boat storage rates in rural locales

[AndyBarnhart]

Well, my neighborhood association asked me to quit parking my sailboat in the driveway. Kind of annoying since I checked and was told it would be okay before I bought it. Anyway, a guy that owns a company that my wife keeps books for has graciously let me park at their office for now, but it is anything but secure. The place is deserted nights and weekends. To store a boat around Raleigh is a fairly expensive proposition. It's only a 17' boat and the trailer has a short tongue, so it can almost squeeze into a vehicle spot, but not quite. Anyway, rates I am finding for secure storage are $60+ per month. I found one guy near Lake Jordan who has "semi-secure" (park on his property and there is usually someone around) for $35. It has me wondering - if I went further out and parked between here and a good destination (like on the way to Kerr, Gaston or the sounds), would storage be cheaper? Do any of you keep a boat in a storage lot further out of town?

EDIT - Took another look on CL and found one for $29 a month near Jordan that's more of a maybe. Not guarded but a locked entrance that renters have access to. I will go take a look this weekend and see if some nicer boats are there.

[Bigdog72]

Andy,

Check your deed restrictions to see if boat parking is excluded. The yard police can't just make you move your boat. Also, go around the neighborhood and see if anyone has anything parked around their home. I would fight it before I moved it. Worst that can happen would be losing the fight.

[sediener]

Sounds like a reason to put up a 3 car garage/shop to me....

- Steve

[AndyBarnhart]

Originally Posted by Bigdog72

Andy,

Check your deed restrictions to see if boat parking is excluded. The yard police can't just make you move your boat. Also, go around the neighborhood and see if anyone has anything parked around their home. I would fight it before I moved it. Worst that can happen would be losing the fight.

I can apply to get it approved and they might. What happened is that a guy on the architectural committee (who is a friend, to complicate matters) misunderstood the new regulations (they changed last year) and thought that they only had to approve a parking pad if I were adding one. The boat parking regulation encourages an additional pad, but my driveway is too close to the property line to make that feasible.

If I apply, they recommend, but don't require, that you get your neighbors to sign off that they are okay with it (these are general approval rules for additions and what not). I di check with my neighbors before I got a boat and they were okay with it. But now one of my neighbors is getting relocated in May and has his house on the market. He would probably sign off because he told me earlier he would, but I know he would prefer it wasn't there while his house is on the market. So I don't want to get my one buddy in hot water for making a mistake and I don't want to make it hard for my other buddy (who planes wood for me sometimes ) to sell his house.

On top of that, the wife and kids have commented that it is nice to have that spot open (it is the only big open flat spot on the driveway that doesn't get driven over all the time). My wife thinks I need to repaint it because it looks "tired":



So, long story short (okay, maybe it's too late for that), I want to explore some possibilities for parking it. It's a decent little sailboat, but it's only worth maybe $1500 or so. Paying half that per year to store it seems excessive.

[AndyBarnhart]

Originally Posted by sediener

Sounds like a reason to put up a 3 car garage/shop to me....

- Steve

Not an option where we are. We are planning to move before all too long; this house was supposed to be a compromise for "a while" when we bought it 15 years ago between my wife, who would love to win Yard-of-the-month, and I, who would rather have dogs-on-the-porch.

I am standing a little firmer on my wants the next time we house shop.

[gator]

Andy -

I just checked on one here in Oxford (on the way from Cary to Gaston or Kerr right on I-85) and it is $45/month secured inside fencing but no cover.

George

[NCPete]

Originally Posted by AndyBarnhart

I am standing a little firmer on my wants the next time we house shop.

:r otflm:

you will have to let us all know how that one turns out, while you are in recovery

[BarryC]

That situation right there is exacly why I will never again live in a sub-division or community where there is a homeowners association. There are just way too many people on those commities that get a head rush with the little bit of power the position offers and tends to get caught up in making the whole community reek of their ill informed decisions. Sorry for not telling you how I really feel about this because this is such a sore spot for me.

There really isn't much you can do except move it. You agreed to abide by their rules and regulations when you bought the house. Sorry dude you're screwed.

[AndyBarnhart]

George,

Are you "George from Oxford" on another ww'ing site?

Thanks for that. It looks like my options start around $30 and go up $15 for each diferent one:

$30 - semi-secure dirt lot parking near Lake Jordan.
$45 - secure lot near Kerr/Gaston
$60 - secure lot under 1/2 hour away
$75 - secure lot 5 minutes away

Oh yeah one more:

$5,000,000 - Develop neighborhood where I set rules, park boat, have shop, award wife Yard-of-the-month for life...

Barry,

It's a mixed bag. When they make someone mow the knee high weeds they call a lawn or get their junk off the curb when the city has refused it (they don't take bulk items curbside here unless you make special arrangements and pay extra), then I think it's a good thing. We have a nice entrance, swimming pool and tennis courts (and in answer to the earlier post about whether or not they can make me; they just don't let your kids in the pool and then your kids make you). It's a tough thing to make rules about appearance. I keep my boat clean (even if it does look "tired"), registered, trailer is tagged and road ready. I would not want someone parking a derelict boat full of trash on a rusty old trailer with flat tires out in the open. Some where in between is a line that is hard to define.

But I do want less restrictions at the next house.

[AndyBarnhart]

One more quote just came in - secure parking (fenced storage with keypad entrance with owner's house at same location) about a half hour away for $35!

[cpowell]

I am not a fan of homeowner's associations and the clout they carry. I feel your pain. I also understand your neighborhood's concerns.

I wonder if the HOA would have a problem if you painted the boat and covered it with a fitted white canvas cover? A shiny finish would improve the appearance dramatically (it does look tired) but what matters is whether the boat could stay if it looked new.


Chuck

[JimmyC]

I feel your pain with the HOA, sometimes they serve a good purpose (keeping people from srewing their property up, which brings your values down), but I decided to stay away from them for reasons just like the one that you are having now. It seems that if you have any toys ( boats, trailers, shops, extra cars, etc.) that the HOA never works in your favor.

Jimmy

[gator]

Originally Posted by AndyBarnhart

George,

Are you "George from Oxford" on another ww'ing site?

I'm registered on a couple of sites with both George and Oxford in the name, but I can't think of one specifically that says "George from Oxford" although there might be one that I have forgotten over the years.

George

[alleng]

when my brother sold his place last summer,he han nowhere to keep his boat and tractor. so he asked if he could keep it at my place until he finds somewhere... well its still here,...BUT.....the key is in it,and i use it as if it were mine.that reminds me,the speckled trout and rock are bitting now