It’s time to get outside and enjoy everything this time of year has to offer—trips to the beach, fishing and lakeside vacations. But maybe you’ve started thinking that your summer could be more enjoyable if you had your own boat. Just thinking about getting up early one Saturday morning, hooking up your own boat and driving out to your favorite lake has you ready to head out to buy your own vessel.
Well, before you get too far into your boating fantasy, let’s take a moment and reel that line back in. Buying a boat is more than just a summertime purchase—it’s a long-term investment. As your local marina and source for boat supplies in Fenton, MI, we strongly support boat ownership and all the enjoyment it can bring. However, we also believe that caution and planning are needed when making a large purchase like this. So to help you determine if buying a boat this summer is a good idea for you, here are a few questions you should ask yourself first.
Do you really have time to use it?
Sure, it’s summer, and you are probably planning to spend a week at your favorite lakeside cabin and would use your boat every day—every day for that one week out of the whole year, that is. If you can see yourself having time to go fishing every weekend or maybe just enjoying the peace and quiet that can be found at the center of a lake, then investing in a boat may be a great idea for you. But if you really only see yourself using your boat a few times a year, you’d probably be better off renting a boat whenever you really need or want to use one.
What will you use it for?
Do you plan to be speeding across the lake pulling skiers and tubers behind you, or are you planning on sipping lemonade and listening to the radio while you float along? Having a clear idea of what you want to use your boat for and where you will use it will help you to determine what kind of boat you need and how much you should plan on investing, which brings us to the next question.
Can you afford it?
People often look at the sticker price of a boat and think that boat ownership fits into their budget. However, the cost of owning a boat goes far beyond the price of the boat itself. There’s care, maintenance, storage, insurance, boat trailers and hitches and, depending on the type of boat you get, you may even need a different vehicle to pull it.
A boat can bring you years of enjoyment and create lasting memories, but we do want to make sure that you make a purchase that is right for you. If you have questions about boat maintenance and storage, stop it to see us at Lake Ponemah Marina, your local marina and source for boat supplies in Fenton, MI.