How to Sail on a Budget – Tip #3

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    Painting the Hull

    One way that even an inexperienced boat owner on a budget can save substantial sums during the refit is to repaint the hull themselves. Any owner who has some basic painting skills, plenty of stamina, and attention to detail, can tackle this job, provided that he or she use the correct materials and follow the instructions given. The secret of success is in meticulous preparation; you can use the very best paint system but if your preliminary work is not done thoroughly enough, and you apply the paint in the wrong atmospheric conditions, then you are actually wasting money not saving it.

    Alastair Buchans book, How to Sail on a Budget, is full of money-saving advice on the best way to buy, maintain, sail and enjoy your sailboat. Purchase a copy here at Practical Sailor.

    Darrell Nicholson
    Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him at darrellnicholson.com.