snowbird

How can Snowbirds save money on boating?

If you spend part of the year enjoying Florida’s sunny beauty, you might find the prospect of owning a boat or joining a boat club difficult. You might think there’s no easy or affordable way to enjoy boating while you’re in Florida, but we disagree. Read on to learn about some options that can make boating more accessible for Snowbirds. 

What Prevents Snowbirds from Owning a Boat?

     Owning a boat that can only be used part of the year can be complicated and expensive. Boats will develop a variety of issues when left to sit for six months or longer. Storage costs to keep your boat indoors while you’re up North can become exorbitant, and this is necessary if you want to avoid costly sun damage and returning to a very dirty vessel, especially after any summer storms. Even if you’re willing to risk outdoor storage, many neighborhoods no longer allow you to store watercraft in your yard or driveway. and your insurance has to be paid regardless of whether you’re in the same state as your beloved boat. You might also not appreciate the hard labor associated with cleaning and maintaining your own boat. We get it! Sometimes you just want to enjoy boating without all the other complications associated with ownership.

Alternatives to Boat Ownership

     This is where boat club memberships come in handy. With a boat club, you skip the hard labor, the insurance and storage costs, and the fear of what state you’ll find your boat in when you come back down South for the winter. You also get the support and experience of the club behind you and the ability to take any boat at almost any time. However, most boat clubs won’t allow you to join for six months of the year each year and will instead require you to pay for your full membership price year-round, even when you’re living in a different state and unable to use their boats. Fortunately, 321 Boat Club has created a new package called the Snowbird Special to allow you to spend six months of the year enjoying the water without paying full price the other six. Check out 321’s Snowbird Special membership here. An additional bonus is that this membership doesn’t have a waitlist yet like many of the other memberships do!

Other Ways to Save

     Another way to enjoy boating while spending less is to take advantage of the days of the week that many people are working. If you’re retired, use weekdays to their full advantage when most businesses are remarkably less crowded that they’ll be on the weekend. For example, 321 Boat Rentals is currently running a special every Wednesday for free waterspouts equipment rentals. If you’d like to rent a boat to go fishing and planned on also renting your fishing poles from 321, they’ll be free on Wednesdays. If you have family in town visiting and you’d like to take a boat out with a towable tube or wake boards, you’ll only pay for the boat rental. Since boat rental is generally more cost-effective than ownership, even for full-time residents, this is another great way to save money on boating while avoiding having to clean and maintain the boat after enjoying it.

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