so i have just been lazily going through the current season. been doing a lot of quests that involve sailing (funny thing i do not get any sailing xp at all . . .)

been wandering around in a rowboat. i find it affordable and easy to navigate. but just recently i got the message that the boat lifespan is almost over. was never sure what the yellow bar at the bottom meant. so i got a new boat.

but i am curious, is it this way for frigates etc? if i manage to save up money to buy a nice ship will it just wear out at a certain point? i do not mind repairs etc, but if it is just going to 'die' at the end of its lifetime, seems silly to put money into a frigate or other nice ship.

Small boats have limited lives, yes.  Bartali and Epheria boats and above do not.

Sailing XP: need to be on the open ocean, and you can get a very small amount that way.  Doing quests will get you much more.  The Oquilla's Eye series under suggested quests will get you to skilled 10, I think.  Enough to use Breezy Sail on capable boats.

Edit: skilled 1, not 10.

https://www.blackdesertfoundry.com/ships-guide/ gives an overview of the various boats. Several do have a limited lifespan, but the Bartali Sailboat does not, and the Epheria Sailboat and Frigate do not - as well as the boats that you get from upgrading them. The ones you're most likely to run into that have a limited lifespan are the fishing boat and Epheria Cog.

ty for the info. very good to know that if i invest a lot of time and money to get an epheria sailboat or frigate that they just won't slowly dissolve . . . and good info about sailing too. ty

Just be sure to buy your first entry boat, whether that is sailboat or frigate (depending on your needs). Building your own isn't worth it. You can easily make that silver several times over in the same span of time/effort spent doing something more productive. The later upgrades will require plenty of actual sea play time as it is, so any step you can skip with pure silver is a boon.