Operating Cost

[Panzer Leader]

All -
Am moving next summer to Tidewater, VA and was planning on buying a 20ish CC or DC for family fishing and pleasure. However, significant chance I could acquire a 2002 282 Sailfish w/ twin 200 Yam HPDI instead. I have never owned a boat, although I have owned a plane and therefore believe I have some knowledge of how to budget for ridiculously expensive personal transportation. I'm curious what it really costs to own a boat like this. I own a V8 4runner and know I won't be able to trailer a 282, so I'm giving up a lot of flexibility and buying into marina fees. But, without any upgrades (I would be getting this boat in great condition) how much can I expect to spend on annual maintenance? Insurance? Tow subscription? Taxes (in VA)? Gas/oil? Other costs? Would really like numbers I can compare with a 21er running a single 150 to 250 4stroke. Anyone help out on this? Got a handy Excel spreadsheet you would be willing to share? Thanks for any input.

 

[Winged Pig]

I recently purchased a 1998 272 Sailfish with Yamaha 225 OX66's, so somewhat similar to what you are looking at. I suspect that the HPDI's will get better mpg then I get, but not by that much. I cruise my boat at about 28 to 30 mph and I get 1.2 to 1.4 mpg, according to the Yamaha gauges. I think my motors are mounted a bit low and I will be raising them before next season so I expect my milage to go up a bit. I don't seem to go through a huge amount of oil, and I would think that the HPDI's would use even less. Other than fuel and oil and slip fees (and whatever I spend on fishing supplies) I don't have other regular expenditures during the season. A friend has a Grady White 20 ft CC with a Yamaha 150 four stroke. His boat does not compare to mine with regards to ride, storage, capacity or equipment, but keeping his boat on a trailer saves him thousands over mine every year. Also, his boat regularly gets 3 to 4 times the mpg that mine gets, and he catches the same fish that I do. Mine seems to be better for accommodating my grandchildren and other guests, but his girlfriend has no complaints about his boat, so...

As far as maintenance costs go, I do my own maintenance work so that makes it a little more affordable for me. The 2 strokes require frequent (yearly) service items, but they are not that expensive if you are just buying parts. My friend has his boat serviced by the dealer and he seems to pay more than I do. Also, he has his motor serviced a few times during the year. Not sure exactly what he is having done other than oil and filter changes as I have not owned a 4 stroke. Bottom line, I think the twin 2 strokes will cost you more than a single 4 stroke. Numbers will depend on whether you do things yourself or have the dealer do them.

As far as insurance goes, I use Boat U.S. and they have been pretty consistent with all the boats I have owned. I have the tow insurance rider, after seeing another friends tow bill I would not be without it.

Hope that helps.

 

[Marty grady 272]

Up until Sandy I had a 272 that sailed off into the sun set without me. It had twin 200 hp HPDI that were installed 2 years ago. Prior to that it had 200 hp OX 66 power. Fuel economy at cruising (3200 to 3500 rpm) went from 1.3 mpg to 1.8 mpg and the speed increased by 3 mph with the same props. My oil usage dropped about in half and the motors started much better. The 272 has a stepped bottom so the running surface is about 2 feet shorted. The 282 may not get the same mpg as the 272 but it will be close. My boat was found on Friday about 400 yards from the high water mark behind a wooded area and is scheduled to be pulled out this week. I really love the 200 hp HPDI.

 

[Vic H]

I do not know the operating costs for a 272, but I can give you an idea of what it costs us for a Freedom 225 with a Yamaha F250XCA.

1. Indoor rack storage in a great location near an inlet: $303 per month.

2. Insurance: 45 per month.

3. Fuel about 8 gph overall when mostly cruising (3-3.5mpg). So 800 gallons per year if you run the boat 100 hours per year @ 4.50 per gallon $3,600 per year.

4. 100 hour annual maintenance at 5 star yamaha facility/Grady dealer including boat items (batteries, fuel filters etc.) $450. Almost double that every other year to include water pump replacement. More at 400 hours to include service of timing belt or chain.

5. RingFree and Yamaha fuel conditioner about $180 per year.

So it costs us about $8,406 per year or 700 per month on a basic maintenance year for a single engine Freedom 225. I find that indoor rack storage actually saves some money since you don't need bottom paint, have to deal with in water corrosion issues, or have to wax as often. Outdoor storage ages a boat much faster in the Florida sun.

 

[Fishtales]

Hi,
There are many factors and variables, but I'll take a shot at it.

A 282 is likely to be kept in a slip. I'd estimate $150/foot at 30' $4500.
Yearly maintenance on the outboards - $1200
Shrinkwarp, winterize Winter storage - $1200
Fuel (dependent upon use est 1.2mi/gal) - $800
Repairs/Upgrades - $500
Insurance - $800
Fishing gear - $500
~$9-10K all-in

 

[Tashmoo]

My 275 Tournament costs +/- $12,000 a year to run. The boat is in a slip by summer and inside storage by winter ($6,300/yr), about 50% of the maintenance is done by the dealer and 50% by me and I log between 175 and 200 engine hours per year, I think my fuel bill this year was +/- $4,000.

Your fuel bill will probably be higher as I have a single Yamaha 350 that gets in the range of 2.0 - 2.2 MPG at cruse.

Hope this helps.

 

[drbatts]

for comparison basis use about 10% of the value of the boat in yearly cost to operate. This should cover docking/ basic maintence/insurance etc. There will be exceptions some times with major repairs, major upgrades etc. Now you maybe able to save some money by doing the work/hauling it yourself, or buying a cover vs. shrinkwrapping etc. But this should give you a rough estimate for that size boat.

 

[ocnslr]

All -
Am moving next summer to Tidewater, VA

Where in Tidewater?

What do you plan to do with the boat?

Fishing? inshore? offshore? how often?

Cruising? solo? couple? family? how many? how far? how often?

Brian

 

[Curmudgeon]

for comparison basis use about 10% of the value of the boat in yearly cost to operate.

:wow Wow, I'm getting ripped off! Comparison basis to what?

 

[Jaeger Grady]

I own a 2001 with hpdi's and I ball park $100 an hour to run her thats 16 GPH @ 28mph includes oil, ring free and fuel treatment. I keep her at my community marina slip which is 3rd of a local marina. I bought a cover for $400 on ebay and hope to get 5 plus years out of it. The one thing you need to make sure and keep up on is the fuel filters.

 

[BobP]

Marty, what is the condition of your Sailfish ?