Cheap boating: 110 ways to cut the cost of your sailing and cruising

Cheap boating: Boat buying

1. Buy the project, not the dream: Stick to the boat you can afford outright rather than taking a loan. While an old boat will require more maintenance the skills you learn will save you money in the long term, be it servicing your own engine or winches or completely renovating it.

2. Get a survey: Even if the boat you’re considering is free, you may be left with hefty refit costs or disposal fees if it’s a write-off.

3. Boatshare: Sharing a boat with family and friends is a great way to cut costs. Just be clear upfront about expectations regarding maintenance, dates you’ll be using it and that you’re on the same page with purchase and running costs.

4. Don’t overinsure: Be realistic about the replacement value of your boat. In the event of a total loss, the insurer will pay the agreed value. If you increase this value, your premium will go up. You may also be required to provide evidence to support the new valuation.

5. Read your boat insurance policy: Read the whole policy, not just the certificate of insurance. We found with the PBO Project Boat that torn sails weren’t covered. Some policies, such as those by GJW Direct, cover sails for cruising.

Cheap boating: Share costs

6. Tool share: Why not team up with a friend and split the cost for occasional items such as polishing machines and scaffolding? For items you’ll use once, look at hiring costs, or buy used and sell on afterwards.

7. Multibuy for discounts: If you’re after something expensive, message your sailing friends via WhatsApp or Facebook to see if they need it too, then buy in bulk and negotiate a discount from the seller.

8. Paper charts: It is best to have a paper chart as a backup to digital charts. Instead of splashing out on a new obscure chart for a cruise, try to borrow someone else’s. Online forums such as PBO Reader to Reader at ybw.com are great.

Cheap boating: Downsize

9. Go smaller: Downsizing even by a metre will save on mooring fees. You could opt for a dinghy and crew for friends on their bigger boats for ultimate fun and low commitment.

10. Sell your boat! But don’t give up sailing – put the money towards chartering, or join a ‘pay and play’ sailing club for a small annual fee.

11. Switch to sails: If you’re a powerboat sailor frustrated with the cost of fuel and maintenance, why not switch to sailing? If you’ve done your RYA Day Skipper course or above, book a Dinghy Level 2 course, and you’ll soon work out how the flappy things work!

12. Second-hand outboard: If you’re switching to an outboard, you won’t pay VAT on a used one, which saves you 20% straight away. Buy through a dealer, and it will come with a warranty.

13. Don’t dismiss wood: Older wooden dinghies are often much cheaper than their fibreglass equivalents and no less fun to sail. See Clive Marsh’s guide in the Summer 2024 issue of PBO.

Cheap boating: Mooring fees

14. Cheap winter lift-out: While your marina may offer hard-standing it may be cheaper to move elsewhere over winter, for example, to a boatyard with restricted tidal access.

15. Move to a swinging mooring: Swinging moorings can be a tenth of the price of a marina in the same area. Try the local council or harbour authority. Some sailing clubs also own moorings and provide a launch to them. PBO reader Paul Power made the swap to a swinging mooring and has no regrets.

16. Visit marinas on weekends: PBO’s engine expert Stu Davies kept a boat on a pile mooring in Pwllheli for many years, but booked marina berths on the weekends so he could enjoy the perks for less cost.

17. Lay your own mooring: Some authorities offer annual licences for self-laid moorings, which can be up to 30% cheaper than a trot mooring. Ground tackle will have to be removed at the end of your licence term and you’re responsible for your own maintenance of the mooring tackle.

18. Trail and moor: PBO reader David Hunter keeps a boat in Robin Hood Bay in Yorkshire. He and other boat owners have laid their own moorings for use in fair weather, but if it looks like the weather is going to be rough, retrieve the boats and keep them on a trailer.

19. Sub-let your berth: Heading off on a cruise? Could you sub-let your mooring to a friend, or via the harbour master to people seeking a short-term mooring? Some harbours forbid this, but it’s worth checking.

20. Keep on a driveway: PBO readers Lou and Steve Bell moved their 6m sportsboat from a dry-stack, which cost them £5,000 per year, to a river mooring at £1,200 per year. This year, they opted to keep it on the driveway, which is free and saved £100 on insurance.

21. Buy a second-hand trailer: The Bells also bought their trailer second-hand, which cost £2,700 instead of £5,000 new. Be aware that with trailers you need to maintain the bearings and brakes, which are susceptible to saltwater.

22. Marina deals: Look out for marina perks. Among other things, Premier Marinas offers fuel at cost, unlimited day visits and 42 nights at any of its 11 marinas.

