Free Woodworking Plans - How much realistically to own a power boat?

How much realistically to own a power boat?

Hi I am planning to buy a motor boat for recreational use, 4 berth for up to £6 - 8 k. I know very little about boats so will bring someone along who does know about them. What I need to know based on occasional weekend use, how much should I budget for - mooring fees, water licence and anything else such as insurance? Many thanks Steve

Public Comments

A boat is a hole in the water surrounded by wood into which one pours money.
Boats get a bad reputation because people run the crap out of them, don't drive them often, let them sit in the weather, and expect them to perform flawlessly every time. 2 stroke engines, which most outboard boats use, just aren't going to last with that kind of abuse. Heck your car wouldn't run the way most people treat their boats. I used to drive an inboard/outboard ski boat. Drove it for 5 summers and probably put about 500 hours on the engine itself and was in the boat for at least another 500 hours without the engine running. Needless the say, this boat saw a ton of use and it was by no means babied. If anything it was abused. When the boat was sold to a friend of mine it would still go as fast as it did the day it was new. His family didn't take care of it and let it sit in the weather, rain, and sun. The boat started collecting mold on the carpet, paint started fading, and it went downhill fast. It used to rip a skiier out of the water with 4 people in the boat and now it can barely pull one up with 2 in the boat. Buy whatever you want but take care of it, pay attention to the details when something is wrong, and it will be the most fun you've ever had.
I don't know where you are, first of all. Call the local marina that you will be using and ask them. Ask about diff sizes and prices. A new boat cost more but will have some warranty. If you don't know how to fix them then it might be worth it . Good luck
I presume you want the boat for River or canal use. First job check the maximum width and height a suitable boat for your water. Boats for canals need to be slimmer than river boats. Keep the boat as short as you can. Moorings charge on length. A 24ft boat on a good mooring on the Thames will be around £2200 per year. Everywhere else will be less! You will probably need a boat safety certificate ( BSS ) This is like an MOT for a car but lasts 4 years. Best to buy a boat that has a current one. Not needed for the sea and some waters. Then you may need a river licence. Thames, same boat, around £250 per year. Take a look at the Environment Agency website at this address: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/navigation/?lang=_e
normaly min 5m and could cost between 15,25 pound per meter harbour dues 40 insurance third party 200 350
It will cost your left testicle, unless you have an ego problem, in that case it will cost both testicles. Rent a boat when you want to play, trust me. If you find a killer deal on a boat, odds are that you will spend a fortune to get it fixed (when you figure out that your killer deal wasn't so killer). Where I work, you get charged $75 an hour (not counting materials, which are ULTRA expensive), for any kind of work done to your boat (including sweeping up around your boat, in dry dock). If you really don't like your money, and just want to throw it away one something that will ALWAYS need something done to it, buy a boat. If you want to eat out once in a while, don't buy a boat. Again, rent a boat when you want to play.
Costs will vary widly depending on where you are and the type of mooring you have. If you're looking at a 4 - 6 berth motor boat i'm guessing it'll be at least 25 foot so if you're looking at a good marina i would probably suggest budgeting about £2500 - £3000 per year. If you're looking at a deep water swing mooring perhaps about £700 - £1000 and maybe about £500 for mooring which dries out at low tide. Other costs to consider are 1) insurance (variable depending on your experience and how powerful the craft is) say £600 per year as a ball park figure, 2) antifouling (variable depending on the size of the boat and type of antifouling required for speed of craft) say £750 per year, 3) servicing (variable depending on size and number of engines) say £250 per engine, 4) winter storage (variable depending on where and how you will transfer the boat to and from the storage area) say £500 and 5) fuel (variable depending on how far and how fast you intend to go) say £60 for a weekend. All in all you probably need to budget for about £2500 - £5000 per year. Should be well worth it though! Good luck.