a couple cost of ownership spreadsheets for planes. :) Someday...someday.... Boats, especially cruising boats are much harder to pin down like that. Slip costs vary area to area and some folks hardly tie up at all, while most boats live their entire lives at a dock. Insurance is a HUGE expense and varies between 1-3% depending on crew and cruising area and season. Engines on boats....you'll get a kick out of this....they actually tend to last LONGER the more often they are used (if maintained and treated right). I would be much more careful buying a 10 year old boat with 250 hr engines than one with 2500 hrs. One has been sitting, the other has been used. Sails, on the other hand will last forever if not used, but get worn out faster when doing lots of ocean miles. And one of the biggest variables of them all is how much the owner does themself vs hiring it out. With planes, unless you are an A&P, you aren't allowed to touch much of the plane's workings. I hear you about the envy, and let me tell you while it is indeed really beautiful where we are, there is a lot of uncertainty about how welcome we are here even as weather, wind, and swell change daily, what we can and can't do, and my eye is still bothering me. We've walked a total of about 1/8 of a mile in the last two weeks. A boat can get really small. Even a big one like Clarity. So take my word for it, it is not all wine and roses. Focussing on the videos has helped to keep us from going batty. Appreciate the note. Fair winds!
Great video. As someone who is fantasising about this life style I don't know if the information is good news or not yet lol, but one thing is for sure, DIY is the key.
You guys make it look easy and fun while explaining the difficulties and expenses. A superb job of defining the responsibilities ( and joy) of owning (and maintaining) a sail boat. "" Blue Skies and Tailwinds".... as they say in Aviation.
Love the honesty! Was looking at picking up Leopard 46 but need more money if we wana stay safe at sea. Thank you again! If your ever in oahu hit me up for a bit.
Great video! It would be interesting to somehow see a graph of boat age/value plotted against maintenance costs. This would be helpful for planning expenditures at different stages. Certainly, the initial condition of the boat would be paramount, but in the case of a new boat, I would assume the % would be lower and grow as time passed but on a decreasing value. I'm too many years removed from my statistics class to model that!
Really good video and it was nice to see Megan taking such a prominent role in presenting the information. Amazingly valuable and enlightening info. for anyone considering cruising in a well equipped cat.
Great documentation of all of your expenses! It’s great to know all of your costs. I will have to continue to live vicariously through all of my great RUclips content providers! Stay safe and vigilant, looking forward to more videos!
Good morning. Thanks for sharing all these usefull information about maintenance costs. Can you maybe include about how much time you spent working on the boat for certain tasks and what tools you recomend to have on board resp. have access to?
This was a sobering video, but it helps so much in keeping things in perspective. You are unique in that both of you do so much of the work together. This makes it unusually real. Have you ever considered doing kind of an AirBnb thing to help with expenses?
Love all your videos. Thought I was subscribed but I guess I'm like the majority of your viewers (as revealed in your podcast) I just find your vids or they find me when they come out. Main purpose of my comment is to compliment you guys on the podcast. It is very well done. I hope you can grow all of this to an SV Delos level so you don't have to go through another - sell boat, work a few years, buy another boat cycle. I just did subscribe and I'll let the ad play through at the start of the video while I refill my glass or empty my bladder or check the weather or get the mail. Keep it real.
Tim, thank you so much! Yes, we hope to keep on keepin on too! If we end up going back to regular life again, no worries, that will be a fun adventure too. But this whole YouTubing and the community and folks like you, it would just be so cool to keep it going. We will figure it out. We’ve got plenty of runway in front of us...we just need the speed for liftoff. Appreciate the kind, supportive words.
Wow - Great information and presented in a top notch way, as usual.This is the detailed stuff that so many cruising want-to-be's and/or plan-to-be's really want and need to know about. Thank you so much for this video. I also really like the video's of the actual sailing, sail handling, anchoring, route and weather planning. You guys are the tops and I love your boat too.
thanks Steve! Appreciate that. It's hard when you live it every day to think of what might be interesting, but then we are doing something like the budget and it occurs to us....hey this is always way more than we expect! LOL. Anyway, appreciate your kind words. We are very lucky to have Clarity
When you diy a repair/maintenance, do you make a video explaining how to do it? (Not just your frustration doing it, but like a step-by-step). That strikes me as really useful if you do.
Thank you all for producing some extremely interesting and detailed videos. Well I want to sell myself it helps me gain clarity on what I need to do to get there
Thank you so much guys for the clear and real numbers. It must be a little uncomfortable to share financial stuff but it is so helpful to prospective cruisers trying to plan.
Our pleasure, we love being helpful! If you like numbers, we shared our RUclips and podcast stats on today's podcast - traffic.libsyn.com/sailclarity/UTS_FINISHED_04152020.mp3
Absolutely top video! All your videos are good but this was a superb presentation and so clear on every aspect. I spent many years in the Caribbean wrestling with a big monohull, it was very satisfying getting jobs done but also sailing and having fun. Now do some cruising!
Tim, thank you, and it works both ways....we are getting a lot of energy and motivation for everyone. Feels like we’ve got purpose and community, which really helps....especially these days. Thank you!
What a great video! I'm guessing that now those upgrades are done, that would mean that category would go down drastically next year? Love the videos ecstatically the tech, be safe guys!
Excellent content, you guys are expert in your game and your hands on approach is huge inspiration for the hopeful among us. Just side note, I'd assume working together goes miles more than just saving cost but also what a nice way to spend time together. Very well done on your budgeting. The financial analyst in me couldn't pass here without suggesting the big multi annual items to be budgeted with inflation rate.
Another great video you guys. Before you replace your window seals watch the video by the Wynn’s (Gone with the Wynn’s). They also have a Leopard Catamaran. It was a really messy project, and they gave good tips. Hope you both are safe.
