"Play Time" - Boat Use Costs – vs – Land Use Costs

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Art

Art

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Boat Use Costs – vs – Land Use Costs

This is first time I’ve put it to numbers... so let’s see... regarding comparison of Boat Use and Land Use Vacation “Play Time” Costs!

***Considering you “cash” purchase a good condition and well equipped “classic” craft at the “right” price (i.e. so dollar investment is a basic “value push” upon eventual resale); using it 15 times per year / 3 days per use avg / 10 run hrs avg per use.***

“Per Day” Boat Use Vaca Numbers (considering avg of three persons vacationing aboard your owned boat and cruising away from dock each use):

1. 45 Days Boat Use Vaca Travel Annually - - >
a. $3,600 annual dock fee ($300 mo.)
b. $3,750 annual vacation fuel cost (150 hrs, 5 gal hr, $5 gal)
c. $3,375 ($75 day/night aboard and occasional ashore eat, drink)
d. $900 boat maintenance ($75 mo.)
e. $900 ($20 day “fun stuff” aboard boat vaca items)
f. $1,200 annual insurance (inc. incidentals etc)
$13,725


$13,725 -: 45 day = $305 Per Day Boat Use Cost!


“Per Day” Land Use Vaca Numbers (considering avg of three persons vacationing in your owned vehicle and traveling away from town each time - not inc. use of motor home, fifth wheel, or trailer):

1. 45 Days Land Use Vaca Travel Annually - - >
a. $675 (prorated vehicle maintenance cost for 4,500 vaca miles at $0.15 per mile)
b. $900 (100 mile per day avg at 20 mpg, $4 gal)
c. $6,750 ($150 day/night restaurant and occasional in-room eat, drink)
d. $5,625 ($125 day/night lodging)
e. $3,375 ($75 day land-locked “fun stuff”)
$17,325

$17,325 -: 45 day = $385 Per day Land Use Cost!

Soooo... As it turns out!

“Boat Use Cost” is approx $80 per day less costly than “Land Use Cost”... when calced using (as I did) inexpensive vaca methods, yet including daily active parameters, for either “Vacation Opportunity”.

We/I Much Prefer Boat Use - Anyway! ;)


Of course these figures can be widely (wildly - lol) altered in any direction imaginable... but... this little math exercise provides basic comparison regarding Vacation “Play Time” dollar-to-dollar costs per Boat Use – vs – Land Use.

Motor home, fifth-wheel, or tow-trailer is another Vacation “Play Time” alternative. Being not well versed in that dimension (and we're not wanting to use it anyway) I leave those calcs to others, if they so desire.

Cheers! - Art :dance: :popcorn: :D :socool:
 
You need to factor in the lost opportunity income on the "investment" cost of the boat (ie: the amount that could be earned if invested somewhere). $100k boat, paid in cash, is not earning $4k per year at a 4% return. Your land package doesn't have that huge up-front cash infusion. And the land package comps need to include a subtraction for the earnings on the money not sunk (good pun, eh?) into a boat.
 
Art, sorry, but there is no way to economically justify the cost of boating unless it is your home. Even then it is tough to equal the cost of living on dirt. I just don't worry about it.


When Lou asked me what is my biggest fault. I said that I spend too much money on my boats, and that will not change. She has never mentioned it since. What a girl!
 
Moonstruck said:
Art, sorry, but there is no way to economically justify the cost of boating unless it is your home. Even then it is tough to equal the cost of living on dirt. I just don't worry about it.


When Lou asked me what is my biggest fault. I said that I spend too much money on my boats, and that will not change. She has never mentioned it since. What a girl!
Click to expand...

Folks - - > This thread is not to justify anything - Just to present a comparison of cost qualifications between the two. Numbers I provided simply represent expense levels alternatives between Boat and Land vacas... They do not represent what I or most on TF do to enjoy life!
 
This is too funny.

Boating is a hobby. As such it is not justifiable financially. Like any hobby it never will be.

Boating is my way to ensure that my kid will have to work his whole life.
 
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My Admiral's idea of a land vacation includes names like Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons & Grand Wailea. I'm money ahead on the boat!
 
LOL This is like analytical statistics. No offence Art, but as boat owners, we can justify anything boat related, and we're dam good at it. The longer or more boats that we've owned, the better we can do it. Just ask the admiral. :)
 
Moonstruck said:
Art, sorry, but there is no way to economically justify the cost of boating unless it is your home. !
Click to expand...

I agree. A boat is a toy and as such, it will decrease in value over time. Exceptions are collector boats like Hacker Craft, Gar Wood, etc.

We paid cash for our boat and we pay cash for everything we do to it or have done to it. We bought it with the same attitude we buy a digital camera or an iPad. When we're done with it we do not expect to get one dime back on it. When we can no longer use our boat we'll donate it to be a fish habitat or something.

The only comparison that makes any sense when it comes to boats (or any other toy) is "Is the value of what we get out of using it worth what or more than what we paid for it?"

For us the answer is still yes. But when it becomes no, the boat will become the new four-star Bellingham Bay Fish Hotel.
 