23. Further afield: Do you need to keep your boat close to home? If weekend and holiday sails make up the majority of your boating, you could rent a cheaper mooring elsewhere or even abroad if there’s a low-cost airline route. Note that visa-free visits to France and the rest of the Schengen Area are capped at 90 days in 180 days.

24. Negotiate: Try to negotiate a lower rate before leaving your current marina or mooring. Perhaps you’re willing to moor further away from facilities or give up your electrical hook-up? All they can say is no.

25. Anchor: Mooring costs might be escalating but it’s free to anchor. Arrive in good time to familiarise yourself with the anchorage in daylight. Set an alarm to check everything is secure after the tidal stream turns – that will be far more relaxing than lying awake wondering if you’re dragging.

Clubs & groups

26. Join a sailing club: Many sailing clubs have their own moorings. The savings you make on these may cover the cost of membership, with added benefits such as organised cruises, lift-outs, dry storage and power washing.

27. Join an owners’ association: As well as gaining free advice and boat bits for sale, you may receive discount marine services and visitor berths.

Cheap boating: Maintenance

28. Opt for long-lasting antifoul: Silicone antifouls such as Seajet require a re-coat every four years. Coppercoat will last 10 years. Although initial costs are higher, and you need to factor in the cost of a shot-blast or scrape back to gel coat, you don’t have to lift out annually or spend time and money on re-application as with ‘traditional’ antifoulings.

29. Deal with gelcoat repairs: Water will wick into the laminate and the more moisture there is in the hull the bigger the repair will be later on. Minor dents needn’t be fixed immediately, but try to prioritise them at winter lift out.

30. Gelcoat fix: A temporary fix will prevent water ingress if the damage has gone through the gelcoat. PBO’s Stu Davies uses Osculati White Gelcoat for minor dents, and West System Glass Fibre Repair Kit for larger repairs.

31. Osmosis: The same goes for osmotic blisters. For just a few, you may be able to grind them out, leave the laminate to dry, and then fill it.

32. Dry out to scrub: Avoid lift out costs by drying out against piles. Some yacht clubs have piles and pressure washers that can be hired for a small price for non-members.

33. Fender revival: Don’t buy new fenders, clean them! PBO reader Nick Vass swears by Silky Cream Cleaner, which he uses on his toilet pump and tender too.

34. Gelcoat polish: Chalky gelcoat? A gelcoat polish will improve the cosmetic appearance of your yacht and act as a barrier against UV damage and environmental pollutants. It’s cheaper than painting and lasts well.

35. Snotter trick: Sikaflex has a shelf life of around six to eight months but cures in the nozzle. Laurie Brebner of Marine & Industrial advises: “With any sealant, leave the gun hanging and leave the ‘snotty’ bit at the end of the nozzle. They cure from the tip backwards, so leave the snotter on to stop it from going off.”

36. Cut the sealant: If the sealant’s already stuck, PBO contributor David Parker has a trick: cut the tube above where the base plug has been left by the cartridge plunger. Drill a hole just below it (to use as a start guide for the hacksaw) and saw the end off. Punch a hole in the base plug with a screwdriver and rip it out. It’s surprising how much fresh sealant you’ll find at the bottom!

Safety

37. Hire a liferaft: For an offshore passage, hire a liferaft from an organisation such as Ocean Safety. It’s cheaper than buying one and you know your equipment is up-to-date and meets industry standards.

38. Tag the crew: No one wants to compromise on safety, but if a PLB or AIS beacon is too costly, consider fitting the crew with OLAS tags. Using Bluetooth technology, these sound an alarm on your phone or a central hub if a pet or crewmember is separated from the boat. It won’t track the MOB but saves the GPS position where they went overboard.

Cheap boating: Buy second-hand

39. Boat jumble: Bag a bargain and sell your old gear at a boat jumble. Click here for a comprehensive list of events.

40. Preloved market: Buy and sell second-hand sailing gear on Facebook Marketplace, ebay, Vinted and Gumtree, as well as Facebook groups:

• Boat Jumble and Boat Items For Sale
• Boat Jumble Buy and Sell UK
• Boat Jumble Private Group
• Yachts and Yachty Bits for Sale

41. Organise a used kit sale: Organise a used-kit sale at your local club. Wetsuits, boots, gloves, oilskins and junior gear are all items regularly traded.

Cheap boating: Sails

42. Durable sailcloth: For longevity, woven sailcloth such as Dacron will withstand flogging, get you from A to B and can be easily repaired.

