Cost to maintain older Hatt53MY

I want to buy a 53MY sooooo bad but see newer yachts in that $80K to $120K that are much younger with newer systems. I can afforad the entry price but afraid of the upkeep.

Not a DD man, much prefer newer 4cycle engines and cannot justify replacement of working engines.

OK with 1MPG and plan to speand most it living aboard in Biloxi (southern Vegas).

Assuming, all systems on boat are working at time of purchase and survey to OK; going forward with a light cruise/most at dock liveaboard; what are my new demons to exercise?

Depends on the boat you buy and what your standards are for seaworthiness (including structural integrity such as leaks), comfort, convenience and cosmetics. A good set of surveyors (engine and hull) will tell you what your starting point is.

Then it depends on on how handy you are, what you value your time at (and how much you have to spare), what it costs to have someone competent do the work that you can't or don't want to do.

Read this forum at length and you will see almost all the potential issues are.

One of the best phrases I've heard, from a very experienced captain while relaxing dockside, "Even as we sit here enjoying our drinks, things are breaking".

"As we sit having our drinks"

Got to remember that one

Sam

IF you do the work yourself, the maint cost is actually pretty low. Of course that is based on your mechanical/electrical interest/aptitude/ability and the amount of time you have available to do it or are willing to spend on it. The cost of boat work will be inversely proportional to the amount of it that YOU can do since labor is always the major cost.

The statement that something is always breaking is true though it sounds a bit pessimistic since the same thing is happening with your car, house, whatever. OTOH, these boats have a lot of systems so there is a lot of stuff to wear out and it's OLD. But it is amazing how long the oem gear seems to last...

The average annual cost for our 53's maintenance is not more than three thousand bucks. That's with me doing all the work other than bottom painting (every 3 years - about 2k). That does not count slip fees/insurance, etc which has to be factored in, of course.

As noted, the best approach, IMO, is to buy a boat in the best possible condition. It's much easier and cheaper to maintain a boat in good repair than to start out with a basket case though the basket case will cost a lot less to purchase. But then you can end up in a repair/maintenance death march that never seems to end…

There are folks here who have prepared spread sheets showing detailed maint records, perhaps someone will post one. There should be some in the archives that a search could reveal.

A rough estimate is 10-15 thousand a year.

Does that 10-15k include the slip/insurance?

To elaborate on our costs:
Our insurance is around 2500/year but that price will vary dramatically depending on where the boat is located. We are in the Chesapeake Bay in a covered slip. Covered slip rental fees in our marina for a 60 ft slip were around 7.4k/year when we moved the boat here in '06 but they can be had for considerably less now. I have heard - though not verified - that a 60 ft slip in the marina can be rented from a private owner for $4600/year. So if you added our insurance and, say 6k for the slip rental, our annual costs to own the boat would be around 10-11k USD.

Of course, the above is also based on not actually MOVING the boat, which requires fuel…:)

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The average annual cost for our 53's maintenance is not more than three thousand bucks. That's with me doing all the work other than bottom painting (every 3 years - about 2k).

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So Mike, you value your time at zero? If I had known that I would have hired you!

Yes, my time costs nothing as far as I am concerned…when I'm working for ME (or my friends - I think I might have two, or maybe three of those). ;)

The concept that your own time is worth money is true if boat work is taking away from money you would be earning on a "real job." But if you are doing boat work on your own time then I can't see how it can be considered as "worth" anything since you wouldn't' be making any money with that time anyway. I'd rather do mechanical work than watch TV, for example, which is why all my hobbies involve mechanical work of some sort…well, except for music stuff but my wife thinks the mental process for that is the same as mech work.

But I've never been a good financial planner so maybe my view is faulty…but it works for me! :)

All Hatteras yachts come with a guarantee. Is actually better than the guarantee on a Ginsu Knife! When you buy an old Hatteras, it's guaranteed that something is broken, or will soon break. My slip neighbor has Mann RRs in a newer SeaRay. They are more costly to maintain than the DDs. My old Hatteras is no more costly to maintain than the newer Sea Ray.

I will confess I used to use the derogatory phrases to describe boats that mostly sit in their slips such as "dock queens" and "floating condos." Now I live aboard and have one. We try to take it out once a month year round. It's nice to have a pilot house with heat in the snow. I like to take a couple of longer trips per year, maybe 150 miles round trip.

