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@whalecoiner @goatsarah not even normal rich. Sailing has a rich people hobby reputation because it *used* to be expensive, before the invention of fiberglass boats. Wood boats required a lot more labor to build, and we're way out of reach as a hobby for most people. Then in the 70s and 80s several large builders got really good at mass producing boats (Catalina and Hunter in the US, Beneteau in Europe, and a bunch of mid size makers too). They sold a ton of them to middle class people who didn't have the money for something more traditional and customized, and we're willing to gamble on whether the fiberglass boats would last.

It turns out, fiberglass hulls last practically forever if they don't have manufacturing defects or crash into anything. The market is absolutely flooded with old but seaworthy (for coastal waters) boats, from as far back as 1960s. There's a healthy used market for parts (from scrapped boats and wealthier sailors' old equipment when they upgrade), too.