43. Keep tabs on sails: Mend small tears and reinforce batten pockets. Going on a long passage? Put chafe patches everywhere. Anywhere you see it rubbing, patch it.

44. Sail repair kit: For repairs, invest in a sailmaker’s palm, a mix of needles, wax thread and webbing, insignia tape – such as that by Bainbridge – and Dacron tape for minor repairs. For wider areas, you can use Insignia cloth. Or buy an offshore sail repair kit.

45. Ask for offcuts: Get to know your local sailmaker. If you’re getting new sails, ask for the excess cloth. Even if you’re not buying sails, explain what you need for repairs and they may give you an offcut that would otherwise go in the bin.

46. Avoid flogging: If you minimise flogging, your sail will last longer. Reef early, sheet sails on as soon as they are hoisted and avoid motor-sailing to windward.

47. Sail care: UV degradation will reduce your sail’s lifespan. Use sail covers – you can get them for headsails and mainsails – and ensure lazy bag systems are fully zipped. Remove sails over winter, air and store in a dry place.

Running rigging

48. End-for-end: If a sheet or halyard is looking worn, consider end-for-ending it; simply flip your rope around end-for-end to vary stress and abrasion points. Also, check for damage and uneven wear.

49. Check for chafe: Check sheets and halyards on passages. Ensure mooring lines have a fairlead, or are protected with hose slid over the rope. Inspect the source of any chafe – are fairleads greased and running smoothly? Protect metal chafe points with tape, leather, plastic or cloth.

50. Extend the lifespan: Sheathing the rope over the area that uses the clutch will add grip and longevity.

51. Clean ropes: Rinse ropes in fresh water (never bleach) to remove salt and dirt. Coil and store ropes away from sunlight and off the floor to avoid mildew and rot.

52. Protect rope ends: Splice ropes where possible. This creates less stress than standard knots, which can weaken rope fibres. See our eye splice guide video on PBO’s YouTube channel.

53. Sky your halyards: Extend the life of halyards by pulling them into the mast to protect them from UV and harsh weather. Be sure to attach a mousing line first. Remove them over winter.

54. Don’t overload your ropes: Ensure ropes are adequately rated for the job they do. Overloading creates excessive stretch, reduced diameter and hardening. Halyard balls at the end of your spinnaker help prevent overtightening.

Stay dry

55. Dodgers: Give dodgers, hoods and covers an annual clean with non-bio washing powder or bespoke canvas cleaner. Then use a reproofer to extend their lifetime.

56. Dry boat, happy boat: Not only does a damp boat smell, but it’s a bad environment for metal, wood and fabric. Spend five minutes sponging the bilge with a product such as AquaMarine’s bilge cleaner before you leave the boat.

57. Reproof your oilies: Soggy sailing gear? Try reproofing your oilies with a product such as Gill Reproofing Spray or Nikwax TX.

Decks

58. Keep up with varnishing: Keep on top of bare patches to stop rot or water damage from spreading.

59. Care for teak: Clean teak decks carefully with detergent and a soft brush or sponge across the grain. This will prolong their life and delay expensive replacement. Reseal planking immediately when it comes loose.

60. Check deck fitting seals: A common cause of winter ingress is faulty seals which can even lead to structural failure. Keep them clean and lubricated.

61. Deal with leaks: Leaks through portholes and deck glands can also cause damp and quickly damage decks, electrics, headlining and more.

62. Emergency fix: Silicones are good for a temporary leak fix until you can plug it properly. We used Sika Sikaflex EBT & All-weather sealant on the PBO Project Boat vents. This is only mildly adhesive so the vent could be removed for a long-term fix.

63. Windlass maintenance: Salt deposits can quickly corrode an anchor windlass. Spray the casing with a water repellent and keep the electrical terminals greased as it’s often impossible to dismantle and repair a windlass.

64. Lifebuoys away: When you leave, put lifebuoys and other portable safety equipment down below to avoid UV deterioration.

Electrics

65. Battery care: Lead-acid batteries have a limited number of charge cycles and will age much faster if they fall below 12.2V. A battery monitor can warn you via an app when they get too low. Or invest in a £5 multimeter.

66. Use solar: Save money on electrical hook-ups and top-up your batteries with solar panels, hydrogenerators and wind generators.

67. Exercise your batteries: Batteries like to be exercised. Varying levels of sunshine will help with this if you’re using a solar panel.

68. Rechargeable batteries: Use rechargeable batteries in handheld GPSs, torches etc, and keep a spare set of fully charged ones on board just in case.