With that background, I'm with Mike. It probably costs me less than $3,000 per year in maintenance, not counting bottom paint and blister repair which someday I may tackle. A mechanic would probably charge over $1,000 to change the oil and filters on the mains and the generator. I can do it in a morning for around $200. I love working on the boat. It's my hobby.

Improvements are a different story. Hardwood floors and the new galley were well over $10,000 and the heads are next. But those items are no different than a house.

That's a good point re changes

Maintenance and changing things are two different issues. I recently re-floored the salon with Amtico because we wanted to do that, it was certainly not required for maintenance so it is not fair, IMO, to consider any such changes as part of maintenance since they are all "elected surgery." That includes "upgrading" electronics, or any other component.

I agree also re the dock queen thing. We used to take the boat out several times a week for "dinner cruises," plus trips every weekend. We also did regular longer cruises - a week or more. But that was when we were both working and our residence in NY was a 5 minute walk from the marina where we kept the boat. Now, although I'm on the boat as a live-aboard for about 2 months at a time, twice a year, we don't actually operate the boat much because my wife's job does not allow her to be on the boat for more than a week or 10 days for each of my 2- month periods. Sure, I could take it out myself and have done so but I don't enjoy cruising by myself at all so I only do it when I'm "testing" something.

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Originally Posted by MikeP

Does that 10-15k include the slip/insurance?

To elaborate on our costs:
Our insurance is around 2500/year but that price will vary dramatically depending on where the boat is located. We are in the Chesapeake Bay in a covered slip. Covered slip rental fees in our marina for a 60 ft slip were around 7.4k/year when we moved the boat here in '06 but they can be had for considerably less now. I have heard - though not verified - that a 60 ft slip in the marina can be rented from a private owner for $4600/year. So if you added our insurance and, say 6k for the slip rental, our annual costs to own the boat would be around 10-11k USD.

Of course, the above is also based on not actually MOVING the boat, which requires fuel…:)

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WOW that's a bargain! I guess location is everything. Up here a 60ft slip will run you 9-10K just for the summer, and it won't be covered. 1K per month was pretty standard for my 65 when I was in Fl and NC. You can do better but 1K per month is a good basis. You guys are getting by pretty cheap on maintanance. I spend more than 3K per year just for parts and supplies providing nothing major goes wrong. Keep in mind you can't average 3K per year and not include the years with major repairs. One AC condensing unit will blow that budget even if you do the work yourself. Unless you do all the washing and waxing yourself and pay no yard fees, you can easily spend 3K just keeping her clean and shiny.

$2-3k/year might cover the general maintenance but that does not include all the costs. There are years where you will have bills of $10k+. Risers, hoses, canvas, paint, coolers/heat exchangers, oil, filters, pumps, compressors, batteries, engine parts, upholstery, carpet, varnish/oil, bottom paint/repair.

We are in Fla with a 52C and to keep in a ready to use condition, costs about $20k/year(insurance, slip, general maintenance).

Battery replacement is pushing3k just for the 32v I used to get 7 years out of a set now it's barley 5. That's at least$600/year I did have one year my charger went bad and cooked out 2year old set. You need to budget for the sh*#t happens costs too.

I'll say it one more time, as subsequent posts have served to illustrate: it all starts with and continues to revolve around what your standards are.

Also Rsmith and thoward nailed an important point on the need to calculate and reserve for the "sooner or later" items.

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Originally Posted by thoward

$2-3k/year might cover the general maintenance but that does not include all the costs. There are years where you will have bills of $10k+. Risers, hoses, canvas, paint, coolers/heat exchangers, oil, filters, pumps, compressors, batteries, engine parts, upholstery, carpet, varnish/oil, bottom paint/repair.

We are in Fla with a 52C and to keep in a ready to use condition, costs about $20k/year(insurance, slip, general maintenance).

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But this gets back to the idea of how much maint the owner can do. Many of the items mentioned above are not expensive as far as the parts needed to repair/refurbish, whatever. It's the LABOR cost that makes an $80 hydraulic pump refurbish into a $5-600 pump refurbish or the $200 charge for new waste hose into a $1500 charge for installing it.

I certainly agree that there has to be money set aside for unforeseen expenses but my point is that boat maint can be fairly painless IF the owner is willing to do the work. For me, I enjoy doing it; certainly others feel differently and that's part of the equation.

