Boat EconomicsCompare
What Does Moving Up a Size Actually Cost?
Compare two specific boat candidates on purchase price, storage, insurance, maintenance, fuel, and resale, the incremental cost of moving up, not a generic cost-per-foot rule.
A cost-per-foot figure hides more than it reveals
Generic length-based cost rules look precise but obscure the real driver: a specific boat's storage requirement, insurance, maintenance reserve, and fuel plan, which vary by configuration and location far more than by length alone. This engine compares two real candidates directly, so the incremental cost reflects your actual options, not a formula.
How this is calculated
Each candidate's total cost adds purchase price to its annual recurring cost (storage, insurance, maintenance reserve, fuel) times the horizon, minus resale value at the end. The incremental cost is simply the difference between the two candidates' totals. Cost per use day divides each total by total use days across the horizon, assuming the same use pattern for both.
Worked example
A 24-foot candidate at $30,000 with $3,000 in annual recurring cost and $15,000 resale totals $30,000 over five years. A 28-foot candidate at $45,000 with $4,800 in annual recurring cost and $22,000 resale totals $47,000, an incremental cost of $17,000 to move up, or roughly $170 per use day at 20 days a year across five years.
Common mistakes
Attributing the entire cost gap to length alone, rather than the actual storage, insurance, and maintenance differences entered, misses where the real cost driver is. The other mistake is comparing more than two or three candidates at once, which tends to obscure rather than clarify the actual trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a reliable cost-per-foot rule for boats?
No, and this tool deliberately avoids publishing one. A generic per-foot figure looks precise but hides how much configuration, storage location, and use pattern actually drive cost. Comparing two real candidates directly is more honest than a length-based formula.
Why compare only two or three candidates instead of a general curve?
Because length is just one attribute of a boat; propulsion, condition, and storage choice usually matter more than length alone. Comparing specific real candidates keeps the numbers grounded in something you can actually verify.
What if the bigger boat opens up new activities?
That is a real, legitimate reason to accept a higher cost, but this tool does not price that benefit for you. Use the "additional use days needed" figure as a gut check: does the bigger boat's added capability plausibly deliver at least that many more use days worth of value?
How is this different from Five-Year Boat Ownership Cost?
That engine computes one boat's multi-year cost in isolation. This one is built specifically to compare two candidates side by side and surface the incremental cost of the larger or pricier option.