How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

[UST2TOW]

Buying a boat is one thing, but how much do you spend just to have the privelege of using it?

 

[UST2TOW]

I don't mind paying for the boat.....it's....

I don't mind paying for the boat.....it's....

How many $$$ do you waste each year on towing your boat each year?

Cost of tow vehicle:
Tow vehicle insurance
Fuel, oil, routine maint:
Initial cost of boat trailer:
Trailer maintenance:
Trailer registration:
Launch/ramp/parking fees & tips:
Hours spent on boat before and after each use:
Number of days spent on the water this year:

 

[Zero Balance]

Re: I don't mind paying for the boat.....it's....

Re: I don't mind paying for the boat.....it's....

I store my boat across from the launch. For $20 they launch it for me. It wasnt always this way, Just last year fuel prices became high enough to make the storage and launch cost effective.

I have even decided next year to put my boat on one side of the state for half year and the other side the other half. The fuel I save driving a more economical vehicle to the lake and letting them launch the boat will likely give me a few more trips out over the season.

 

[hibbert6]

Re: I don't mind paying for the boat.....it's....

Re: I don't mind paying for the boat.....it's....

This is a frustration, especially if you don't own a truck. I have no desire or need for a pickup or full size van. We had a Ford Aerostar for 7 years, then a GMC Safari (Chevy Astro) "midi" van. When it got totalled (in a very minor acident) we were shocked to discover that we had purchased one of the last new ones in 2003. There are no more. But would a minivan tow our boat? (15' tri-hull w/ O/B) What a can of worms THAT question is, here on iBoats! Finally settled on one of the beefier minivans (Ford Freestar) but I can tell that we're at max capacity in this vehicle.

Sure wish I could own a pair of Hondas or Toyotas and rent a tow vehicle when I needed it, but most rental companies frown on towing...

Dave

 

[Scaaty]

Re: I don't mind paying for the boat.....it's....

Re: I don't mind paying for the boat.....it's....

About $800 a year for the 26 foot slip in our private Marina in the private HOA (also NONE of my trailers even HAVE lights or plates, 'cept the Merc 'Stack" flatbottom, that I toss a light bar on to go **** off the wannabe's that think there fast jetski's are cool..at the local inland freshwater lakes...maybe half buck gas and a 6 pack to launch any ..I rotate 3 boats at the slip in the summer..(aint where ya live, its WHERE ya live....)

 

[Scaaty]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

Way too much, or the best deal on earth..its the attitude..

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

actually the cost of operation is not much, (fuel-oil) it's the amenities, beverages, food, toys, tackle, bait (if fishing). maintainance, is relatively inexpensive, if done regularly, and not deferred till something breaks.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

Not to mention the cost of the tow vehicle, trailer, insurance on the boat and tow vehicle, fuel, oil, eats, beverages, repairs and slip and storage fees where applicable.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

Monthly, $20 bucks for insurance & $65 for storage

Each trip to the lake takes me 3/4th a tank of gas in the minivan (18 gallon tank) and I usually top off with about 12 gallons of gas. We made it to the lake 15 days this week, but a couple of those were overnight trips.

We rent a couple cabins for overnights at around $100 each, and usually rent a sweet house for labor day ($350)

Waxes, cleaners, oils, & maintenance items cost me about $150 this year, but this is my first year of owning the boat. That will decrease by a little next year.

Then there are the food, drinks, bneer , and ice costs for each trip out.


Other than those, there are the start up costs: cost of purchasing and/or financing the boat, taxes, registration, costs to get the tow vehicle ready to roll, life jackets, ropes, etc.

I will say, if you do your research and are patient, you can save a lot of costs. For example, buy a two year old boat where the guy is selling everything with it, that will save you the costs of buying ropes, skis, jackets, etc. E-trailers on line can save you on your hitch, etc. Get insurance companies to compete on line.

What is the costs of not boating -- sanity! $100 an hour for weekly psychotherapy, or family therapy, or even paying for that divorce lawyer will all make you wish you were paying for boating instead and having good family outings.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: I don't mind paying for the boat.....it's....

Re: I don't mind paying for the boat.....it's....

you need to look into one of those boat clubs -- search under nautical toys or Nashville Boat Club for an example. You will pay one set amount and not have many of these "frustrations" which are part of the joy of boat ownership to others.

 

[thrasher]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

Hey sickwilly, that's a neat trick you have there "We made it to the lake 15 days this week, but a couple of those were overnight trips.". I assume you mean this month!!

Gary

 

[dingbat]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

Over the last 3 years I've averaged $1.5K per year in general maintenance for the boat. This number doesn?t include new equipment or upgrades.

Fuel cost for the boat vary from $40 - $130 per day depending on what we do that day. The 3-4 offshore trips we do a year run $275-$325 a day. The fuel on most trips is split between a couple of guys so the fuel costs per person isn?t all that bad.

