Boaters: Beware of Repair Bills

You’re probably familiar with the difficulty of dealing with service departments when getting a vehicle repaired—but what happens when that vehicle is a boat?

Those encounters are harrowing—and even if you’re only boating on a seasonal basis, they occur frequently. From general boat repairs, annual winterizing service, dry docking, and springtime tune-ups, it may seem like the bills never end.

Michael Bivona, a certified public accountant, helps you navigate being a boat owner in this guide to saving money. He’s saved more than $150,000 in repairs and maintenance over his forty-plus years of boating and has avoided many unhappy breakdowns.

Whether you do maintenance and repairs yourself or go to a professional, he shares money-saving tips, including:


• Unless there is extensive damage to your boat, always insist on a written estimate.

• Never tell a service department to do whatever is necessary to fix your boat.

• Always carefully inspect your boat if someone else has made repairs.


With a bit of training and hands-on experience, you can also enjoy boating without draining your life savings.