Buy a truck or join a marina?

[Laurissima]

I am looking into buying my first boat. Would it be smarter to trade in my Celica for a pickup (so I can tow it to the lake), or keep my car and get a membership at a local marina where we could keep it in the water? We live in Garland, TX about 10 miles from a lake, and I plan to get a small used ski boat, which we would probably take out every other weekend or so. My husband drives a sedan, and we both enjoy great gas mileage currently; I have never driven a truck... We have a 2-car garage and a circle driveway that could store a boat if needed, but it would probably live outside, covered, if we kept it at home. Another option (to save gas mileage) would be to get a third vehicle ? the cheapest thing I could find that would tow the boat safely ? and keep my car and current great gas mileage. Any advice from seasoned boaters would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[DJ]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

I am looking into buying my first boat. Would it be smarter to trade in my Celica for a pickup (so I can tow it to the lake), or keep my car and get a membership at a local marina where we could keep it in the water? We live in Garland, TX about 10 miles from a lake, and I plan to get a small used ski boat, which we would probably take out every other weekend or so. My husband drives a sedan, and we both enjoy great gas mileage currently; I have never driven a truck... We have a 2-car garage and a circle driveway that could store a boat if needed, but it would probably live outside, covered, if we kept it at home. Another option (to save gas mileage) would be to get a third vehicle ? the cheapest thing I could find that would tow the boat safely ? and keep my car and current great gas mileage. Any advice from seasoned boaters would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Realistically.

-"Probably Live Outside" means-It WILL.

-If it lives at your home you are actually less likely to use it.

-If you do not know how to maintain a boat-you won't.

Dry Storage is a great option. There are a lot of benefits to it:

-No vehicle payment.

-No vehicle insurance.

-No vehicle special maintenance.

Weigh the options.

 

[scipper77]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

Play the numbers. Figure out how much it will cost you to keep the boat at a marina for the next 5 years. Compare that to the cost of a third vehicle. Compare that to the cost of upgrading to a gas hog.

In the end I'd guess you are going to do whatever you want.

One other thing to consider. If you buy a third vehicle, you cam sell that vehicle later and recover your money (some of it at least).

 

[nlain]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

Boat lives in a marina, yearly payment that is fairly large. As stated above, run the numbers, used tow vehicle, you can get a decent one for probably 3 years marina fees. Now, having said that, understand that when you take the boat to the water and bring it home, you then have to clean it, flush it, even in fresh water to get the silt out, if used in salt water to get the salt and silt out. I have a boat that lives at home, I do have a boat ramp out of the back yard, I also trailer to different places, the longest trip so far has been 7 hours, that was for several days not just a weekend. I have made several shorter trips, 3, 4, 5 hours for more than a weekend. My thoughts are, keep the boat at home, get a tow vehicle, make sure you like boating and go from there, keep the good gas mileage vehicles. I at this time have 2 vehicles, 1 that costs about $80 per week and 1 that costs $150 per week if I drive them. My wife works about 10 minutes from home, I am 30 to 45 minutes from home, she now drives the gas hog, I drive the other one. Run the numbers and see what works best for you, if you to the marina thing do not sell the trailer, some day you will want to go to some other body of water. Above all ENJOY the boat. To steal a phrase from another iboats member, BOAT= Best of All Times.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

+1 for the marina. You'll use it more. I'd agree that you'll want to take it somewhere else or just get it out of the water for regular maintenance, maybe you have access to a truck to do this. But there's nothing like being able to jump in and go. Having a truck laying around just to do this can be a pain. You still have to insure it, park it somewhere etc. Been there, done that mostly because I want to go to other lakes now and then. But you state that your boat will be used every couple of months and you seem to be gas milage sensitive (which in it's self makes me laugh since boats don't get any) so I'd look at the slip as spreading out the expense over the boating season with the advantage of ready use. That's what I do, the wife complains when the slip bill hits annually, but overall the time, ready access and fuel saved makes it worthwhile.
The key thing with keeping a boat on the water is to get it out of the water for regular maintenance. The hull should be cleaned every couple of months at least to keep the slime down. Your marina can do this. You living in Texas probably don't have to go through the winterization process the rest of us do unless you get freezing conditions. Even tho, if it's in dry storage at the marina during bad months and properly protected, you won't have a problem. I'd try it for a year and see if it works for you. Maybe later you'll want a hauler.

