Parking And Charging A Boat At An Apartment Complex

[sbfishySC]

Anyone live at an apartment complex? If so, where do you park your boat and where do you plug it in to charge the batteries?

Currently I live in an apartment, with a fairly small parking lot for my building. I can get my 16' boat in and out of the parking lot, but it is a very tight squeeze. Charging is an issue for me, as I live on the second floor and it's a long stretch from my unit to the parking lot where I park my boat so the extension cord may get in the way for other residents. Anyone have any experience with this situation?

 

Thanks

[Teal]

I would be hesitant to park it there. If you have relatives or a close friend that wouldnt mind letting you keep it there in exchange for a couple fishing trips or a few dollars then that's the route I would go. I'd be worried about someone hitting the boat/trailer. If there are any elderly people that need someone to help with them with yard work in exchange for a parking spot in a garage or a barn would be nice too.

[PotomacBassin]

I would make sure you're even allowed to park it in your parking lot.  I know complexes have certain rules on what you can park there.  I live in a townhouse community and fortunately we're allowed to park boats 'temporarily'.  So I park my boat in our designated spots and run a cord from the front of my house.  However, a lot of people complain to our Homeowner's Association and even took pictures.  Luckily I'm in good with the President of the HOA so he tells me this stuff.  He also tells those tattle tales that I'm allowed to park it there. 

 

Anyways... I would just make sure you're allowed to even do it and if you're allowed to run a cord out of your balcony.  I normally park my boat at an RV/Boat storage place but they don't have charging stations.  So going this route doesn't solve your charging problem.

[BassnChris]

I would be hesitant to park it there. If you have relatives or a close friend that wouldnt mind letting you keep it there in exchange for a couple fishing trips or a few dollars then that's the route I would go. I'd be worried about someone hitting the boat/trailer. If there are any elderly people that need someone to help with them with yard work in exchange for a parking spot in a garage or a barn would be nice too.

This some very good advice.

[Shewillbemine]

I'm not looking for an argument so don't take this post as an invitation for one. But parking a boat on a street is already seen as a no-no in many cities and is sometimes even illegal (usually it's a maximum 72 hour rule and the boat has to move/go). In a tiny apartment complex, you're likely inviting bad things to happen whether it's your rubbing the boat against this "very tight squeeze", others accidentally hitting the boat or worse, neighbors retaliating in annoyance.

 

I personally don't like how a boat looks in any residential area (unless it's in your garage or behind your fence) and I know I'm not alone in that perspective. If you live in an area with Homeowners Association it's probable that they have rules against marine vehicles anyway. 

 

As others have suggested, your options are:

 

a. Find someone/anyone who will allow you to park the boat on their street, driveway, backyard or side of the house. I'd compare what you might pay for local storage and offer an amount less than that.

 

b. Find local storage and pay the fee. Some would argue that's part of the cost of ownership for boats (frankly, it kinda is). 

 

c. Some lakes/marinas have slips they rent out monthly. 

 

For charging, I have the same issue because I don't keep my boat by my house. So I either:

 

a. Charge the boat at my house the day/night before I go on a trip.

 

b. Charge my boat at my storage facility. It has outlets that aren't close to my space but I just tow my boat close to it and charge a few hours at a time.

 

c. Buy a generator. 

[sbfishySC]

I appreciate the responses everyone. I've looked through my lease and there is nothing that says I cannot park a boat in the parking lot. And by "tight squeeze" I don't mean that it's in any danger of any other cars hitting it more than my own truck would be in danger, I just mean backing it in and pulling it out of a spot can get tricky.

I may end up parking it in my grandmother's garage 45 minutes away (if the garage is big enough) and store it there. Easy to charge there too. My only issue with that is it's an hour and a half drive round trip from there back here to any lakes I'd fish around here. Might be my only option to charge it and keep my onboard charger plugged in all the time if I can't find an affordable storage facility with outlets. So I guess I need to find some facilities around the lakes here and compare the price of storing it there to what I'd pay in gas for that hour and a half drive.

 

I really appreciate ya'lls feedback. I'm a new boat owner, so this is all new to me.

[Glenn]

When I lived in an apartment, I kept my boat at my sister's house, which was about 15 mins away.  When I moved to a condo, no such luck.  But I found a storage facility (actually 2) that had indoor, locked storage w/power hookup complete with 24/7 access.  Believe it or not, one of them was Public Storage.  Keep in mind that a storage unit with a light bulb in it is good enough.  There are adapters for lights that have plug-ins.

 

Oops...did I say that in my outloud voice?

