If you are tired of land, how do you own a boat?

If you think I'm going to start talking about success, "small goals" and "100 million", then you may have come to the wrong set, and the airport bookstore may be more suitable for you. ...

With such a little money, it is impossible to get rich, and it is impossible to get rich in this life. So is it possible to own a boat?

I chatted with a friend the other day. The topic was "Can the middle class in America afford a yacht?" I am usually interested in all kinds of cars, boats and planes. After coming to the United States, I also paid attention to the American sailing and yacht market. My first reaction was no. Although the per capita income of the United States is higher than that of China, it is more convenient and cheaper to buy and use yachts in the United States than in China. However, American yachts are still linked to the rich. Although it is not as exaggerated as the "rich" class in China, it is not something that the average middle class dares to expect.

But after careful study, the problem is actually not that simple. This article will briefly discuss what kind of boats ordinary Americans can afford and use. Of course, all the contents of this article are from "keyboard research". Although I am very interested in boats, I have lived and traveled on sailboats several times and rented speedboats, but my actual experience is zero. The following contents are for reference only.

How to own a ship, the first question to answer is, what kind of ship are we talking about here?

If the boat in the picture above is also a boat, it would be too easy. 65,438+000 dollars can buy one. I have one now, and I put it in the locker in my garage. Hard kayaks are as cheap as a few hundred dollars. If you really like kayaking, it's not a burden at all.

However, calling kayaking a boat is probably the same as "that guy told people that I have a car, but the girl came out and pointed to the back seat of Erba Bar".

If it is only to raise the threshold, then the following may be better. The price of Meiya is $ 12. 12 dollars, you can't buy at a loss, and you can't be fooled.

Of course, there are many options for boats under $65,438+$0,000, and even power boats, as shown in the figure below. Inflatable boat+battery+motor can win more than 400 dollars.

Although strictly speaking, these are also ships, but generally we understand the ship, at least like this:

This aluminum hull, equipped with a gasoline engine, can take a small boat for three people. The cheapest one is less than 3,000 yuan, and the better one is several thousand yuan. Fishing a fish in a small river and lake in a short time has no pursuit of driving speed at all. This kind of boat is enough. Sitting in an inflatable boat is much more comfortable and safe than plastic and rubber. It is also easy to decorate fish baskets and backpacks.

Or you just pursue speed and play traction water skiing, and thousands of motorboats can also meet the needs.

The official price of the Sea Doo Spark shown below is 5499 dollars, with a top speed of 67.6 km/h, a top fuel consumption of 1 1 liter/100 km, and a dead weight of 184kg, which is similar to that of a general 250cc motorcycle:

The most ordinary Americans can afford all the above. Whether it is an aluminum boat or a motorboat, the price of several thousand dollars is affordable for the American working class, and the fuel consumption is not high (a motorboat is probably equivalent to a car that consumes more fuel). The weight of the car body is not big, a few hundred kilograms, and any car can be towed, even the motorboat can be directly placed behind the pickup truck. Maintenance and other things are also cheaper.

But if we want to talk about "enjoyment", then obviously these boats are not enough.

There are probably two cheaper boats to enjoy.

One is the so-called pontoon bridge, that is, pontoon boat. This kind of boat is flat-bottomed, with 2-3 pontoons below. Its advantages are large internal space, low requirements for water depth, and its disadvantages are low sailing speed. Depending on the engine horsepower, the maximum speed varies from 20 to 50 km/h.

The target customers of this kind of boat are people who like water recreation but don't pursue excitement. When the weather is fine, it is very pleasant to drive such a boat, eat, drink tea, drink beer, chat and even go fishing with your family.

The other is all kinds of speedboats.

For example, the most common Bowrider is a wide-side open-top speedboat. When driving at high speed, the bow will be raised high, as if riding on a wave. This kind of speedboat is also the most common speedboat in America. It is roughly equivalent to a sports car in a car, and its top speed can generally be between 50-90 km/h.

Like motorboats, such boats are often used as tugboats for water skiing:

In between is the so-called deck boat, whose bow is wider than Bowrider, and its interior space is larger, so it is more spacious and suitable for family leisure. Compared with pontoon boat, its speed is higher, reaching 50-65 km/h, and it can also meet the needs of riding and water skiing on water.

