Top 5 Valid Reasons for Owning a Boat

Five Valid Reasons for Owning a Boat (Even Vimen It Really Isn't Practical)

There's nothing more beautiful than watching a sunset while sitting on a boat in calm evening water. There's nothing more exhilarating than seeing the water rush behind you in your boat's wake as you're heading toward a new marina for an overnight stay. And there's nothing more relaxing than hanging out on your boat waiting for the fish to bite.

1. Perceived status. People who own boats "yachtsmen," if you will seem to be a distinguished lot, so it's reasonable that you might wish to join them.
Yachtsmen are generally friendly enough, but they do often make a distinction between fellow boat owners and the rest of the world. If being a part of this seemingly exclusive group is important to you, then yes, you need to buy a boat of your own.

2. Pride of ownership. This is different from the previous reason in that it is less about what other people may think and more about what is important to you. If you live in a house or condo you purchased rather than in a rented dwelling, not for its probable appreciation and your growing equity but because you need a place you can call your own, then owning your boat is probably your best bet, too.

3. Lack of desire to share. This is not about greed. It is simply accepting that sharing a prized possession involves being able to live with knowing that at least a few of those with whom you share won't give it the care and respect you know it deserves. If you can't do that if the thought of having others use (or, in your mind, possibly abuse) your precious "baby" bothers you don't choose any of the nonownership options.

4. Tax advantages. If your boat has a galley [kitchen], ahead [toilet], and at least one berth [bed], it can qualify as a second home under current IRS rules and whatever interest you pay on your boat loan becomes tax-deductible. But because the regulations are always subject to change, you should check with your tax adviser for specifics as to how they may apply to your situation.

5. You just want it! I'm sure there are those who would question the validity of this reason. "You can't have every-thing you want! " is one of our earliest lessons in life. But to quote my father's sage advice again, he once told me, "You know, son, it actually is possible to have everything you want; well, almost, anyway. You just have to be willing to pay the price, which is often simply giving up something else you also want—just not as much. That last aspect is so important because you have to remember that the real cost of things can't always be measured in dollars." So I suggest that if you want to own a boat and are both able and also willing to meet all of its attendant costs, go ahead and buy one, even if doing so might seem irrational.

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