Where should a shared boat be stored?

A great question I sometimes get is, “If we are going to be sharing do we have to keep the boat stored at a marina?”

Quite simply no, I know a number of individuals who share a boat that keep the boat at their home. A great example of this is when you are sharing the boat with your neighbor.

Where Shared Boat Be Stored?

In fact, there are some advantages to keeping the boat at home with one of the primary advantages being able to inspect the boat prior to it going out and upon its return. In doing so, it leaves little question as to who was responsible for that scratch.

However, along with the advantages there are of course the disadvantages; such as being awakened at 4am by your boating partner who was looking forward to getting out to his favorite fishing hole prior to anyone else.

In reality, a neutral location, while adding some cost makes the boat more of a shared asset which instills a sense of ownership and pride.

Store Your Shared Boat At Same Place

While keeping the boat at the marina maybe an expense you are not ready to consider…there are usually a number of reasonably priced alternatives near the body of water that you frequent.

These could be an enclosed storage facility, an outside covered storage facility or an open air boat club.

Where ever you ultimately choose to store your boat you should consider some of the following criteria.

• Is the location secure such that you feel comfortable storing your boat there?
• Does the location allow access at all hours…(important for those early morning fishing trips)
• Is the location convenient for all of your partners who are planning on using the boat?
• Can you provide access keys/codes for all of your partners?
• Is the access wide enough so everyone can feel comfortable maneuvering the boat in and out?
• Is there an area to wash off your boat or clean up prior to putting it away?
  • Fresh water hose to remove salt-water and other grime.
  • Trash cans big enough to throw away empty cans and general trash.
• Is there enough room to do minor repairs on your boat when needed?