On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:15:23 -0800 (PST), Chuck Gould
wrote:

On Nov 28, 8:47?am, Tim wrote:
I was wondering if there are any stats on how long people actually
keep their boat. Like if they buy a new runabout or cuddie etc. how
long do they actually keep it, before selling it or trading it in for
a new model.

some people keep cars a year then trade for new, others buy new and
run the wheels off it.

I've never bought a brand new boat in my life and really don't plan on
it. My two boats are 1983 and 1977. Both in very good shape and will
be keeping them for quite a while.

Does anyone know what is the average trade off or ?average length of
ownership is for boats?

I can only give the experience of my family:

Dad:
1. Bought a 16 ft aluminium boat in early 1960s with an evinrude
electric shift outboard.

2. Replaced that in 1972 with a Glastron 18 ft. tri-hull with 6 cyl.
Mercruiser IO. (10 to 12 years?)

3. Sold Glastron to my brother and bought a Crown 20 ft bowrider with
8 Cyl. Mercruiser in about 1983. (11 years)

4. Somewhere in there while not getting rid of the above he also owned
a small cabin cruiser for a few years - probably around 1976 to about
1980. (3 to 4 years?)

5. He also owned a pontoon boat with a 75 HP outboard from about 1980
to 1988. (7 to 8 years)

6. He gave the Crown to my sister when he became to ill to use it in
1993. (10 years)

Brother:
1. Bought the 1972 Glastron from dad in 1982. Sold it last year.
Hasn't replaced it yet. (24 years. In the family for 34 years)

Sister 1:
1. Was given the Crown in 1993. Still owns it and it is still very
pretty and runs well and she wouldn't part with it. (14 years. In the
family for 24 years)

Sister 2:
1. Bought a small Glastron bowrider with outboard in late 1980s to
early 1990s.

2. Sold Glastron and bought a 18 foot Crownline bowrider with 6 cyl.
Mercruiser IO in 2000. (10 years or so for the Glastron) (7 years so
far for the Crownline)

Me:
1. Bought a 18 ft. 1990 cuddy cabin with an OMC IO in August 2004. It
was washed down the Allegheny and Ohio river in September of that
year. I had used it 3 short times. It was totaled after fining its
way about 80 miles and over 4 locks before being washed up on some
wooded shore just up from Wheeling WV. (1.5 months ;-0)

2. Bought a 1995 Sea Pro Citation 1900 cuddy cabin with a small
Mercruiser IO in the fall of 2004 and still have it. (3 years so far)

All in all not a lot of buying and selling or trading up in my family
and in my local experience that is the norm around here. Might be
different in coastal areas or in areas where a lot of the local
economy is water recreation based (i.e. big lake areas, etc.).

Dave Hall
(Forgot that I bought a 12 ft jonboat with 5 hp Wards outboard in 1969
and still own it - 38 years)

Small boats probably turn over pretty quickly. Two-foot-itis is more
prevalent in boats under 30 feet or so than with larger models.

That said, I've had my boat since the early 90's and among our circle
of friends we are the only couple who haven't traded boats at least
once and more commonly twice during that same time frame- and most of
the people we know from the club,etc, have 30-50 foot boats. So they
do turn over, but nowhere nearly as rapidly as people churn through a
succession of cars or trucks.