Can't afford a boat? There are plenty of rental options

Not everyone is able to own their own boat, so check out the following roster of rental boats, which you can easily and not too expensively try before you buy.

Regionally, some 74 marine sites are ready and willing to rent U-drive boats, often called a bareboat charter, for an hour, a day, a week or longer. Some of those are listed here.

The numbers and types of rentals available are a pleasant surprise. There are about 300 or so sail and about the same number of power. Powerboats include more than 100 skiffs devoted almost exclusively to fishing and crabbing along with another 70 to 75 popular jet skis as well as a number of...