Exactly the kind of video I really love...great, practical knowledge....with a backdrop of crystal clear Exumas water....makes it hard to concentrate! Bummer that you cannot get a diagnosis from a US based ophthalmologist via tele-medicine. You two worked so hard to get to where you are..and the last place you want to be is in Florida.....in a hospital..
Thank you so much Alan, so happy you enjoyed. I know, we are so bummed to have to leave but the Bahamas doesn't want us on land anymore so it's time to go. We will stay safe and figure it out one step at a time. Thanks for your note!
As always very well done video and so much to think about if desiding to live this sort of life!!!! Always lovely to see you both so well!!! I adore watching some of your older vids for the stories you have told in them of your beginings and some hairy starts back then. I would ask if you would indulge us with some story telling on those days and passages! Be well and Happy Sails! (O'Kelly story time lolol)
@@TheOKellys You two are excellent souls, looking forward to some O'Kelly story time. Thank you so such for you time and efforts. You are very genuine and giving the time to share all you learn is fabulous. Here in N.Italy the lockdown continues, with minimum industries opening so as to monitor if there would be another wave. Anyhoo, I look forward to some sea storytime.
Thank you so much Claris, really appreciate that we can be together digitally. I really hope you all stay safe. I had the privilege (Megan) of going to Italy in 2018 for my mom's 70th birthday and I absolutely fell in love. Was only able to visit Tuscany in that one week, but it was magical.
A very interesting video and I love your budget breakdown. You really do look after your boat well. Stay safe, stay healthy and Nick I hope that your eye gets better. Safe sailing North. Megan, as usual I love all your sewing work.
![15 Things We'd Do Differently - [5 YEARS ON A CATAMARAN]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/q0I3jvPRu5U/mqdefault.jpg)
![15 Things We'd Do Differently - [5 YEARS ON A CATAMARAN]](/img/tr.png)
$350,000 46' leopard catamaran
$35,843 per year maintenance doing 80 or 90% of the work yourselves
$41,000 living expenses
Thanks for the insight, we better start saving hard. That's a lot of making coffee at home!
Sobering. Especially in light of you doing 80% of the work yourselves. Well done.
Not cheap....ugh
Any chance of getting a copy of your spreadsheet?
Great videos, thank you so much!
I'm currently working on a 440 Lagoon 05 Owner model.. 3 owner
Thank you for sharing this information. For those of us, including people like me who are still on the fence, this information is very helpful. I also very much appreciate your more thoughtful approach to monetizing your channel. There is a fine line to walk and I think you are doing it well. Some channels feel a bit crass in their constant request for tips so viewers can subsidize their lifestyles. On the other hand, good content deserves recognition, including recognizing the hard work put in to videos. I gave up on other sailing channels because it felt a bit more like watching young and beautiful people frolic and then ask for tips for the privilege. No disrespect intended , There is a time and place for that content as well. But your channel has a nice mix of education, information and entertainment. Well Done Sail Clarity Team.
Hey thanks. A fine line indeed. On the one hand we don't like the idea of begging or asking folks to support our frivolous lifestyle. On the other hand, this is indeed a lot of work and we are not trust fund kids or retired. So when someone kicks in a few bucks, they are really helping to prolong this little party we've got going. A win for everyone I think. But who knows what the future might bring. Heck, sure didn't see this season playing out like it seems to be! Be well Duncan.
You two make a good team. You enjoy each other's company, you respect each other, neither dominates. Great couple.
I was thinking the same, it's so noticeable at the intro of this episode as you both take turns on the commentary and presentation, almost like watching a news anchor team. Sailing Ruby Rose and Ran Sailing couples (great channels btw), have same style as you guys, but have to say you both are a bit more polished.
WOW, great data! Thank you for putting this out, most do not. Keep up the good work and stay healthy.
THANK YOU!! We love sharing our experience. Hope you stay safe too!
It's always sobering when you break down the actual cost of everything 😳
We're trying to do much the same and tackle 90% of the boat work ourselves now, and rapidly learning how to do so. Nice to see such an honest break down of the costs.
Thanks and stay safe ⛵️🐾👌🏻
Yes, sobering for us too. It’s been our experience that typically the longer you are in this game, the more you end up doing yourself. Not just less expensive, but better quality work oftentimes. Good luck on the journey! Thanks for the note.
Great video! Someone once said, “you can always make more money but you can’t make more time.” And I think about that a lot Nick. Thanks! It was you, of course. We were planning our first extended cruise (would have shoved off about 10 days ago) but of course it has been temporarily sidelined due to the Pandemic. We’ll get there! Thanks again for your videos and inspirations, and stay safe!
I love it. Such a solid truth, eh? Here's one that didn't make the book: time is all we really possess. So if our coming months are spent in brown water instead of clear, I refuse to be bummed about it. I am going to find a way to enjoy. Otherwise it will have been wasted time. The only one that can take that from me is...me. Thanks for checking in and I hope our paths cross next season.
Each day I’m becoming closer to being a slacker!
@@TheOKellys Amen, brother! There is a positive to every situation (and I have been in what most people would call some bad situations) Brown water is still better than no water. My joy is my joy. No-one can take that from me.
Thanks for outlining the budget, interesting but dont know why i watched
It as i dont have a boat and after watching this i,m sure i never will.
You guys are just ridiculously likable and easy to relate to. Always enjoy your videos. Stay safe out there!
Wow, thank you. Mom always said we should be ourselves. Lol
Just found your channel and find your frankness & openness inspiring. Unfortunately I will never be able to realise my dreams of following anywhere near your path in life but watching you two enjoy such a fantastic lifestyle is truly hear warming. From an old would be sailer in the UK I wish you fair winds & calm seas. 😊
thanks for the note Dave. Glad to bring some value with these videos. Best to you as well.
