Why Join a Boat Club Reason #4: No More Storage Worries

One of the more overlooked -and obvious – aspects of boat ownership is Storage. Where do you keep your boat when you’re not using it? Any boater will tell you that when considering the purchase of a boat, you need to have a plan to STORE your boat. If you’re a boat owner and you’ve had your fill of repairing your trailer, or maintaining your boat lift, or where to move your boat in advance of an imminent hurricane, what can you do to continue to enjoy your boating lifestyle?

The Answer: Join the RentalBoat.com Boat Club!

At RentalBoat.com, our Boat Club has you covered. We have a wide variety of vessels that can cater to however you want to spend your time on the water.

Where to Store Your Boat?

Depending upon where you live and whether you live on the water, boat storage can be grouped into the following:

In the Water/On a Boat Lift

On the Water/Boat Lift: If you are fortunate enough to live on the water, it’s an obvious move to either keep your boat at the dock, in the water or on a boat lift to keep the hull out of the water.

• The Pros: This a very convenient way to store your boat. You get to use your boat whenever you wish and you simply walk to your backyard to jump on board.
• The Cons: If you keep your boat in the water, then you have to keep your bottom paint maintained, which requires pulling the boat of the water for regular re-application of bottom paint. This is not a concern if you keep your boat on a lift. However, you also need to maintain the boat lift. As you know, anything mechanical and electrical will break when you least expect it especially when subjected to corrosive saltwater elements. The other big concern is what to do with your boat when you are threatened with a major weather event such as a hurricane. You will have to scramble to find a way to get your vessel hauled out of the water and stored on dry land at a time when every local boater is seeking to do the same thing. Furthermore, most marine insurance carriers require proof of a disaster/hurricane preparation plan that you will use to secure your vessel.

Boat Storage Facility: There are marinas and dry storage locations that can safely store and maintain your vessel for a monthly fee.

• The Pros: You can rest easy knowing that you vessel is safely stored out of the water and is protected from theft and other risks.
• The Cons: Dry Storage is costly. You are also at the mercy of the storage facility’s hours of operation. You also must arrange to have your vessel dropped in the water in advance of your stepping on the boat. Some storage facilities/marinas are not hurricane-rated. Your marine insurance policy may not respond to claims if your boat is damaged in a storm when stored in a facility that is not constructed to withstand hurricane conditions.

On a Trailer: If your vessel is small enough, typically less than 40 feet, you can also store your vessel on a trailer. You can then store the trailer at your home or in a storage yard and you’ll never have to worry about it floating away or sinking at the dock.

• The Pros: You can use your boat wherever you can launch at a ramp. This gives you the flexibility to travel to destinations well outside the range of your dock. You also don’t have to worry about the vessel sinking.
• The Cons: You’ll need a vehicle big enough and powerful enough to tow the vessel and trailer. This also means another vehicle to maintain. Speaking of maintenance, you’ll also need to maintain the trailer: Tires, hubs, brakes, and don’t forget the biggest pain of all: trailer lights. You also incur cost if your homeowners association prohibits the storage of boat trailers in your community. This will cause you to pay monthly rent at a storage lot/facility.

As you can see, vessel storage comes with a boatload of headaches. When you become a RentalBoat Club member, you leave all of your vessel storage worries behind. You can operate a wide array of different boats to determine which boat type, length, power and comfort best suit your desires. It’s as though you bought several boats to suit all of your tastes – yet you don’t have to maintain them all. You simply choose a different boat the next time you want to leave the dock.

Call us now to reserve your rental boat and be sure to ask us about our End of Summer Boat Club Membership Specials! Let’s get you out on the water!