Funny thing about yachting is it's not even cost-prohibitive for the middle-class anymore. Not since fiberglass became ubiquitous in the 70s. It's comparable to owning an RV/camper van - something I would not associate with the upper bourgeoisie.

A boat costs about as much as a nice car, except boats are purely recreational. I can justify the cost of a $10k car because it'd be taking me to work every day, but $10k + upkeep for fun is ridiculous. Additionally, you need enough space to store the boat, which already puts you into bourgeoisie territory.

Moxie (of Signal fame) described the transformation in accessibility made by the introduction of plastic boats better than I could ever hope to in his documentary Hold Fast 2007:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lwbHYOFD-4&t=2m30s

Not to be a downer, 'cause I think the movie is great but, how much was he worth then (and how much now?). Was there a financial safety net tied into Moxie's life then? Was he just playing crust punk tourist?

I can't speak to Moxie's socio-economic background, but how is this relevant?

It would kinda ruin the authenticity of a coupla scrappy people putting a boat together on the cheap to sail it around. More fantasy than documentary.

His factual description of the impact Pearson and fiberglass had on the accessibility of sailing to the middle class stands either way.

Plus you need a vehicle that can tow the boat.

Or a storage slip.