I like to read these threads. Whats the budget? My two cents.
One of my mentors said to me "I spent all my money on boats and women, the rest was wasted."

A 53 MY will require expenses some of which are large like $10K or $15K, every once in while, on a bad day. You can figure out the monthly costs of insurance and slips and such. But do understand that some of the equipment on board a 53 can cost big bucks to repair. gen sets die, engine suck in valves transmission quit. If you can't cough up $10K every now and again you should pass,

But wait, swinging on anchor in a pristine cove in the evening with a slight breeze from the southeast and fair forecast sipping an adult beverage with the grand kids asleep in the vee after a swim off the boat, well thats really difficult to price out.

Skooch

I will "conditionally" agree with Mike that if an owner has the time, skill AND stamina to do most or all of the "Maintenance" , not counting unplanned stuff such as batteries etc., then the cost is pretty low. For many years I did just about all of my own mainenance, but as I got older it became more and more like hard work. Now at 77 I try to contract most of my work out and I am damn frustrated about it. It is very difficult to find reliable folks to do even simple jobs in my area. I envy Bobk who has a sistership to my Series 1 48 MY (1982). He seems to have the skill to find great people who do good work on time at agreed prices. An example was that this spring, after spending all winter on the hard, 2 of my 8-D batteries bit the dust..probably because someone kept unplugging the power cable. Although the 2 subject batteries were only 2 years old, I had the yard replace them....My charge was $300 ea X 2 = $600 plus $300 labor to install..total $900 for two batteries that were only changed 2 seasons ago. If this were 10 or more years ago I would have purchased the batteries for much less and installed them myself. My point is as Mike explains is that your costs don't have to be astranomical but you need to be aware that you probably won't/can't do it all yourself.

Hi All,

This is kind of a general thread that I’ve sent to others who are searching for a boat. It conveys the things I took away from my experience, and speaks to fixed and incidental costs. It’s re-worked and added to each time I send it. Hope you folks in search mode can benefit from it.

First and foremost, you have to LOVE it, whatever boat you buy it needs to become a love affair and then a marriage if you can appreciate the analogy. The love affair gets you through the search and the purchase and the refit phases (you need a lot of passion) and the marriage sustains you through the ownership years when you nurture it.

Also, you really need the full support and buy in from your significant other. Really talk through what this commitment means in time and money which is no longer available for other things.

You need to research closely all of the different types and models and floor plans Hatteras offered and hone in on what you think fits your planned use, but be open minded as you look at boats. Take special note of prices and options. This data can help you during the negotiating process and final analysis.

When I was growing up my dad owned a 1974 Yachtfish. I loved that boat and spent many many happy years in the waters of the northeast.

I started searching for a 1974 48'9" Hatteras Yachtfish with the three stateroom layout and 8V71 natural Detroit's. After months of extensive research through many many different search vehicles I found an extremely original classic. It was owned for 10 years by an older couple (early 60's) who had taken very good care of the boat as best they could as time, money and health permitted. The minute I stepped into the helm station I knew I would buy this boat no matter what they asked. I paid the man what he wanted.

I had an extensive mechanical and structural survey done and it turned up a handful of things as well as some typical Hatteras non-issues such as several blisters, a couple of separated tabs etc.

Surveying IS ESSENTIAL TO ANY PURCHASE and is worth every penny it costs. It’s probably the most important thing you can do in the purchase process second only to finding a GOOD, ROFESSIONAL, KNOWLEDGABLE, HONEST, ACREDITED SURVEYOR(s). It may require more than one ie one for the hull and structural components another specific to your power systems etc. Also you need to know what type of survey is being done and to what degree. (ie what’s included and what’s excluded), how deep does the investigation go? (Compression test on the engines etc)

Don’t go with the brokers (I know a survey guy) recommendation. Independent and vetted is the only way to go not only for surveyors but anyone you hire to work on or evaluate anything related to your boat.

As Rob said in his response ASK QUESTIONS….of the broker, the seller (if possible), yards that may have serviced the boat, the marina where it was kept et. Ask the HOF if anyone knows of the boat. Ask what certain language means for example on my survey many things had a condition of “powered on”, I ASSumed that meant they were in working order…..not the case. Maybe there are technical or boating terms you might not know or systems and concepts you might not understand. Educate yourself.

