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Canuck57[_9_]

On 05/01/2012 2:02 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:51:48 -0700,
wrote:

The cheapest way to own a boat is to use it a lot. Then your per hour
cost drops to a very low number.

Or rent it. Also saves patching up road chipping and the like. Better
gas millage too when getting there.

--

Most of the people I know would be thousands of dollars a year ahead
if they just rented a boat on the dozen days a year they actually go
out. By the time you amortize a $40,000 boat over the 40 or 50 times
they use it before it just rots on the lift and toss in the
maintenance headaches from stale gas and other things sitting around
unused causes, $150 an hour rental is a bargain. They usually end up
getting a few thousand on a trade in and start over, promising
themselves they will try to use the boat more next time.
We get out 3 times a week for a couple hours each and I figure boating
costs me less than $8-10 an hour, all costs including maintenance and
gas in the computation. Gas is the biggest part of that number and
when we go slow in manatee season or when my wife says it is cold
(below 80) that can get me closer to $6-7 an hour.

Exactly. $100/day for 14 days is $1400 (book longer, lower rates). The
things depreciate faster than that. As you say, no stale gas, no
storage, no annual winterization, no road chips to repair, just fun.

Also why I charter. For the price you get the boat and a local expert.
While someone fiddles with their motor to get it started and doesn't
know where on the lake to go, your catching fish.

I can easily put $40K into investments for a 10% return and it pays for
the whole vacation each year.

Now if your retired, living on a lake, going to use it 60 days a
year....owning makes a lot of sense.

Plus without a boat you have flexibility. No obligations. Ocean
fishing in winter, or inland in summer, or the other coast and nothing
to tow. Probably why I lost count on the lakes/places I have fished.

Plus, if you have a boat, they don't let you take in on fly in fishing runs.

For me, it makes no sense to own. Being in southern Alberta, no real
decent lakes (there are a few but crowded) it saves me dragging it all over.
--
No mater how liberally you try to ignore rationality and reality,
reality always wins in the end.