Carver Owners Forum

2025 My Season By The Numbers

2025 was a good year. I traded in my 22 Stingray 182 SC for a 23 Sun Tracker Party Barge 22 DLX pontoon demo boat with a 115 HP Mercury Pro XS outboard at the Detroit Boat Show in February. Price was right. I never saw myself as a pontoon boat owner until my Son purchased one in 2019 and I found I liked the stability a pontoon boat has along with the room to move around.

I did most of my boating on the Detroit River, Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair. I did trailer up to northern Michigan and I launched on Lake Superior, Higgins Lake, Houghton Lake, Elk Lake, Lake Skegemog and South Lake Leelanau. That’s one of the reasons I trailer my boat. Can go anywhere and launch.

I think I can say I had a pretty good season overall.
The numbers:

23 Launches

5 Day trips to Put-in-Bay Ohio

70.0 Hours on the engine

803.7 Miles travelled

209.964 Gallons of rec fuel used

3.82 MPG

2.99 GPH

$874.00 Dollars cost of rec fuel

$900.00 Boat storage fee Gibraltar Storage

$476.99 Garmin ECHOMAP UHD2 53CV+TRANSDUCER

$904.18 Mount 3rd cleat starboard mount Garmin GPS/Sonar

$125.25 Put on MC#’s and boat name

$33.39 Pkg. of 4 rail mount fender holders

$36.72 2 rail mount flag poles and American flags

$84.75 Amazon for plow style stainless steel anchor

$198.68 Quicksilver Spare propeller

$232.14 Mercury propeller to replace damaged propeller

$202.44 Replace unrepairable trailer tire

$374.51 Replace broken trailer tail lights

$67.83 Starbrite canvas waterproofing

$146.61 New battery (left master control switch on)

$13.76 Bought spare set of keys for boat

$1139.71 Winterize engine grease hubs shrinkwrap boat

$5810.96 monies spent on boating. Worth every penny. Some of the expenses are one time expenses and shouldn’t be repeated.

I've never boated to see how cheaply I can do it. I boat and spend money for what I enjoy. I'm not wasteful but thats just me. Sure thing smaller is cheaper. Everybody does is differently. I guess, good for you ?

I didn't keep track of costs, but nothing broke this year.

g36 wrote:Source of the post I've never boated to see how cheaply I can do it. I boat and spend money for what I enjoy. I'm not wasteful but thats just me. Sure thing smaller is cheaper. Everybody does is differently. I guess, good for you ?

I have kept track many seasons. It is definitely less expensive running the pontoon than it was the Carver, I do miss the ability to overnight on the hook or at a marina. But, with the pontoon and the ability to trailer the boat to any location is a benefit in itself. I have explored a lot of new places since I downsized.

If I were ever to win big enough in the lottery I would get back into a cruising yacht something in the 45' to 55' range. One can dream.

Yep everyone does it differently. For me I spent money in fuel,slip and insurance had over 30 nights on the hook. Priceless. Great season too.