The Price of Sailing Compared to the Golden State Warriors’ NBA Finals
Is sailing just for wealthy yachtsmen or Russian oligarchs? Popular misperception says yes, but compared to the price of a single Warriors ticket on the secondary market, sailing is a bargain. According to Ticketsmarter, the cheapest ticket for the Warriors’ upcoming NBA finals at the Chase Center fluctuates between about $700-800 per seat. The most expensive tickets available are $16,852, with the average price at $2,353. That is for a single person to watch a single game!
We all know you can find a decent used Laser or Sunfish for $1500 or less, and one person can sail every weekend of the year on those. There’s a Santana 22 in our Classy Classifieds for $3500, which can take a family of four sailing all year long. There’s also a Catalina 27 for $3500 and a Cal 25 for $3000. (The blue blazer and ascot are extra.) General media infatuation with megayachts and the marketing of luxury yachting (Paul Allen’s yacht for charter — yeah) has distorted public perception.
Of course, if you don’t want to own a boat you can join one of the many West Coast sailing clubs. And there are many great, very inexpensive community sailing programs you can join for local dinghy sailing. You can sail on Lake Merritt for $10, or join the Cal Sailing Club in Berkeley and sail for three months for $99!
Walking the marina docks around San Francisco could easily convince you that sailing is expensive. Expense is an option but not a requirement. Small boats have always been the best way to learn and the easiest way to get onto the water. Bigger boats are for when you have the time, money and motivation.
We bought a donated 1966 Pearson Ensign from Cal Adventures for $2500 almost 30 years ago and towed it back to Maine on the trailer that came with it. It did cost $500 to make the trailer roadworthy, but we’ve now enjoyed the boat for about 28 straight summer seasons on the coast of Maine for less than the cost of one night for our family of four at the NBA finals! The Ensign won’t win any beauty contests, but it wins in the enjoyment category.
Years of family sailing or one night at a basketball game — the choice is yours.
Go, Warriors!
and they LOST!
And you can crew for only a small investment. I quit a $10/hr job in 1995 to sail from Berkeley to Papeete. I was a member of Cal Sailing Club at the time, and didn’t even have to pay the minimal $45 each 3 months (at that time; inflation, huh?) because I gave 10 hours of lessons instead. It’s not so much about money as it is dedication to sailing.