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A boat is so many things. A pastime,a pleasure, a hobby, a mobile waterside holiday home, a place to entertain friends, even occasionally a PITA.
You could compare it to the cost of a real seaside holiday/weekender house, I suspect it comes out ahead. Not that holiday houses have good economics.
It is interesting to look at what gets spent, but hard to factor the sheer joy of boating into a cost benefit analysis. BruceK
 
For some...it's home, office and lifestyle all rolled into one.

Bought at the right price...the sweat equity I put into the boat that others put into lawn mowing and other household chores may have financial rewards down the road...ie ...I lived for near nothing in all the years I lived aboard AND had a vessel to vacation 4 months of cruising on to FLA and back every year.

So one shoe doesn't fit all and it's not about justifying anything...it's just about living...
 
Art

You need to take your boat out more often. I think you have too much time on your hands....just kidding.

BTW...I liked your reply to my heat exchanger issue.
 
jstauffer said:
Art

You need to take your boat out more often. I think you have too much time on your hands....just kidding.

BTW...I liked your reply to my heat exchanger issue.
Click to expand...

j - TF enables boat-brain games while I conjure/develop/complete biz deals at my desk's phone/email/even via snail-mail! It lets the pressure off! :eek: But, you are correct... I should be aboard boat more often! Glad you see realism in my heat exchanger simple-repair method. Worked for me... slightly over four years and counting. - Art
 
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My cost vary a lot as I put my boat to work when I can.
I do some commercial fishing with it.

Also the state pays a dividend to Alaska residents.
Called the Permanent fund dividend.
It comes from the tax on oil pumped down from the north slope.
That pays for half my slip fees.

As a commercial fisherman I also get a break on fuel. I get the rate for 1000 gallon.
about .20 cents less per gallon.

I think it is a great deal. I take the boat out on the weekends, do the commercial bit. Take my catch back to the harbor and sell it right off the boat. I usually put an ad on Craig's list and sell everything I catch.

I get to take the boat out. It all gets paid for and I make a few boat bucks along the way.
We gotta do what ever it takes to play with the boat.

SD
 
Yikes – I’ve begun a boat-vs-land war (gentle discussion – lol)... of thought patterns, desires, and doings regarding boat use (or misuse) and land use for short term repeat vacationing during the year!

May the Sea God bless every dollar we spend on boating vacations! My $$$ amounts in post # 1 represent a rudimentary “actuary” breakdown, and, they are meant to answer nothing other than a question that’s been on my mind... as well as the minds of others – i.e. Which mellow use process is in general more expensive by the day... Vaca on Boat or Vaca on Land?? Post # 1 clearly presents a simple accounting... in black and white $$$ numbers! As a general estimate it shows that FUN use of a boat-doings financially wins over the FUN use of land-doings by some $80 per day = over 20% less expense!

Yea Boats!! What more can I say?!?!!! – New Boaters often are especially interested in cost comparisons.

Art :dance:


 
I've got a unique perspective here as my boat is also my RV...full galley, a/c, freezer, stand up hot water shower, generator, sleeps 7, trailerable.

No slip fees, relatively little maint, and I seldom spend money to stay anywhere overnight...Walmarts on the road and hook out overnight on the water, although we have taken a family vacation to a coastal campground 200 miles from home and only used the boat for shoreside activities, never splashing.

I get a little over 7mpg on the road and a little over 2 mpg on the water. I go 50-55 on the road and 6-8 on the water but have 24+ mph on the water potential (at the unproven expense of mpg).

So for me, it's not a question of one or the other, because it's usually both, and that's the plan.

'Nother thing...she's in my back yard right now for tinkering or getting ready/loaded for time away from home...so convenient. It hasn't been a slam dunk getting to this point, but I see smooth sailing ahead with unbridled potential for unlimited spontaneous adventure.
 
jeffnick said:
I've got a unique perspective here as my boat is also my RV...full galley, a/c, freezer, stand up hot water shower, generator, sleeps 7, trailerable.

No slip fees, relatively little maint, and I seldom spend money to stay anywhere overnight...Walmarts on the road and hook out overnight on the water, although we have taken a family vacation to a coastal campground 200 miles from home and only used the boat for shoreside activities, never splashing.

I get a little over 7mpg on the road and a little over 2 mpg on the water. I go 50-55 on the road and 6-8 on the water but have 24+ mph on the water potential (at the unproven expense of mpg).

So for me, it's not a question of one or the other, because it's usually both, and that's the plan.

'Nother thing...she's in my back yard right now for tinkering or getting ready/loaded for time away from home...so convenient. It hasn't been a slam dunk getting to this point, but I see smooth sailing ahead with unbridled potential for unlimited spontaneous adventure.
Click to expand...

Hi Jeff

I was thinking of your cool land and water toy-products, such as you explain above, and feeling (recognizing/knowing) that the way you do it likely would economically give the best of both worlds for considerable $$$ savings while still having great fun! Congrats on your position and thanks for providing some numbers regarding what you do!! :socool: :D

Cheers! Art :whistling:
 
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