Last reviewed: 2026-07-18 > Quick answer: Rent if you'll boat fewer than 10 days a season. Buy if you'll be on the water 15 or more. That rule comes from our own numbers: Harris Boat Works completed 346 rentals across a 9-boat fleet on Rice Lake in 2025. Between 10 and 15...
Last reviewed: 2026-07-18
Quick answer: Rent if you'll boat fewer than 10 days a season. Buy if you'll be on the water 15 or more. That rule comes from our own numbers: Harris Boat Works completed 346 rentals across a 9-boat fleet on Rice Lake in 2025. Between 10 and 15 days, compare a season of rental fees against storage, insurance, and winterizing. Book a boat at harrisboatworks.ca/rentals.
Nine boats. 346 rentals. One season.
That's what our rental fleet did in 2025. Average it out and every boat left the dock 38 times in a season that really runs May to September. Nobody rented because a magazine told them the sharing economy was trendy. They rented because for most people, most summers, it's just the smarter way to get on the water.
This post is the honest version of the rent-vs-own decision. Real numbers where we have them, clearly labelled estimates where we don't, and the exact threshold where the math flips. We sell boats too, so when we tell you renting might be the better call, you can take that at face value.
Who this is for
Cottagers with waterfront but no boat. GTA families planning a Rice Lake day or a week at the cottage. Anglers who don't want to trailer a rig two hours each way. And anyone circling a boat purchase who wants to test the water, literally, before writing a cheque. If you already boat 20+ days a season and own a slip, you've made your decision. Everyone else, keep reading.
Why shared access is booming in 2026
The rental and shared-access market keeps growing across North America. Industry analysts peg the global boat rental market at around $20 billion USD in 2026, growing 5-6% a year, and the industry association NMMA points to boat clubs, peer-to-peer rentals, and charters as the fastest-growing way people get on the water, even in years when new-boat sales soften. The largest boat club franchise on the continent logged more than 640,000 member trips in 2025 alone.
The driver isn't complicated. A new pontoon package can run north of $60,000, and for a lot of owners that boat spends 340-plus days a year on a trailer or under shrinkwrap. More people are doing that math and choosing access over ownership, at least at first.
We feel it on our own dock. Rentals have been part of Harris Boat Works for decades, and demand keeps climbing. What's changed is who's renting and why.
Who actually rents from us
Our rental fleet is 9 Legend boats, all Mercury-powered and maintained by our own shop: 2 Legend 23 Cruise pontoons, 3 Legend 24 Transporters, 2 Legend 20 Transporters, and 2 Legend 16 ProSports. These aren't mystery boats with unknown service histories. Our technicians prep them, fix them, and winterize them.
Four groups keep them busy:
Cottagers without a boat. The most common. They have the waterfront, they want the odd weekend on the water, and they don't want to pay for storage, insurance, and maintenance twelve months a year to boat six days.
Visiting families. A day of cruising, swimming, and tubing on Rice Lake. They want an afternoon, not an asset.
Travelling anglers. Rice Lake is a legitimate walleye, bass, and muskie fishery. Plenty of serious anglers live far enough away that trailering their own rig is more hassle than it's worth. They rent a ProSport, fish hard, and drive home light.
Try-before-you-buy prospects. Someone considering a 20-foot fishing boat rents a 20 Transporter for a Saturday, feels how it handles loaded with family and gear, and comes back two weeks later to talk numbers. We see this constantly, and it's the least risky boat-shopping method we know of.
Rent, boat club, peer-to-peer, or own: the honest comparison
Here's how the four ways to get on the water in 2026 actually stack up for an Ontario boater. Club and app figures are typical GTA-area pricing as of summer 2026 and change often; confirm current numbers before deciding.
| Option |
Upfront cost |
Ongoing cost |
Best for |
Watch for |
| Marina rental |
$0 |
Day rate + fuel, pay per use |
1-10 days a season, visitors, try-before-you-buy |
Peak weekends book up early |
| Boat club membership |
Roughly $3,000-$4,500 initiation |
$300-$500/month dues + fuel |
10-20 days near a club location |
Reservation limits, dues run all winter |
| Peer-to-peer app |
$0 |
Day rate + platform and service fees |
Occasional use near big cities |
Condition and maintenance vary by owner, insurance fine print |
| Ownership |
Purchase price (a new pontoon package often exceeds $60,000) |
Insurance, storage, winterizing, maintenance, depreciation |
15+ days a season, anglers, waterfront owners |
The costs that never show up in the brochure |
The decision rule we give people at the counter: rent under 10 days a season, buy at 15 or more, and between 10 and 15, run the math. For a full ownership cost breakdown in Canadian dollars, see our total cost of owning a boat in Ontario guide.
