Boats used strictly as cottages or family vacation spots

[bud37]

I will start by saying we have had boats of some kind/size for almost all of our adult lives, the last small one we hung onto, I drive by every day ( sold to a neighbour ). So after all this time now I have a question ?

Who out there just uses their boat as a cottage, never takes it away from the dock. If there is someone, how is the experience using the marina for everything. Up here that would include haul out/winterize systems that were used, then lift in and tow to slip in spring....rinse and repeat.

We are a bit older and I have some health issues , that seem to be getting some better. We really miss the boating lifestyle and getting away from home, meeting folk etc. Certainly cannot deal with a real cottage now and all the work that comes with it.

Just putting this out there as we would be interested to hear opinions from those that do this or have tried it. My wife is considering to have me tested.....

[Viper]

There are a lot of folks in a lot of marinas that do just that. Boats never leave the dock but they are at their boats every weekend. If it works for them then that’s what matters.

[dgreene]

My wife & I are dock dwellers and we love it. Our marina has a restaurant on site and a cart to pump out the holding tank at the slip. So we don’t need to leave for anything. I crank the engines regularly to keep everything in working order, but it’s nice to stay on the boat and enjoy the boating experience in port.

[RGrew176]

When people used to tell me about their cottages on the water I liked to tell them about my cottage IN the water. I used my boats for both cruising to destinations and many weekends just dockside at the marina. Nothing wrong with either.

[Midnightsun]

I could never understand dock dwellers but as the years go by it seems like I find more excuses as to why we should not go out. You know, It's too windy, forecast does not look all that great. Sure does not help having a larger boat with all that space, sofas, showers and all the commodities of home.

That being said, we still go out quite often to just get out and explore or anchor out however much less than in our younger years.

[Viper]

I gotta say that something really discouraging me from heading out at times is that anchorages are getting very crowed, so it's a constant challenge to find areas that aren't so popular. Having said that, even when there's scarcely a boat on the hook close by, some boaters just spoil it for everyone.

A couple of weeks ago, we were anchored in a fairly large bay that had a handful of other boats, so lots of water around. Despite the wide open space, doesn't a guy come plowing by at a fair pace right across my bow, he couldn't have been more than 20 feet away. I made it known I wasn't happy. By mid evening we were the only ones left in the bay. In rolls a 39 Silverton aft cabin, again going way too fast for the area especially since there's still a boat on the hook. He doesn't stay in the part of the bay that's empty, no, he rolls on by right behind us. Keep in mind our stern is maybe 30 feet from shore! You gotta wonder what people are thinking.

The wife put it right, she said you can't blame them because they're clueless, they don't know any better. AND that's the issue, some folks just shouldn't be out on the water but any yahoo can buy a boat and with no training they have free rein of the waterways and are a danger to everyone. But I'm not convinced that they just don't know any better, I think a lot of them just don't care about anybody but themselves. I've been in the business and on the water for years and I have to say that this has steadily become worse, especially in the last few years. I suspect the Covid rush to buy boats has a lot to do with it.

[bud37]

We have been in many marinas over the years in different areas as I previously said, there have been friends that did not take their boats out for one reason or another but at the time we never discussed right or wrong.

At at least one marina they had a policy that to have a slip there your boat had to be able to move under its own power. They also had a mobile pump out feature which was taken advantage of by many.

[Cooler]

100 percent agree with Hans and Viper. There are way more people that don't have a clue. Add to that the alcohol consumption, some people need liquid guts to navigate the boat. Sad, but true. Anyway, truth be told, I think most of us get to that condo on the water lifestyle. That is what my last few seasons basically were. Went from putting 50 - 80 hours on the boat, to putting 10 - 15 the last 3 years. Still enjoyed the boat as a getaway, and love the marina life. My frustration came from all the hassle of launching and lifting at each end of the season. Think I am going to just rent boats when I get that itch, or rent cabins % hotels at my favorite marine towns. Basic fixed costs each year were $6K to $8K each season, so I can pay a lot of rental fees with just that. Good luck with your plan, just do what is best for you! er

[bud37]

Don't really have a plan yet, just getting some opinions from folk that actually do this. One guy I knew had an old 40 woody another had one of those houseboats with the fibreglass hulls, can' remember the name, now that was one floor easy access, perhaps the best idea.

[Viper]

Source of the post ...another had one of those houseboats with the fibreglass hulls, can' remember the name.....

There are a lot of brands out there but Holiday Mansion, Blue Water, and Gibson are pretty popular up here.