What Happens During a Sailboat Haul Out? (Our First UK Haul Out & What It Really Cost)

ericaoliviasilva24

Aug 6

5 min read

Updated: Aug 11

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we have personally used or genuinely think are useful for life onboard.

Sailboat SILVA NOVA hoisted in a blue WISE lift at Ipswich Beacon Marina under a clear sky.

If you've never hauled your boat out before, it can feel like a bit of a mystery. We certainly had plenty of questions before ours. How long would it take? How much would it cost? Could we still live onboard? Would we need to bring anything?

Having recently completed our first haul out at Beacon Marina in Ipswich, here's exactly what happened, what it cost us, and what we'd do differently next time.

Why Do Sailboats Need a Haul Out?

A haul out is when your boat is lifted out of the water so you can inspect and maintain everything below the waterline. Common jobs include:

Pressure washing the hull
Applying fresh antifoul
Replacing anodes
Checking the propeller and rudder
Inspecting underwater fittings
Carrying out repairs that can't be done while afloat

For us, the main jobs were antifouling the hull and replacing our anodes.

Barnacle-covered sailboat hull in a sunny boatyard, blue fenders hanging beside it, with a worker in orange pants.

How Much Does a Sailboat Haul Out Cost?

These were the marina costs for our haul out at Beacon Marina in August 2026:

Service	Cost
Lift out	£353.38
Pressure wash	£102.02
Storage ashore (first 14 days)	£9.44 per day
Storage ashore (after 14 days)	£11.80 per day
Relaunch	£353.38

The lift and pressure wash alone came to £455.40.

Sailboat in a blue boat hoist at an industrial dock under a clear blue sky, with cables, hoses, and numbered reels.

Like most things in boating, I found the costs a little shocking at first. The marina equipment and expertise are impressive, but it still makes you wince when the bill arrives! Of course, these are only the marina costs. Once you add antifoul paint, anodes, sanding discs and other supplies, the total rises quickly.

Keeping track of every expense is something we've learned is essential when living aboard. We break down our actual monthly spending in our Cost of Living on a Sailboat in the UK guide.

Estimate Your Marina Costs

Wondering what your boat could cost to keep in a UK marina? Use my free Marina Cost Calculator to estimate annual berth fees based on your boat's length, location and marina type.

Try the Marina Cost Calculator

How Long Does a Haul Out Take?

The actual haul out was much quicker than I expected. We brought Silva Nova round to the slipway, she was lifted out, pressure washed and positioned in her cradle in just over an hour.

Beforehand, Beacon Marina had advised allowing around an hour and a half for the lift, pressure wash and lay-up ashore, so their estimate was pretty accurate. I had somehow imagined the process would take several hours, but once the travel lift was ready, everything moved very efficiently.

Man climbs a ladder beside a sailboat, holding a red bucket; blue fenders and marina masts under a cloudy sky.

Don't Forget a Ladder

One thing that caught us out was discovering that ladders are not provided for boats ashore at Beacon Marina due to health and safety reasons. We needed roughly a 12ft ladder to get on and off the boat. Cue a last-minute search! We found one online for £76 with next-day delivery. We weren't sure what the quality would be like at that price, but we've actually been really impressed with it. It's now another useful piece of boating kit that will hopefully last us years.

We now have quite a collection of "things we never knew we'd need" onboard. You can see some of our essential liveaboard boat equipment here.

White sailboat with blue fenders docked beside a crane at a marina, under a clear blue sky.

Can You Live Onboard During a Haul Out?

Yes, you can. Living onboard while on the hard is actually much more similar to living afloat than I expected. The biggest difference? You can't use your toilet. Every trip to the bathroom means walking to the marina facilities. It's not a disaster, but it does make you appreciate having your own bathroom onboard! On the positive side, my daily step count has definitely increased and the walk around the marina is actually quite enjoyable. One thing I would recommend is filling your water tanks before coming ashore. It is much easier to do while you're still afloat than once you're sitting on the hardstanding.

If you're wondering what day-to-day life is actually like living on a sailboat full time, you can read more about our experience in Living on a Sailboat: The Reality of Liveaboard Life.

Worker in white protective suit and blue gloves sands a blue boat hull on a stand at a marina under a cloudy sky.

Antifouling: The Real Work Begins

The lift out itself was the easy part. The real work started once Silva Nova was safely sitting in her cradle. Before applying fresh antifoul, the hull needed preparing. That meant sanding, cleaning and getting everything ready for paint.

If you're interested in the less glamorous side of boat ownership, we also share the reality of ongoing maintenance costs and jobs.

Adrian has spent days underneath the boat sanding, covered in blue dust. In fact, he's spent his birthday doing it! I think he secretly enjoys these jobs, although I'm not sure he'd admit that after several days crawling around underneath the hull.

The biggest lesson from this haul out has been that the actual lift is quick — the maintenance afterwards is where the time goes.

Person in Tyvek suit, goggles and mask on a sailboat at a marina, adjusting gloves with yachts and buildings behind.

Our Haul Out Maintenance Costs

The marina fees are only part of the total cost.

Item	Cost
Lift out	£353.38
Pressure wash	£102.02
Storage ashore	£9.44/day (summer deal, first 14 days), then £11.80/day
Relaunch	£353.38
Antifoul paint	£64.95
Anodes	TBC
Sanding discs	£11.04
Rollers, tray & handle	£18.77
Ladder	£76

Person in white protective suit and blue gloves uses a power sander on a blue-and-white boat hull at a marina yard

Would We DIY Again?

This is the big question. Doing the antifouling ourselves saves money, and there is something satisfying about knowing exactly what has been done to your boat. However, after seeing how much time and physical effort goes into it, I would definitely consider getting quotes next time. For a smaller boat, DIY might feel much more manageable. On a 44ft boat, there is a lot of hull to prepare!

Things That Surprised Me About Our First Haul Out

A few things caught me off guard:

The actual lift-out process was incredibly quick.
The maintenance afterwards takes far longer than the lift itself.
Living onboard ashore is easier than expected.
Luna actually seems happier up high than she does down on the ground. I expected being several feet off the ground would upset her, especially because she can't get down and explore the marina like she normally would. Instead, she's been tearing around the cockpit having an absolute whale of a time. She seems to love having a high-up lookout over everything that's going on, which was the complete opposite of what I expected!
Not having an onboard toilet is the biggest inconvenience.
The little costs add up quickly.
You always seem to need another piece of boat equipment!

Worker in white suit paints the blue-and-white hull of a sailboat on stands in a boatyard under cloudy skies.

Things I'd Recommend Before Your First Haul Out

Ask your marina exactly what they provide.
Check whether you need your own ladder.
Fill your water tanks before leaving the water.
Order your maintenance supplies early.
Allow more time than you think for sanding and painting.
Take plenty of photos while the boat is out — you don't often get this view of your own boat!

Man climbs a sailboat on stands in a marina yard, with solar panels and blue fenders under a cloudy sky.

Final Thoughts

Before our first haul out, I thought the whole process would be much more complicated and stressful than it actually was. The lift itself was quick and professional, and within just over an hour Silva Nova was safely sitting ashore ready for her maintenance work.

The hard part is everything that comes afterwards.

A haul out is a big job, especially when you live aboard and your home is suddenly sitting several feet above the ground. But it is also a great opportunity to really get to know your boat and tackle jobs you simply can't do in the water. Would we be nervous doing it again? No. Would we budget more time and money? Absolutely. Hopefully this gives another first-time boat owner a better idea of what to expect.