I appreciate how you guys share the load of camera time, a lot of other channels it’s either one or the other squawking away but I love your dynamic. Nice work.
Thanks Jon. We've been together a loooooooooonggggg time. LOL
Thanks great work
We found it costs every cent we have! Whatever that is we have that’s what it cost .
Great work
Great in depth analysis of your costs. Living the dream doesn't come cheap! Great content. Stay healthy and stay safe.👍
Thank you Ed. Will do our best!
Best video of reality of the costs. Hands down. Thank you.
This was really good, thanks! Always nice to see you two addressing things like this openly, honestly, and with a bit of humor, too. :-)
Guys - My wife and I have y'all (we're Texans, lol) on autoplay, but I always feel an obligation to go back and 'like' each one because we enjoy your content so much. We might be talking away, me playing guitar, my wife Lisa bringing dinner, but we love it and just think so highly of you both.
I am backtracking to so many, missed videos to show y'all Mas Texas love
Thank you for your great videos, intellect, humor, wisdom, and much more?
Best wishes from Austin, Texas. Paul and Lisa Snare
Thanks for the Texas Love! We really love Austin. We will swing through there for sure someday soon!
@@TheOKellys it would be terrific to say hello in person. Best to both of you!
Another great video guys. Prices are also regional. I find USA prices really high compared to our part of the world. Yes a boat part is a boat part but labour, haul outs etc In many parts of the world are half what you pay there. I mean for my Leopard 40 I am in the process of redoing all the standing rigging for $3800 and this is from the factory rigging company in South Africa. I was told that this would cost $10000 in the US.
For the window seals you might want to consider hiring a battery powered caulking gun. Depending on the viscosity of the silicone your using it can be very hard with a regular gun. An electric gun will make this job a lot easier. Also an electric gun will give you more consistency in the glue bead. Buying an electric gun might be overkill for you (don't buy a cheap one). I like the Milwaukee guns, but they are around 400$. Do some small test runs on a piece of cardboard in advance, just to get the hang of it. Just make sure that the gun your getting is matching the product you're using.
I switched to a bigger gun two years ago, the Sika Powercure. It's a great system, truly love it, but it's heavy and bulky. If I pick up a regular Milwaukee now, it feels like a toy :-)
If it wasn't for the ocean between us, I'd be happily coming over to help you guys with the window seals. If you want more info, tips or tricks on this window job, feel free to ask.
Greetings from Belgium
yes, those are really helpful. Thanks!
The information you detailed on your search and ultimate purchase was amazing. I also was appreciative of you revealing your annual budgeted maintenance costs and really admire the both of you. Thanks for educating viewers of so much to be aware of if contemplating a leap into living on a Cat, or other type sailing vessel. Hope your family are safe and healthy. God Bless!
Mark
Las Vegas, Nv.
Thank you Mark so grateful for your kind note. We love sharing and helping others understand what it takes before they make the big jump.
Yep...antifouling paint and prop paint are definitely expensive. We just applied Coppercoat antifouling which wasn’t much more than traditional antifouling, and we always use Propspeed on our prop. Hopefully we will see some savings there over the next decade! We always clean our own bottom no matter where we are, but if you are paying for bottom cleaning. Copper coat could save you serious money there too. Our bottom cleaning takes 20 minutes now, instead of 2.5 hours. Just an idea -Rebecca on SV Brick House
Would love to do that. Prep time in the incredibly expensive yards here make it prohibitively expensive. And you can’t skip on prep with coppercoat. Glad it is working so well for you guys!
Thanks you two that is a breath of fresh air and a reality check on the cost of boating. A couple of things that I didn't hear you mention, insurance, mooring and slip costs and engine/generator replacement.
This was just maintenance. Moorage and insurance will vary drastically based on where you are and we covered that in the referenced video from last year. Genset replacement? Ours won' be replaced. In fact we will be getting rid of it when we can. No need for it. Thanks for the note Roger.
Love your videos. 100k this last year plus minus ouch. Let's donate folks! You have hope and strength. And our love. Be safe and keep loving each other. Enjoy what you can be safe. Hugs from Canada
It was an expensive year. Until the coronacrisis, we were hoping this years budget would be a lot less. Thank you so much for the support!
New subscriber.. i am currently binge watching your videos. While i cant afford your boat.. I am currently LOOKING for A sail boat.. after this little virus stops scaring the gov and we open back up.. i plan on taking sailing classes and learning to sail. So glad there are videos like yours to allow me to get to know the boating good and the boating bad.
Hey that is awesome. Youtbe is a great resource for learning. Get out on that boat! See you out there!
You guys, helping the rest of us to keep going! Life in lockdown is so unpleasant. It looks wonderful where you are but I know you’re in just as much difficulty. Love you’re positive attitude, something I will try to aspire to. Best wishes from 🇬🇧.
Thank you David, this is really something but we are all in this together and will get through it. Hopefully soon! We were joking about trying to re-make "Groundhog's Day" but it was too much. It does feel like we're all in that movie though doesn't it?
I’m coming out of the gate in 2022 chasing the dream like a world cheese wheel champion! Over the next year is all the preparation. Thanks for the info....🖖
In the matter of bottom paint check out RAN sailing Episode 66 at the 2:33 mark. Johan’s friend has his sv Courageous on the hard with Hempel Silic One bottom paint that has been on for 3 or 4 years and it looks like brand new! Barnacles sense the paint as water and won’t attach to it. Soft growth can easily be wiped off with a sponge or towel. The paint costs twice a much but lasts 5 years or even more. Also, I second the recommendation for Precision Sails in the Seattle area. Love your videos and please stay safe.