Look for some of the obvious signs of a poorly maintained boat ie is the engine room is a discombobulated oily mess, the bilges are filthy, there’s water in the bilge, the racor filters are filthy or contain water, there are signs of water leaks around the windows, the bright work has been abandoned etc.

Don’t be afraid to ask the broker for help with the seller and for getting answers to your questions, that’s a big part of their job.

Sea trial the boat and don’t be timid about putting it through its paces and exercising the engines and other components (synchronizers etc.) Pilot the boat yourself, see how it feels. Ask to see systems in operation. (air conditioners, oven, alarm, etc as many of the things listed in the sales listing.

If you’re purchasing long distance you will have to be much more involved with the process, going to the boat a few times or you could pay someone onsite to oversee certain things.

Realize that no matter how clean the boat is you’re going to be putting say 10-25% of the purchase price into it year one. (Interior decor' exterior cosmetics, gadgets, toys maintenance, upgrades).

Once the sea trial is done and once the surveys are done you’ll be presented with a list of issues usually broken down by category ie serious etc. You need to take these to the seller and negotiate whether they will repair prior to purchase or whether a price reduction will be used as an off-set.

Since I purchased my boat I've probably I’ve spent appx 200K on upgrades, aesthetics and maintenance,……and I DON’T regret one cent. I love my boat. When I step aboard I'm happy, I love her classic lines and traditional feel (vs an Italian villa). I even love her 34 year old laugh lines. I never tire of working on her it's a labor of love.

My biggest take away from this whole experience is don't blindly trust everyone in the boating industry, there are lots and lots of really shady people out there ready to take advantage you and your money. We learned this while preparing to leave FL and all the way up the east coast. (NO offense meant to those of you out there who have integrity and are honest, knowledgeable professionals, thankfully we found many of you along the way as well)

Another thing many folks don’t pay enough attention to is perpetual costs; they can't be ignored or minimalized. If you don’t properly take them into account you may be able to buy the boat but not run it.

I run around 17 or 18 thousand dollars a year to keep her in really good condition (not Bristol), just properly maintained and cared for. Making her better is an add-on to the perpetual costs ie some new gadget, new electronics or making her cosmetically and visually better.

Example of Perpetual Costs: (appx based on a 1974 48 YF in the north east)

Slip fee - $5200
Insurance - $2100
Haul out and storage $1900
Shrink wrap and winterize both engines, water systems and generator - $1800
spring commission - $1500
Diesel - $2800
State, local and federal fees/taxes - $800
Maintenance - $2500

Many of the things on this list are obviously different by region of the country.

If you’re a do it yourselfer you can mitigate some of these costs, unfortunately I’m not. I’m not clueless by any means, I can understand what’s wrong and what’s needed and how to fix it but I wouldn't attempt anything other than small stuff.

If you're going into any Hatteras but especially a Classic Hatteras you need to fully understand the perpetual costs, (which plus your mortgage and enhancements is really your TCOO).

Also, realize that most yards today and probably all yards in the near future will NOT let you work on your boat in their yard if they provide the service required. ie If you need to grind some fiberglass and apply a repair, even though you are fully capable of doing this if the yard provides fiberglass services they are going to deny you the opportunity to do it yourself and force you to pay the yard to do the work.

Also realize that a yard may not provide a service such as marine electronics however they may have a reciprocal arrangement with a third party. In that case again they are going to deny you the opportunity to do it yourself or of hiring your own technician and force you to use the yards third party. The third party inflates the bill so the yard gets a cut.

I keep a running detailed plan of everything that needs to be done or that I want to do to the boat even the smallest thing. I research the cost and I re-prioritize the plan constantly against available funds and resources.

I still miss the numbers by 20%. (over)

Realize that quality services with solid references are hard to find but well worth the money!

Don’t be timid about challenging a bill or questioning work that was completed. If the person is a professional they will welcome this inquiry in a constructive way and you’ll feel glad you asked. In my experience, if a service provider immediately becomes defensive and cops an attitude he was a bad choice and you’re probably in for a protracted unpleasant experience.

If you’re lucky enough to find a really knowledgeable person to partner with or befriend, it makes a huge difference. What I mean by that is for example in my case I have two close family members who are life long mariners who are extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of boating from navigation, to engines and systems, to fiberglass repair.

I asked them to bring the boat up from FL for me, I paid them a reasonable fee and let them tootle around the Caribbean for a week or so.

