It’s easy to buy a boat if you have the means for it.  Finding the right place at the right price for keeping the boat when it is not in use is potentially harder and more challenging. You also have to factor in the size of the boat. You wouldn’t want to keep a 65 footer on a trailer would you?

Speaking of trailers, it is the most inexpensive method for storing a boat. The trailer itself can stay in the yard with the boat on top of it. It can be covered with a vinyl tarp to protect the paint job from sunlight or claw marks from any stray animals that might want to stow away. If your wallet is a bit more substantial, you could build a separate garage for the boat and trailer. A trailer also makes it more convenient for you to take the boat out just about anywhere at anytime. This is especially true for those who live far from the sea and whose closest body of water is landlocked. You can forget about trailers though, if you’re driving a Honda. Owning a truck is a step away from owning a boat trailer (with the boat of course).

Another method for storing a boat is by using racks. Racks are wooden supports that the boat rests on while not in use. Each rack or a group of racks will have a shed over it to protect whatever is on top from the elements. When you intend to use the boat, all you have to do is call the boat keepers and they will ready the boat for you. After you’re done, just tie the boat to the dock and the boat keepers will put the boat back on the rack for storage. Most rack storage facilities can be found near landlocked bodies of water. An average lake is just too small for a marina.

Renting a slip at the marina is a bit expensive. Some marinas will demand membership before renting out a slip. On the other hand, some marinas will give you special offers for renting a slip in hopes of winning your business over. Then again, there are some people who make it their business to buy slips and then rent them out to whoever wants them. This can be the most convenient of all storage methods because you don’t have to hitch a heavy load to your road vehicle and you don’t have to lift the boat to and from it’s resting place. The sorry part is that there are only a few marinas inland.

Buying a slip in a marina can be a good investment. If you get tired of your boat and sell it, you can keep the slip you bought and rent it out to get back some of the money you spent while you had that boat. Better yet, buy multiple slips and rent them out to maintain the costs of your affair with the waters. Not all marinas sell their slips though. Owning a slip in highly populated areas is a huge advantage because you don’t have to compete for boat space.