Thank you for the tips. I think we are in for a revolution in bottom paints. At least I hope so. Love the idea of polluting less.
That megayatch gobble your annual budget in less than 24 hours. I love how you manage your maintenance.
Lol. That helicopter burns our annual fuel in an hour. No joke
The O'Kelly's never mind all the other ridiculous expenses like the crew salary for 10-30 people, or the $30,000 a month they spend on data xD. But hey, that’s their money that they worked their asses off for so whatever they want to spend on something that they find enjoyable or relaxing is fair enough 🤷🏼♂️. I would never want the jobs they have if only because of the stress that comes with the type of job you need to have to be able to afford those yachts so they can keep them :p
Nice to see you guys again. Wow talk about BOAT, bust out another thousand. Excellent piece on true cost of ownership, defo agree spend on preventative care. Stay safe and especially healthy. 👍👏🇬🇧
Thank you David, great to hear from you. Hope you are doing great!
Not many understand the video editing etc behind the the scenes for a 23 minute video of this caliber, this production is Netflixable! Thanks for the info.
Wow, thank you!
Back in the States now. Your videos are great as they are the most accurate views of a cruiser’s life I have seen. Your professionalism in front of the camera shines through. It’s been a tough year, but glad to know you are making the most of it.
Thank you so much, so appreciate the good vibes and happy you made it back to the States safe and sound. Yeah, tough year for sure, trusting it will get better soon!
The wife and I are catamaran shopping right now. You guys' content is fabulous. Very helpful. We are blessed with an early retirement , and rather comfortable fixed income. In choosing between a monohull or cat, your content has been some of the best we have come across.
Hey thanks Jason. Hope we see you out there.
I believe the most important is your time ,the time it took you guys the hours saved your hands on not contractor time , probably the greatest savings of all the sewing and sail ,and the maintenance besides upgrades , of all the podcasts and videos I've seen their sailing adventures are not as smooth as you guys , but your the only team with a meteorologist on board , ,you guys are great , and a great team , I so enjoy watching and learning
Wow Brian, thank you so much! 28 years of team work/practice pays off! So happy to have you along for the adventure.
Oh man, waxing... what a blast. That was one of my first jobs I had as a kid was running out and waxing a 45’ motor yacht.
That’s a tough job.
The O'Kelly's I didn’t want to see white for a long time after that 🤣
"Nick, they want to see your eyes!" LOL yes! The first video I ever watched from you guys was when you went looking at catamarans and Nick had sunglasses on the whole time. Your numbers pretty much match up with ours-the first time we had a quote for an oil change on our Yanmar 29's it was $1300-breathtaking...
lol, glad you got the reference ;-) thanks for the note! Appreciate hearing that our numbers match with yours.
Glad I found your channel, we currently have a flying RUclips channel but are considering sailing (never done it before) when we retire, now we have some real life data for budgeting, thanks again for your transparency!!!
interesting, last summer I was thinking of starting a flying channel! Lot of pilots out here. When the mess settles, come on out!
@@TheOKellys
We flew from Kansas to the Bahamas last year end of June 2019; Bucket List Item!! in Cessna 182 and we loved it, I was a little apprehensive as I have only been flying for a couple of years (late bloomer) We re-watch some of our videos, longing to go back! And maybe see the Bahamas from a different perspective....Just "subbed" to your channel, like y'alls interaction!!!
Lotta little planes in the water out here.... SEL and instrument in ‘92 myself. Nothing beats a boat for these islands. It is like another planet. Glad to have ya with us!
The O'Kelly's
SEL in 2017 @ 60
IFR in 2018 @ 61
Should have started SOONER!!!
Great video with lots of top shelf content! The numbers don't lie, you can pay me now or pay me later, no matter what, you will have to pay one way or another. We will be in your area soon on a new to us 2018 46' cat after previous years spent on a 1975 47' offshore ketch that got the job done but needed a little TLC once in a while;). It will be fun to experience the difference in so many ways.
Cool! Looking forward to checking it out!
I was thinking if you had kept the 350' from your Golden Gate "Fun" Cruise (in the steepest seas in the channel you had ever seen) you could have saved that much anyway? I know it wasn't funny at the time but it sure is now. You do really good videos and I enjoy them very much. I know this video is going to help many "noobies" and help other boat owners such as you compare expenses. Thank you.
Hey thanks. We never stop learning. Amazing tech exists to share like this. If we’d have had youtube back in my day....lol
FYI, bought a new Dacron main from Precision (Seattle) last summer and am very happy with the workmanship and detailing. Around $8,000 which included the "offshore" upgrades. Physically built in Hong Kong or Singapore but delivered to me in Norfolk, VA. Good vibe from all the people I dealt with there. This is on a Lagoon 470 so similar size. Was thinking square top but they talked me out of it for cruising. Does have a lot more roach than the prior main. Used my old batten hardware and had to install those, but not a big deal.
Cool, thanks for the info. Someone else here was talking about them. Will check it out. We’ve got plenty of roach already....no need to square it. There is already a lot of power in this sail. If we end up not doing many miles this year, we may be able to hold off. Would really like to go laminate with the next time. We put Doyle Stratus on the last boat.....wow! But spendy! Anyway thanks for the info.
Thanks, Nick and Megs. Really informative video. Nick, take care of yourself, buddy. I need more weather instruction. Megs, are you up for a cooking video onboard Clarity? Maybe one of your favorite recipes? We love you guys! PS. Don't forget to mention your podcasts on your video. -Darin
Darin! Thanks man! Appreciate it! Yes, we are trying to figure out what direction to point the bows in and that will have a big impact on what kind of videos follow! Weather stuff definitely on the way if have to pack it in for the hurricane season. Megan's cooking show needs to happen regardless! Appreciate the note and the very very generous contribution!