69. Limit the autopilot: Autopilots are a big drain on power. Consider fitting a self-steering wind vane.

70. Reduce the drain: Switch to LED lighting. A fridge can be kept cool without power if stocked with large bottles of frozen water.

71. Shore power: Is your shore power tripping? Reverse polarity might be the cause. This is common in European marinas and campsites. A £15 socket tester will diagnose the issue and you can make your own reverse polarity adaptor. Get an electrician to check it or ask them to make one up. 

Engines

72. Understand your engine: Diesel engines aren’t hard to look after once you know how. Teach yourself to service your marine diesel engine.

73. Do a course: Get hands-on training on a one-day RYA Diesel Engine Maintenance course, which assumes no prior experience. You’ll soon make your money back when you service your own engine.

74. Read your engine’s manual: A good place to learn about diesel engines is your engine’s own manual. If you no longer have it, look online.

75. Take breakdown cover: For peace of mind and to avoid costly tows, take out annual cover for engine failure and fouled propellers. For example, Sea Start insurance costs £150-£170 and the average response time is 45 minutes.

76. Buy non-branded spares: Engine expert Stu Davies recommends parts4engines.com – a cheaper alternative to buying spares from manufacturers. However, do check your engine warranty in case this affects it.

77. Bulk buy oil: If bought in bulk, lubricating oil will cost much less than in small quantities, so club together with others to buy 25lt cans.

78. Declare heating fuel: Diesel used solely for heating or generating electricity on a boat can qualify for a reduced rate of duty – but you’re not allowed to use cheaper red diesel for leisure boat propulsion. If you keep proof of how you use your boat’s diesel and a large proportion is used for domestic purposes you can claim a tax rebate from HMRC. Some marinas sell cheaper fuel if it’s kept separate from engine fuel.

79. Beat the bug: Fit a diesel cleaner or Diesel Dipper to remove water from fuel to prevent diesel bug. In the long run, this will be a cheaper option than your boat breaking down and having to have your tanks steam cleaned. Read Tony Davies’s Diesel Dipper review.

80. Bug treatment: Marine 16’s Diesel Bug Treatment can be used both for treatment and prevention of diesel bug, but in the latter case at a lower dose. You still need to get rid of the water.

81. Fuel filler cap: A leaky fuel filler cap lets water into your fuel. Check the seal on your cap and regrease the O-ring. Replace if necessary.

82. Use fuel additive: Additives lubricate fuel, slow degradation and reduce deposits, helping to boost engine health.

83. Go slower! The drag (and fuel consumption) for a displacement hull increases dramatically the faster you go. Cruise far more slowly under power and you’ll save money. The same goes for electric outboards. When PBO tested the ePropulsion Spirit with a lightweight 3m tender, full power (1,000W) gave 1.5 hour’s battery life, whereas 20% power allowed 7 hours’ motoring, albeit at 2.5 knots slower.

84. Don’t motor to windward: Decrease your cost per mile by 35% by not motoring into the wind. If you head off about 20° to 30° from the direction of the waves, you’ll go maybe 50% faster, but cover only 15% more in distance.

85. Don’t fill your tanks: Wisdom used to dictate that if you fill your tank to the top you’ll help prevent diesel bug. But, Marine 16’s Peter Weide warns that modern biofuels have a six-month shelf-life so don’t carry more fuel than you need.

86. Weight reduction: Weight reduction can save a lot of money on a planing boat. You can end up burning extra fuel just to carry it! So avoid stowing too much extra gear and supplies on a ‘just in case’ premise.

87. Clean your propeller: A propeller fouled with weed or barnacles can increase your fuel consumption by 10%. We used Seajet’s Pellerclean on the saildrive of our Maxi 84 Project Boat, and it worked really well. If you’re staying in the water, consider drying out for a tide on a scrubbing grid or piles or booking a lift-out and scrub. If you hire a diver, why not club together with other local boat owners and have the diver clean several props at once for a discount rate.

Electronics

88. Free chart software: If a multifunction display (MFD) with chartplotter is out of your budget, there are many apps offering free or low-subscription charts, such as C-Map and Navionics, which can be used on a tablet or smartphone.

89. Weather apps: Weather-routing apps such as PredictWind and Sail Grib WR can be used on phones and mobiles. PBO reader Martin Whitfield, who completed a transatlantic last year, recommends Weather 4D, which integrates weather, forecasting and routing using charts from hydrographic offices of 17 countries. For £70 a year, he had the whole of the UKHO output, Portugal and the Caribbean: “It’s the nearest thing to an all-in-one sailing app.”