It should be said that the above-mentioned ships can enjoy water recreation more comfortably. Consumers can choose the right ship type according to whether they like to move or stay still.

Of course, in addition to these pure leisure boats, there are more functional boats at this price. Because fishing enthusiasts are still important consumers of leisure boats in the United States-after all, for those who want to fish in the depths of lakes or far from the coast, a powered boat is just needed. So there are also many ship types specially designed for them.

A ship designed entirely for fishing is called the central console, which is named after the console is located in the center of the ship. This kind of boat carries a small number of passengers, but it is generally fully equipped, mainly for people fishing in relatively large bays and lakes. In order to maximize the space for placing fishing rods-because the more fishing rods are placed at the same time, the greater the frequency of fish biting-there is no leisure area, except for the driver's seat, and there are basically no seats or only a small bench of 1-2. As a family leisure, don't think about it. The length of this type of ship is mainly between 15-23 feet.

Most married fishing enthusiasts with children want their families to approve the budget and choose the cross-border ship dual host. It can be regarded as a cross-border ship type of the center console and Bowrider. The left and right tables provide windproof for the back seats, and more seats are bigger and more comfortable. However, this kind of ship is more expensive, and the price is generally more than 50 thousand dollars.

The ordinary brand price of the above-mentioned small ships without sealed cabins is about $65,438+$04,000-$50,000. Very close to the price range of ordinary brand cars. But also facing the vast middle class in the United States.

The length of these cheap brand ships, center console and Bowrider are all within the range of 65,438+05-23 feet, deck ships are generally within the range of 65,438+06-26 feet, and pontoon ships are within the range of 65,438+07-28 feet.

Of course, there are bigger ones. In addition to the double consoles mentioned above, Sea Ray, the world's largest yacht brand positioned in the high-end market, also has Bowrider and Deck Boat, which are between 22 feet and 32 feet in length, so the price is naturally much more expensive. But for consumers of open boats, less than 20 feet is the mainstream choice.

The picture below shows Sea Ray SLX3 10, which costs more than 200,000 US dollars:

Such boats smaller than 20 feet can usually be placed in ordinary family garages, and those larger than 20 feet can also be parked in the driveway in front of the garage. Their weight is not big, generally 600-2000 Jin. Generally, it can be towed by household medium and large SUVs, and there is no need to buy extra pickups.

And the maintenance cost of this ship is relatively low. Generally speaking, the fuel consumption is several gallons per hour. If you drive for 70-80 hours a year, the fuel cost is about $65,438+0,000, plus insurance and daily maintenance of the engine, which can be controlled at $2,000-3,000. If you do your own maintenance, you may only need more than $65,438+0,000.

This cost level is similar to that of ordinary cars. For the middle class with higher income, the upper-middle class, which is more corresponding to China's "middle class" in social status, can actually buy a better boat.

Cuddy Cabin, a ship with a small enclosed cabin but no bathroom facilities (at most, a portable toilet), is designed for this kind of people.

Beneteau Antares 2 1 (referring to the length of 2 1 foot), the official starting price in the United States is $83,320, and the coupe style is adopted:

The cabin under its bow is the so-called Cuddy cabin. Cuddy probably means that this place is cramped, only enough for two people to cuddle together.

Of course, there are some other forms, such as Bayliner's VR5 Cuddy, which is based on the traditional Bowrider model. The price of this model in Europe is 54,000 euros:

Jeanneau NC695(695 means more than 6 meters) Sport is developed on the basis of the center console, mainly for fishing enthusiasts, providing them with a small cabin for lunch break:

Jeanneau Leader 7.5 is a mixture of center console and Bowrider;

It even brought a small toilet, but it can only go to the toilet, not take a shower:

However, these ships are still not yachts.

The general definition of yacht is almost the "RV" in the boat, which has a bedroom, a bathroom, an indoor sofa and a kitchen. This is not only "cozy", but also some "luxury". In addition to identifying yourself, you can also use it to stay for how long and do some short-distance intercity trips.

These Cuddy huts are 20-25 feet long and cost $50,000-$90,000. They are probably as awkward as campers/sleeping cars. The cabin is too small, so it is unrealistic to suffer more than pleasure in it, and it is unrealistic to stay on the boat for more than one night, but the maintenance cost and price are 1-2 times higher than that of ordinary speedboats, so it is not very popular. Especially in the relatively rich United States, many manufacturers, such as Bayliner, no longer sell this class of ships in the United States.