 

[Laurissima]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

Thank you! Great points!

 

[sw33ttooth]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

BOAT bring out another thousand.
having said that what i would do is look for an suv like an exploror you will get about 15 mpg not that bad and it will tow up to 5k pretty easy look for something cheap with high mileage since your only towing it 10 miles every other weekend. i was going to say that an exploror is also much better of a winter vehical but you live in texas so snow is not an issue. if you only live 20 minuites from work gas mileage isnt that big of a deal however i drive 45 minuites at about 40 miles 1 way in a 95 f150 getting 13 mpg you can guess that i fill my tank every other freaken day and it cost a lot.

my boat pushes the max on my vehical 10lbs under max gvwr with 1 person in the truck and a full gas tank which kind of sucks because i cant go to a smaller vehical. i was looking at a slip on my favorite lake at $2,500.00 a year and i do like going to other lakes so it would only be there half the time just didnt seem worth it, for $2,500.00 i could buy a crapy car getting 25 mpg. i dont think i will ever get a slip unless i go to a 40 foot+ motor yacht.

 

[ingalp01]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

For me, it was cheaper to maintain the boat at the house and tow it to the lake. Plus I have a decent Large vehicle, 2003 Suburban which I can tote the whole family, and friends around in when need be. I still drive a gas sipper to and from work. If you don't know how, or don't want to maintain the boat, dry storage is probably the best option. You call ahead and they will drop the boat in the water for you, haul it out when you are done, and they will also maintain it for you, sometimes all at one price. If you can just show up at the lake and have the boat well maintained, gassed up and waiting, you are probably more likely to use it than if you have to tow it, launch it, recover it, clean it, maintain it and then still have to pay for your tow vehicle to boot.

Regardless... Boating is a blast, so I hope y'all take the plunge. No pun intended...

 

[Laurissima]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

I like that acronym!! I am probably one of the only people on this forum that is a wife trying to convince her husband to let me buy a boat ? usually it is the other way around! Thanks for the good advice.

 

[clemsonfor]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

I am looking into buying my first boat. Would it be smarter to trade in my Celica for a pickup (so I can tow it to the lake), or keep my car and get a membership at a local marina where we could keep it in the water? We live in Garland, TX about 10 miles from a lake, and I plan to get a small used ski boat, which we would probably take out every other weekend or so. My husband drives a sedan, and we both enjoy great gas mileage currently; I have never driven a truck... We have a 2-car garage and a circle driveway that could store a boat if needed, but it would probably live outside, covered, if we kept it at home. Another option (to save gas mileage) would be to get a third vehicle ? the cheapest thing I could find that would tow the boat safely ? and keep my car and current great gas mileage. Any advice from seasoned boaters would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Buy a $1500 truck. Way cheaper even with insurance than a marina. A covered slip around here on the rural lake will cost $300/month! You can buy a truck and insurance with the first years savings. Your gonna want a cheap work truck. Look at F150's from the 80s or a chevvy truck of the same vintage.

 

[a1nowell]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

If you go the dry storage near the lake route you will use your boat more. It is a hassell to prepare your boat for even a 10 mile trip along the roadways. Things have to be loaded, unloaded, tied down, untied etc. When you use dry storage within a mile or so of the lake you primarialy go to you really don't have to load or unload anything but the fish. (don't leave them on the boat) I keep my boat within 1/2 mile of Lake Conroe. I can leave my house, 20 mile drive, and be on the water in 40 minutes. Around Lake Conroe there is a lot of dry storage with valet services where you call ahead and they have your boat out and ready for launch when you arrive, no change in vehicle needed for you.

If your are looking at used boats just asked the sellers why they are selling. I'll bet the answer is , "well we just don't use it much anymore."

By the way if this is your first boat, go used it is a great and less expensive way to find out what kind of boat you really want. I went from a 18' ski/fish runabout to a 24' tritoon. I'm on my third boat and I made money on everyone of them and they were all used.

