Apr. 4—RAPID CITY — The best part about owning a boat or recreational vehicle is using it.
A new business in Rapid City aims to make that easier.
The Northern Lakes Boat Company "come and go" access starting May 1. The idea behind the new business from Matt Keiper, who retired last summer after 23 years with the United States Coast Guard, is to provide accessibility to northern Michigan's lakes, rivers and campgrounds.
"This allows people to keep their boats all summer outside and use them as they please," said Keiper, who has front-line search and rescue experience, six years of which were spent responding to distress calls on the Great Lakes.
Mike Brown of Cadillac has his GS pontoon boat in winter storage at Northern Lakes Boat Company, located at 7317 Rapid City Road Northwest. Brown plans to keep it there with a summer lease — which runs from May 1 to Nov. 1 — instead of hauling it back and forth with his Ram EcoDiesel truck.
Brown said it would cost at least $20 roundtrip to put his pontoon into Torch Lake for boating or fishing.
"It's very close proximity to the launch I prefer; and has covered storage during winter with summer access, free ice for coolers, plenty of room to maneuver large boats," Brown said in an email about why he is using Northern Lakes Boat Company.
"That's the idea," Keiper said. "I don't know anyone else who offers this service. I think that'll catch on."
Keiper thinks the concept behind the business is needed because marina slips are in such a high demand.
"Slips are hard to come by," Keiper said. "A lot of places put you on a wait list and that wait list can be years long."
I am 'in line' waiting for the marina short list so I decided to wait it out at Matt's shop for a couple years," Brown added in his email.
A lifelong boater himself in addition to being an USCG licensed captain and sailing instructor, Keiper said he got on several waiting lists before buying a boat when he moved to Traverse City five years ago.
Locating the business in Rapid City also made sense.
"There is a bunch of access points between Clam Lake, Lake Skegemog, Torch Lake," he said. "Within 15 minutes (drive) there are probably 12-15 launch points. You've got a lot there."
The business is also in proximity to a lot of campgrounds. Keiper said about half of the 15 vehicles stored outside this winter are campers.
Keiper purchased the three-acre property with a fenced lot in August. He converted a 50-by-80 foot shop into winter storage for a dozen boats. The building will be heated and have room for 10 boats this fall.