After all, most people don't buy yachts for long-distance travel and have a place to spend the night. Enjoyment and face are the most important things, and Cuddy Cabin obviously can't provide them.

So how much does a real yacht cost?

Searay, the world's largest yacht brand, is the cheapest yacht model in the United States, and its official starting price is $295,000. Although American yacht brands often have huge discounts at the docks, at the same time, there are often various options for the ship types that dock dealers can actually buy-people who can afford yachts at this price generally don't really buy beggars, and it costs at least tens of thousands of dollars to pick them up, so the final transaction price is mostly above 300,000 dollars.

Layout of lower inner cabin:

Of course, as the most famous brand, Hairui has a high brand premium, and its products may not be the most cost-effective. So at similar prices, many other brands of yachts tend to be more luxurious.

For example, the Carver C34 Coupe is designed by Coupe, and the upper cabin is closed, only the lower part is open. In this way, the living room and kitchen are completely arranged on the upper floor, and the inner cabin on the lower floor is only used as a bedroom, so the living and sleeping space is much more spacious. Of course, this yacht is also expensive. The official starting price is $372,000.

Carver C34 sports car:

-Beneteau and Jeanneau, the two largest sailing/yacht brands in Europe (actually belonging to the same group in France now), have lower overall prices and better space design and interior craftsmanship. However, generally speaking, their preferential margin is smaller and the basic model is more "fast".

For example, Beneteau's Swift Trawler 30 is a rational trawler, which is developed from the trawler used for offshore fishing and only modified for leisure cruising. The top speed of this hull is not high, far lower than 70km/h of Sundancer 320 and 64km/h of C34 Coupe, but only 42km/h ... Of course, for yacht buyers who don't seek excitement, this speed is completely sufficient. After all, 42 km/h on the water feels fast. And its internal space is very advantageous.

The yacht also adopts the design of command bridge, that is, there is a deck above the main cabin for leisure, and there is a bridge on the upper and middle floors to control the ship.

The official starting price of this yacht is $306,000;

Perhaps the most cost-effective one is Jeanneau's NC 1095, which is only10.5m (34.5ft) long, but it has three bedrooms and a wet and dry bathroom. Plus the sofa bed in the upstairs living room, it can sleep 6-8 people.

Jenna NC 1095:

Of course, due to the small discount range of European brands and the fact that the beggar version is more vegetarian, the actual price plus taxes and transportation fees is mostly close to $250,000.

It should be said that if the budget is more than 300 thousand dollars, you can already buy a lot of entry yachts, which has a certain sense of luxury.

The upper-middle class in the United States, which is composed of lawyers, finance and technology practitioners, has almost the same annual income before tax. The best after-tax income can reach more than 300 thousand, so can the middle class in the United States afford such an entry yacht

Not exactly.

Even this 30-35 foot yacht is very expensive to maintain. On Hull Truth, the largest yacht forum in the United States and possibly the largest yacht forum in the world, a netizen posted the annual fee of 2065438+the first use of Monterey 335 SY in 2008, *** 1.28 million USD:

It should be noted that this netizen used his own F-250 heavy pickup truck to tow the yacht.

Although many yachts of 30-35 feet can indeed be towed, this is definitely not the main purpose of this class of yachts, because:

1, the width of this class of yachts all exceeds the maximum width of conventional trailers (8 feet and a half, that is, 2.6 meters) allowed by American law. If it exceeds this width, you need to buy a license on time or annually, which is not only a small expense (this netizen spent about $65,438+0,000), but also travel will be strictly restricted (during the peak hours of working days), and you need to buy it in advance every time.

2. Towing this oversized trailer requires a special driver's license, not an ordinary light vehicle driver's license.

3. Because these yachts are very heavy, often reaching 65,438+02,000-65,438+05,000 pounds (5,400-7,000 kilograms), the general household pickup trucks can't be towed, so it is necessary to buy F-250 and F-350, which are generally used for business. After matching, the price is generally around $60,000 or even more, and a lot more needs to be added.

Most houses in American coastal areas and around cities don't have big enough yards, garages and sidewalks to put such a big ship. If you want to park in the long-term parking lot of RV and yacht, you will lose the cost advantage of towing yourself.

