Boat club costs versus Boat Ownership
Boating costs can vary depending where you keep your boat, initial purchase price, annual maintenance costs, etc. Boat Club costs depend on the type of Club you join and typically how long you sign up for. If you are boating on Lake Lanier or Allatoona Lake, you have the choice of owning, renting, or boat clubs.
Here is some quick math to help you determine how much it costs to join a Boat Club versus owning a boat:
Example # 1: Buy a $50,000 Boat or Pontoon
Key Takeaway: It will cost you about $46K to own a $50K boat over 5 years after ongoing costs of ownership.
Example # 2: Buy a $25,000 Boat
5 years costs at $25,000
Key Takeaway: Even if your original purchase price is 50% less for the boat ($25k versus $50K), total cost of ownership over 5 years is only $13,000 less. Why? Ongoing costs are a significant contributor to the cost of boating.
Example # 3: Boat Club Costs
5 Year Boat Club Costs
Key Takeaway: If you buy a $25,000 boat or pontoon, your total costs will be about the same. Only issue is at Carefree we have premium Pontoons and Boats that range from $40k to $100K plus new! Every year we get new boats. So in 5 years you can have an old boat and spend your days cleaning it … or join Carefree and get new boats every year that are much higher quality and performance for the same price. If you buy $50K boat, you come out spending $12,000 more afer 5 years.