Owning a boat is getting very expensive!

[Detour66]

Between storage.... boat payment.... Insurance.... super high fuel prices.... maintenance..... ramp fee or dare I say keeping it at a marina.... its crazy...and I am not talking a 30 ft boat! It is becoming out of reach!

[Gerry Zagorski]

If you look at the dollars and cents of owning a boat, it makes little to no sense at all. At least in my case and I'd assume most others, you could jump on a party or charter boat several times a week and still be way ahead of the game. Plus you don' have to worry about fuel, maintainence, cutting bait and cleaning up the boat when you get back in.

Having said all this, it's hard to put a price tag on all the freedom you get by having your own boat. Just knowing you can get out whenever you want, finding the fish, choosing your own spots. It's all part of it for me.

Not sure about others, but my schedule is all over the place and most of my fising is done at the spur of the moment when time and weather allows. Make a few calls, get a crew together and your fishing.

Having the boat in a slip adds to the spontaneity. If I had to go and launch the boat each time I fished, I probably would'nt go as often and probably would not have a boat. And many times, I'll just go down to the marina to hang out, relax and fart around.

I don't have excess money to throw around either. What little I do have, I choose to spend on the boat since I get so much enjoyment from it. If I didn't have one there certainly would be a void that would be hard to fill.

We each have our own hobbies, pleasures and priorities. Mine happens to be a hole in the water in to which I pour way too much money

As long as I'm healthy and can afford it, I will always have one.

[eagleyankfan]

Originally Posted by Detour66

Between storage.... boat payment.... Insurance.... super high fuel prices.... maintenance..... ramp fee or dare I say keeping it at a marina.... its crazy...and I am not talking a 30 ft boat! It is becoming out of reach!

I have to agree ... it's discouraging. Just gas price along makes it brutal.

[SaltyAngler]

Ridiculous, innit?

Unless you have a very close friend or two that enjoy it as much as you do and would WANT to partner up...then, it's not so bad.

[njboarder]

lesson learned: make friends with boats..

[Capt. Debbie]

Really boating was never cheap nor an investment.

It was our diminishing "discretionary" ( aka play) money that has diminished. Those weekly work vehicle fill ups for $60 or $100 cut into our ready cash.

True, lately its been hard to spend even a $100 on a boating item while you worry about paying for other stuff you need (versus like).

My boat is my vacation. That how I look at the money spend. For me, a cigar and an ample suplly of Mike's Hard Lemonade is a day in Aruba while I'm out on the boat.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by SaltyAngler

Ridiculous, innit?

Unless you have a very close friend or two that enjoy it as much as you do and would WANT to partner up...then, it's not so bad.

Very true Salt. My brother and I are partners on the boat which helps a lot.

[SaltyAngler]

Btw Gerry, I met you and your brother on Gaffer a month or so ago...when my newbie bro in law won the pool...lol. Was a pleasure to meet you both. I'd be out there more often, but a job can be a female dog...lol.

Indeedly do, though...it's nice to split costs 50/50 or better...then it's not so bad. Only problem I've (not yet...hopefully never) yet to run in to: a simple disagreement over an unnecessary upgrade/addition can destroy a friendship.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Small world Salt. That was a fun day for sure.

I hear you on partnerships of any kind. It's give and take and sometimes you have to give more then you take. Thankfully my brother and I get along very well and we almost always fish together so it works out well.
That certainly is not the case with other partnerships I've heard about.

[SaltyAngler]

You fellas were both funny and a pleasure to fish with. I'm sure we'll fish again some time.

Indeed. There's a fine line that can easily be crossed with partnerships of nearly any kind. As long as the parties involved agree to disagree, things should be right as rain.