What Ive learned from people sailing, is that sailing costs pretty much the same in depreciation of a house, maintenance and insurance but doesnt have the benefit of owning any land to pass on and offset the capital losses.
So really only useful for people who dont plan on having kids or people ok with leaving their kids pretty much nothing to build off from capital wise.... or if you're rich and this cost doesnt matter.
Interested to see how a Silent Yacht stacks up compared to sailing yachts in the costs to own/run. Seems like an expensive initial capital investment but really cost saving way to own a boat over the years
Another great video! Would be fantastic if pulled it all together in the future with a total cost of ownership (TCO) vlog which includes things like depreciation (around 5% per year?), cost of capital (5% per year?), insurance, moorings/marina/on the hard fees, customs/cruising permits, etc. I am afraid though the final number will be really sobering.
Have thought about doing that. A lot of variables. Depreciation tends to flatten at about 1/2 replacement value, but subject to market fluctuations. 5% cost of capital? You can’t make an assumption like that. Regardless, a boat is not usually a good financial decision. You do it for other reasons.
Wow. Your professionalism is breathtaking. Wishing you all the best in your future cruising. Thank you very much.
These breakdowns are the best for us newbies wanting to learn. Any tech or how to videos would be good to. I liked having the explanation of what the Code 0 was for, thanks!
Thanks Chad. Really glad you found it useful. We will tech it up here soon!
Awesome detailed breakdown. 10% is thrown around a lot as a cost per year to run a boat, and it seems to hold fairly true for you as well, although you did not include dock fees, insurance, etc. And doing so much of the work yourselves there are certain activities you are saving a bundle of labor like the cushions and tramp, and others, where it's not such a big deal. Your boat is also a bit older, and I think the 10% rule of thumb goes up on larger cruising boats as they age and important pieces of equipment wear out. Always a pleasure to spend 20 minutes with you guys - a welcome break from reality! We had two solid days of snow here in Denver earlier in the week!
Denver! My old stomping grounds. Too many mornings there a KUSA after cruise #1, but we loved it there. I think 6-8% is a good average for a DIYer. For the less able or interested, yes 10% minimum. I would argue that the “recurring wear items” are the same, regardless of the boat’s age. So are the annual maintenance costs. Perhaps the only difference is in the upgrade category. A new boat is going to need less modernization. Thanks for the note Mike!
You guys are always best at logically explaining your expenses. This is not easy to do; you have a communication gift. Your “splendid isolation” is causing me some waves of jealousy🤩. You two are the Boat Bomb - period!
Aww thank you John, that is sweet of you to say. We are grateful to have such a beautiful backdrop, even though we're in the planning stages of our trip north :-(.
You guys are the best at explaining expenses and real expectations of boat ownership. Continued Health and the time to enjoy it.
Thanks Carlos. Best to you as well!
Thanks for thanking me for watching your video. All my life I’ve been careful with money. I could now afford a boat as featured but unfortunately I’m geared for being careful - so I’m going to be getting a much smaller boat - more like the dingy shown.
Great breakdown of expenses! Love the tip on the washing machine. Will be looking at that when we return to our boat. We are in BC Canada, boat in Florida. Hopefully be cruising in the Bahamas after Feb. Fingers crossed! Cheers and Merry Christmas!
Thank you for sharing, I have decided to stay on land.
Is it possible to see an overall summary in written form - of both maintenance and living costs. We are hoping to move to a boat as soon as we sell our home (after the SA lock down!) and this is up to date information that is very useful in our planning
That ball park figure is very helpful to get ready to go sailing full time and even to decide on the vessel itself to choose.
Yeh and hopefully folks can see where their situation might cost more or less.
21:25 It truly is all relative. I can barely afford the data to watch this on HD.
Great video, I sold my 100k Catamaran a few years ago and I plan buy newer and cruise full time starting this fall knowing the real costs and I agree with your numbers. And I hope this video saves a few dreamers from their worst nightmare. One thing I would add to my sail drive maintenance budget is hauling out somewhere where they don’t allow you to do your own repairs. I hauled out in Kemah Texas and Y.E.S. The only Yanmar repair service in the area forced me to pay them $3500 to replace my seals they lied and said they replace a shaft I argued about it for about a week until I got sick of living in a hotel and just paid them. $3500+$500+expensive meals. I would never again haul out listing a repair. Haul out for a survey and sneak in after hours and replace your own seals and zinks.
oh man that's terrible. It is not a complex affair. Only time it gets strange is if the output shaft has a groove in it and you need to change the spacers. And you are correct, never haul where you can't do your work. If they insist on sanding and painting, fine, but the rest of it will be done or directly managed by me. That is the ONLY way to do it. Been down that rode (road) before. Keep the faith!
The O'Kelly's Sorry I forgot to comment on your new upholstery, It looks awesome. I am a practicing student of sail-rite and I know good work when I see it.
Wow....they advise that 10% of value is standard BUT they don’t say that you do the work yourself . Great insight. Thanks
My two cousins and their wives sailed the Pacific and Indian for 20 years, working the summers in Vancouver, BC then sailing the autumn, winter, and spring. They finished in 1997. 50' monohull, built themselves from concrete. No GPS, solar, automatic rigging, or other conveniences. They loved it though.
Wow that’s really cool, what a life! We love BC, hope to visit again.
NIce presentation of the real story of what it takes to operate a yacht correctly and really great that you detail out all the specifics . . . very good! One other consideration that you may want to include is the reality about how regardless of how well you maintain & upgrade your boat the resale value continues to drop year after year. This is really 'news' to most people who are used to the idea that in real estate the value of their property will typically rise in value almost regardless of whether you maintain/improve it or not.
well, real estate doesn't always appreciate either....lol. But good point. However, it depends on the boat you are talking about. Some, if properly maintained, do hit a spot at about 1/2 replacement value and stay there. L43, L46, Catana 43, Catana 47, Logoon 380, Lagoon 410, and some would say the MaineCat 41.... what says you?
