What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (10+ yrs old)

[hokiesax]

I've had my 1999 SAN for 18 months now and my average maintenance cost is easily over $200 per month and this doesn't even include "small" things like oil/transmission fluid changes, etc. I've had to do a few things that were a long time coming for this boat that the previous owner hadn't done, such as manifolds/risers, replacing all hoses, etc. Anyways, I went with an "older" boat because I thought it would be cheaper (even with maintenance), but maybe it would be cheaper over all to go with a newer boat with less maintenance.

What is everyone's average monthly maintenance costs? I'll make separate posts for different age boats.

[east tx skier]

RE: What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (10+ yrs old)

If you're not including fluid changes, oil filters, fuel filters, and spark plugs, all of which I replace annually, I'm not sure if my annual maintenance tops $200. This year, I bought new plug wires (just because it was probably time) and a battery. Last year, I replaced the belts due to wear, the decals because they weren't perfect, and did some stereo upgrades (I don't consider the decals and stereo to be the kind of maintenance you're talking aobut). But mechanically, my GT-40 has been quite solid. My manifolds look pretty solid even considering the typical surface rust. The gaskets could stand to be replaced IMO, but they don't leak so I'm not inclined to mess with them. My hoses look fine as well.

[bchesley]

RE: What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (10+ yrs old)

I am really glad yo did not ask how much you spend on upgrades per month because I would be embarrassed. I spend around 50+/- a month I bet when its being used on maintainance items.

[east tx skier]

RE: What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (10+ yrs old)

As for upgrades, I think that depends on the month for me. The first month of ownership was expensive. Not too bad during the summer months either. February can be rough though.

[skijones]

RE: What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (10+ yrs old)

$30 for new impeller each year, 20-30 bucks-oil filter, oil and tranny fluid. $50+- for cleaning supplies and wax.

I suppose if you include all the tools, spare prop and case, ect. it could get expensive, but since I have owned basically the same boat for the last 17 years, I don't count that stuff.

Boating is about the cheapest per hour hobby I have. Try taking two sons to the shooting range. Ammo is getting very expensive these days. We can have a whole day of fun on a small lake with about half a tank of gas.

[skijones]

RE: What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (10+ yrs old)

Btw, just replaced the spark plugs on my 99 even though it did not need it. Still have original belts and hoses at 520 hrs.

[mf01]

Re: What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (10+ yrs old)

I've had to do a few things that were a long time coming for this boat that the previous owner hadn't done, such as manifolds/risers, replacing all hoses, etc.

I'm guessing your high maintenance costs are due to salt water. I don't think manifolds/riser are typically replaced unless they've been in salt.

For me it seems like there is one big thing that needs to be replaced each summer. Last summer was Alternator at around $200, the summer before was steering cable at just under $200, and this summer was new hub for the trailer at around $100 with bearings, cap, etc. Not sure if you consider these repairs as maintenance items. For maintenance I spend money on 2 Oil Changes ($40/year), tranny fluid ($8 every other year), spark plugs ($16 every other year), impeller ($25/year), cleaning supplies (est $40/year), fuel filter ($10/year), and anything else I consider accessories not maintenance. That comes out to about $100/year or $9/month on maintenance. Seems cheap am I missing anything. I do all labor myself, so that lowers the cost a lot.

[Excel94]

RE: Re: What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (10+ yrs

Repairs improvements past 24 months;

Steering cable ($75, I think)
Pro Tech to electronic ignition conversion (about $500)
Carb rebuilt ($75)
Impeller (1 per year @ $35)
Blower and tubing ($50)
Engine and Transmission fluids and filters ($75)
Fuel water separator ($35)
Spark Plugs ($25)
Fuel tank sender switch ($40)
Battery ($135)
1000 grit sandpaper, cutting agent, polish and wax ($125)
Buffer and 3 foam pads ($75)
Re-sewing boat cover ($75)

Sub total = $1350 or $55 a month

I did the the work myself (except the steering cable) so that helps keep the cost down.

I also opted for a new interior which was $3500 installed. I did not include that in my 24 month schedule since the first interior lasted 14 years. Assuming this one lasts 10 years that would about $30 per month.

That puts me around $80 per month.

To be honest, while having a reliable boat is very important to me, I also enjoy tinkering with it. So much of that $80 per month is money I probably would have spent on some other amusement or distraction.

[AuMDLST]

RE: Re: What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (10+ yrs

Service at the nautique dealer once or twice a year - appx $300 each

Call it $45 a month (including Zaino Bros two part wax)
Not including $100 hr labor for me waxing (8 to 10 hours a year)

[CradGen2]

RE: Re: What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (10+ yrs

seems like a lot 200.00 a month. I'm guessing you need to get over the hump with some of the neglect and you should be good in the future. I have never heard of replacing raiser and mans on a boat that new. I'm sure you got a deal, so I would keep after it.

I don't keep boats that long, but then again I'm not that smart. Pittsburgh not having and Nautique dealer is saving me this year. I would love to get an 09 with the new style tower.

[AuMDLST]

RE: Re: What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (10+ yrs

I missed the post that was $200 a month - can someone copy and paste?

seems like a lot 200.00 a month

[MHayes]

Re: RE: Re: What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (10+

I missed the post that was $200 a month - can someone copy and paste?

seems like a lot 200.00 a month

It's the first sentence of the first post....if I'm reading your question correctly?

[AuMDLST]

RE: Re: RE: Re: What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (

MHayes - my bad

I looked and looked and did not see that - In my mind I did not see that as regular monthly
maintanance

Replacing all those parts on a 99 is out of the ordinary unless used in salt - assuming those fixes were calculated in the monthly average
Those items really cannot be figured into regular monthly figures. In the owners case, though, they are and make it seem expensive.

[Andrew]

RE: Re: RE: Re: What is your avg monthly maintenance cost? (

If I could just leave the '86 like it came from the factory, then my only expenses since day one would be:
points
condenser
ballast resistor (didn't really need to replace)
oil
oil filter
fuel filter
fuel
impeller
thermostat
steering cable tube
new vinyl
and
exhaust hoses/ tubing
over nearly a decade, I'm pretty sure the avg monthly cost would be pretty low
The need for a stringer job is sure to drive up that cost though

[hokiesax]

salt

Sorry I actually had to work this week so didn't get a chance to reply. Yeah, we put 500 hours on the boat in the past 18 months all in brackish water. Before that it had only been in fresh water. We spend an hour at the end of each day cleaning the boat and running the engine with fresh water then with salt-a-way. Other than standard fluid changes, we have replaced steering cable, perfect pass wheel, hippo ballast computer thing, manifolds and risers, raw water pump twice, fuel filter twice, installed dripless shaft seal, changed rudder seal, changed all hoses (which were in bad shape when we bought it), replaced all temp/oil sensors/senders/gauges, oil cooler, replaced brakes, bearings, coupler and hydraulic lines, replaced stereo head unit. My co-owner and I have been very active in researching maintenance on this website and others and have tried to do everything possible to clean and spray things down with WD-40 or other corrosion preventatives on a regular basis. The engine currently is surging so that's yet another problem I have to run down. When we bought the boat 1.5 years ago everything worked and as far as we could tell didn't have any major problems. We also had a mechanic look over everything and give us the ok. I realize salt will cause problems but I have read posts from other people who have run in salt and they haven't had near the problems I have.