When it comes to boating, you usually have two choices. Buy your own boat or join a boat club. Both have their pros and cons, different costs, and different levels of responsibility. The right option depends on how much you plan to be on the water and what kind of boating life you want.
The Money Talk Nobody Likes
Here’s what the numbers look like for both.
Buying a Boat – The Big Check
If you’re buying, you’re writing a big check right away. A basic runabout could be $30,000. A fishing boat may be $60,000. Something flashier, $120,000 or more. Add registration and sales tax (6–8% depending on the state).
Clubs – Smaller Start, Ongoing Fees
Boat clubs flip that. Joining fees run $4,000–$8,000, and monthly dues $250–$500. For example, Freedom Boat Club often charges around $6,000 up front and $389/month. Carefree is similar.
The payments add up, but you’re not emptying your bank on day one.
The Bills That Don’t Go Away
Owning a boat is like taking care of an expensive pet that lives outside. Annual maintenance runs about 10–12% of the boat’s value. So that $50,000 boat costs $5,000–$6,000 every year just to keep it going.
Insurance adds another $300–$1,200 a year, depending on size and location. Marina slips in big cities? $2,000–$8,000 a year. Dry storage is cheaper ($600–$2,500) but less convenient.
With a club, all that’s rolled into your fee. Usually, you only pay for the fuel you use.
Five Years Down the Road
Here’s where the numbers really show themselves.
Say you bought that $50,000 boat. Five years later, between the payments, maintenance, insurance, and storage, you’ve spent somewhere between $80,000 and $100,000. And when you try to sell it? You’ll probably get $25,000–$30,000 back. Boats don’t hold value well.
Now let’s look at the club side. You paid maybe $5,000 up front, plus $400 or so a month. That’s around $29,000 over the same five years. And you didn’t just have one aging boat…you had access to a bunch of different ones the whole time.
Unless you’re out there 40+ days a year, the club math almost always works out cheaper.
What Your Weekends Look Like
Money’s one thing, but what really matters is how your weekends actually play out.
If you own, Saturday morning usually means checking fluids, testing electronics, and hoping the engine turns over. Maybe it sat for two weeks, and you’re dealing with a dead battery. Maybe last weekend’s storm fouled the propeller. There’s always something.
With a club, it’s different. You show up, grab the keys, and head out. Staff handle cleaning, maintenance, and fueling. Your weekend starts the minute you arrive, not after an hour of troubleshooting.
One Boat vs Many Boats
Owning one boat means that’s what you’ve got, every single time. A 22-foot center console? Fine for fishing or cruising. But if you want to try wakeboarding or take a big group out, you’re out of luck.
Clubs give you options. Pontoon for a picnic, ski boat for the kids, maybe a cruiser for an anniversary night. Some places have dozens of boat types. You pick the ride that matches the day instead of shaping your day around one boat.
Can You Be Spontaneous?
Here’s one place ownership has the edge. If you get off work early on Friday and the weather’s nice, you can just go. No reservations, no waiting.
With a club, you usually need to plan ahead. Summer weekends book fast. Most clubs have apps that let you see last-minute availability, but don’t count on grabbing a Saturday afternoon slot in July. Weekdays are easier.
Maintenance Headaches (or Not)
Here’s the truth: owning a boat makes you a part-time mechanic whether you want the job or not. Spring means oil changes, checking pumps, and swapping spark plugs. Fall means winterization. Breakdowns always happen at the worst times — like when the family’s in town and the engine overheats.
Club members skip all that. Boats get checked and serviced between every use. If there’s an issue, the staff either fixes it or hands you another boat. You spend your weekends boating, not elbow-deep in the engine bay.
Insurance Headaches
Boat insurance isn’t fun. You’ve got to figure out coverage levels, deductibles, and liability limits. Older boats need surveys. Miss a payment and you’re not covered until it’s reinstated. File a claim, and you might see your premium jump the next year.
With a club, you don’t really deal with any of that. The insurance is handled by the club. If something happens, you fill out a report, and they take care of it. Much less paperwork, much less stress.
Learning the Ropes
When you own, you mostly learn by making mistakes. You’ll run aground once, forget safety gear another time, and maybe break a few things. Sure, you can take Coast Guard safety courses or watch YouTube, but it’s a slow road.
Clubs usually include training. You get shown how to handle different boats, go over local navigation, and learn the basics of safety. Because you’re using more than one type of boat, you build up a wider set of skills, too.
Social Side of Things
Owning a boat, your social life comes down to who’s at your marina. Maybe you meet neighbors, maybe you don’t. You can join yacht clubs or fishing groups, but it’s mostly up to you to make those connections.
Clubs often have built-in communities. Orientation sessions, member events, fishing tournaments, and social outings. You tend to meet other people who like boating the same way you do.
Which Way to Go?
So how do you decide? It comes down to how much you’re really going to use the boat, and what kind of experience you want.
Ownership makes sense if:
- You’re boating 35+ days a year.
- You need special gear or custom setups (like serious fishing electronics).
- You want total control over when and where you go.
- You don’t mind maintenance — or maybe you even enjoy it.
Clubs make sense if:
- You’re on the water less than 30 days a year.
- You want variety — pontoons one weekend, ski boats the next.
- You don’t want the hassle of storage and repairs.
- You’re still testing out whether boating fits into your life.
Finding Your Break-Even
Do the math. Take the purchase price, add maintenance, storage, insurance, and repairs. Divide it by the number of days you actually go out. That’s your per-day cost.
Do the same with a club: fees plus fuel, divided by usage. For most people, clubs win if you boat fewer than 25–30 days a year. Above that, ownership can make sense — if you’re ready for the extra work that comes with it.
Your Next Step
Think about last year. How many times did you wish you were out on the water? How often did you actually go? That’s your starting point.
Visit a couple of local clubs. Most offer tours or short-term trials. Try different boat types, see how easy the reservation system is, and get a feel for the community.
Also, be honest about your life stage. Young families usually like the flexibility of clubs. Retired couples may want the pride of ownership and the freedom to go anytime.
Bottom Line
Boat club vs owning isn’t just about money. It’s about time, convenience, and what kind of boating experience you want. Clubs take the stress out and give you variety. Ownership gives you control, but also all the responsibility. The best choice is the one that actually gets you on the water more often, without draining your time and energy.