@@TheOKellys Yep, I suppose that's a good possibility . . . although, as you point out, it takes a very large investment in annual 'maintenance' costs to *maybe* hold value whereas the maintenance costs for houses are typically much lower. I think that the value stability of boats would probably be more comparable with how cars hold their value (i.e. - not so much) than to houses. Too bad because I enjoy my boat more than my house, but maybe that's just the cost that comes with more fun. :-)
You guys are so analytical..very helpful and inspiring..real and familiar..much love. Stay clean and safe...
Aww thank you so much Marc, we really appreciate you taking the time to watch and send us good vibes. All the best to you, stay safe!
Once again, I'm late to the show...
I always love your tech/info/DIY videos (the realities of the cruising life). NOBODY does it better! Have y'all met Alejandro, Andrea, Ozzy and Echo on SV Hakuna yet? They are down there close to you now. Awesome young couple and fur babies.
Stay safe ❤️🤙
Hey Curt! Thanks man! Can't read that without Carly Simon singin it in our heads! Yes, we met those guys briefly in Georgetown before all the lockdown weirdness. Those dogs have serious coats on. With our bandwidth issues we have been trying not to watch videos, but looking forward to checking their stuff out when we get the chance. They seemed really cool. Our kind of peeps!
@@TheOKellys and then it makes you think of "The Spy Who Loved Me" 😂
Fun fact.... I saw that movie for my 8th birthday at one of those old dinner theaters (way different than they are now). I had BBQ Ribs! And yes, I just aged myself 😂
Glad Nick's eye is getting better! As for the expenses that's a lot!! I barely make 1k a month! For the membranes, i think contaminated waters are everywhere and the oil will continue to show up, unfortunately, hope the filters are cleaning the water 100%! Hold on to your resources! Hopefully this pandemic should be over soon! Stay Healthy O'Kelly's!
Thank you for the note, we are happy to have so many replacement filters on board. Yes, we need to look at cutting costs and really hope the world opens up again soon. Take good care!
Great summary. Like a lot of things in life boats require your time, your money or both. Best change/upgrade we made on our live-aboard cat was to go to a foam covered hard dingy called an OCTender. Allowed us to continue to use our old 15hp engine as it planes way better than a RIB. Now consume 1/2 the fuel as before also as it is not at full throttle very often is an added bonus. Plus we are usually the only boat in the anchorage with one.
Jealous Brett, the OC tender is SO cool! We would have gotten one but there was a backlog until May. Had we known about Covid in January we would have waited. We’re quite happy with our Highfield and the 30hp though. Thanks for your note!
I have heard several sailors talk about their finances, and that 10% number does seem to come up over and over. I was thinking that you two with your skill sets and work ethic might be < 10, but paint, lines, sails, etc. cost money. Thanks for the excellent and detailed info. One moral to the story for me might be to keep that 10% number in mind when buying the boat. Smaller, simpler boats are cheaper to maintain.
Stay safe and well.
yes, smallest, simplest boat that will do what you want it to. Always the best choice. As for the 10%, that was high because of all the additions this year. Last year there were less. I would say 6-8% is a good solid number if the boat is in decent shape.
Thanks so much for these budget breakdown videos. You two are always a pleasure to watch.
Thank you!!! Glad you like it.
Super informative!! Reality = Clarity for us armchair someday cruisers. Thanks again for hosting such a great channel.
Great to hear and thanks to you for tuning in!
Thanks for sharing, love this. This helps us understand what we will be in for in two yrs when we buy our boat. Like you we plan on doing 90% of the scheduled/unscheduled maintenance ourselves. I would love to see your document you use to track your maintenance cost (without your real figures please) to use as an example so as not have to re-invent the wheel on tracking maintenance cost.... Thanks again for what you do, very inspiring...
Thanks Joe. Glad to be of assistance. We may publish our docs at some time. Maybe go join our Fb group where we usually announce things.
@@TheOKellys Done, thanks again..
Hi Guys! Hope you are well. Really like your vibe and channel. Would like to see an episode on "How to / how we sail a catamaran", sort of a full top to bottom series, even in it's own playlist over a number of episodes. Fair to say I think a lot of people might enjoy a comprehensive series on this! Many thanks.
Good idea! Thank you!
The O'Kellys KILLING THE GAME AGAIN!!! This is great practical info guys! Thank you so much for the detail and the candor. You guys seriously rock!
Thanks Timm. Hoping we can help folks do it for real! The maintenance is part of the game. Hope all is well with you!
Yikes! So far I’m getting by on a fraction of that, but mine is a much lower value boat, with fewer amenities. That said even on my boat the annual and lifecycle maintenance is considerable. While waiting out this COVID craziness I’m replacing most of the running rigging. I’ve yet to tally it up but it’s going to be expensive. Thanks for your summary.
Cool! Share your numbers with the group if you have time. Be well!
