RANGELEY – Boat owners now have the option to buy their own boat slip and become part of a dockominium on Mooselookmeguntic Lake in Oquossoc village.

The Haines Landing Marina at the very end of Route 4 near the shore of the 11-mile-long lake, has 67 slips available, 14 of which are committed, with five designated for boat rentals and gas docks.

The dockominium works similar to a condominium, said Richard Toas, who is selling the slips for new owner Larry Spellman of Abbadrew Realty Trust in Ossipee, N.H. But, instead of buying a house on land, boat owners purchase a home on water for their boat.

Buyers receive a deed and title to the slip and become part of an association as do condominium owners, he said. Association members pay annual dues, or fees, of approximately $200. But the best part, he said, is that you own the slip forever. The docks are a common area for association members.

The cost of the slips range from $19,900 to $34,900, depending on size and availability and whether they are close to shore and/or the gas pier, he said. The slips in the dockominium are also mortgageable, he said.

“People who own a camp or cabin off the lake or those who can’t afford lakefront property,” he said, “can now have their own place to keep a boat and access the lake.”

While the concept may be new to this area, Toas said, dockominiums have been developed up and down the eastern seaboard, especially in populated areas like Florida, where dock sites can be difficult to find, he said. Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire has several, he said, and he knows of a couple started in Maine, one on Moosehead Lake and another on an island near Portland.

Purchase of the marina took place in June, and selling the slips began at the end of July, Toas said. He said he thought the new concept was initially questioned by the town, leading the town manager and code enforcement officer to revisit their original approval of the project to determine that it was done correctly.

Neither the town manager nor code enforcement officer was available for comment on Friday.

“A lot of people don’t like change,” he said, “but on the other hand, the more people understand what a dockominium is, then they are more comfortable with it. There’ll be no development. It’s really the best thing that could have happened. Those who own slips – 50 years from now – will find they will be exactly the same. It’s another layer against development,” he said.

Much of the land around the quiet, peaceful 23-mile lake is already preserved, he said. There will be no change in use of the property, no buildings or condominiums. The only thing planned is resurfacing of the docks with red cedar, he said.

The future of the small store on the property is unknown, he said, as he voiced hopes that someone would buy it along with the rental slips and gas docks.

Once the slips are sold, the dockominium association will take over at some point, he said.