Boat docks - Please tell me what I should know about them (to rent)

[IamCheap]

Experienced boaters,

I have no boating experience whatsoever... so here goes my questions for the day:
1-What are the desirable/undesirable feature to look for in buying/renting one?
2- Given a choice do you rent or buy one?

Thank you in advance.

[Big House]

Until you have a boat, and know that is what you really love, I would rent a few boats first. You can check out what you like before you buy. I have a boat that is perfect for the Chesapeake Bay. If I knew when I bought it I would be here, I would have a slightly different model.

Same with the boat dock. I would see if a home owner might be willing to rent you access to their lift and dock. There are many available, and someone might be willing to rent it to you cheaply. Once you have a boat, and a home on the water, then you can just relocate it there. I have a dock (concrete fixed), and a boat lift. You want that because you want to get the boat out of the water so that it doesn't become barnacle infested. Mine is easy to use, easily accessible, I can jump on and go any time I wish. I use it a lot.

When selecting a boat, make sure you consider what it is going to cost you in gas! That can be a huge detriment if you want to use it all the time. Make sure the gas, fits your budget, more than the boat. ;-) I have a motor that is perfectly sized for my boat, and runs all day on about 1/2 a tank of gas (60-gallon tank). With gas at $4.00 a gallon - you do the math. And, mine is affordable.

[IamCheap]

Originally Posted by Big House

Until you have a boat, and know that is what you really love, I would rent a few boats first. You can check out what you like before you buy. I have a boat that is perfect for the Chesapeake Bay. If I knew when I bought it I would be here, I would have a slightly different model.

Same with the boat dock. I would see if a home owner might be willing to rent you access to their lift and dock. There are many available, and someone might be willing to rent it to you cheaply. Once you have a boat, and a home on the water, then you can just relocate it there. I have a dock (concrete fixed), and a boat lift. You want that because you want to get the boat out of the water so that it doesn't become barnacle infested. Mine is easy to use, easily accessible, I can jump on and go any time I wish. I use it a lot.

When selecting a boat, make sure you consider what it is going to cost you in gas! That can be a huge detriment if you want to use it all the time. Make sure the gas, fits your budget, more than the boat. ;-) I have a motor that is perfectly sized for my boat, and runs all day on about 1/2 a tank of gas (60-gallon tank). With gas at $4.00 a gallon - you do the math. And, mine is affordable.

Ha ha, I love the fuel economy comment Is your concrete dock and lift low maintenance?

[Harbor Hopper]

At the dock you will want both water and electric hookups. Do NOT buy/rent a dock without them. A lift is preferrable so you can get the boat out of the water for cleaning, flushing with fresh water, and to avoid barnacles (as BH mentioned). Just make sure you grease the lift at least a couple of times a year. I can't tell you how many people's lifts screach loudly and they do nothing about it. There are multiple fittings on bearings, pulleys, and the gear reduction boxes. Get them all with a marine grease and your lift will operate quietly and last a long time.

[Big House]

Originally Posted by IamCheap

Ha ha, I love the fuel economy comment Is your concrete dock and lift low maintenance?

Mine are, I probably haven't needed to, but I have my lift serviced once a year, and its like $60.00. This year, just because I wanted them, I added some aluminum walk boards on the sides of the boat. I recommend having them, but they can be costly. My dock hasn't required any work or maintenance, but eventually the wood piles will need to be replaced. They have some PVC shields that you can by to keep them from getting damaged by sea worms. I haven't done that yet.