Today they’re there whenever I need them for maintenance & enhancements, anything. As partial payment I let them use the boat for a weekend or a few days whenever they want.
I love these guys!

It’s also extremely advantageous if you can find a college student with a good attitude, a good work ethic and some skills. They provide an invaluable service when it comes to laborious maintenance etc (waxing the boat, cleaning, bright work etc). Ask me how I know (I have one).

And finally ENJOY your beautiful boat. Learn something about it every day. Strive to make it better every day, DO the proper required maintenance, this will save you THOUSANDS of dollars.

Good Luck

The main thing I don't get about threads like this, any 53' boat will end up costing a lot of money to maintain and keep at a dock or store. The fact that it's a Hatteras doesn't mean anything. Most 53' boats these days have way more complex systems than any 1970-1988 53 Hatteras does. Like stated earlier in this thread, there's maintaining and there is replacing. If replacing because you want to update or add something, you really can't say that is the benchmark for a budget to own a 53 Hatteras.

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Originally Posted by Nightingale

The main thing I don't get about threads like this, any 53' boat will end up costing a lot of money to maintain and keep at a dock or store. The fact that it's a Hatteras doesn't mean anything. Most 53' boats these days have way more complex systems than any 1970-1988 53 Hatteras does. Like stated earlier in this thread, there's maintaining and there is replacing. If replacing because you want to update or add something, you really can't say that is the benchmark for a budget to own a 53 Hatteras.

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How is it newer boats are more complex? Other than electronic engines and integrated navigation electronics all the other systems have basicly remained the same.

There is a huge difference in cost as directly related to what type of pants you wear. If you don't own a pair of Levi's and have never used hand soap from an orange pump container your going to need a really fat wallet

Newport News Rate on 1971 43 DC , averaged over 8 years of ownership.

Slip fee - $3200
Insurance - $900
Haul out and storage Not required
Shrink wrap and winterize both engines, water systems and generator - not required
spring commission - $500
Diesel - $4000
State, local and federal fees/taxes - $500
Maintenance - $1500

I do all the work myself. Run about 100 hours a year. The maintenance fee is higher than actual ,and the excess covers hauling and painting every three years. If a major repair is required it will go on top of these numbers. I foresee an increase in costs due to the fact my body is not as flexible as it used to be. I should be putting $300 each month aside for the big bill which is about due.

Since the question is about a 53 MY lets stick to that.
Liveaboard at a marina say 700 mo and most likely a liveaboard fee. Power 300 a month running Ac's
Three heads figure 500 yr. Are pumpouts free at the marina?
The Ac units will get a workout 1000/yr
Insurance on the Gulf Coast 4000+. liability only policy about 1500
If the minium is done on the engines and gen 700/year
Batteries 3000 divided by four= 750/YR
Misc pumps,lights simple repairs, float switches 600/yr
Diver 1000/yr.

This is a bare minimum. No canvas, no wax/polish, no paint or varnish, no fuel, no electronic repairs or replacements. No carpet or interior up grades. No major issues.

Don't forget the cost to do a repair on a 40 year old 65,000 53My is the same cost as doing the repair on a 2014 three million Viking.

One point that hasn't been made is the size of the boat. Ive always done most of the work on my boat. Only thing I don't do is major engine work but most repairs and maintanance I've handled. This changed a lot and much more than I anticipated when I bought my 65. It's a lot of boat and many routine jobs become very time consuming and difficult. I now pay to have the boat washed weekly since it takes me 6-8 hours to do it myself. I don't do the detailing either as its a huge job. I don't have the scaffolding to do it and the time it would take me to do it right would be significant. If you're retired or have a lot of free time then some of these things aren't an issue. Moving from a 46C to and 65C was a big step and changed everything. I would think a 53MY would introduce similar issues for a DIYer. One other problem I didn't anticipate is haul outs. Most of the yards that can handle big boats don't allow or greatly restrict DIY or out side contract work. As Dave said, the price to fix and care for a 53ft boat is the same regardless of the purchase price.

Some people spend tens of thousands every year on maintenance and even upgrades. Others let them sit and do next to nothing. If you use it it will cost money. If you don't keep up with it it becomes a floating derelict.