The four-month reality of an Ontario season
Every rent-vs-own article written in Florida quietly assumes a 12-month season. Ontario gives you roughly Victoria Day to Thanksgiving, and the prime stretch is about 20 weekends. Boating 15 days here means using the boat almost every second weekend, all summer. Some families genuinely do. Most don't, and the difference between what people plan in March and what they log by September is the single biggest reason owners end up listing barely-used boats in the fall.
Renting flips that seasonal math in your favour. You pay for exactly the days you use, and the other eight months cost you nothing. No shrinkwrap bill, no storage contract, no watching a payment come out in February for a boat under a tarp. If you're curious what those carrying costs look like, our winterization cost guide breaks them down.
Common mistakes
A few things that bite first-time renters every summer:
- Booking late for July. Summer weekends go early. If you want a specific boat on a long weekend, book weeks ahead, not days.
- Skipping the licence. Every boat driver in Ontario needs a boat operator's licence. You can get one online before your rental; our rental licence guide covers it.
- Underestimating space. Six adults, a cooler, and a dog need a 23 Cruise or 24 Transporter, not a 16-footer. Count your people and gear honestly before you book.
- Ignoring the forecast. Rice Lake is shallow and kicks up chop fast in a west wind. Build a weather plan B into your day.
What we see at HBW
The boating industry has known for years that people who start with rentals or clubs are far more likely to become owners than people who never get on the water at all. We watch it happen at the counter. Someone rents a ProSport for a long weekend, rents again in August, and shows up the next spring asking what a used one costs.
That's also why the fleet's maintenance discipline matters more than it might look. Every boat runs a Mercury outboard serviced by our shop, and any boat with a safety or reliability issue gets pulled before it goes out. A customer shouldn't be the one discovering a worn impeller mid-lake. And honestly, a clean, well-sorted rental fleet is the best advertisement our service department has: rent from us first, and you already know what our shop's work looks like before you ever buy.
We've been renting boats on this lake since 1947. The boom is new. The idea isn't.
Ready to get on the water?
Renting: all bookings are online at harrisboatworks.ca/rentals. Promo code HARRIS15 takes 15% off. Rentals run daily through the season from our dock in Gores Landing.
Buying: if your rental habit has crossed the 15-day line, build a real quote with Canadian pricing at mercuryrepower.ca, or come walk the lot. We'll give you the honest answer for your situation, including "keep renting."
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to rent or buy a boat in Ontario?
Under 10 days a season, renting is almost always cheaper once you count what ownership really costs beyond the purchase price. At 15+ days, ownership usually wins. Between those thresholds, add up a season of rental fees and compare them against the carrying costs in our ownership cost guide.
How many days a year should I boat to justify buying?
Roughly 15 or more. Below 10, rentals win on math almost every time. Remember the Ontario season is only about 20 prime weekends, so 15 days means boating nearly every second weekend.
Do I need a licence to rent a boat on Rice Lake?
Yes. Whoever drives needs a boat operator's licence, and you can get one online before your rental day. See our Ontario rental licence guide for the details.
What boats can you rent at Harris Boat Works?
A 9-boat Legend fleet: 23 Cruise pontoons, 24 and 20 Transporters, and 16 ProSport fishing boats, all Mercury-powered and maintained by our own technicians. Book at harrisboatworks.ca/rentals.
Can I rent a boat before buying one?
Yes, and we recommend it. Rent the size and style you're considering, load it with your actual family and gear, and see how it handles for a full day. It's the cheapest boat-buying research you can do. Our fleet covers the most common first-boat sizes, 16 to 24 feet.
What's the difference between a boat rental and a boat club?
A rental is pay-per-day with no commitment. A boat club charges an initiation fee (typically $3,000-$4,500 in the GTA as of 2026) plus monthly dues year-round, in exchange for reserved access to a shared fleet. Clubs can make sense at 10-20 days a season near a club location; below that, rentals are usually cheaper.
How far ahead should I book a summer rental?
For July and August weekends, book several weeks ahead online. Weekdays are far easier. In 2025 our nine boats went out 346 times, and the busiest weekends were spoken for well in advance.
Are rental boats well maintained?
Ours are. Every boat is serviced by our own shop, winterized properly, and pulled from the schedule if anything affects safety or reliability. Ask any operator you rent from who maintains their fleet; the answer tells you a lot.
Ready for a day on Rice Lake?
Whether that's a rental Saturday or the first step toward your own boat, start where the water is.
Rentals (online booking): harrisboatworks.ca/rentals
Phone: 905-342-2153
Address: 5369 Harris Boat Works Rd, Gores Landing, ON
Quote builder: mercuryrepower.ca
Sources
- NMMA press coverage on 2025-2026 boating participation and shared-access growth (nmma.org)
- Mordor Intelligence and Fortune Business Insights boat rental market reports, 2026 editions
- Boat club pricing: published GTA-area membership rates, summer 2026
- Harris Boat Works 2025 rental operations data (first-party)
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