Therefore, except for a few buyers of land in the central region, and because there are no seas and lakes around the home, if you want to drag a boat to different waters to play, basically yachts of this level will choose to be stored in small docks, such as the following:

Take Coyote Point near my home as an example. The storage price of this small dock is $232 per month for a 32-foot boat, and $306 for a 36-foot berth like Monterey 335 SY. In this way, although the cost of the trailer license plate and the fuel cost of the trailer are saved, the parking fee is about 800 dollars higher than these two items.

In addition, the shipowner does the maintenance himself, and if he pays for the mechanic in the shop, the cost will increase by 2000-3000 dollars. Here, the general engine needs to be replaced every 10- 15 years, and the annual cost is about 2000 dollars.

Therefore, the annual total cost of a yacht of 30-35 feet is about $65,438 +0.5-2 million pounds, which is quite amazing.

You know, the cost of owning an entry-level Ferrari sports car is at this level almost every year, and the cost of buying a car is similar-obviously, the middle class can't afford to drive a Ferrari.

You know, other common hobbies of the upper and middle class in the United States, such as RV, sports car (Porsche, Maserati brand and below), horses, etc., cost only about half to one third of this entry yacht.

So the middle class can't afford yachts?

Not exactly.

You know, although the proportion of rich people and rich people who can afford yachts is much higher than that of the middle class, the number of the middle class is far greater than that of the rich. Therefore, even for the yacht market, the middle class, especially the upper middle class, is still a consumer group that cannot be ignored.

So how can the middle class afford a yacht? There are about three routes.

The first is to play second-hand yachts.

Let's take Hairui as an example. Sundancer 3 10, which is similar to the Sundancer 320 mentioned above, has been used for 10- 15 years, but the second-hand price is only $65,438+million. Although the maintenance cost of second-hand yachts may be slightly higher than that of new yachts, after all, the cost of buying a boat, even counting depreciation, saves hundreds of thousands. If you maintain it yourself, the cost is relatively acceptable.

The second is to go sailing instead.

Because the sailboat lacks power mechanism, the first manufacturing cost is much lower. (Strictly speaking, most sailboats are equipped with 1-2 small engines for emergency and berthing, but their cost and maintenance difficulty are not the same as those of yachts. )

At the same level of 30-35 feet, the official starting price of Beneteau 30. 1 is only $65,438+022,300:

Beneteau 35. 1 The official starting price is only 147700 USD:

On the other hand, the Smart Cat S280 offers the option of catamaran at a price of $654.38+0.5 million. The space is much larger than a single yacht, which is about the same as an entry-level yacht:

And because there is no engine, one year maintenance can save 2000-3000 dollars. Using wind power as energy can save thousands of dollars in fuel costs.

Of course, sailboats need more skills and physical strength than power yachts, and not everyone likes the hull tilt that often happens when sailing.

The third route is for those who don't accept sailboats and want to own new boats-this is the subdivision level of small yachts of 25-30 feet.

The price of these small yachts is between 80-10.5 million dollars, which is relatively affordable for the upper middle class.

At this price, the yachts launched by American yacht manufacturers and European yacht manufacturers present two different schools.

The former is aimed at the situation that many American families have pickup trucks and large SUVs, and boats of this size can still be stored in front of the garages of most single-family houses. The hull is relatively narrow, just within the upper limit of 8 feet 6 inches of the width of a conventional trailer. Therefore, it can be towed on the road like an ordinary RV, without extra driver's license and license, and it is usually stored in its own yard, which not only saves 2,000-3,000 dollars in dock fees every year.

The representatives here are four yachts launched by the rich. There are 26 feet and 28 feet in length, and there are two models: Express (internal engine) and XO (external engine, slightly higher price).

Regal 26 Express officially starts at $82,270 and weighs only 6,200 pounds. It can be towed by ordinary F- 150 pickups or even SUVs based on these pickups:

Ranger Tugs R-25, a tugboat yacht for fishing, officially starts at $65,438+054,937:

The booth in the living room above can not only be turned into a bed, but also a berth below the booth:

The kitchen is also located upstairs:

Because there is a closed cabin on the upper floor, the main activities are on the upper floor, and the lower floor is just a V-shaped pavilion that can be transformed into a bed, and there is a bathroom:

Sea Ray actually owns a Sundance 260 with a width of only 8.5 feet, but perhaps out of fear of affecting the sales of its more advanced yachts, Sea Ray no longer sells Sundance 260 and 295 in the United States.