Just my 3 cents worth.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

My buddy keeps his boat at the marina. I hate to go out with him because its a real pita to get the cover off, put all the electronics back in, clean the spiders off, etc., etc. Then, when we come back its drudgery to put the cover back on, try to slide out of the boat at the bacl corner, then half fall back in the water trying to put the snaps on the last corner of the cover. Once a month he has to pull it out of the water to clean the bottom. Some guys paint the bottom to save that chore, but that leads to other issues as well.

In contrast, my boat is in the garage covered all the time. No trouble at all to back up the car and hitch her on. She's pristine all the time, no cleaning necessary, no worry about water in the bilge or the battery running down. My trailer is all-roller, so it launches single handedly. I can be in and out of the water in less time than my buddy can. Plus, any routine maintenance is easy cause its right there.

The towcar is dedicated to the boat, so mileage isn't an issue. Costs me maybe $300 a year to keep the third car.
Now, if I owned a 30 footer, my opinion would be different.

 

[BTMCB]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

I agree with Jim ^^^^.

Closest lake to me is 45 minutes. Same if I splash in the ocean. Boat sits in the driveway. Always spotless. And, I use it regularly - on average twice a week. Often times I go solo after work (am my own boss so leave when I want). In other words, trailering it has NOT stopped me from using the boat at all. Sure, I spend some gas money but I like having the options of launching at different places. Having said all that, I certainly see the advantages of a slip - guess it's just a matter of which suits your needs. Good luck!

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

This thread has struck home with me. Here's my sitch: we live on a lake in the piney woods, in-house boathouse (!) and plenty of places to park a boat and trailer. We live about 45-50 minutes from a fascinating boating area, namely the Thousand Islands on Lake Ontario/St. Lawrence River. Our small (16 ft) pontoon is being called back to her original home at the family cottage, so I am considering something like an older Ciera 20. Neither of our current vehicles are appropriate for towing a vessel of this size (G35x and Subaru). We will also have to find an appropriate trailer.

So the boat will definitely reside at home, either in the water or on shore. Note that the water in the boathouse does not freeze all year and there is a ramp 500 metres from home. (How can we justify NOT having a boat??)

I learned two things here: first, the importance of taking the boat out of the water regularly to clean, not just at the end of the season, and second, to include in the budget the cost of a pickup truck junker as a tow vehicle. The towing aspect has been weighing on my mind because I would dread the thought of moving to a larger vehicle, like a pickup or SUV as a daily driver for either of us.

Now to choose between the Ciera and the Capri . . . .

 

[Mr_Shamrock]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

We bought our boat new in 2007 and went the marina route for the first year. It was somewhat convenient to have it in the water, but we decided against it the following year because:

It's a pain to do anything to the boat with it at the marina - maintenance, pre-trip checks, cleaning, removing/installing the cover, etc.

It was a pain to haul all are gear from the parking lot to the boat every trip - we tend to go all out and bring a lot of stuff

We wanted to see different lakes and it wasn't so convenient to run down on friday (2 hour round trip), get the boat, then take it to another lake on Saturday (another 2 hour trip) and then return it Sunday or Monday = a lot of driving!

It was fairly expensive to keep it there

It put a water line on the toons - that can still be seen 3 years later

We bought a Suburban for $3500 that is actually really nice. We have put about $800 in it to make it how we want and to keep it reliable. This is roughly 2 years worth of slip fee's, BUT we still have a vehicle that will be worth something if we decide to sell it (you will never get your slip fee's back). We were actually offered a profit on the Suburban, but it isn't going any where. We still use the boat as much if not more - to me, when I come home everyday and see it sitting there it just makes me look forward to the weekend even more. Good luck with whatever route you go!

 

[04fxdwgi]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

My Chap 2550 SX sits on a trailer in the yard and I tow to wherever I want to launch. As my main launch ramp is on the Hudson River in NY, if there was a marina close with covered rack storage, that is probably what I would opt for, but I haven't found one I like as most of the racks are open outdoors. Personally, I wouldn't keep her in a slip, as there are lots of downsides to that, in my opinion, like bottom maintenance (20 year old boat has a bottom that looks new), guy in slip next to me having electrical problems that eat MY stern drive, dead battery during heavy rain = possible sinking, storms, someone banging into her and stuff winding up MIA. List goes on, but if boat was larger, I wouldn't have a choice.

