Cost and Time Commitments of Being a Boater
The thought of getting in your own boat and cruising the seas whenever you want is what causes so many people to get into boating each year. Most people get in quickly and then want out just as fast because they didn’t take the time to familiarize themselves with how much of a commitment is involved with being a boater. Consider the following information to help prepare you for your time out on the water.
1. Getting in the Water – Imagine sitting stuck and work and counting the minutes until you are cruising the water in your boat with the wind in your hair and no one for miles. Depending where your boat is stored, you might need more time than you think. If you thought you could save money storing the boat in your driveway, this involves heading home, connecting the boat, slowly driving to the drop area, getting help unloading, then parking your vehicle and trailer. Compare this to keeping the boat at the marina where you pull up, jump in the boat, and you are gone.
2. Price of Your Boat – The cost of your boat is just the first of many expenditures you will be paying for being a boater. Consider that you will have to pay for insurance, fuel and oil, storage, trailer, repairs, setting up the tow vehicle, food, fishing gear, skis, several life jackets, licenses and fishing permits, maintenance, and winterizing costs. Don’t assume $5,000 boat will only cost you $5000, this is an ongoing expenditure that truly is a labor of love.
3. Boat Upkeep – Like maintaining your vehicle, there is going to be days where you have to sit at the dock and do some routine maintenance to your boat. Cleaning the interior and exterior, changing the oil, having the hull checked for damage, all involve your time. If you can set aside a day a month to just sit on the boat and take care of all those needs, you will find that when you want to get out on the water you have less mechanical issues. If time is an issue, hire someone at the marina to maintain the boat regularly.
While being a boater does require some serious commitment, nothing could ever compare to the freedom of being in charge out on the water. Being able to escape the stresses of your day out on the boat is an experience unlike any other. For more information visit our contributor: Boatmo.com