The O'Kelly's I haven’t been ignoring your question but not being as well organized as you and my records are not as meticulous, it would take me some time to put my costs in perspective. I bought my boat a year and a half ago for $25k and have put another $20k into it since. A big chunk of that was planned upgrades, electronics, solar/batteries, propane system, new head, etc. She’s old but her bones and DNA are good. Also included are a bunch of lifecycle maintenance items, bottom paint, anodes, etc. This is probably putting the kiss of death on Sweet Motion but I’ve not had anything significant break, yet. While I believe in preventative maintenance I also adhere to “ if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Somewhere I hope to find a balance between the two. So looking forward I maintain a berth. That’s $7k +/- all in. Winter heating fuel costs me $200/month. I have no idea what I spend on engine fuel. My ancient Yanmar just sips diesel and I try to sail as much as possible. I’m always puttering around on boat projects and no matter how small they are rarely inexpensive, but I don’t track those costs. I’ve just finished installing new reefing lines including blocks and boom preventers for both sides of the boat. I’ve probably spent $800 on those projects. I’m about to replace the halyards, but I haven’t prepared a budget for that. Ok, I’m sure you can see how disorganized I am. FYI I do virtually all of the work myself. At the end of the day I’d like to keep my spending for the boat, including setting something aside for a reserve fund, at less than $2000/ month. Realistic? I don’t know. I’ll have to see what the lifecycle costs will eventually be. I will say I’m anxious for this COVID craziness to subside because things are a lot less expensive once I get off the dock. Stay healthy!
Awesome video folks. Very comprehensive accounting of your maintenance expenses. Thanks for sharing an honest list of your spending. I have a suggestion for a more complete actual cost of operation. Nick, I believe in an earlier video you stated you are a pilot. As you know, when calculating cost of ownership for an airplane you would include amortized cost of the plane, insurance, hangar ( mooring), and scheduled engine/propeller rebuild/replacement. I know your list was specific to maintenance and it wasn’t intended to include all costs of ownership. It would be interesting to know the total actual cost of your boat. By the way, I’m very envious of you guys .
Thanks again for your videos. You guys are very informative and transparent. Your production quality is amazing.
I've been through more than a couple cost of ownership spreadsheets for planes. :) Someday...someday.... Boats, especially cruising boats are much harder to pin down like that. Slip costs vary area to area and some folks hardly tie up at all, while most boats live their entire lives at a dock. Insurance is a HUGE expense and varies between 1-3% depending on crew and cruising area and season. Engines on boats....you'll get a kick out of this....they actually tend to last LONGER the more often they are used (if maintained and treated right). I would be much more careful buying a 10 year old boat with 250 hr engines than one with 2500 hrs. One has been sitting, the other has been used. Sails, on the other hand will last forever if not used, but get worn out faster when doing lots of ocean miles. And one of the biggest variables of them all is how much the owner does themself vs hiring it out. With planes, unless you are an A&P, you aren't allowed to touch much of the plane's workings.
I hear you about the envy, and let me tell you while it is indeed really beautiful where we are, there is a lot of uncertainty about how welcome we are here even as weather, wind, and swell change daily, what we can and can't do, and my eye is still bothering me. We've walked a total of about 1/8 of a mile in the last two weeks. A boat can get really small. Even a big one like Clarity. So take my word for it, it is not all wine and roses. Focussing on the videos has helped to keep us from going batty. Appreciate the note. Fair winds!
You guys do a really great job of informing us about the various costs! Thanks!
Great video. As someone who is fantasising about this life style I don't know if the information is good news or not yet lol, but one thing is for sure, DIY is the key.
You guys make it look easy and fun while explaining the difficulties and expenses. A superb job of defining the responsibilities ( and joy) of owning (and maintaining) a sail boat. "" Blue Skies and Tailwinds".... as they say in Aviation.
Love the honesty! Was looking at picking up Leopard 46 but need more money if we wana stay safe at sea. Thank you again! If your ever in oahu hit me up for a bit.
Great video! It would be interesting to somehow see a graph of boat age/value plotted against maintenance costs. This would be helpful for planning expenditures at different stages. Certainly, the initial condition of the boat would be paramount, but in the case of a new boat, I would assume the % would be lower and grow as time passed but on a decreasing value. I'm too many years removed from my statistics class to model that!
Thanks Tracy! My first thought is a new boat is going to cost WAAAAAYYYY more than Clarity so maybe the costs are already baked in?
Really good video and it was nice to see Megan taking such a prominent role in presenting the information. Amazingly valuable and enlightening info. for anyone considering cruising in a well equipped cat.
Aww thank you, appreciate that compliment :-)!
Great documentation of all of your expenses! It’s great to know all of your costs. I will have to continue to live vicariously through all of my great RUclips content providers! Stay safe and vigilant, looking forward to more videos!
Good morning. Thanks for sharing all these usefull information about maintenance costs. Can you maybe include about how much time you spent working on the boat for certain tasks and what tools you recomend to have on board resp. have access to?
Great suggestion!
This was a sobering video, but it helps so much in keeping things in perspective.
You are unique in that both of you do so much of the work together. This makes it unusually real.
Have you ever considered doing kind of an AirBnb thing to help with expenses?
yes, we are a team. Yes, we have considered charters. Maybe somewhere down the road. Would be fun, but require us to be in one geographic area.
You guys are so brave and I wish I could do what you do. Ever need a stole away let me know.
Love all your videos. Thought I was subscribed but I guess I'm like the majority of your viewers (as revealed in your podcast) I just find your vids or they find me when they come out. Main purpose of my comment is to compliment you guys on the podcast. It is very well done. I hope you can grow all of this to an SV Delos level so you don't have to go through another - sell boat, work a few years, buy another boat cycle. I just did subscribe and I'll let the ad play through at the start of the video while I refill my glass or empty my bladder or check the weather or get the mail. Keep it real.
Tim, thank you so much! Yes, we hope to keep on keepin on too! If we end up going back to regular life again, no worries, that will be a fun adventure too. But this whole YouTubing and the community and folks like you, it would just be so cool to keep it going. We will figure it out. We’ve got plenty of runway in front of us...we just need the speed for liftoff. Appreciate the kind, supportive words.
