Ray, if you're still considering it-

ray lunder wrote:
I've only owned small sailboats before but now,.. I'm looking at a
pretty good deal on a 41 footer that needs some work. Can anyone
comment on the less obvious costs of owning a boat this size? I do
most repairs myself on smaller boats.

As others have said, it depends *very* much on what kind of work.
Materials have a way of costing way more than most people think,
especially as the boat size goes up. This can make a "pretty good
deal" suddenly look sour.

The other factoid- time is (of course) money. Unless you really enjoy
the particular sort of work that this boat needs, you are probably
better off working extra hours & buying a boat that is already in good
shape.

Another "cost of ownership" is taxes- you can end up paying sales tax
to your state or a "use tax" which can be a disguised sales tax on
your purchase or a fee based on what the state thinks the boat should
be worth... then you pay property taxes, often in both county & town.
Depends very much on your area, but on a 41-footer it's sure to be
more of an issue than a smaller boat. Another point about sales tax...
many states now demand a share of what you should have paid them, when
you move the boat into that state. Florida is a famous example, if you
are cruising thru Flroida and stay more than 30 days they want you to
register your boat with them (which is about $100 IIRC) and if you
stay more than 90 days they want you to pay them sales tax .... no
matter how long ago you bought the boat... although they are kind
enough to allow you to deduct what you paid in sales tax in your home
state.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King