Hey all,<br /><br />SWMBO (she who must be obeyed) and I recently took our first trek out on the water with friends of ours in their 15' runabout, and now we've got the bug bad! 
So, after a few weeks of researching, I've got tons of _somewhat_ focused questions.<br /><br />We're in Connecticut, for one, and would do most of our boating out on Long Island Sound. We're looking for something that can give us the benefits of a runabout (able to pull right up on small, secluded beachy spots), yet still be able to get out the sound, probably using it as a floating camper for weekending out to Block Island or off Cape Cod from time to time.<br /><br />So, we're currently focusing our research on mid-sized cuddies to small cruisers - probably something in the 20-25 ft range.<br /><br />And that's where our questions really begin. In order to trailer such a boat, we'd have to acquire a new vehicle. And I'm not sure how much I like the idea of towing anything much over 20'. So, as an alternative, I've been doing some research into renting a slip, probably down on the Sound. I'm really interested in finding out what are the costs I should expect related to docking such a boat.<br /><br />I'm aware that I won't want to winter the boat in the water - I'm currently looking into both winter storage at a marina and possibly winterizing and keeping the boat at the in-law's home (plenty of space, but would be outdoors). Roughly what can I expect to spend to winterize a boat of this size? How much more should it cost to maintian a boat that's docked in saltwater for the season than for one that's trailered?<br /><br />And what other maintenance costs should I plan for? I figure the boat would get used almost every weekend (weather permitting, of course) and probably one day during mid-week most weeks, almost exclusively in salt water. So, I understand hull painting and treating against marine growth is a must. What other wear-and-tear and routine maintenance should I plan for? Any good rules of thumb?<br /><br />One of the marinas I've emailed has mentioned costs of commissioning in the Spring - what is this?<br /><br />And does anybody have any ideas as to what I should expect to pay to insure such a boat?<br /><br />At this rate, I'm thinking that the costs of keeping the boat in the water will help decide if I'm still looking at small cruisers or if I would be better off considering trailering a 20-22ft cuddy instead.<br /><br />Thanks in advance!
So, after a few weeks of researching, I've got tons of _somewhat_ focused questions.<br /><br />We're in Connecticut, for one, and would do most of our boating out on Long Island Sound. We're looking for something that can give us the benefits of a runabout (able to pull right up on small, secluded beachy spots), yet still be able to get out the sound, probably using it as a floating camper for weekending out to Block Island or off Cape Cod from time to time.<br /><br />So, we're currently focusing our research on mid-sized cuddies to small cruisers - probably something in the 20-25 ft range.<br /><br />And that's where our questions really begin. In order to trailer such a boat, we'd have to acquire a new vehicle. And I'm not sure how much I like the idea of towing anything much over 20'. So, as an alternative, I've been doing some research into renting a slip, probably down on the Sound. I'm really interested in finding out what are the costs I should expect related to docking such a boat.<br /><br />I'm aware that I won't want to winter the boat in the water - I'm currently looking into both winter storage at a marina and possibly winterizing and keeping the boat at the in-law's home (plenty of space, but would be outdoors). Roughly what can I expect to spend to winterize a boat of this size? How much more should it cost to maintian a boat that's docked in saltwater for the season than for one that's trailered?<br /><br />And what other maintenance costs should I plan for? I figure the boat would get used almost every weekend (weather permitting, of course) and probably one day during mid-week most weeks, almost exclusively in salt water. So, I understand hull painting and treating against marine growth is a must. What other wear-and-tear and routine maintenance should I plan for? Any good rules of thumb?<br /><br />One of the marinas I've emailed has mentioned costs of commissioning in the Spring - what is this?<br /><br />And does anybody have any ideas as to what I should expect to pay to insure such a boat?<br /><br />At this rate, I'm thinking that the costs of keeping the boat in the water will help decide if I'm still looking at small cruisers or if I would be better off considering trailering a 20-22ft cuddy instead.<br /><br />Thanks in advance!
