What’s your monthly sailing budget

It’s the time of year where I have to take a bit of time out to do some accounting and I checked out my sailing budget for the last 12 months.

Everything spent on sailing from books to blocks to b&bs to beer all in one category.

I race a Winder mk4 Merlin and this was a season where I bought new north sails but didn’t travel to any regattas due to getting married.

£215 p/m

I’ve improved a bit. Not as much as I’d like more hard work for next season

How does your budget look?

That's far too organised and scary for me. Does it include club membership?

I have a caravan on a seasonal pitch in Anglesey, if I worked out how much a night it's costing me I'd probably stop going...... so I don't keep a record. Sailing is much the same. What is more important is 'cost per use', how much has each days sailing cost you.

I am lucky to live in a town with two sailing clubs so I get out sailing a great deal.

So if I was sailing once a week that would be £4.06 per sail but sometimes in the summer there are three races a week and we try to train as well..

That’s starting to look like value for money.

My lowest total boat running cost spend was when I had a beaten up 20 year old Laser I sailed on Wednesday nights. Other than the cost of buying it, I spent a grand total of about £30 on it most years.
That was £4 ish on rope, £1 for half a can of Screwfix silicone lube spray, and £25 for third party insurance.

All rather insignificant in comparison to the hundreds of pounds in running costs for the car getting to and from the club, which was about 25 miles away.

These days, I'd guess on typical annual running costs for the Streaker, including a new sail every 2-3 years is somewhere around £500. Many people spend more than that on a mobile phone contract, and a lot less than a football season ticket.