Think sailing is just for the rich and famous? You might be surprised by what you can afford.
Dave Selby
Budget boating advocate Dave Selby (pictured) is out to prove that sailing isn't the elitist pastime many presume, telling CNN "cost really isn't a barrier to getting afloat."
Dave Selby
Selby, a sailing writer and author, navigated his £2,000 ($2,800) boat over 340 miles from the east coast of England to the Southampton Boat Show on the south coast in 2016.
Dave Selby
The 18-foot Sailfish yacht was acquired for no more than the price of a second-hand car, while the annual cost of ownership is comparable to a gym membership.
John Rogers
Before... —
Glassfiber boats that were first built in the 1960s and 1970s "were very often over-engineered," according to Selby. "Unlike cars, that rust and die, fiberglass doesn't rust and it doesn't rot like wood so there is an ever growing stock of them."
Dave Selby
After... —
"If they've lasted 40 years, there isn't a reason they shouldn't last another 40 years."
Dave Selby
There is also an economic argument behind getting people into sailing. Selby knows of someone who bought his first boat for £800 almost 20 years ago, but has since traded up seven times and now spends £250,000.
Dave Selby
More than anything else, Selby -- pictured with his dog, Bart -- wants to emphasize how much enjoyment sailing has given him. "Sailing is one of the great freedoms there is, you don't need a license," said Selby. "The marvel of sailing is that is shows us how little we need, and how lucky we are. "