How much does it cost to make your sailing dreams come true? Not as much as you might think.
Sailing is often mistakenly tagged as an elitist sport, reserved for the wealthy. But we all know you don't have to spend a fortune to go cruising, whether it's across the bay, or across an ocean to some idyllic tropical island.
This month the YM team went in search of boating bargains for our 10-page special, Small-budget sailing (p26). We set ourselves a target of getting afloat for under £5,000 - and came up with four fascinating case studies on people who achieved their dream on the tightest of budgets.
After scouring the classified adverts and the eBay auction website, Phil Houghton bought his 23ft Hunter 701 for just £2,000 through a local recommendation. A smaller 19ft version of this design crossed the Atlantic in 1972. 'It's nice to know you could sail further afield if you wanted to,' said Phil, who spent an additional £1,267 on his annual mooring, insurance, VHF radio, anchor and inflatable dinghy.
Case Study 2, Joe Pigg, paid £3,600 for his bargain Seal 22, a small offshore cruiser designed by Angus Primrose. His all-tide swinging mooring at Thurrock Yacht Club, on the Thames, was another bargain - just £130.
A successful boat-sharing partnership allowed two sailors to halve their costs and buy a second-hand Limbo 6.6 with a brand new suit of sails and engine, plus £800 annual berthing, for just £1,550 each.
Whether you're in the market for upgrading your second-hand yacht or looking to get started, there are lots of ideas in our special feature. Rich or poor, we all like a bargain and YM discovered a huge turnover of marine equipment - including boats - on eBay. We also paid a visit to the Holy Grail for boat bargain hunters - Foulkes & Sons' legendary chandlery barge, squatting in the Hamble River mud.
If the financial pundits are right, and we're poised on the edge of a recession, our top tips from cost-conscious sailors may be very timely indeed.
