Many thanks to all of you for your insight. Starbright - thank you for the lead - we are TYC members, and don't really want to "jump ship" for a berth. I do appreciate the offer to link up though, thanks. I think we are sold on the idea of a boathouse...now need to shop for location & price. Happy sailing to all!
If you already belong to TYC, I would buy one there. Owning a boathouse at a yacht club is the only way to own one. At private or municipal marinas, you have no say in moorage costs, boathouse construction standards or whether they decide to ellminate boathouses someday.
At a yacht club with a lot of boathouses, boathouse owners have considerable clout and can control moorage fees and boathouse rules. If the boathouse is over DNA water, then flotation tubs and 25% clear panels on the roof are required before the next DNA Lease renewal.
I've owned a 20' X 52' boathouse at a yacht club for 18 years. My total monthly cost is less than the cost of an open slip at an adjacent marina. I had to purchase the boathouse and remodel it to get Sandpiper to fit. The DNR lease will be up for renewal in 2022 so I have been replacing the foam blocks with tubs - 10 per year.
Advantages:
When I had boats in open moorage in the PNW, I spent several days every spring washing the mildew, dirt, black streaks and other contaminants off the boat and canvas. Now in the boathouse, I blow off the dust with a cordless leaf lower in the spring.
I wash the boat twice a year.
Canvas and upholstery doesn't fade and can last 20 years plus.
When I worked on the outside of the boat in an open slip, I had to clean the debris off the dock and put my tools and cords away at the end of the day. Now in the boathouse, I just drop everything, lock the boathouse door and leave.
I have a shop area in the boathouse with workbenches, table saw, compressor, material and tool storage. The boathouse has a loft where I can store boat equipment, supplies, fishing, crabbing and prawning gear. The roof is tall enough that I can hang kayaks and a 12' sailboat from the trusses.
I can work on the exterior of the boat all year, rain snow or shine. The temperature inside the boathouse with curtain closed is typically 10 degrees higher than outside. I have heaters to take the chill off.
If a liveboard, plenty of space for storage and maybe an extra freezer or frig.
You can have an 8 speaker plus subwoofer sound system to provide music while you work like mine.
And finally, when done boating, instead of a box of moorage receipts, the boathouse can be sold for more than purchase price. Unless maintenance and upkeep was neglected.
Disadvantages:
Cost of acquisition.
Maintenance. It's yours so better keep it in good shape. A boathouse, constructed well with 100% steel exterior and floating on tubs should require minimal maintenance. The occasional loose fastner is about it.
If an older boathouse without tubs or 25% clear roof panels is purchased at a reduced price, then the cost can spiral up. There are very few construction professionals in the boathouse building and repairing business and the wait times to get one on site can be long and cost are more expensive than building a similiar shed on land. I do my own work and it is not overly complex or difficult but some agility is required working up on a scaffold tied on top of a moveable dock.
If a live aboard or spend considerable time aboard, the view out the windows is not great. There are probably over ten boats in boathouses at my YC with livaboards.
