"Off-shore sailing is as much fun as standing in a cold shower tearing up $100 bills."
Sounds like it could apply to all boating. When you do the math like that, you find many things about recreational boating:
A cheap boat isn't.
The purchase price of a used boat is just a down payment.
The rental rates aren't that bad. Neither are the boat clubs, for the occasional user.
A boat is not an investment. it is nothing but an expense. You get as much return as a ticket to the movies or dinner at a fancy restaurant (with no doggie bag).
A boat just sitting there is still burning cash (taxes, insurance, storage, etc.)
The more you use it, the cheaper it is.
Boating is a luxury. Not everyone can afford it. Those who think they can get in, and stay in, cheap are kidding themselves.
Non-boaters seldom appreciate what they are sitting in, when they are taken along.
Those who get by with little invested and little cost afterwards exist, but they are rare and lucky.
Also, those who brag about low costs because they DIY seldom account for the value of their time, and value of time is a huge variable among boaters.
So the solution? Don't think about the cost to go boating; it will ruin its one and only purpose: pleasure. Wishing it wasn't so expensive is like wishing the water would stop coming in when you forgot the plug.
"Off-shore sailing is as much fun as standing in a cold shower tearing up $100 bills."
Sounds like it could apply to all boating. When you do the math like that, you find many things about recreational boating:
A cheap boat isn't.
The purchase price of a used boat is just a down payment.
The rental rates aren't that bad. Neither are the boat clubs, for the occasional user.
A boat is not an investment. it is nothing but an expense. You get as much return as a ticket to the movies or dinner at a fancy restaurant (with no doggie bag).
A boat just sitting there is still burning cash (taxes, insurance, storage, etc.)
The more you use it, the cheaper it is.
Boating is a luxury. Not everyone can afford it. Those who think they can get in, and stay in, cheap are kidding themselves.
Non-boaters seldom appreciate what they are sitting in, when they are taken along.
Those who get by with little invested and little cost afterwards exist, but they are rare and lucky.
Also, those who brag about low costs because they DIY seldom account for the value of their time, and value of time is a huge variable among boaters.
So the solution? Don't think about the cost to go boating; it will ruin its one and only purpose: pleasure. Wishing it wasn't so expensive is like wishing the water would stop coming in when you forgot the plug.
I am still new to boating, dont even have a boat yet, but 54$ an outing sounds like a frigan DEAL! I can only hope thats all it costs me!
I just saw a segment on the news that was about how it costs an average of 350$ for a family of four to go to a redsox game!!!!
Or how about taking a family of 4 skiing or boarding for the day in the winter!
even the movies at 18$ a ticket
to have a boat you can enjoy as a family all day for only 54$ a day seams like a steal!
I though of my snowmobiling costs when i first read the this email. i probably spent well over 1000 bucks to prep 2 sleds for the winter as well as registering the sleds in two states, repairs/maint, insuring, etc etc and because of the weather and busy life, probably only used each sled a a MAX. of 6 days last winter. (each sled used 3 times) thats 166$ a day +/- and the trails were not even that good because of the weather.
so damn, I hope boating only costs 54$ a day!