Aug 19, 2025

I’m concerned that as an industry, we may have failed to communicate to the public at large, two important points; one is that boats and boating are very benign in terms of our environmental impact and the other point is that I have a feeling we rarely communicate convincing detail about the lasting value of a new boat purchase. In reality, the life expectancy of a new boat might easily be 10 to 20 years with proper care and maintenance. That makes the price tag much more reasonable.

It’s not unreasonable to think that people generally compare boats and cars, especially cottage boats, in terms of their size and what they cost. Cars seem to be priced at between $40,000 and $120,000. That same price spread would probably cover the majority of new boats. Cars are often leased for 48-months before being turned in and “purchased or owned” cars are often replaced in five-years or so. That may be how many years a less-experienced buyer expects to get out of their investment in a new boat. Although new car prices have risen significantly in recent years, boats certainly have as well. But the comparison in price between cars and boats is not a reflection of reality.

Part of the inspiration for this week’s editor’s message came from a promotion I received from one of our major marina customers. They were promoting their heated indoor storage facilities. More specifically, the promotion was encouraging people to commit now while space was still available.

The industry does a good job of winterizing boats for their customers, usually using shrink wrap plastic, but I believe that heated indoor storage will add dramatically to the useful life of the boat. That brings us to the question of what factors will cause a boat to be seen as dated, or no longer attractive to its owner.

I suspect many people would identify the condition of the fibreglass itself in terms of staining and gloss, as a significant factor and another important factor would be the condition of the upholstery and canvas.

While shrink wrapping can protect from sun damage it does not protect from temperature fluctuations or the drying effects of very cold winter weather. A heated indoor storage building minimizes or even eliminates the sun damage, plus a steady temperature above freezing will reduce damage as well.

The prices of today’s boat are much more easily justified if heated indoor storage can keep the boat in like-new condition for an extended period of time. Pride of ownership and the appearance of shiny fibreglass and hardware, and supple colourful upholstery are very significant factors. Damaged seat upholstery and chalky, dull decks are an obvious sign that the boat is old and deteriorated.

For the buyer who can afford the new boat in the first place, pride of ownership is probably high on the list of reasons to buy. Maintaining the boat’s “as new” appearance puts that buyer in a better position to buy another new boat later, because the dealer will be able to offer a great price on their trade-in. The same shiny finishes and bright supple upholstery will be attractive to used boat buyers.

I’m a big fan of heated indoor storage for another reason too. A boat that is indoors is one that can be worked on by the service team. Doing repair and upgrade work in the off-season is a great way to keep the cashflow coming in and keep the employees earning a steady 12-month income.

I certainly hope we see more heated indoor storage being built in the coming years. That should give the boats greater lasting value and the owners more pleasure and pride of ownership. I think heated indoor storage is an investment in a better future for the industry in every way. Do you agree?

Andy Adams – Editor