Expected Maintenance on a Houseboat?

[hibbert6]

I'm giving serious consideration to the purchase of a 35' houseboat, monohull (not pontoons) with an i/o v8, 30 years old. It all seems to be in pretty good shape. Of course, I will have the engine/drive checked out, first.

My question is, what kinds of maintenance should I expect to have to do on a boat like this??? We're in central California, so I won't need to "winterize", and the boat will stay in the (fresh)water year-round, in a covered slip.

Just trying to figure out whether my wallet can take on something like this. While the sale price is good, right off the bat I'll need to spend $260/mo for the slip. How much more will I need to shell out, assuming we use the boat 20 days a year?

I currently own a 16' o/b on a trailer, and it costs me about $150 a year...


Dave

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Expected Maintenance on a Houseboat?

well it is going to need bottom paint, someone is going to have to keep the algae off it. slip fees, and maintenance, at 20 days a year use, may indicate that renting boat may be more what you need to use. a boat kept in the water needs to be used, to keep the hull clean. then you have the zebra mussles if they are in the lake.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Expected Maintenance on a Houseboat?

Is the hull steel, alloy or glass?

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Expected Maintenance on a Houseboat?

Ditto on TD about the bottom paint. It makes a big difference on keeping those pesky zebra muscles off the bottom. Does your slip include electric and pump out? If not, that could be another added expense. Expect maintenance on the cabin part to be similar to a house.

With a houseboat you have 3 electrical choices, Battery Power, Shore Power, and Generator Power.

Then you have two water system, Fresh water and Waste water.

When you move up to a boat this size, it does require a lot more effort for upkeep. Washing and keeping an 18'er clean compared to a 35'er is like going from washing a compact car to a semi truck.

I agree with TD that maybe you first should rent to gain experience on a boat that size. Sometimes it is more economical to rent than owing if your not going to be using it very often. My wife and I stay on ours 26 weekends out of the summer season with 2 weeks during vacation. Its not a houseboat, but I slip where there are many. You would be surprised on how many only use their houseboat as a house on the water vs using it as a boat. In other words, their engine or outdrive is inoperable, but they still reap the benefits of being on the water. Good Luck

 

[hibbert6]

Re: Expected Maintenance on a Houseboat?

Thank you, thank you. Once I did the math, figuring the boat might last me another 10 years, the cost came to $200 per day of use, not including fuel. So, yes, I probably CAN rent one for about that much, and not have to be responsible for maintaining it...thanks for all the advice!

Dave

 

[hibbert6]

Re: Expected Maintenance on a Houseboat?

Whoops! I just checked the price of houseboat rentals here in California. The
"smallest" (sleeps 6) rents for over $300 per day during the summer. The price keeps climbing with the size of the boat. One, that sleeps 16, is $12,500 per week!

Maybe $200/day ain't too bad after all!

Dave

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Expected Maintenance on a Houseboat?

I have a 45fter and, until today, have never bothered to calculate the daily cost.

We use it every second weekend plus 4 weeks at Christmas time and 2 weeks at Easter. Total of 94 days (average). Last year she cost me about $12000 in fees, maintenance & fuel. Total of $127.66 per day. When we retire, we will use it 365 days per year or $33 per day

 

[Bondo]

Re: Expected Maintenance on a Houseboat?

I have a 45fter and, until today, have never bothered to calculate the daily cost.

Ayuh,...

I've got a 35'er that I Stole,+ I dock it at My Own dock,...

I don't even want to figure my daily co$t$....

Regardless of the dollar Co$t$,....
As long as my Love is Happy with it moored out front,....
Everybody is Happy,.....
And that's Worth whatever it Takes.......

 

[jollymon]

Re: Expected Maintenance on a Houseboat?

Anyone that calculates the per use/day cost of owning a boat should instantly give up thier right to own a boat. The boating gods shopuld just come down and take your boat before you even finish that math!

That being said, once you own the boat you will probably find yourself using it more then you think!

If the money is in the budget go for it.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Expected Maintenance on a Houseboat?

Depending on where you are and how you use your boat, hauling it for new bottom paint could be something that you need to do, anywhere from every 6 months to every few years. Between the hauling, labor and bottom paint, that is not an inexpensive proposition on a 35 foot boat. I would factor that cost into your expected budget.

You might also surf the net for houseboat forums. I think you will probably find a site that is similar to this one, but for houseboats specifically. Those folks might be able to offer you some guestimates based on both houseboat ownership in general, and in regard to the particular boat you are contemplating.

On the bottom growth issue, one way to lengthen time between hauling, is to have a diver scrub the hull periodically. I haven't seen this with powerboats all that much, but it is commonly done by people who race sailboats. While this isn't a "fix" without expense or other considerations, it can sometimes ease the larger financial burden,

 

[Scupper Guppy]

Re: Expected Maintenance on a Houseboat?

Let's see... additional maintenance costs...

How about insurance. A fire started on that 30 yr old boat can spread to others on your dock. Hopefully the fuel lines and wiring are OK before you put gas in the tank. Your dock neighbors won't be very happy about firetraps moored nearby.

Ever hire a marine technician before? If not, you're in for a surprise. If you do your own work, read the paragraph above.

What are costs for pumping out holding tanks? Add that in. Do you work on heads, too? If so, add in your health insurance. There are some nasty illnesses out there.

With a little luck, you'll have enough money left over to buy a case of the deluxe Pork 'N Beans to eat onboard. The good kind with BIG pieces of pork in it!