Since gas has started to run up I am again thinking about leaving my boat on the hook. I did leave a boat in the marina for a few years back in the early eighties but I found my boat broken into several times, the limited location frustrating, the additional fees like excise tax/hook tax to the local muni where I kept the boat aggravating.
However, as I started with the price of gas to tow a 21' at 10 mpg let alone the daily commuting cost with a 16 mpg tow vehicle makes me reconsidering.
Has anyone done the tradeoff and what has been you experiences.

Depends on the frequency of use. Use a little or few times the trailer. If you use it a lot thre hook wins there. Simple economics. What does a mooring cost plus taxes and all the other stuff. Plus you are driving there anyway so what is the true savings per trip by not towing?

Yes towing can be up there with the gas the way it is!!

But how much for the mooring or slip, gas at the mariner, maintenance on the boat, it needs the bottom paint in good shape, power washed at the end of the season, new water pump every year, make sure all the zincs are good.
And then all the other reasons you said you took it out!

So add the cost and time required to the above and you will have your answer. I say trailer all the way!!

There are a lot of variables. It depends on where you want to fish, how you fish, how close the ramps are, etc...

i think overall, trailering is cheaper, for the same reasons as MJ. A long drive in the truck with boat in tow is still cheaper than a long run in the boat on the water....

Blowing hard SW, launch Scituate or Barnstable, blowing hard NE it's Westport or Wareham. Pogies here, mackeral there, following the big bait bites is easier. Add the maintenance ease when it's parked in the driveway and the peace of mind over issues with storms, vandalism etc; the gas price would have to really get out of hand to make me switch. If it gets that bad, the boat goes up for sale and I'm golfing full time.

Slip is cheaper for me. I got my slip pretty cheap(no frills marina) No need for a tow vehicle(I have friends with trucks). I split a gallon of bottom paint with E/M. We'll get 2 seasons out of 1 gallon. No wear and tear on the trailer. Pressure wash??? Why??? I have nothing that bleach wont take care of. My Zincs are on 2nd season...Still in good shape. I can ride my bike to the slip...

maintenance on the boat, it needs the bottom paint in good shape, power washed at the end of the season, new water pump every year, make sure all the zincs are good.


Maintenance: DIY
Bottom Paint: DIY
Power Washed: DIY
New water pump: if you need one every year you're doing something wrong.
Zincs: DIY

Add up the amount of gas you spend every year trailering it, plus ramp fees and start hunting around for a slip or a mooring and compare it.

Pressure wash??? Why??? I have nothing that bleach wont take care of.

Somehow letting it dry out completely then just a hose and a scrub brush is difficult. ;)

If you're chewing up zincs then you have a grounding problem.

If you get the slip CHEAP. Otherwise, trailer. Bring it anywhere you want, work on it at your house, safety, no "sinking" feeling going to the slip and seeing just the antenna sticking out of the water.
But then again I just rebuilt the whole trailer. Almost 2 grand worth. Should have bought a new trailer.

Slip is cheaper for me. I got my slip pretty cheap(no frills marina) No need for a tow vehicle(I have friends with trucks). I split a gallon of bottom paint with E/M. We'll get 2 seasons out of 1 gallon. No wear and tear on the trailer. Pressure wash??? Why??? I have nothing that bleach wont take care of. My Zincs are on 2nd season...Still in good shape. I can ride my bike to the slip...


Fishaholic, what does your no frills marina charge you per foot if you don't mind me asking. I am at a no frills place as well, just docks with water, power, cable and I pay $135/ft.

I'm on a hook in Southie. I like only having to trailer it 2 times per year.....Once in and once out. Plus my truck STB last winter so now I have to rent a tow vehicle.....that in and of itself is cheaper as I only have to pay when I use the truck. No maintenance or insurance or repair cost and no hassles with not using it enough with the new e-10 crap and now the cost of the fuel for it to keep it running.

I own my own mooring and I have to pay my yacht club fee anyway and the $5.00 a foot for a mooring permit. So there is a major cost savings for me just for getting rid of the truck.

You figure $600.00 for insurance and yacht club and mooring permit is $525.00 and $120.00 for the truck for the 2 days a year I need it plus gas which I would have to buy anyway if I owned the truck. But as i said...no repairs, no rusted out brake lines, no oil changes, no expensive tires and I can own an economy car to take me to anf from the club.

I do lose out on just launching the baot anywhere I want but if I plan to take it to the cape for vacation I'll rent the truck for that week.

Plus with leaving it on the hook I don't have the hassles at the ramp every time I want to go out.

Fishaholic, what does your no frills marina charge you per foot if you don't mind me asking. I am at a no frills place as well, just docks with water, power, cable and I pay $135/ft.

$63/ft