I bought a boat with my brother 10 years ago for $37,000. 2007 22' Ski Centurion Elite C4 new but 2 years old on the show floor MSRP was $48,000. I financed $25,000 of it at 3.5% interest. About 5 years into it my brother let me buy him out because he never used the boat. His wife would get sea sick and didn't enjoy it. He would only go when I pushed him to get out and go with us. We spend 3 weeks a year at Lake Powell and I use the boat another 4 or 5 weekends a year. We have helped run girls camp and high adventure most years at Lake Powell.

Here is my financial experience with the boat.

Prop reshaped after hitting a rock at low speed = $250
Throttle cable broke = $175
New battery every 3 years = $150
Winterize boat mobile service = $175/year
Tires on the trailer = $400
Registration and Lake Powell boat pass = $300/year

A similar boat runs $10,000 a week to rent.

I rarely pay for gas and we are almost always fed by our guests.

The boat has a market value of $30,000 today.

The boat idea was a horrible investment for my brother. But for me it has been an amazing experience with almost no negative. I have spent hundreds of days on the lake for almost nothing out of pocket. My 17 and 14 year old boys have learned more on the lake than in scouts or young mens. My 17 year old is responsible enough to take the boat out with his friends now and is honestly a better driver than I am. My wife is in shape and tan all summer long. I have spent lots of time with people I wouldn't have known in such a fun way.

I plan on selling my boat this year and upgrading to a boat with a larger seating capacity.