Cost Of Sailing A Dragon
The table below sets out the annual costs of running a Dragon (as at 2012) at four different levels and therefore boats of varying age and cost. All these figures are in £’s and should be regarded as indicative. More sails may be bought, more events entered, or more work done by the owner. The boats and assumptions are
- Boat 1: A brand-new all GRP boat, campaigned only at events, of which at least two are overseas. The capital cost would be higher for a wooden deck or cold-moulded construction. Normal extras have been included in the capital cost and VAT at the UK rate has been added.
- Boat 2: As above but the boat will have been used for about 3 seasons.
- Boat 3: An older( perhaps about 10 years old) but still competitive boat, which is being campaigned in major events, one of which is normally overseas, and also sailed regularly in club racing.
- Boat 4: An older GRP boat only raced in club events.
| Boat 1 | Boat 2 | Boat 3 | Boat 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depreciation (Note 1) | 9000 | 2000 | 1200 | 500 |
| Sails (Note 2) | 3500 | 3500 | 1500 – 2700 | 500 |
| Gear, minor repairs (Note 3) |
600 | 1000 | 1000 | 500 |
| Antifouling | N/A | N/A | 250 -1200 | 250 |
| Mooring/cranage/scrubbing (Note 4) | N/A | N/A | 900 – 3000 | 750 |
| Winter storage | 0-250 | 0-250 | 0-250 | 0-250 |
| Trailer depreciation and maintenance | 750 | 500 | 350 | 100 |
| Entry fees | 1200 | 1,200 | 600 | 50 |
| Fuel and ferries | 2000 | 2000 | 250-1250 | N/A |
| Insurance | 1000 | 1000 | 700 | 400 |
| BDA membership | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 |
| Totals | 18,125 to 18,375 | 11,275 to 11,525 | 6, 825 to 2,325 | 3,125 to 3,375 |
Note 1: The depreciation charge is that required to descend to the next level over the appropriate number of years.
Note 2: Boats 1 and 2 are assumed to buy one main. one spinnaker and two genoas per year. Boat 3 to buy one main, one genoa and one spinnaker and Boat 4 to buy two second-hand sails.
Note 3: This excludes any major collision damage.
Note 4: This doesn’t include cranage or mooring at events, which is normally included in entry fees.
Note 5: Nobodys experience will be exactly in line with these numbers. They can only be a guide.
Note 6: Boat 3s sails may be either new or very little used secondhand.
Note 7: Antifouling is either DIY or professional. Dry-sailed boats do not have antifouling which reduces costs.
Note 8: Fuel and ferries is highly variable depending on the location of events. The numbers are therefore very approximate.
Note 9: No account has been taken of accommodation and food at events, the cost of professional crew (if any) or subsidy to student relative crews.
Note 10: The mooring, cranage, scrubbing etc costs vary so much because some boats are dry sailed (expensive) and others are on swinging moorings (inconvenient but cheaper) . Yard involvement also varies considerably.