Winter Months

[Yambers]

As we go into the colder months of the year, October through May, I have to ask others how they can stand spending the money for payments and insurance while the boat sits in storage? I've been boat shopping, and I love boating, but I get anxiety just thinking about it. Granted, I used to ride motorcycles and had to pay while it sat, but the bike was half the payment and it tucked away in a dark corner of the garage. Out of site out of mind. But a boat takes up 225 square feet of the pole barn.

So please tell, how do you cope? Is the 4-5 months a year of good weather worth the 7-8 months a year that you cant really use it? I'm betting I would be one of the guys sitting in the boat making motor sounds on a January evening with a foot of snow outside.

 

[Jeel]

My boat is in the water just about 6 months a year in NJ...so its not that bad ...now my snowmobile , im lucky to get 3 good months out of it and then watch it collect dust in the garage

 

[Yambers]

Boys and their toys. I'm in Indiana and growing up my friend had snowmobiles. We got them out once in about 5 years.. But I did t have to pay for those. Lol

 

[haknslash]

I reduce my insurance premium slightly during the winter (Nov-April) using their "lay up" option. During this time the boat is insured in a "storage mode" if you will.

Boating is about making memories, not just looking at the money being spent. Gotta pay to play. For us the escape from the real world is worth it..

 

[WV Hillbilly]

My boat sits while I get to use my bow, shotguns, and rifles. It doesn’t spend its time in a safe like the guns do so in the past some work is done on it late in the season and shortly before the season starts. When the guns are in the safe, food plots and other “work” is done.
A boat is never an investment and it would be cheaper for me to buy Kobe beef instead of deer, elk, turkey, and moose.
The “worth it” question is one only you can answer for yourself. I have a buddy that is completely into skydiving... I would never jump out of a perfectly good plane... but he does and he loves it.

 

[Noko]

I haven't used my boat in over a year. When I bought it, I figured it was a luxury. I have snowmobiles that I use about 3 weeks out of the year. This will change some when I move to the house where the boat and the snowmobiles are. If paying for a boat for the months that you aren't going to use it is going to stress you, then maybe you should think about why you want to make the purchase. Maybe look at buying at boat thats used and then the cost isn't so much. I've put probably 80K into my 40K boat. I bought a lift, built storage and extended my dock. Boats just aren't cheap and they certainly aren't worth the money you put into them versus the resale, but the fun you get, I think is worth it.

 

[Yambers]

I get what everyones saying.. A boat is a depreciating asset after all. Maybe I should just not think about the money part and think about the fun factor. The time spent on it will be worth it. Ive wasted more money on less.

 

[Yambers]

Maybe it will motivate me to seek warmer climates.

 

[WiskyDan]

During my brief time as a boat owner, in a climate where I have maybe four good months per season, I've determined that if you try to rationalize the monthly payment, insurance, upkeep, upgrades, dock/slip, fuel, and probably whole bunch of things that I'm missing, then you probably shouldn't make the investment because you will drive yourself crazy.

But man, on those 85 degree weekend/holiday days when the water is calm and you're with friends/family either doing water sports or hanging out at the sandbar it seems worth every penny.

 

[Gunner]

Just dont ever try to figure out your cost per hour of use, not a pretty picture

 

[anmut]

It doesn't bother me to make payments in the winter. It DOES bother me that it's winter though. I f'ing hate cold weather.

 

[Gym]

As @haknslash mentioned many insurance companies allow the option of reducing coverage for off seasons. A boat can't sink while stored in your yard or garage for the winter but it can burn or be stolen. My sports car came off the road from November to April so I would drop the collision coverage. If you feel real confident you could try cancelling your boat insurance each off season if you can get a rebate for the unused part of the year but fire or storm loss is a real possibility.

 

[viper15]

My insurance company kind-of "pro rates" the premium I pay. Yes, I pay every month throughout the year. But they know it's not being used in the winter months on the premium amount reflects that. As for making a boat payment in the winter? ... That's easy .... pay off the boat. Then take your anxiety away by finding other fun winter activities. I'll get flamed for saying this, but my snowmobiles are almost more fun than the boat.

 

[Babin Farms]

I'm with @Jeel. We get 6 months or so out of the boating season in N. Illinois. We get out on the water at least every good weekend and try to go out during the week as much as we can. Use it while you can is our mentality. The snowmobile on the other hand, I've had this new one for 5 winters now and didn't ride it at all the first 2 winters due to snow conditions(no snow) and since then I've probably put maybe 150 miles on it. It's paid for is the main reason for not selling it but it is $$ just sitting there. Just think of the winter months as time to do upgrades, clean & wax the boat and do any other projects to it that would be to time consuming during the boating season.

 

[mwalker4]

We all know that boats are a big hole in the water you pour money into. Do your budget, place a certain amount into the play category. Then chose how you are going to play and what you can afford. Always consider the TCO (total cost of ownership). I live in Ohio and my little SX190 is all I was willing to invest in for 6 months a year usage. If I lived in Florida it would definitely go with a bigger boat.

 

[akozar]

Another year and a half and I'll be using mine all summer in the WV hills and all winter in the FL sun. Life is good!

 

[biffdotorg]

When it's -19f and sunny in Minnesota, I dream of Surfing, but on a different Blue Yamaha!! GO BLUE!!! (even if it's your fingertips)

I shot this on a very rare Minnesota Powder day. It was like sugar, sticky sweet!

 

[Joshua Miller]

For me it’s an investment in fun, but also a good teaching tool for my kids. I think most of us would trace our love for boating, fishing, hunting, and most outdoor activities from our childhood. It’s the the time spent on the boat with my dad that got me thinking of doing the same with my kids, and I hope they do the same when they are parents too—that way I can ride for free..

 

[Enduro900]

Well I have $50k tied up in stuff that is used for 2-3 months (snowmobiles & trailers) that I have to pay on and insure, etc all year long.

Then add in we have to have a big, gas-guzzling tow vehicle that we might not otherwise own in the family vehicle stable.

I look at the ownership costs of snowmobiles, boats, etc as just a life tax......all of this stuff is a terrible investment/drain (financially) and at the same time an excellent investment from a family-memory creating standpoint and closeness. I can tell you some of my greatest family memories all involve snowmobiling, and my grown kids talk about our trips we’ve taken even now....as well as we have something in common that still brings us together in the winter that we might not have otherwise.

Now we expect to start having grandkids over the next 5 years, so we want to add a family boat into the mix as another opportunity to build those family memories during the summer months.

Is this stuff a drag on my finances? Absolutely........and well worth it in my mind. If I end up having to work as a greeter in Walmart, etc. in my retirement years, at least I’ll have these memories that I would not have otherwise......and none of us are guaranteed to make it that long anyway, so our family trips are my legacy to my kids, and frankly i hope they get involved in powersports of some kind with their future kids as well.......

 

[ripler]

I own 2 Seadoos, going to buy a new boat next week that will get used 3-4 months a year and I own a townhome at a ski resort that gets used a lot during ski season and occasionally the rest of the year. I have never had the thought cross my mind about paying for things that only get used heavily 3-4 months a year, in fact that thought never crossed my mind when we were buying them. In life you have 1 chance to do whatever you want that makes you happy and I'm going to take advantage of my opportunity while I can.