How much does it really cost to own a boat in Florida?

Updated July 2026 · The Nautic Xperience, official Boatlux representative in the US

The purchase price nobody publishes

Boating is an industry that hides prices. Here is a real factory number, from an official spec sheet: a new NHD 325, fully equipped, is over $462,000 — roughly $179,000 of hull, $156,000 of engines, and the rest in options that make the boat actually usable. Anything in the 32-36 ft class from a serious builder lands in this range.

The second bill: what ownership costs per year

The purchase is a one-time hit. These are forever:

• Marina slip in South Florida — among the most expensive dockage in the country.
• Insurance on a half-million-dollar vessel.
• Maintenance — salt water works full-time against your boat, used or not.
• Captain, if you don't run it yourself.
• Depreciation — quietly, the biggest line of all.

Now divide by how often you actually go out

Industry reference: the average sole owner uses the boat about 20 times a year. Not 100. Twenty. Run the division on purchase-plus-annual-costs and each Saturday costs more than a luxury vacation. The boat spends over 340 days a year sitting at the dock, costing money.

The alternatives, honestly compared

• Charter: expensive by the day, and it's never your boat.
• Boat club: a subscription — you own nothing, and on peak days you compete with hundreds of members for the fleet.
• Fractional ownership: one specific yacht, 8 owners, real equity. This is the model we operate.

What the fractional math looks like

A 1/8 share of a factory-new NHD 365 HT based in Boca Raton: $79,900 — from ~$30k down, balance in up to 16 interest-free installments. Monthly: $1,420 all-in — marina, full insurance, professional maintenance and captain included. The only extra is the fuel you burn (the tank always comes back full). The yacht belongs to a Florida LLC and you join as a member through your own LLC: sellable property, not a membership.