Not sure about the number of days we spend on the water but I?ve averaged 130-160 hours of operation for the last 3 years which is roughly double the normal usage.

When it comes to trailering I?m a little different than most. We follow the fish as they migrate off the east coast so my trailering costs are considerably more than a weekend warrior.

The truck gets right around 10 mpg when pulling the boat. Its 120 miles round trip to my ?home? port and we make numerous 200-600 miles trips every year so it doesn?t take long to run up quite a fuel bill. Again, split between a couple of guys it?s not too bad

We?re getting ready right now for a 5 day trip down to Virginia Beach (200 miles each way) to fish Stripers in the mouth of the Chesapeake in a couple of weeks. Can?t wait

 

[External Combustion]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

The costs vary heavily on the boat involved. I no longer am able to canoe or row, but still have the rowboat. It is a 1960 aluminum Applby that I still have fun in, usually playing with very old kickers. I now have it on a $80 trailler, but for years, it, like the canoe was just flipped up on a set of racks on the car I had at the moment. Original purchase price of the Appleby was $200, the Old Town Canoe was tanning three dearskins for a fellow reenactor. Current maintenance and tagging fees- $8 per year.

The '71 MFG Gypsey with an 85 hp 'Rude ratchets up the price. Tags for the engine and hull are $21. In the 8 years that I have owned it, I have put just under $350 in repairs and maintenance, yet this winter it will get reupholstered as it is in need of a complete job. I also will go through the lower end just to make sure the electric shift is completely sound and put on new tires on the trailer. This was a gimme boat with the condition attached that I introduce a newer generation to boating. We don't license boat trailers here. I use around six gallons an hour when playing with the skis and tubes.

The 30 ft launch cost my family close to six years of part time work, a bunch of heavy negotiating for the parts we could not make and a serious commitment to see the project through. I have seen commercially built launches in it's catagory sell new for 80K to 120K. Work hard or pay hard.
Operating expenses are around ten cents an hour for lubricating oil. Fuel cost is hard to say as she consumes around fifty pounds of wood an hour at maximum. A chord of wood is generally around 4500 pounds. We have used packing crates this year as some local manufactures are more than glad to give us their problem as they do not have to pay to have them hauled away. If it was an oil burner she would burn around three gallons an hour. Tagging it is $60 a year. Maintenance has worked out to $300 a year, mostly paint and deck oil. I use water softener salt as a wood preservative inside it's hull.

Storage fees don't exist as I am on a small farm. The cost of the tow vehicles also does not enter the picture as I use them here on the place and would have to own them anyway.

I thought I would put some hard figures in my post so you can get an idea of what you might want to afford. Boating does not take a large investment of cash if you do not want to go that route. Gimme small boats can be found almost any day, especially in the winter. Aluminum Johnboats and small V bottoms are an inexpensive way to get started. Then of course, putting your hand on the throttle of three, one thousand horsepower engines and throwing it open.........

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

Good thread- I have often pondered moving away from the lake to offset some of the costs of owning this place, but never thought of all these trailering costs. Food for thought...

My current tow vehicle is my 73 Chevelle, and I only tow the 17' boat once or twice a season with it, (and not at all this year) but if I were to be towing regularly I would have to get a truck and I would probably do a "once over" on my trailer if it was going to see higher duty cycle.... electric winch etc... all adds up and another vehicle to maintain/insure cuts into time and $

My inflatable goes on my utility trailer behind my Kia-so no real cost to that-as I have that trailer mainly for other things.

 

[j442w30]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

To actually use my boat I think it costs relatively little. I only have a 6 gallon gas tank, launch fees are less than $10 where I boat, and I tow with a Chevy Cavalier which is a relatively inexpensive car to run.

Its all the improvements to the boat that I make during the winter and spring that really add up.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

Hey sickwilly, that's a neat trick you have there "We made it to the lake 15 days this week, but a couple of those were overnight trips.". I assume you mean this month!!

Gary

Week -- only in my dreams -- yeah, I meant month.

 

[RGrew176]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

About $8980.30 this past season.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

It's not running my boat that costs; it's collecting the damn engines! I have 15-16 in various sizes from 4 to 140. Buy a couple of pistons, a few props--It's like reagan once said: "spend a billion here, a billion there--next thing you know, you have a trillion."

 

[backwater dawg]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

My boat salesman buddy once said" Ya cant put a price on a good time"--ya know he's prob right---you just have to justify how much that is---I think you can boat very cheaply with smaller used boats-no storage -no slip rental, ect----or costs soar as we get the bigger boats--take longer trips = more cost---oh well " Ya cant put a price on a good time---Right????

 

[ziggy]

Re: How much does it cost just to USE your boat?

i do trailer boatin. i figure that it's about $60 min per trip. fuel and beverages mostly. i'm 22 miles from the lake...... more $'s if i go to the river. $150 per trip there maybe. which would include lunch at the marina....

i made enough trips this year, i'm pretty broke......