Upkeep chores and materials will cost more or less depending on the type of boat you own, where you keep it and, of course, on your own patience, skills, and bankroll.

Anyone who thinks about investing in a boat bigger than a kayak should get out a calculator, take a deep breath, and tally up honest estimates of the recurring costs of registration, dockage, hauling and launching, winter storage, insurance, and maintenance. But that last item—maintenance—is a tricky one to figure, because it’s not a fixed amount determined by someone else; it will vary season to season and year to year, and it will depend very much on how willing and able you’ll be to work on your new investment.

Maintenance, of course, means not only cleaning things, lubricating things, and replacing parts on things that aren’t broken, but fixing things that are. And any boat owner who’s been in the game for more than a few months will tell you there’s a lot of it. There’s a strong argument that the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in boat ownership is enhanced by a willingness to Embrace the Hacksaw.