You Know how much it costs to work on a boat? Things break often just like
airplanes. One of my relitives used to own a $200,000 used boat = Price to
a new cessna 172SP he had a $200.00 part go out on the drive and got hit
with a $6,500 labor bill also go hit with a Large towing bill to get it
towed back to port from off the coast of washington! Make a story short it
broke him his insurance was about $4,000 a year on the boat Fuel burn was
arround 20 gallons an hour. Well he sold the boat 6 months after he got it
at about a 30% less than what he paid and the broker took 3% of that, He
still had $20,000 in bills from the mechanic, dry dock, & storage to pay out
of that. Now he own a Cessna 172R (he Bought it used low time) He is a
happy becuse it costs him way less in maintance and all other costs than the
boat and has more time to fly then boat airport closer to home. He also
likes being able to go more places other than water ways.


"Dave Covert" wrote in message
...
This is something that has puzzled me for a while...

I (a private pilot) work in the pleasure marine industry and have noticed
that almost anyone who wants to own a boat does own a boat. Now, some
boats
are indeed pretty cheap, but a $20,000 boat is fairly common (approx cost
of
a 150?). Here in the Clear Lake area of Texas there are something like
10,000 boats sitting in marina slips with an average cost of something
like
$30,000 each... many cost way, way more than that. A boat slip here on the
Texas coast will run you about $5/foot (which is cheap, I know) and
insurance for a $100,000 boat will run you maybe $2,000 a year. Most leave
their slips once or twice a year. Marine maintenance and gear is not cheap
either. That is a whole lot of expense for so little use.

That is 10,000 people, here in Houston alone, that never bothered to take
a
class in boating, but that are willing to drop $30,000 on one, pay
$150-$250
on slip rent and $100-$150 per month on insurance.

After so much effort learning to fly, why do pilots not do the same thing?
Whereas most boaters own a boat, most pilots do not own a plane.

Is it initial cost? Boats and planes cost about the same, so I don't think
that is it.

Is it storage? A boat slip can cost a bit less than a hanger, or a bit
more,
but planes can use cheap tie-downs. Do people not buy planes because they
might have to tie it down outside?

Is it lack of use? Boaters have the same problem... when to use the boat
in
their spare time. Why would they spring for the boat and a pilot with the
same time constraints not spring for the plane?

Is it insurance? Plane insurance is more costly than boat insurance, but
using a tie-down would make up for that.

Is it maintenance? Perhaps that is it... planes are required to undergo
expensive preventive maintenance where boats just get a tow back to shore
when something breaks. Is it really the fear of 'the annual' that causes
people not to fly?

Is it fear of flying? Do people learn to fly because they want the
challenge
but secretly believe they are just asking to make their wife a widow every
time they fly? Do people not trust an airplane they could buy?

I truly want to know the reason for this and the only way I am going to
find
out is to listen to more pilots.

So please, if you are a pilot, and you don't own a plane, please email me
with a candid explanation as to why you personally don't own one. I will
compile the 'data' and post it back to the group once I have some idea of
the answer.

Dave
74 Grumman AA5, N9560L
dave(a)thecoverts.com