The Merits Of Storing Your Center Console Boat On A Trailer, In A Boathouse And At A Dock
Posted on: 7 June 2017
When purchasing a center console boat, it's important to consider where you'll keep the boat when it's not in use. There are several different options, each of which has its own merits.
On a Boat Trailer
If it's possible, storing your center console boat on its trailer is often the least expensive way to keep it. You'll have to pay for fuel every time you drive your boat to and from a launch site, but the fuel required often costs much less than maintaining a boathouse or renting a slip.
When considering keeping your boat on its trailer, take into account how large your boat is and where the nearest boat ramp is. If you're boat's too big to tow easily, you may not want to trailer it regularly. Also, if there isn't a ramp that's easy to use nearby, you might not want to spend time driving to a launch site every time you want to go on the water.
If you have a trailerable center console boat and live near a harbor, though, trailering your boat will likely be the most cost-effective way to keep it.
In a Boathouse
If you have property right on the waterfront, you may be able to keep your center console boat in a boathouse. This is the most convenient way to keep a boat. Whenever you want to go out, you simply have to walk down to the boathouse and untie your boat.
It's not always possible to keep a boat in a boathouse, though. Not only do you need to have waterfront property, but it must be in a sheltered area. If waves pound the shoreline where your property is, a boathouse may be damaged during storms.
Additionally, it can be expensive to build a boathouse if you don't have one already -- especially for a center console boat. Because the center console on this type of boat sits several feet above the boat's deck, any covered building that the boat's kept in needs to have high ceilings. Building a boathouse with a high enough interior clearance for the boat can be a costly proposition.
At a Dock
Keeping your boat at a marina's dock offers a balance of convenience and affordability. Renting dock space for a season isn't as cheap as trailering your boat, but it also doesn't cost as much as building a boathouse. It's also easy to take a boat that's kept at a dock out, since you don't have to spend time launching it when you go out.
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