With gas prices soaring on and off the water, many travelers have had to rethink their summer activities because of such harrowing realities. The days of filling up your gas tank for $15 and your boat for less than $100 are long gone…in fact, about 10 years gone.

However, don’t fear…if you still are wondering what you might be able to do that will keep the kids in the water and adults enjoying the quiet and relaxation that comes attached to any summer excursion – a boat may be that very answer.

Many people this summer have found the idea of a low-cost getaway comes in the form of a boat at a marina. Take a Brooklyn family for instance – they quickly decided the price of waterfront property was just too exorbitant for their mild tastes and thought: where else better could you experience the water than on a boat. When you think of boat prices and marina fees, a boat can make a lot of sense for people who don’t mind being ‘close’ to each other.

A boat offers all the luxuries of a hotel, and can travel at will as well! The Brooklyn couple own a 31-foot Chaparral that can sleep four in two double berths – and docked at a small, friendly marina in Montauk, NY, with full services, including all utilities and winter storage for about $6,500 a year, making it an experience you can’t beat.

Boats are now cheaper than ever, as fuel prices have rose over the past five years. And with some boaters searching for an exit strategy on that investment they can no longer afford, many boat classified sites all over the Internet are resembling such figures, one being Burlington Boatyard.

Many people are saying NO to waterfront lake property, and instead investing in a boat, which if bought used, could still include warranties, marina amenities, storage, and possibly more.

And don’t think marinas don’t recognize this change in tastes either. Marinas are boosting their amenities as well for you and your guests that go well beyond the dual dock showerheads of old days. Indoor kitchens, restaurants, swimming pools, picnic and barbecue areas are all beginning to show up at some marinas to accommodate the influx in using the boat as a less expensive summer and year-round excursion.