So, boat stays on trailer. I can work on it any time I want and do anything I want (some marina's don't like anyone but thier mechanics working on boats moored there), she stays nice an clean (and dry) and I don't need to worry about stuff disappearing.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

I like that acronym!! I am probably one of the only people on this forum that is a wife trying to convince her husband to let me buy a boat ? usually it is the other way around! Thanks for the good advice.

Yes, definitely some role reversal going on here. I like it. If you haven't already, do the following:

1. Call around to your local marinas and inquire about the TOTAL yearly cost of keeping that kind of boat there. Multiply that number by five.
2. Look at CL (and paper, et al) to get an idea of what a suitable tow vehicle would be and what it would cost. I would guess $1500 tops since you probably don't need a 4x4. In your case pretty much anything would do; Explorer, fifteeen year old pickup, etc. Once you've done that call your insurance agent and ask him/her what liability insurance would cost. Pick a semi-random number ($200-$300 should be more than enough) to account for annual maintenance and/or repair needs on the tow vehicle and trailer and multiply that number by five.
3. Total those three numbers and compare and contrast the sum to the total cost of five years' slip rental. You'll likely find that there will be little difference financially between the two options.

The financial aspects notwithstanding there are pros and cons for both options. Those have been adequately addressed so I won't flog them anymore, but given the circumstances my choice would be a third vehicle, preferably a pick'emup. They're always handy to have around, and you could just leave it connected to the boat during the week. Good luck convincing the hubby. Just don't tell him right away that an iboater always refers to his better half as "the admiral". Best to break that to him gently. Keep us posted.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

I bought this for a little over $3k about 5 years ago specifically to tow a boat. I have never had a truck before and didn't really consider myself a truck kinda guy. Well it has been wonderful to have. I specifically wanted a regular cab long bed to maximize the utility of it. It tows the boat like it's not even there and it sure is nice putting a 4x8' sheet of whatever in it at the hardware store and closing the tailgate Save on tanbark delivery fees also

 

[Laurissima]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

You guys are amazing!! Thanks so much for all the great advice. I looked into pricing at local marinas, and found one as low as $120 a month. Now, I?m comparing that to pricing for a used truck, as it looks like both of these have their benefits. I like the idea of having the boat be ready when I need it, but also love the idea of being able to take it to other lakes, and building equity in the vehicle. When I was 16, my first car was a ?78 Monte Carlo, which we bought for $1500 in 1996. A few years later, we sold it for the exact same amount! That thing was a tank ? I never had any mechanical problems. Of course, the ceiling was held up by thumbtacks.

My dad always had a boat when I was growing up, and LOVES fishing. He goes several times a week. I?m going to see him for Father?s Day this weekend, and he has agreed to let me practice hooking up his boat to his truck and backing it out. That is a father?s love! Hopefully it will not raise his blood pressure as much as when he taught me how to drive.
Towing/launching is the part I am concerned about most. I don?t want to be the idiot at the ramp that the rest of you are cursing at as I try to back in my boat! ☺

I?m self-employed and have saved up the money to do this without taking on a monthly boat payment or car payment (as long as I get a modest used boat and tow vehicle) ? but I?m still trying to get my husband on board. He?s basically said that if I?m willing to take on all the responsibilities of finding out where to store it, how to get it to the lake, maintenance, etc. and I still want to do it, then go for it. Of course, I?m a modern woman and can make my own decisions ☺ But I want him to enjoy this as much as I will! So I?m trying to make my case and be responsible about this whole thing. Thanks again ? I?ll let y?all know how it goes!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Buy a truck or join a marina?

You have made the BEST first step by coming here to iboats. Seriously. From picking a boat to towing to maintenance you won't find more or better advice anywhere. Used boats CAN be a big pitfall if you choose the wrong one so definitely run any potential purchases by us here first. There are some obsolete powerplants you'll definitely want to avoid and some things like rot that you'll want to know how to look for. Good luck!

P.S.- Your conversation with your husband sounds like when I was little and wanted a rabbit and my dad was like sure, if you build a hutch, and take care of it. I never did get that rabbit