My car and trailer tabs were due (actually, time for new plates on the car), and I noticed on the renewal website that boat registrations are no longer mailed. I haven’t used the boat in some years, so I didn’t notice. Looks like the last stickers I have for it are 2009. Unfortunately, you can only renew if the registration expired less than two years ago.
sigh I’ve got to sell the bloody thing. Other people will use it more than I.
I feel your pain. I just got the bill for our subdivision’s launch ramp fees this year. Over $100.00. Based on last year’s usage, that’s $33/launch. I bought a “wakeboard” boat for our kids (and me) several years ago and they’ve kinda lost interest. I’ve been trying to sell it, but the market’s not exactly hot right now. As an old man, I feel kinda silly driving around in something bright red with splashy graphics. It’s insanely overpowered and I am tired of feeding it. I want a sailboat, but I have to get rid of the power boat first.
I asked my yachtie brother if he would give us a yachting experience. He said “go stand in a cold shower in your clothes with your wife and tear up a handful of $20 notes”
My husband’s work partner offered to give us a really nice speed boat. We declined. By the time you pay insurance, transfer fees, registration fees, docking fees, storage fees, launch fees, and repairs, it’s no gift.
Lisa, owner of two boats already (pontoon and jet ski)
I saw a cartoon once, about how boat ownership works. You go down to your boat, and dump a big bucket of money into the water.
My dad owned sailboats for just about all of his adult life. And yeah, he was always spending time or money on the damn boats. Not so much time actually sailing, but maintaining the boats and fixing them up.
My wife and I actually had our first boat before we were married. We’ve rarely been without a boat. Unlike most folks, we really use them. Up until recently, we’ve been averaging close to 100 hours per year (according to the hobbs meters). She claims we’ve had 8, but I can only remember 7 of them.
There was great fake radio commercial for a “boat simulator”. What it was was samll paper shredder. Anytime you felt like using your boat, you inserted a $100 bill and shredded it.
Too bad you have to sell your boat, Johnny L.A., but if you’re not using it, it’s for the best anyway. I don’t think you’re going to have an easy time selling it, however. Yachtworld currently has over 127,000 sale-by-owner boats listed, which is an increase from last year.
Here’s my boat. I’m not selling it, but a lot of owners at my marina have their boats up for sale. Some of them are practically giving them away. For example, my slip-mate has placed his 28 ft 2003 Bayliner sedan bridge cruiser on the market for $15,000. It has a book value of $52,000.
I added Flexiteek decking, a new camper canvas, a new cockpit dining table, and a few small upgrades to my boat last year that I don’t expect to have to do again for a long time, so I anticipate my true cost of ownership for 2012 to be approximately half of what it was for 2011.
For those who go on and on about how expensive a boat is, yes, it can be, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. Although I didn’t have many opportunities last year to take the boat out, my wife and I were on it at the marina many times during the season. We’d relax at the dock most days, and spent the night quite often. My marina has free water and electricity at each slip, and if I don’t take the boat out, I’m not spending any money on gas. In fact, last year, I filled up once the entire season.