Cost of owning a slip and fees associated with it?

[Chrisravosa36]

Hello, as some may know I've got a little 17ft Mako Center console, and a new to me 140hp looper evinrude. I'm going to try to find a place to keep her in the water, I'm not real picky. I'd prefer a slip, but a mooring would do. I live 30mins west of the Boston harbor. Id like to get a place there, or along the C.C Bay, Plymouth Scituate ect. How do you get power in a mooring?! Solar? How much more would that cost me? A dinghy would also bring the cost up....I guess long term cost of a mooring is less but I'm not sure....

​I'm new to this proses, so please shine some light on it for me. When is the best time to buy/look? Are there different kinds of marinas/clubs?

Thanks!!!!

 

[CV16]

How would just keeping it on the trailer at a marina and just launch it when you go work out for you? Lot less cost involved.

 

[Chrisravosa36]

How would just keeping it on the trailer at a marina and just launch it when you go work out for you? Lot less cost involved.

​Seem interesting.... Il give it a thought. But still looking for a slip idealy. I don't mind driving with the trailer. but launching and picking up is always a pita with me.

 

[bruceb58]

I have a slip in Big Bear Lake near me but I own it. They rent one like mine for around $2K/year.

At my house in Lake Tahoe I have a dock in my back yard.

I hate launching my boat every time I use it.

 

[shaw520]

Mid Hudson Valley,.. on the Hudson River,.. (about 80 miles north of NYC) a slip will cost $65 - $90 per ft per season (april-nov)

 

[Old Ironmaker]

At our local no frills Marina that is on a feeder creek on Lake Erie a slip for a 17 footer would be around $1000.00 CDN . No power, no clubhouse but it has a Jonny on the Spot. Oh a nice restaurant and bait shop. If I am not using it within a week I have to go and check the auto bilge is working. That can be a pain too and it's only 10 miles from our lake cottage. I haven't found any small solar panels that will recharge a dead battery. If you want power and all the socializing the closest Marina would cost double that or more. For a small boat like that I would pay for launch fees and Marina storage. That's a small boat to launch, the more you practice the luckier you will get. A pal has a 24 foot cuddy he trailers. With the 3 of us all communicating and doing our jobs we can get her off or on the trailer in 5 minutes with the power winch. Now having said that it is nice just jumping in and off we go. A auto bilge is a must if you keep a boat in the water. I know a few owners that pay one of the kids working at the Marina to check the bilge regularly.

Marinas are like Golf courses. Memberships vary based on amenities. Some Marinas are a huge social club with big arse boats parked in slips. Some have areas in front of the slip where you can put up a gazebo type shelter, table BBQ etc. Basketball courts, tennis, indoor showers, pools, hot tubs, fine dining, big club houses for social events, indoor and outdoor bars. You get what you pay for. There would be no reason you would have your 17 footer moored offshore thus requiring a dingy. Boats that have a big draught and can't get into shallow slips require a dingy, not for a 17 footer. Sorry I misread your question. I think it would be as big a pain to moor offshore as it would be to trailer, actually much more work for many reasons like loading the dingy then unloading it, what do you do with the dingy when back on shore? Trailer it home? No way mooring is an advantage in any way.

I call our place Chernobyl Marina because US Steel is across the road and the coal fired Hydro plant to the east, not pretty views. Thus the cheap rate, I need a slip not a private social club. As far as the best time to shop I don't think it matters much unless there are many open spots. Then a deposit in the winter looks nice to a seasonal business and you might work a deal. Not likely here though as there is actually a waiting list believe it or not.

I hope this helps Chris.

 

[bruceb58]

I misread your title....you want to own! I paid $34K for my slip in Big Bear CA. In addition, I pay property tax of $340/year plus a $500/year association fee. My slip is consider a dockominium so I own 1 650th of the entire property which includes a launch ramp, rest rooms and locked gates with keypad entries.

http://thedockclub.com/about.htm

 

[tpenfield]

Not sure there are slips to 'own' along coastal Massachusetts, without owning the house/land that goes along with it. Moorings in MA are controlled by the town Harbor Masters and they are nearly impossible to get . . . long waiting lists, etc. Scituate Harbor? . . . forgetaboutit.

No power at the moorings . . . solar would keep the batteries fresh, but many of us try to use our boats often enough that the batteries stay fresh. Most marinas/slips are privately held and may have waiting list, for either a slip or rack storage. My bro pays about $4K for rack storage and is trying to get a slip which would be about $7K for the season.

I have a mooring, and will hand it down through the family for the next millennium.

Generally, you have a better shot at a private marina, than at town marina/moorings. I assume that if you are 30 miles west of Boston, your plans are to drive to the coast on 'boating days' ? I would pick a place that is easy for you to get to and see what you can get for slips or moorings in that area, talk to the local harbor master's office, and folks in the area, etc.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Man I misread the title as well. The only "owned" slips I know of are on the inner bay of Long Point Lake Erie. A few years back I saw what is actually a shack of a boat house with about 250 square feet of living space above it. Price was $275,000.00, I nearly fainted. 34K for a piece of water in California and a walkway, plus annual fees sounds crazy to me as well. So does buying a condo in Toronto for 3/4 of a million bucks for 900 ftsq and they want 50K for a parking space. Here in Canada no one can own water unless it's land locked 100%. There is always a brew ha ha when a Marina decides to put a gate across the inlets which prohibits access to the "public" waterway. I can understand those that have boats some worth hundreds of thousands of dollars finding dings on them because some guy is tossing lures and isn't very good at it. The price of the boat is irrelevant. I found a nice new ding on my starboard side last week when I pulled it out. My dock is port so I never saw it. How did that happen I wonder? Slips are getting tighter and tighter so the Marinas can generate more bucks.

