Buying & Owning
Bowriders are among the cheapest powerboats to own, mostly because they live on a trailer rather than in a marina. Here is a realistic annual budget.
Realistic annual ownership costs for a bowrider: fuel, servicing, insurance, registration, storage and depreciation.
The bowriders that come up most often when readers ask us where to start.
The world's best-selling bowrider size, in its most accessible form: light, simple and easy to tow.
US$38,000 - US$52,000 new
The refined mainstream benchmark: quiet, dry, and beautifully finished for the money.
US$72,000 - US$95,000 new
The previous-generation classic. Millions of families learned to boat in one of these.
US$8,000 - US$22,000 used
For a typical 20 ft (6.10 m) bowrider used 20-25 days a year: fuel US$600-1,200, annual service US$400-900, insurance US$300-700, registration US$100-400, and storage anywhere from nothing at home to US$1,500-3,000 in a yard or under cover.
That puts a realistic all-in figure around US$1,500-3,500 per year for a home-stored trailer boat, before depreciation.
New bowriders lose the most in the first three years, typically 25-35 percent. After year five, depreciation flattens sharply, which is exactly why a well-kept five-year-old boat is the sweet spot for value.
Premium brands like Cobalt and Sea Ray depreciate more slowly. Value brands drop faster but start from a much lower price.
Covers and biminis wear out. Trailers need tyres and bearings. Batteries last three to five years. Upholstery repair is surprisingly expensive. And the first season usually includes a few hundred dollars of safety gear, ropes, fenders and lifejackets.
