RS aero

no', ? (@ Rupert)


Edited by Bootscooter - 09 Feb 15 at 9:35pm

Bootscooter,

Edited by Peter Barton - 09 Feb 15 at 9:48pm

Originally posted by Peaky It saddens me greatly that people pick a boat based on future depreciation values.

I think it's a perfectly reasonable consideration, but in the case of an Aero or Zero it's a no brainer. They are cheap enough to not really worry about it.

Justifying the purchase is quite easy really- Firstly you need to compare apples with apples. Buying a new *ero means you are upgrading to as competitive a boat in class as it can possibly be. So take your current steed / shed and work out the cost of bringing up to a competitive standard to a new boat- new sail, lick of paint, new mast maybe? Don't concrrn yourself with cosmetics- were talking purely functionality and competitive equipment.

Now you need to immediately deduct that compound cost from the advertised price of the new boat- that is now comparing apples with apples and gives you a true price on buying into the new class.

Once you've that work out the cost of depreciation- anything less than a grand a year is pretty damn impressive - and then see where you will be in three years. That'll be a good time to move it on if you look at the depreciation curve of owning new. well anyway, I bet if you include the above, you really haven't spent an awful lot for the pleasure of fresh plastic.

Even factoring in a little interest on a bank loan it's quite easy to see that new boat ownership (of a boat worth bothering with) is not out of the reaches of many folks who are sailing already... So go test an Aero or a Zero; ideally test both- then buy the one you like best.

Edited by turnturtle - 09 Feb 15 at 10:03pm

James Brace's pragmatic to the point of clinical approach to residual value is very, very unusual amongst the boat buying public.
Most are something like:
Save up, buy boat, don't use it nearly enough, the value therein is written off and anything recovered from it when sold is a bonus and ploughed straight into the next boat lest it be spent on something more sensible.

Ah... that's what I thought (logically), but it just doesn't "look" right...