Costs

In the old days private sailing involved wood, hemp, copper, brass, leather, and other basic and relatively inexpensive materials.

Modern yachting is characterized by two new ingredients:

1.Chemicals
2.Money

From the masthead lights to the sails to the hull and deck, halyards, sheets, paints, wiring, and down to the anti fouling at the keel almost every part of a modern sail boat involves chemicals – some very strong and dangerous.

The other toxic ingredient is money. Modern equipment is good, durable, reliable, functional but very expensive. With those mutterings I will present a cost of our 45 days in Opua in New Zealand dollars:

1.Marina charges: $847.25
2.Mechanical and Electrical work: $19,984.74
3.Mastervolt charger: $750.00
4.Boat Shop : $4275.45

That makes a total of $25857.44 NZD which is roughly $22,000 AUD.

That is a lot of money but it represents a lot of creativity, good design, skill, and top equipment that has for us transformed the boat to a new level; and I feel very firmly that I've gotten my money's worth. I have found the professionalism, quality of work, honesty, and responsiveness in Opua outstanding. Fremantle is a bigger center with more resources than Opua but there is no way in which I could have gotten this work done to this standard in only six weeks because the economy and boating are booming in Western Australia and everyone is too busy. I would recommend Opua to any Yachtie needing serious work on their boat, particularly in the "off" winter season when things are relatively quiet and the suppliers can focus on your requirements.

By the way, that brings my total expenditure on Pachuca, including purchase price and all improvements to $225,000 which I consider good value given her inventory of equipment.