How many days of use per year justify boat ownership

[JEVLACH]

I live in New York so obviously only get about half a year season to begin with and I pretty much have Mon-Fri work schedule with the vacation days here and there so I am limited to weekend use plus a little more (evenings, vacations, etc...)

I just sold my Parker and looking to buy another but it kills me that I can't use the boat more. What's the prevailing opinion about minimum per year usage as far as whether is makes sense to have a boat, financially and otherwise.

Jim

[CJS]

Owning a boat anywhere makes very little sense from a financial perspective,
and even less in the Northeast considering how short the season is. But if
it's what you love to do, than JUST DO IT!!!!!!!

[JEVLACH]

CJS

I tend to agree. It just eats me up to sit in the office on beautiful summer day with the boat sitting idle.

Jim

[Art Vrola]

Ditto on the above two replys. Most decisions we make in life are emotional and then we attempt to rationalize them. There is no way to rationalize owning a boat where we live, but if it something you can afford and love to boat, then....

[Gringo]

If you decide its not worth it now, project what your opinion will be once you are too old to do it and no longer have the option.

You know what you are getting into, having just sold your boat. Downsize, maybe?

[sbieshelt]

I fish with my boys 5 and 7. Everytime we get out and have a good time the boat just paid for its self. I might get out once a week or once a month over the summer. The memories may be expensive but they last a life time.

Steve

[GetReel]

I would say 50-70 hrs per season would make it worth it. Any less than that and you might as well become a landlubber-or head boat customer. Make the best of the longer days in the summer and get some late afternoon/night fishing in.

[Beuford T. Justice]

Boating is almost never a wise dollars and cents decision.
It's usually consider to be either a true vice or simply a compulsive obsession, but actually it's quite often both.

[Cracker]

My job is very stressful..so having a boat is a true neccessity for health reasons and just plain fun. Thats the first advice I give any newbie in my career field is to be sure and have an outlet of some sorts...I will never be without a boat.

[fishingfun]

Have you ever looked into one of those boater clubs. They own and maintain the boats and for a monthly fee you have the rights to use the boats. I think prices vary from the types of boats you want to use and how often you want to use the boat. My boat usage has dropped allot over the years and that's why I have hung on to my current boat because its paid for and is still in great shape. If I only us it 10 times this summer its not a big deal because its only costing me the price of insurance and a few bucks for little up keep.

[passman]

My best days as a child were with my family on the water. Boating, water skiing, fishing and sailing. Our boats may not have been the fanciest or fastest but we all had big smiles. I see those smiles on my face and kids faces today every time I'm on the water.

A few weeks back I saw a bunch of kids paddling around fishing in a old hull with no motor. That kind of fun is priceless.

Boating fills a need.

[wmalloy382]

JEVLACH - 8/13/2007 8:44 AM

I live in New York so obviously only get about half a year season to begin with and I pretty much have Mon-Fri work schedule with the vacation days here and there so I am limited to weekend use plus a little more (evenings, vacations, etc...)

I just sold my Parker and looking to buy another but it kills me that I can't use the boat more. What's the prevailing opinion about minimum per year usage as far as whether is makes sense to have a boat, financially and otherwise.

Jim

Jim,

For the first time in years I,ve asked the same question. I live in the same area and try to get the boat in the water every year by may 1 and I don't take it out until thanksgiving.. roughly 6 1/2 months. I usually go out about at least once every weekend and maybe a quick ride during the week. - easily justifiable.
But this year....

second kid, 10 month old... new job, boat didn't splash till June 15... some bad weekends, weddings etc.....I would say ive used the boat 10 times this year max. and that includes all the little trips around the harbor.

so doing the math.
storage - winter 860$
Winterizing - 300$
Commissioning and tune up - 1300
Summer dock slip - $1700 (and that's cheap for around here)
Gas - 500$
Random - 500$

Add that all up and do a little math that comes out to 416.00$ per trip.

That said, I was out this weekend and was at the sand hole in Lloyds neck. I Dug a hole for the 10 month old to play in, went fishing with the 4 year old, cooked food , went swimming , applied about 30 layers of sunscreen and reset the anchor about 20 times... (if you've been to the sand hole you know why) I was even able to slip a few Budweisers in when I had a second.

It was a top 10 day... I would keep the boat if it cost me the full $4160 per trip.

