I Was Considering Buying a Boat; This is Why I Did Not

I have always loved the idea of having my own boat. I love being out on the water, so having a boat sounded like a dream. I could spend every weekend fishing, tubing, and exploring the coastline as the captain of my boat! Honestly, this has been my dream for the past few years. 

Now that I have reached the age where I could actually buy myself a boat, I took a good, hard look at this dream and considered making it a reality. But you know what? I decided against it. 

After years and years of wanting a boat and wishing I could get one, I made the conscious decision not to get one, and I wanted to tell you why. Maybe my experience will help you make your own decisions about becoming a boat owner. 

The Downsides of Owning a Boat

The first thing that slapped me in the face when I started seriously looking at boats was the cost. Boats aren’t cheap. Not even close. While I already knew that boats were pretty expensive, I didn’t realize how pricey they really were. 

And the purchase price is just the beginning of the costs of a boat. Did you know you have to pay taxes on a boat?! And let’s not forget about the cost of fuel, which can cost quite a bit, especially if you use the boat regularly. Oh yeah, boat fuel also costs more than regular car fuel. Just FYI. And don’t forget insurance! You can see why these costs add up quickly.

I remember seeing a used boat listed for what seemed like a reasonable price. I contacted the owner, started chatting, and realized all the extra costs that would come with buying that boat. It was way out of the budget I would spend on a hobby like boat.I immediately started thinking about what else I could do with that money. A weeks of vacation every summer? Upgrading my house? Saving for something long-term? Suddenly, a boat didn’t seem like the smartest financial move.

Now let me tell you about the maintenance. Boats require a ton of upkeep and I mean a ton. It’s also not like maintaining a car where you get your oil changed every few months and call it a day. With a boat, you’re dealing with annual cleanings at specialty shops, expensive engine maintenance, and constant repairs because, eventually, something will break. Water and motors don’t naturally mix so boats are almost always needing to be fixed.

I talked to a friend who owns a boat, and he told me how he spends hours every month just keeping it in decent shape. Scrubbing algae, fixing little things that go wrong, and dealing with wear and tear from being in the water. It’s a never-ending cycle. And if you don’t stay on top of it and know how to fix those things yourself, it will cost you a ton.

Okay, so say I did buy a boat despite the cost; where would I actually keep a boat? That was another reality check. I don’t live on the water, so storing it at home wasn’t an option unless I wanted a big, ugly trailer sitting in my driveway year-round. The alternative? Paying for marina storage or dry docking, which isn’t cheap. Do you see the theme here? It is just so much money to own a boat!

Another thing that hit me was how seasonal boating really is. Where I live, there are only a few good months of boating weather each year. That means I’d be spending all this money on something I could only use for a small part of the year. During the off-season, it would just be sitting there, costing me money in storage fees or maintenance to keep it from deteriorating.

Owning a boat also comes with a ton of responsibility. You’re not just dealing with the boat itself but you are also responsible for everyone on board and for knowing the rules and regulations of the water. There are actual ocean laws that you need to know and licenses you need to get. Boating tests? Yup, you need to pass a few before you can get behind the wheel.

You need to have the righ safety equipment in case of emergencies and you have to simply know how to handle a boating emergency…something I do not know. I kept thinking about the liability, too. What if someone got hurt on my boat? What if I accidentally caused damage to another boat or the dock? The more I thought about it, the less appealing it sounded.

Why Renting Makes More Sense

After weighing all the downsides, I realized there’s a much easier way to enjoy the water without all the hassle: renting. Renting a boat lets me have all the fun without any of the responsibility. I can pick the type of boat I want for the day and head out onto the water anytime, any place! I could get a pontoon for a laid-back afternoon or a speedboat for something more exciting. When the day’s over, I can just hand back the keys and go home. There’s no cleaning, no storage, no stress.

Another bonus? Renting is way more affordable. Sure, it isn’t cheap to rent a boat, but when you compare that cost to the price of owning a boat, renting looks way more affordable. 

For the cost of owning and maintaining a boat, I could rent one several times a year and still come out ahead. Renting also lets me try different types of boats without committing to just one. It’s the perfect way to enjoy the experience without all the downsides.

No Boat For Me

At the end of the day, I realized that owning a boat just wasn’t the right move for me. Sure, it sounds amazing on the surface to be able to cruise around and be the guy with the boat. But when you add up the costs, the maintenance, the storage, and the responsibility, it starts to feel more like a burden than a dream.

You may look at all of these reasons and still want to buy a boat, and you should go for it! As long as you know what you are getting into as a boat owner, you will hopefully be prepared. I still can’t wait to get out there on the water this season and enjoy being on my rental boat! The rental life is definitely for me!