Why Families Keep Investing in the Water, Even When It Makes No Financial Sense
I’ve been around boats long enough to know exactly what the critics say. I’ve heard it all:
“They depreciate the second you tow them off the lot.”
“It’s a hole in the water you throw money into.”
“You’d be better off renting a few times a year.”
And from a purely financial standpoint, they’re not wrong. Boats aren’t traditional investments. They won’t appreciate like real estate or diversify your portfolio like stocks. In fact, the moment you buy a boat, you’re accepting that its resale value will only go one direction: down.
But that’s not why people buy boats.
Families aren’t purchasing fiberglass and horsepower for spreadsheets.
They’re buying moments.
I know this from experience—because one of the most unforgettable days of my life happened on the water.
A Memory That Outlasted the Boat
I was a kid the first time I went skiing. My uncle, my mom, and my dad took me to Pyramid Lake in California. That lake may not mean much to most people, but for me, it’s sacred ground.
The air was warm, the lake was glassy, and I was jittery with anticipation. My uncle was coaching me from the back of the boat, my dad was at the wheel, and my mom was yelling encouragement like it was the Olympics. When I finally got up on those skis—legs wobbling, arms tight, grin glued to my face—I felt something I’ll never forget.
I didn’t just stand up on the water that day. I stood up in life.
It wasn’t the boat I remembered. It was the moment. The bond. The pride I saw in my parents’ faces. The way the water felt like flying.
What You’re Really Buying
That’s the thing about boats. They may not make financial sense—but they make emotional sense.
When a family buys a boat, they’re not investing in equity. They’re investing in time together:
- Sunrise fishing trips when the world is still and quiet
- Laughter from the kids getting whipped off a tube
- Sandbar cookouts with music, grilling, and zero cell service
- Dad teaching his son to drive the boat, like his dad did for him
These are the dividends that do pay off—year after year, generation after generation.
Ask any boat owner if they regret their purchase, and they probably won’t talk about value retention. They’ll talk about value creation—how the boat became the setting for their best weekends, family milestones, and bonding moments that no spreadsheet can calculate.
The Real ROI of Boating
Boats come with bills. Storage, insurance, fuel, maintenance—it’s not a secret. But they also come with something else:
A chance to escape the noise.
To unplug.
To connect.
In today’s world, where everything is fast, digital, and disposable, boats offer the opposite. They slow us down. They gather us together. They create spaces where conversations happen, laughter is organic, and memories have room to grow.
So no, a boat won’t earn you interest in a bank. But it might just earn you something more meaningful:
A legacy.
A stronger family.
A weekend you’ll remember forever.
Just like I remember that day at Pyramid Lake.
Brett Bartoli
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