Cost

People ask us all the time if they can sign up for a membership program since our boats are so new and so nice. We are only a daily rental outfit and do not offer memberships…. And here is why.

Most boat memberships charge a large “joining fee” and then monthly dues year around. You can’t sign up in May and cancel in August.

If you are the type of person that uses a boat 3+ times week, a boat club membership might make sense over buying a boat. Or does it?

Generally speaking, if you take care of your boat, you can sell it for not a huge loss. So, when you buy a boat, you need to consider that it’s “cost” is really the difference in what you bought it for and what you sold it for (plus maintenance, {membership clubs push the fact you don’t have to pay for maintenance but you do pay for fuel}).

Lets say you bought a $30,000 boat. You keep it for 3 years. Sell the same boat 3 years later for $20,000. The boat only costs you $10,000. 

Now, your initial joining fee for a boat club is generally ~$5,000. Then on top of that you get to pay $250-$300 a month fee (another $3,000-$3,600 a year contractually). So far in year one your cost is already $8,000-$8,600. By the end of year two the damage is $11,000-$12,200. And so on and so forth.

For perspective: I live on the lake. I can walk to my boat in less than 30 steps from my back porch. I love the water. I live for it. So does my whole family! Even with that, with all that in my favor, I don’t go out on the lake once a week for a day on the water!

So, WHY PAY FOR SOMETHING YOU’LL NEVER USE THAT MUCH!? Pay for what you’re going to use with a daily rental.

Click here for current rates.