The bedroom in the middle of the engine room is obviously not as depressing as designed by Regal:

This level of European brand yachts do not pursue "tailing", but will make full use of the width to increase the use space like ordinary yachts.

Beneteaul Barracuda 27, the official starting price in the United States is $65,438+040,840:

Jeanneau NC895 designed by Coupe may be the most spacious choice in this class. The official starting price in the United States is $65,438+038,570:

Jeanneau Leader 9.0cc, center console design, starting at 12 1 130 USD:

Jeanneau Leader 30 ob, designed by Bowrider, official starting price in the United States 152900 USD:

Of course, these small European yachts can't be towed away easily, so we can only choose to park at the small pier. But take Coyote Point as an example, the monthly storage price of 24-28 foot yachts is $203, while the monthly storage price of 32-36 foot yachts is $306.

In addition, the savings in fuel costs are also considerable. The same is true of regal brand yachts. The fuel consumption of 32 Express is 65,438+064 liters per 100 kilometers at economic cruising speed, while that of 26 XO is only 92 liters per 100 kilometers at economic cruising speed, which can save more than 3,000 dollars in fuel costs every year.

So, how do you enjoy the yacht when you finally unlock it?

The most common leisure is, of course, sailing a yacht for various water sports.

For example, towing water skiing:

Or kayaking:

Or an inflatable boat that can be rowed by hand or powered by itself;

Of course, these activities generally require relatively high water temperature, excluding the west coast of the United States, where the water temperature is low all the year round due to the influence of ocean currents. Even in the southernmost San Diego, it is difficult for the water temperature to reach 24 degrees. On the contrary, the climate in the southeastern United States is much more suitable. Miami, which is very similar to Sanya, China, keeps the water temperature above 25 degrees all the year round, and yachts can also play a maximum role. Other cities along the Gulf Coast, such as Houston and New Orleans, have water temperatures above 25 degrees for half a year.

This is why the southeastern states account for more than 40% of yacht sales in the United States.

What about buying yachts elsewhere?

Can't go into the water, just lying on the deck in the sun is also very comfortable;

Go fishing:

When caught, you can roast it directly on the boat;

Of course, you can also come to road trip once. The high fuel consumption of yachts determines that the cost of long-distance travel is not affordable for most people (a round trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles requires more than $ KLOC-0/000 of fuel, which is not counting the cost of docking), while using sailboats for long-distance travel requires high physical strength, technology and even weather luck, which is not affordable for most people. Driving an inbound yacht for long-distance travel in the open sea is not a small safety risk.

But a short trip of one or two hundred miles is completely feasible.

For example, from San Francisco, across the San Francisco Bay, along the Sacramento River all the way to Sacramento, the capital of California:

Take a yacht from Los Angeles to the resort of Catalina Island;

From Seattle to Vancouver via Elliot Bay:

For yacht owners in the mid-eastern United States, there are more choices.

Throughout the east coast of the United States and along the Gulf of Mexico, there is a waterway called inshore inner waterway, which is literally translated as "inshore waterway" and is mainly composed of artificial canals and lagoons.

Texas part:

North Florida section:

This waterway is nearly 5000 kilometers long. It is connected with the Great Lakes in the north through the Il Canal, and connected with the Mississippi River in Illinois through the Canal, thus forming a huge closed loop:

This waterway hardly needs to go all the way into the open sea, which is very suitable for small ships;

Even the most water-deficient inland southwest of the United States has the Colorado River:

Although some parts of this river are too shallow for yachts and there are many dams, there are still quite a few navigable sections.

For example, Lake Powell near Antelope Valley may be the place where the United States has gathered the most "houses and boats":

Or we can completely abandon the property of yacht "boat" and just regard it as a water cabin for a weekend holiday. Take Coyote Point, a small pier near where I live. If you have paid to stay here for a long time, you can stay on the boat for three days a week, and the berth also has water and electricity, so you can maintain your life normally.

Well, should we start saving money quickly?

Wen | Fish is not a fish.

Figure | Network

This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.