[marsea]

I agree with every post above.
I pretty much have the same schedule as you and end up putting about 100 hrs a year on. It never makes sense buying a boat on paper for most. But hey, you have to make yourself happy somehow. That's what you work for.

[Manny Martins]

Don't do the math on the cost per trip, it makes no financial sense. Find a fishing buddy and go Partners on a boat. Look at calander ahead of time and agree on days or weekends or weeks of usage. I've seen boat parthers who didn;t do that both want to use vessel on nice 80 degree days with a 5 knot wind and sunny. At least this cuts down your obligation in half and you'll only feel half as guilty when you sit in your AC office on those perfect boating days like we had yesterday.

[captlucky13]

i live in ct and i am out from end of march to end of october i go probally 2 or 3 times a week and work full time but i realized that boating was more fun than work so my checks go to boating. if you love boating and can afford it it doesnyt matter if u go one time if u had a good time that justifies enough

[joenew61]

I'm with Wmalloy382.

I have a $12,000 boat budget, and that is with a fully paid for boat. Here’s my typical season in Western CT:

Weekend day fishing 15 days
Weekend overnight/fishing 10 days
Week at Block Island 6 days
One or two other cruise to fish extended stays 7 days
Occasional Friday night 4 days

Total 42 days

With weather and schedules, it is hard to get much more than that up here.

That’s almost $300 per day, not including bait and incidentals. That certainly sounds reasonable, but I could probably get a similar experience with a combination of party boats, an occasional charter, and Ferry/Hotel combinations for a lot less money, and a lot less risk, work and hassle, but at this point I wouldn’t even consider it.

In fact, I am currently looking to upgrade to a new boat – faster, better equipped, more fishing friendly, and better accommodations. With the addition of a boat payment, higher insurance, opportunity cost on the downpayment, and higher operating costs (including tripling the quantity of fuel I will buy), I will almost quadruple my boating budget. While the denominator will certainly increase with the inclusion of offshore fishing, I have decided not to make the daily calculation. At a certain point it is irrelevant to the decision.

The way I justify this is that it will not only give us great memories, but the escape and relaxation it provides will add years to my life. I had my blood pressure checked here at work the other day and it was 114/70 – and I am at an age where that is not very common.

The other factor is that “You can’t take it with you”. I have run the numbers, and will be on a comfortable retirement track, and my daughter will be well provided for when I am gone. I even went as far as asking her opinion on whether we should upgrade, explaining to her that whatever we spend on the boat will mean less money in her nest egg, and her response to me was “Don’t worry dad, I can make my own money”.

I have yet to meet anyone that after a long commitment to boating, looked back and regretted it. On the other hand, I have met dozens who did not step up to the plate, or managed their boating budget in fear of spending “more than boating is worth”, and reached an age where they finally thought they could justify the bigger boat, but were too old to enjoy it, or had no one to enjoy it with. I think that says it all.

[mb_24]

JEVLACH, tried to do the same math to justify a purchase. You've owned a boat, so you know what you're getting into expense-wise.

In the end, there's no justifying it. It's not a need. It's a want. If you have the means, "Salut!" and fulfill the want.

Was out last weekend with my father-in-law, my two older sons (8 and 5) and our 90 year old fishing buddy on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Weakfishing and we played conservationist, saving thousands of grass shrimp.

So after two hours of no bites. the 90 year old turns to me and says, "Mark, just know that it rarely gets better than this. You're with your boys. And while the fish aren't biting, you're not going to beat a day like today too often."

Considering he has 33,000 days here (and 18k more than me,) I'll take his word for it.

Don't justify it. Get back in the game if you can.

[Knottymaid]

I have a 60'er and have found I could charter a boat every weekend for about the same cost of upkeep on mine. I had single engine CCs when I was younger and I think you can come out ok on a used one even if it only gets occasional use. That said, if you use less than 1 time per month you are just as well off chartering. That goes for offshore and flats.

[Kamper]

If you can find a rental place give it a shot. It will save you th e hassle of maintenance and you can try more than one type of boat. You can always buy again later if you hang onto that money.

[shemstreet]

A lot is going to depend on how you feel about the cost of the boat and associated storage and maintenance. A paid for boat is a lot easier to justify than one with $300.00 payments.

Anyway, I try to get at least one day a weekend or 50-100 hrs a year on mine down here in NC, and have already gone over 100 hrs (mostly trolling) with a month to go. If I only got to use it once a month for half a year, I'd probably get a lot smaller boat and throw in an occassional charter.