Why so many unused boats? - Page 4

DRFerron · #31 10-25-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ext222

... Boats are like women, they may improve to a certain point, but at some point they begin to decline and only with massive amounts of capital infusion can they keep their looks, and even then, then new models out perform them. At that point, only those of us who remember them in their glory find them more attractive than the young ones.
...

Wow.

SantaSailor · #32 10-25-2012

I bought my boat 10 years ago. Set it up to my liking and moved aboard. I lived on her for 4 1/2 years and sailed her most weekends and some nights after work. Then I met a lady and moved back into a house. Got a new job away from the marina and the boat got used less and less as things "kept coming up" that kept me from her. That was 4 years ago... Recently I had a major overhaul perfomed on her and started going out again. It is not as easy as when I lived aboard but getting better. I can understand those that own boats and not sail them often. I for one, don't ever want to sell mine. But I have to make a living, so I sail when I can and as long as I can even if that is only 3 weekends last year.

Dennis
S/V Mustang
S2 9.2A

SloopJonB · #33 10-25-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRFerron

Wow.

That's what I thought.

If he can't appreciate how attractive and sexy women "of a certain age" can be, it's his loss and, presumably, their gain.

L124C · #34 10-25-2012

When it comes to boats and marinas, you can often throw logic out the window. As silly as it sounds, I'm convinced some people just like saying they own a boat, and are quite willing to spend big bucks to say it. After all, if you are going to take a boat out a couple of times a year, chartering only makes sense financially. I know a couple of guys that don't really like going out, but enjoy sitting on their boat in the marina environment. One guy occasionally takes his sailboat out in the morning to run the motor, and is always back before noon. The wind rarely comes up here before 1PM!
I think that there are also some older Skippers that don't want to let go of the boat, because of what it implies, even though they can't sail it anymore.
Others won't sell the boat for what it's worth because they think it should be worth more. They will let it sit and deteriorate while paying slip fee's and insurance until it's worth even less!
I can go on and on about the things you only see at marinas, but here is another good example!
Things you would only see in a marina!

hellosailor · #35 10-25-2012

neverknow, you've really got to get on the program. You see, during WW2 the Allies found out that by putting up huge phony airfields and other props, they could fool German intelligence and that's been given major credit toward making D-Day a surprise and victory.

What's that got to do with boats, you ask? Well, in the 1940's the government learned how to build phony prop boats, very realistically. Now, there are programs run by the DEA and by DHS designed to keep drug smugglers and narcoterrorists out of our marinas and away from our shores. That's right, many of those "boats" you see going nowhere, are actually FAKE BOATS, just cardboard and paint towed in there to make the marina look full and discourage the bad guys from trying to sneak in and tie up in what would otherwise be empty docks. For the marina operators, this is found money, because those agencies pay full list price, often at the day rate or weekly rate instead of the annual contract discount.

So don't let the bad guys know. We're Keeping America Safe by cleverly hiding the places where a bad guy might otherwise come ashore. If you own a dock space and want to join theprogram, it is open to the public, but you will be subjected to a thorough security background check when you apply, so make sure you've paid all your parking tickets up first.

Really.

luck66 · #36 10-25-2012

Life is strange then you buy a boat.

casey1999 · #37 10-25-2012

Here in Hawaii there are very few private marinas, and they are very expensive, and some with long wait list. The state has several harbors where you can dock your boat, and the costs are more resonable.

The problem is the state harbors have a 5 year or more wait list for a slip. And here is the big problem, once your name comes up (and you have no notice it is coming), you have 2 weeks to have your boat tied up at the slip and 30 days to pass a state inspection that includes running the boat under power to a head bouy and back, and with liability insurace on your boat. So what happens is once someone gets a slip, they stick a boat in it as a place holder, until which time that can buy their "yacht", and that time never comes.

So the harbors are full of "place holders".

Spirit of Freedom · #38 10-25-2012

[/QUOTE] Boats are like women, they may improve to a certain point, but at some point they begin to decline and only with massive amounts of capital infusion can they keep their looks, and even then, then new models out perform them. At that point, only those of us who remember them in their glory find them more attractive than the young ones.
[/QUOTE]

You have to be joking??

casey1999 · #39 10-25-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by ext222

With no intent to offend, it is a mistake that many seem to make that a boat is an investment like a house. It is not. Boats are like women, they may improve to a certain point, but at some point they begin to decline and only with massive amounts of capital infusion can they keep their looks, and even then, then new models out perform them. At that point, only those of us who remember them in their glory find them more attractive than the young ones.

Strictly financially speaking, the idea that a boat is an asset like real estate is wrong. They can always build newer and nicer boats, while real estate is limited.

Again, no intent to offend, I just disagree with your thinking on this.

Aren't we lucky men age so well..

ahab211 · #40 10-25-2012

I lament on not using my own boats enough yet alone worry about others! My marina neighbor has went out in his sailboat less then a dozen times! This year after buying new sIls never used it or wouldn't sell it when I Offered. I took my sailboat to storage today one day after taking my powerboat out of the water. I justify that I only pay storage for one and with prorated discounts only pay a few hundred more in summer marina fees! But trying to keep up both and use both the same is tiring. I justify taking my three dachshunds ith me but the wife comes out less then ten times a year and hasn't stepped on the sailboat this year! So as I finish the seventh season with these boats and dinghies, kayaks and an aluminum boat that is still in the water for at least another month I can see how people can hold onto their boats! It's much easier to buy them then to sell!