[3dees]

I lived in an apartment for 20 years and would never trust keeping my boat there. I kept it at my moms house about 5 min. away. I could'nt find any public storage facilities that had electric. charging the batteries before a trip is a bad idea if that means that it's being stored discharged . best way to ruin them. I have seen larger complexes with bassboats stored in the lots but don't know how they keep them charged.

[jhoffman]

I store mine at my parents house. You wanna talk about tricky getn a boat in the driveway, they live on a street thats barely two cars wide and the driveway itself is barely two wide. Although its a back road people use it as their shortcut to avoid traffic and lights. It never fails, every time I go to back it in, someone comes flying down the road. Ive gotten pretty efficient at it that if I can have 30seconds to a minute of no interuption I can get it in there perfecto.

 

My place is big enough to store it, but I live in an apt also and the owner complained about it being on the grass. Worked out anyhow cause its easier to charge it at home. Home is on the way to my house and the lake from work so I pick it up when I fish and drop it off before work.

[3dees]

my moms yard is the size of a 2 1/2 car garage and I back in from an alley. boat goes between a fence and stairs. luckily I'm a retired truck driver so I don't have any problem except when I want to work on or clean it. I have to pull it out and away from the fence so tandem trls are out of the question.

[BassinB]

I'm lucky in that my apt complex has rentable garages. I bought a light bulb to outlet converter deal from fleet farm and I'm golden. Before I had one of the garages I left it hooked to my truck....a lot. Real pain in the ass but the only way I felt secure. Just yanked the batteries after fishin and charged them inside.

[DINK WHISPERER]

I use to live in an apt complex and hated it for this same issue! Every vehicle you parked there had to be in use daily or it had to go. Anything trailered like a boat had to be outside the property in a narrow stretch that a bulldozer cleared in the woods and was then paved. I dont think so not my baby! I kept mine at my n-laws in there shed til we bought our house.

[sbfishySC]

I could rent a garage at my complex for $75/mo but it is too small for my boat. 16' boat, plus outboard and trailer puts total length at approx. 21'-ish. Garages here are 19 x 11 1/2. But I never thought about the bulb converter. That's a smart idea.

 

I'm going to end up storing it at my grandmother's house 45 minutes away. It will be a tight squeeze, as the garage is right around 21' in depth, so the boat might have to be angled some, but I figure that's the best option for me. While I've had the boat here at my complex for several months now and have received no notices or complaints from the complex or neighbors, there apparently is some fine print in my lease that says I can't have a boat in the parking lot. Didn't see it before, and I've lived here 6 years now, but when I renewed my lease I went through it thoroughly and found it. I only plan on living here until July '14. The fine for the boat in the lot is apparently $10/day from the day of notice.

 

The theft issue, while I am somewhat concerned, I'm not extremely concerned. I keep no electronics or anything of great value in the boat. The boat is always covered, I check it everyday and if it's been tampered with, I'll notice. I can see my parking lot and the boat from all windows in my apartment. My building is also within a 30 second car ride to the police station.

 

But, despite all that, I have decided to keep her safe in a garage 45 minutes away.

[SeaBeaver]

If you are willing to pay the $75 a month till you move and the complex will let you trial fit the spot I bet it will fit diagonally with the trailer tongue up high. Definitely a PITA and might need a buddy there to move it in or out but it could be possible to squeeze in I bet. But It would let you get up less early when you do take the boat out.

[April]

It is not fair to the other residents to see a boat in the parking lot, it looks trashy.

You are not living in a house, try to think of the people who live there.

Boats look pretty in the water only. 
In my complex, the rents range from $2400 - $3700 and people expect and want the grounds to look nice.

I think it is selfish, please put your boat in a marina like most people do.

I don’t like them in someone’s back yard either.

[Captain Phil]

13 minutes ago, April said:

It is not fair to the other residents to see a boat in the parking lot, it looks trashy.

You are not living in a house, try to think of the people who live there.

 

I live in a house in an older neighborhood.  Our community is not gated or is it considered "fancy".  We all have our hobbies, but we put them out of view at night.  I keep my boat in a covered outside storage lot a block from my home.  Lucky for me, my spot is close to an electrical outlet.   The storage lot is fenced and secure.  They charge me $90 a month to keep it there.  In the past I have had boats in my yard.  It's not something anyone wants to see.

[gim]

1 hour ago, Captain Phil said:

It's not something anyone wants to see.

I realize that this is an older thread but I agree with this assessment.  You'd be surprised how many people up here in the north park their boat outside, even in the winter.  They just throw a tarp over it and leave it exposed to the elements all winter.  Its one thing to leave a boat outside in a temperate climate down south, but its another to leave it outside in a cold, snowy climate all winter here when you can't even use it for months on end.

