THE REAL COST OF CRUISING

Rick Channon crunches the numbers to find out exactly how much five years of entry-level cruising has cost him...

Over the last five years, I've covered 1,675nm in Greyfin the equivalent of circumnavigating the UK and Ireland. So thought it would be a good time to do a full review of my costings, so that those who are new to boating can get a firm grasp of the kind of financial commitment a compact multipurpose family sportsboat involves.

THE IDEAL BOAT

Greyfin is a 2015 Beneteau Antares 8. Though billed as a sports fisher or family weekender, would consider her an entry-level cruiser. She is 8m 27ft) long and weighs about 3,000kg, loaded with fuel, water and equipment. She has a 200hp Nanni Diesel motor a marinised 3-litre Toyota Land Cruiser engine) and is shaft driven by a 4-blade bronze propeller through a ZF gearbox. She has a shallow keel for directional stability and is, in spite of her sporty looks, a semi-displacement vessel with a top speed of 20 knots and a cruising speed of 15 knots. For those looking for more performance, there is also an outboard version with a full planing hull.

For a small boat, Greyfin is well equipped. She features a practical galley, a comfortable heads with shower and a decent size cabin and cockpit. She also comes with heating, an electric windlass, hot and cold water, a bow thruster and a swim shower. In other words, she has all the basic essentials for long weekends on board without being overly complicated and that's exactly what I need.

ANNUAL EXPENDITURE