To those of you who have boats

[AJ312]

I am looking into buying a boat in the next year or so. Im not in any rush at all but i want to know all i can before buying one. What i want to know is how much maintenance do they require? Ive heard that a boat is nothing more than a hole in the water you throw money into. I have been reading articles and what not about maintenance but i want to hear it first hand from owners. Is it going to be costly just to keep one, am i ALWAYS going to be throwing money into it, how much of a hassle is it to keep in good running condition? If anyone can throw in any input, it would be much appreciated.

[CincyVLX]

If you are worried about maintenance and throwing money into it, stop looking now. It requires a lot of work to own a boat, but to some people (probably everyone on this site), it is more than worth it for the reward.

[vette74]

If you use the boat a lot it really doesn't require that much more maintenance than your car. If you don't use it things will break more often from sitting there rotting away. Sounds opposite but from my experience this is the case.

[Wakebrad]

Depends on the boat. I've owned 2. First I didn't do my due diligence on and didn't know better. There was a problem with the charging system, had to replace the ignition module, blew through multiple batteries before I found out the alternator had been installed wrong. It was expensive and frustrating.

Now I own a newer V-drive that was very well maintained. I am using the hell out of the boat but I put a lot of time on a weekly basis fixing little things even when the engine and everything functions perfectly. Replacing the Nav light up front, random electrical issues, perfect pass display cutting out, speaker covers popping off.

Basic yearly maintenance is pretty low though if you don't do any upgrades or have anything that goes wrong (which is almost never). I change my own oil, check the transmission fluid, and V-drive oil every time. Takes about an hour 2-3 times per year. Replace the impeller once a year which can be a bitch in it's current location. On my D-drive Nautique it was really easy/accessible.

I budget $1,000 a year in maintenance on it and that's with me doing all of the work.

[t_brown1986]

The two above are both correct.. The more you use(twice or more a week for us) the less you have to do other than oils/impellers/nit pit stuff that is gonna mess up or get dislodged.... But on a nice day out in the water you will forget it all weather your boarding or just chilling with others that can only get where you are by BOAT......

[CincyVLX]

Maybe I came off a little too strong?

I guess what I meant to say is that it's not as glamorous as just hitching up the boat, going to the lake, and coming back to put the cover on it. There is work involved and the amount of work will depend on the type and year of boat that you buy.

[882001]

[Ski Supreme]

Best investment I ever made. I'm on my boat at least 1+ times a week and yes I find stuff wrong every now and then so it helps if you are mechanically inclined and have trouble shooting skills cause it is not if something will break it is when.

Like I said though best investment ever.

[vette74]

[garhuli]

agree with all the above. during the winter i start up the boat in the drive way using the muffs around the outdrive. keeps the engine ticking over. just like a car engine, a boat engine needs to be used, yoou'd never leave your car sitting untouched for 3-4months.
and yes things do go wrong, u will loose a little money , but there'l be a day out on the water when the sun is shining, theres a few cold brews in the cooler, theres scantly clad females on board and you and the boys are boarding in perfect water when you think........totally Bubb Rubbing worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RichmonS]

Cost is a subjective thing. What kind of budget do you have monthly for boat costs?

You will have insurance, service costs (even if you do it yourself), and fuel as a minimum. You may also have a boat payment, storage/slip fees or launch fees to deal with.

My thoughts:
I have a boat and my familiy loves it. For us it is a vacation everyweekend on the lake. I would never be able to put a cost on the time we have away from the TV and computer and can spend time as a family.

[bonvivant]

Definitely add the cost of fuel, insurance, tags, service, payment, storage when factoring price.

I find that my searay..knock on wood, has little problems. Keep up on the impeller maintenance, figure out how to change your own oil and winterize if applicable.

I always heard that Searays were strong boats, and some on here may say the wake isn't as good. I'm telling you, with the deep V and weight, my boat throws a wake that would would surprise you. Not to mention the fat sacks and trim capabilities. Not to mention it has a head for the girls.

[augie]

2 years in my boat so far and haven't had any thing to fix. knock on wood.

I bought a newer boat, 2008, and I think that helps. I've known of people buying older boats 10+ years to save money, just to turn around and put $1,000's into repairs.

Ignoring something breaking or hitting a branch/stump/whatever, expenses for me (not completely accurate, just ball parking from memory)

Legal stuff:
Boat insurance: $345 year
Boat Property Tax: based on county, annually (400 year)
Boat Registration: based on county (every 2 years here) (75)
Trailer Registration: based on county (every 2 years here) (50)

Maintenance yearly:
Oil changes (1-2 year): diy< $70 each. (dealer ~$175 plus gas/time to tow there)
Impeller: diy< $30. (dealer ~$130 plus gas/time to tow there)
Winterize: diy < $10. (dealer ~$150 plus gas/time to tow there)

biannual
transmission fluid: diy < $50 (dealer ~$150 plus gas/time to tow there)

[augie]

biggest hidden expense when you first get the boat is all the gear. 10+ life jackets, boards/wetsuit, stereo equipment, ropes/handles, flag, cooler, cozies, sunscreen, towels, anchor, fenders, blah blah blah

[pet575]

augie, where do you ride?

[augie]