Wow - Great information and presented in a top notch way, as usual.This is the detailed stuff that so many cruising want-to-be's and/or plan-to-be's really want and need to know about. Thank you so much for this video. I also really like the video's of the actual sailing, sail handling, anchoring, route and weather planning. You guys are the tops and I love your boat too.
thanks Steve! Appreciate that. It's hard when you live it every day to think of what might be interesting, but then we are doing something like the budget and it occurs to us....hey this is always way more than we expect! LOL. Anyway, appreciate your kind words. We are very lucky to have Clarity
Oh wow... I just bumped the likes from 999 to 1K. :) You guys are great, thanks for sharing.
Awesome, thanks for getting us over the hump! Appreciate the kind words. Thank you.
Absolutely the best channel on RUclips. I look forward to every new post.
You are too kind. We are so glad to be of value.
When you diy a repair/maintenance, do you make a video explaining how to do it? (Not just your frustration doing it, but like a step-by-step). That strikes me as really useful if you do.
We try. It is difficult working on the boat and filming at the same time. Perhaps if we had a camera person on board....lol
@@TheOKellys lol yeah I guess I didn’t think about that.
Thank you all for producing some extremely interesting and detailed videos. Well I want to sell myself it helps me gain clarity on what I need to do to get there
Great video thanks! It is now integrated in my budget spreasheet 😊
Thank you so much guys for the clear and real numbers. It must be a little uncomfortable to share financial stuff but it is so helpful to prospective cruisers trying to plan.
Our pleasure, we love being helpful! If you like numbers, we shared our RUclips and podcast stats on today's podcast - traffic.libsyn.com/sailclarity/UTS_FINISHED_04152020.mp3
Absolutely top video! All your videos are good but this was a superb presentation and so clear on every aspect. I spent many years in the Caribbean wrestling with a big monohull, it was very satisfying getting jobs done but also sailing and having fun. Now do some cruising!
That's really nice to hear Russell. Wrestling. Now that's a good word for working with/on boats! Certainly end up bruised and battered sometimes! LOL
Another informative vlog guys. Its a good feeling for us fans that you make us feel inclusive in your journey. Stay safe and healthy!
Tim, thank you, and it works both ways....we are getting a lot of energy and motivation for everyone. Feels like we’ve got purpose and community, which really helps....especially these days. Thank you!
Great breakdown, as you say the more DIY the lower the costs. Enjoy the warm weather and sunshine.
And you have a much better chance of getting it done right. Thanks Nick!
Smart wise folks-thank you
What a great video! I'm guessing that now those upgrades are done, that would mean that category would go down drastically next year? Love the videos ecstatically the tech, be safe guys!
Yes thank goodness, at the moment we can't think of any more upgrades. Thanks for watching and leaving a note, hope you stay safe too!
@@TheOKellys I'm sure you'll have thought of more than 1 in the next 12 months
(Hobie TI? that will defiantly push the upgrade budget along)
Very informative, thank you, I am actually looking at buying a catamaran soon for me and my family.
Excellent content, you guys are expert in your game and your hands on approach is huge inspiration for the hopeful among us. Just side note, I'd assume working together goes miles more than just saving cost but also what a nice way to spend time together.
Very well done on your budgeting. The financial analyst in me couldn't pass here without suggesting the big multi annual items to be budgeted with inflation rate.
Another great video you guys. Before you replace your window seals watch the video by the Wynn’s (Gone with the Wynn’s). They also have a Leopard Catamaran. It was a really messy project, and they gave good tips. Hope you both are safe.
We’ve done the forward windows already. We are pros. Lol
have you thought of adding a 3d printer on your boat? you can make parts that are water and salt proof.
Exactly the kind of video I really love...great, practical knowledge....with a backdrop of crystal clear Exumas water....makes it hard to concentrate! Bummer that you cannot get a diagnosis from a US based ophthalmologist via tele-medicine. You two worked so hard to get to where you are..and the last place you want to be is in Florida.....in a hospital..
Thank you so much Alan, so happy you enjoyed. I know, we are so bummed to have to leave but the Bahamas doesn't want us on land anymore so it's time to go. We will stay safe and figure it out one step at a time. Thanks for your note!
tell me about it. I've done telemedicine. Something they way to see in person. But...it is truly the last place I want to go.... ugh.
If your zincs only last 3-6 months you have a problem with electricity leaving the boat??
Thank you both! Just love your videos even though I don’t own a sailboat, but love to sail!
You're welcome, glad you like them! We appreciate you watching and sending a note. Sailing is awesome.
As always very well done video and so much to think about if desiding to live this sort of life!!!! Always lovely to see you both so well!!! I adore watching some of your older vids for the stories you have told in them of your beginings and some hairy starts back then. I would ask if you would indulge us with some story telling on those days and passages! Be well and Happy Sails! (O'Kelly story time lolol)
That’s a fun idea! There are so many stories! Maybe we get some more internet bandwidth and do just that! Thanks for the idea Claris!
@@TheOKellys You two are excellent souls, looking forward to some O'Kelly story time. Thank you so such for you time and efforts. You are very genuine and giving the time to share all you learn is fabulous. Here in N.Italy the lockdown continues, with minimum industries opening so as to monitor if there would be another wave. Anyhoo, I look forward to some sea storytime.
Thank you so much Claris, really appreciate that we can be together digitally. I really hope you all stay safe. I had the privilege (Megan) of going to Italy in 2018 for my mom's 70th birthday and I absolutely fell in love. Was only able to visit Tuscany in that one week, but it was magical.
@@TheOKellys In truth we prefer Tuscany over most all of Italy. We will stay safe and we wish for you also to stay safe and be well.
A very interesting video and I love your budget breakdown. You really do look after your boat well. Stay safe, stay healthy and Nick I hope that your eye gets better. Safe sailing North. Megan, as usual I love all your sewing work.
Thanks Vee. You stay healthy and safe too!