 

Some cities/suburbs here prohibit vehicles (and boats) being parked on anything other than a hard surface like the driveway.  At my last house, my idiot neighbor would park his truck right in the front yard sometimes and leave it there for days.  The city code finally caught him and he got a warning.  When he got caught again, he received a citation.  He stopped doing that after the citation.  Really was no reason for it other than pure laziness either considering he had a 3 car garage and a 3 car-wide driveway.

[Bluebasser86]

IMO, a neighborhood should be proud it's residents have the extra income to own extra vehicles just for recreation. Provided they're well maintained and not taking up extra spots, and if required, paying for the spot, I see no issue. 

It's a subject that I was one of the main targets of many years ago in my city. I went to city hall over it and got the rules changed from no boats in the driveway, to now you can have 2 ?

[gim]

59 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Provided they're well maintained

That's usually the problem.  If they're always parked outside, the owner rarely cares what kind of conditions its in or is turning into.  You're probably one of the exceptions to that here.

 

No one is parking a $75k bass boat fully loaded with electronics in their driveway or yard. Those are the type of rigs that people value, maintain, and park in a secured indoor location.

[Darth-Baiter]

i think i would ask the apartment manager..not a forum full of bass anglers

 

if its up to me, i would give you access to the apartment downstairs..Mrs. Bixby's place.  1B.  just unplug her TV and run your cord there. 

[Captain Phil]

For about twenty years I assisted my wife in her Real Estate business.  Boats and trucks in the yard were always a topic of discussion.  Home Owners Associations can be a blessing or a curse.   Some are strong and some don't seem to care.  Before you buy a home in any neighborhood ask a lot of questions, especially about the HOA.   If they don't have one or it's not active, you can expect anything could be next door.  Some people prefer it that way.  If you live where the HOA is strong, you can expect to be told what you can and can not do with your property.  Someone with a boat or truck in their yard or driveway shouldn't live in a community like that.  Choose your community wisely.  There is nothing more annoying than being in a war with your neighbors.

[TnRiver46]

51 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

IMO, a neighborhood should be proud it's residents have the extra income to own extra vehicles just for recreation. Provided they're well maintained and not taking up extra spots, and if required, paying for the spot, I see no issue. 

It's a subject that I was one of the main targets of many years ago in my city. I went to city hall over it and got the rules changed from no boats in the driveway, to now you can have 2 ?

You are the man!!!

 

didn’t think the fashion police were on bass resource, but alas

[flyfisher]

57 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

IMO, a neighborhood should be proud it's residents have the extra income to own extra vehicles just for recreation. Provided they're well maintained and not taking up extra spots, and if required, paying for the spot, I see no issue. 

It's a subject that I was one of the main targets of many years ago in my city. I went to city hall over it and got the rules changed from no boats in the driveway, to now you can have 2 ?

I agree with this.  My HOA is pretty lax but it does have a provision that basically anything towable has to be parked behind the rear corner of the house.  To me if you want to call it a family neighborhood then why not have family things.

[Bluebasser86]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

That's usually the problem.  If they're always parked outside, the owner rarely cares what kind of conditions its in or is turning into.  You're probably one of the exceptions to that here.

 

No one is parking a $75k bass boat fully loaded with electronics in their driveway or yard. Those are the type of rigs that people value, maintain, and park in a secured indoor location.

There's ways to deal with that, just like there is with a broke down, decrepit vehicle. HOAs, apartment management, and citys all usually have ordinances or some kind of rules about maintaining the condition of the vehicle. I kept mine with the cover on, parked in my driveway, not blocking the sidewalk, and the city wanted it moved or I was going to be fined. It didn't fit in the garage and there was no storage units within 15 minutes at the time. 

 

It's also highly unlikely someone who can afford a 75k boat is living in an apartment, but a 15k Tracker? Sure and that's much nicer to look at than a lot of cars parked in the apartment complexes I've lived in.

[WIGuide]

4 hours ago, April said:

It is not fair to the other residents to see a boat in the parking lot, it looks trashy.

You are not living in a house, try to think of the people who live there.

Boats look pretty in the water only. 
In my complex, the rents range from $2400 - $3700 and people expect and want the grounds to look nice.

I think it is selfish, please put your boat in a marina like most people do.

I don’t like them in someone’s back yard either.

Interesting first post. Are you really that much of a Karen that you have to come on a bass fishing forum and bump a dinosaur thread to complain? Wow...I'm sure your a PEACH of a neighbor! YIKES!

 

 

Reading this post really makes me glad I don't have HOA's and can do what I want with the property I own.