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Originally Posted by saltshaker

One point that hasn't been made is the size of the boat. snip. . .Moving from a 46C to and 65C was a big step and changed everything. I would think a 53MY would introduce similar issues for a DIYer. One other problem I didn't anticipate is haul outs. Most of the yards that can handle big boats don't allow or greatly restrict DIY or out side contract work. As Dave said, the price to fix and care for a 53ft boat is the same regardless of the purchase price.

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Saltshaker makes a great point. The 53 is a big boat. I moved from a 42 to a 58 HAtt LRC. the difference is huge. I could give little Skooch a good soapy scrub in an hour or so, 4 hours does the 58. My friend had a 58 and his wife worked. People would always ask him what he did all day, well he maintained the boat. If not a full time job its real close if you don;t have or pay for help.
Skooch

I tend to agree that - for me at least - a 53 Hatt is the largest boat I can personally maintain. Perhaps it's more accurate to say "that I would WANT TO maintain." Anything larger would become too much work to be enjoyable any more. As has been noted, I must admit that I find some tasks more difficult now than I used to...though it's more mental than physical (so far) ;) Hull cleaning is a good example and earlier this year I actually paid 600 bucks to have done what I had previously always done myself. I have to admit that now I look at that task the same way I look at kickstarting my old Norton Commando motorcycle...Why when I can (did) install an electric-start? :)

I don't think it's accurate to give the impression on these boats that "something is always broken." I have never found that to be true. What is true is that some people ALLOW some things to be broken. For example, I know a person with a 53 who has one of the heads that doesn't work and doesn't care since he has two more. It's been broken for as long as I have known him/the boat (8 years). To be fair, his boat always runs/looks great and he spends a lot of time cleaning it. But having anything that doesn't work makes me nuts. If normal Preventive Maint/routine inspections are performed, I don't find a 53 to be particularly "difficult" to maintain at all. Sure, once in a while something quits with no notice but that's pretty unusual.

But to be honest, I'm going through that right now. I just arrived back at the boat (at 1:30 AM this morning) and one of my first tasks in the next couple of days is to troubleshoot/repair the Genny which quit a couple of days prior to leaving the boat back in Jul. I did not have time to seriously troubleshoot at that time and it was the first time the Northern Lights unit EVER did anything but run perfectly. Only thing I had time to look at at the time was fuel filters which I replaced to no useful effect. So yeah, $h1t happens.

Further I think one must be honest with his/her own ability and willingness to do the work. One can be perfectly capable of doing everything from washing a boat to overhauling a DD but have NO INTEREST at all in doing so. Others may be perfectly comfortable with certain specific tasks. I guess what I'd say is don't take either potential extreme - doing all the work or doing none of the work - as being what it takes to own the boat if those extremes don't fit your profile. Of course, your profile can change based on other factors from external requirements on your time to just not being interested any more. ;)

I started a thread a couple of months back "Possibly Looking for a Partner". While it did not get a lot of responses, I did receive some good feedback. As I stated in my initial post, partnerships can be very difficult and open to different interpretations of what maintaining a classic vessel should be. That said, if the LLC contract drawn up to establish the partnership is thorough and the parties entering the agreement are on the same page with written directions for handling the times that they are not on the same page; finding a good partner seems to me to be a viable option. Of course, if you have the financial ability to operate with an open checkbook, single ownership is without question the way to go. However, there are probably thousands of boat enthusiasts who would love to move up and a partnership is the only viable option. I would venture to say that if your overall costs of ownership were cut in half, the cost of diesel would not be the issue it is for many of us and even "owning" a boat for "half" a year would actually yield more time on the water.

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Originally Posted by saltshaker

WOW that's a bargain! I guess location is everything. Up here a 60ft slip will run you 9-10K just for the summer, and it won't be covered. 1K per month was pretty standard for my 65 when I was in Fl and NC. You can do better but 1K per month is a good basis. You guys are getting by pretty cheap on maintanance. I spend more than 3K per year just for parts and supplies providing nothing major goes wrong. Keep in mind you can't average 3K per year and not include the years with major repairs. One AC condensing unit will blow that budget even if you do the work yourself. Unless you do all the washing and waxing yourself and pay no yard fees, you can easily spend 3K just keeping her clean and shiny.

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On the northern gulf coast a 53 foot boat would be charged about $550 per month including elec/water. Seeming that the further south one goes the higher the dock rent. Property taxes in FL are much higher than AL MS LA; maybe that's a part of the price diff.