 

[jbcurt00]

Based on previous posts Chris, on an extremely tight budget, slipping is likely out of your price range simply for convenience, esp if you want to own the slip rather then seasonal rent.

Mooring versus slipping doesnt sound much more budget friendly, needing some way to get from your ramp out to the moorage, plus lack of shore power.

You'll have to pull the boat at the end of each season, pay the slip fees before the next season starts, or risk losing it. In many areas, slips are at a primium not only because of location, but demand. Frequently there is a back log of people wanting slips because there arent enough at that marina to cover all that want them.

Good luck

 

[Chrisravosa36]

Based on previous posts Chris, on an extremely tight budget, slipping is likely out of your price range simply for convenience, esp if you want to own the slip rather then seasonal rent.

Mooring versus slipping doesnt sound much more budget friendly, needing some way to get from your ramp out to the moorage, plus lack of shore power.

You'll have to pull the boat at the end of each season, pay the slip fees before the next season starts, or risk losing it. In many areas, slips are at a primium not only because of location, but demand. Frequently there is a back log of people wanting slips because there arent enough at that marina to cover all that want them.

Good luck

Sorry to clarify I want to RENT I've got a quote for 100$ a foot and one for 114 a foot. I'm a junior in High School and am working 24-30 hours each week. I'm able to come up with 2k or so if I same up a few months. Only expense for me is my boat! I'm making roughly 1000-1200 a month so it will be 2 or 3 moths before I can rent. But sorry I meant rent one.... My father may look into splitting it for he would like to use the boat aswell...

 

[harleyman1975]

Makes me feel pretty fortunate here in Northern MN. Our "pond" is 100,000 acres of border water. The property has been in the wifes family since '87 and our slip is free.

 

[shrew]

If you're looking to own the slip, then do research on a 'Dockominium'. They are all over the place. You purchase the slip, pay any property tax and an yearly associations dues, like any condo. You own it. I have rented my slips from private owners in multiple dockominiums for the last 9 years. I prefer them to traditional marinas. They usually have better facilities and a clubhouse. We find people more conscientious at dockominiums.

 

[bruceb58]

If you're looking to own the slip, then do research on a 'Dockominium'.

That's what I have. Post #7

 

[JoLin]

Sorry to clarify I want to RENT I've got a quote for 100$ a foot and one for 114 a foot. I'm a junior in High School and am working 24-30 hours each week. I'm able to come up with 2k or so if I same up a few months. Only expense for me is my boat! I'm making roughly 1000-1200 a month so it will be 2 or 3 moths before I can rent. But sorry I meant rent one.... My father may look into splitting it for he would like to use the boat aswell...

Okay, around here (south shore of Long Island), the going rate at a regular marina averages $60-65 a foot and includes dockside water and electricity. With a 17'er you might be running into a minimum charge scenario, where the minimum rate is say, $1700. or some charge per foot, whichever is higher.

Then there are yacht clubs from which you can buy a slip, but then, in addition to taxes and utilities, you're also locked in to a steep annual membership fee.

Third, we have the privately rented slips by folks who own bulkheaded waterfront property, That's where i am now (coming out tomorrow morning, tho), but availability of water and electricity is hit or miss. The owner of my slip hasn't added those amenities. Luckily, a have a friend who lives there, too, and his slip is only 1 boat away from mine. He lets me sponge off him. I negotiated $1350 for the season, or $52. a foot. I just mailed my friend a $100. gift certificate as a thank you.

My .02

 

[tpenfield]

Sorry to clarify I want to RENT I've got a quote for 100$ a foot and one for 114 a foot. I'm a junior in High School and am working 24-30 hours each week. I'm able to come up with 2k or so if I same up a few months. Only expense for me is my boat! I'm making roughly 1000-1200 a month so it will be 2 or 3 moths before I can rent. But sorry I meant rent one.... My father may look into splitting it for he would like to use the boat aswell...

$100/foot (so about $2K) sounds like a good deal.

 

[Ned L]

I would suggest figuring out roughly where you want to be, then check out all te boatyards and marinas in that area for available services and costs. In my area (CT/RI boarder) slips within a couple of miles of each other can vary quite a bit. Near the bottom of of the river $125/ft, (more quickly accessible to open water), up toward the head of the river $100/ft (farther away fro open water -about a 20 minute run-, but better protected in bad weather).

 

[Chrisravosa36]

I would suggest figuring out roughly where you want to be, then check out all te boatyards and marinas in that area for available services and costs. In my area (CT/RI boarder) slips within a couple of miles of each other can vary quite a bit. Near the bottom of of the river $125/ft, (more quickly accessible to open water), up toward the head of the river $100/ft (farther away fro open water -about a 20 minute run-, but better protected in bad weather).

Im debating weather Id like to be in the harbour, or down by plymouth. I know the striper fishing would be better down by plymouth, it would only be a 20min boat ride to the cape.... I also could fish the bay ect. The harbour is more protected though.....

 

[roffey]

I don't know all the particulars of what the OP has but if it were me I would trailer a 17 footer for sure. You can pick the water you want to explore and it is better for the boat not to store it in the water all season long. I have water front property with a dock and I pull my boat up on a lift when not in use. Don't get me wrong there are lots of positives to slipping a boat.

 

[Chrisravosa36]

I don't know all the particulars of what the OP has but if it were me I would trailer a 17 footer for sure. You can pick the water you want to explore and it is better for the boat not to store it in the water all season long. I have water front property with a dock and I pull my boat up on a lift when not in use. Don't get me wrong there are lots of positives to slipping a boat.

I also would like to add the tires are shot, leafs and the axel is slightly bent, NOT GOOD! Im hoping to just be able to spli her in and scrap the trailer, it is an old steel one... I Also like the conviences, I want to put out a few lobster traps this year to.