Stay connected

90. Starlink: Sat comms used to be the domain of long-distance cruisers, due to the high cost. However, Starlink uses low-orbiting satellites, with Roam subscriptions (intended for RVs but which many sailors use) starting at £225 hardware and £85 per month.

91. Swap your SIM card: Some mobile contracts include European roaming but be sure to check the data cap. Alternatively, swap your SIM card for a roaming or international one. Lyca Mobile, Smarty and iD Mobile have rolling one-month PAYG and SIM-only deals.

92. Phoning home: If you don’t have a cost-effective mobile contract, switch off mobile data and data roaming abroad and use the wifi in marinas, coffee shops and restaurants to call or message home via WhatsApp.

Provisioning

93. Food preservation: Do you need a fridge? PBO’s Rupert Holmes has some great ideas for keeping food fresh without a fridge – such as storing butter and cheese in oil and brine, and keeping things cool in the bilges.

94. Buy an induction hob: Gas hoses need to be replaced every five years. If your gas oven and/or gas locker is at the end of its working life, as ours was on the PBO Project boat, is it really worth replacing it with another gas oven? A gas-safe locker and oven fitted and tested by a qualified engineer can easily set you back over £1,000. An induction hob, however, as used by PBO’s technical editor Fox Morgan, can cost as little
as just £70.

95. Alternative cooking: Calor gas cylinders are getting harder to come by but there are many alternative means of cooking which require low energy such as the Remoska one-pot oven, which draws just 650W, Mr D’s thermal cooker, which will cook without power for several hours, and the Go Sun solar oven. Find out what cruisers think of these cooking devices here.

96. Emergency food: Keep tins of soup, Pot Noodles, pasta and tuna on board for an easy meal when you’re cold, and tired and don’t want the hassle of finding a takeaway.

97. Bake your own bread: A boat locker is a perfect place for dough to rise. Delicious boat bread is easy to make.

98. Value lines: Swap branded items for basic or value range alternatives from Aldi or Lidl. You may not notice a difference for tinned tomatoes, baked beans or crisps.

99. Dine-in delicious: Save on eating out with ‘treat meals’ such as dine-in deals from Tesco or Marks & Spencer. For a good-value breakfast, try chains such as Harvester or Wetherspoons which offer coffee refills and can be found in most towns.

New skills

100. YouTube: A wealth of knowledge can be earned from watching YouTube. Whether it’s refurbishing an alternator or repairing gel coat, take a look at what other boat owners have done and decide whether it’s a job for you or is something that’ll be best left to the experts.

101. Learn to dive: At around £600, learning to dive might seem expensive, but when you look at the cost of hiring a diver or lift-out to change anodes, scrub the hull, inspect moorings and clear fouled props you can see the value. One PBO reader used his new skills to fix the rudder in the middle of the Atlantic.

102. DIY Woodwork: Learn carpentry at your local college or even a boatbuilding academy, such as Lyme Regis, which PBO visited last year. One graduate, Roz Preston, spent seven years building a stunning transatlantic yacht.

103. Build a kit boat: Kit boats are fun and can be a cost-effective way to get on the water as long as you have the time, space and patience. Read our guide to building your first kit boat.

104. Build from plans: You can also buy plans only. Famous examples include the 1960s Mirror dinghy – still popular today – and the lovable PBO Pup. Wharram catamarans are still hugely popular, with over 10,000 plans sold!

Planning

105. Buy ahead: Whether it’s a fuse or filter, each time you replace something, buy extras so you save money and get a discount by buying online, allowing a few days for delivery.

106. Keep a logbook: Keep a logbook of equipment expiry dates and mark them in your diary. Set up ebay alerts for items you know you’ll need.

107. Deter thieves: Deter boat thieves by locking your boat and outboard motor. Digital charts are also attractive to thieves and costly to replace so remove your micro-SD card and keep it somewhere obvious where you won’t forget to put it back.

Toilet talk

108 Refurbish the heads: If your heads is getting smelly, it may well be the hoses. Try a good clean with bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar, and if this doesn’t work, replace the hoses; you needn’t replace the toilet itself. It cost us £116 to refurbish the PBO Project Boat heads with parts and advice from Lee Sanitation.

109. Portable toilet: Another option is to do away with the heads altogether. Many small-boat sailors and inland waterways users opt for portable, chemical and even composting much cheaper toilets, and negate the need for a holding tank, which is becoming more common in European marinas.

And finally

110. PBO subscription: Many of these cheap boating tips have been gathered from PBO articles past and present and our amazing experts. A PBO subscription can save up to 40% off the single issue price.

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