T&T: Calculating the cost of ownership

[TK Allen]

Marin:



I suspected this 10% number was an "average average" (artfully stated, BTW).
The more I thought about it, the more I figured this had to be the case 
for exactly the reasons you stated.  It is VERY helpful to me to hear that
10% has proven to be a reasonably accurate for you.  One question, would you
include "operation" costs (primarily fuel) in that 10%?



>If you figure ten percent per year of the purchase price, regardless of
what that is, and that number fits into your annual boating budget, or at
least you're willing to spend that, budget or not, then you can "afford" to
own the boat with no "I'm going broke" scenarios.<



Yes.  It is that "I'm going broke" scenario that concerns me.  I read
somewhere a piece of what seemed to be good, pithy advice which said, "Don't
buy the biggest boat you can afford, buy the smallest boat you are
comfortable in".  That made a lot of sense to me and we are trying to follow
that advice as we work through this process.  Even though we have scaled
down our expectations accordingly, we still have budget concerns and I want
to be as sure as I can be that I don't find myself in that "I'm going broke"
scenario.



TK Allen