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news on marinas

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jaxfishgyd
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Slip space here has gone up considerably in the past few years. Yesterday I was told that space in Port Washington NY is now up to $160/ft for the season. Two years ago, when we were trying to figure out where we would put a 53 Hatt if we bought one, the space there was 134/ft. Here at Brittania in Northport I guess we're lucky - slip rates for the season are 137/ft and have only gone up about 8 bucks since we "moved in" 4 years ago. Luckily a 60ft spot opened up at the right time in late '04 and we took it. Had complaints for months from other boaters who were annoyed that we had a 60ft slip with a 36ft boat in it. The fact that we were paying for all 60 feet didn't seem to register with them.

The local legislators will not give Brittania permission to expand the marina and widen/dredge the approach. Therefore, the marina can't take boats much bigger than our 53 so there is no demand from owners of larger boats which would ultimately make slip rates too high for us to afford. At low tide there is a portion of the approach to the marina that is only 3ft. As it is now, we don't take the boat out from 2 hours before low tide until 2 hours after low tide. So ironically, things we have complained about probably are helping to keep the price down a bit.

To my knowledge, there are no slips for sale on the north shore of LI.

Of course, mooring is a cheap option but getting to/from the boat isn't very conveniant. We could moor for about 500 bucks a year (the price of dropping the mooring ball every spring).
 
CT also has very limited space. The prices have gone up every year now. The problem is that many people are moving up in size and the dock space just isn't their. I have clents now that are looking for bigger boats but they cant get them because they cant get a slip. This is a vey big problem for the industy. I am at the Hartford show now and have spoken with many poeple that are stuck for the time being because they are waiting on a slip to put their bigger boat. I myself have been positoning to move up but, I first have my eye on a bigger silp. This is not good for boating.
 
We have this problem in Annapolis, mitigated somewhat by the large number of private spaces available if you have the time and knowledge to find them. They are hard to find and virtually always go to locals who can seek them out. I would not say that we have the crush for slips that Florida does, but we may get there in the next few decades. You can still live aboard up here at fairly reasonable rates, but it is somewhat difficult to do it year round. Like everywhere, what we are really short on here is covered slips, because it is expensive and hard to get them put up.
 
The biggest problem here is that the waterfront that used to have Marinas on it is being swallowed by private condo developments - with the marinas being shut down and the boats (and owners) evicted.

We've lost a half-dozen facilities in the last couple of years, and the marina where I am at now is under threat of it happening there. If/when it does, that's it for me and big boats - Gigabite will go up for sale.

Not because I want to - but because there will be no rational place to keep her. I have waterfront land but insufficient depth and can't (legally) dredge to fix it; while I could moor behind my home (legally) I refuse to go that route as the hassle factor for everything you want to do boat-related goes up dramatically.

The drive for ever-increasing property tax revenues comes with a severe cost to the boating public. Municipalities here have not responded by setting up city-owned marinas (the nicest place I've been as a transient is arguably Clearwater's City Marina!), which would help solve the problem - they could even take the land they need by eminent domain (since its for a public purpose) - but they instead want to help developers turn it all into condos.

Eventually, this will destroy the large boat market here in Florida. There's plenty of slips in other states, but I like living here - if I wind up with a 26' boat in my driveway so I can give all these folks the finger instead of paying an extortionate rate, so be it.
 
Whats even worse than the marinas/slips disappearing, are the boatyards. The old work yards are being taken over by developers. Soon, no place to haul out! An old timer yard near us here at Kent Narrows was owned by a waterman named Medford Thomas. His formerly ramshakle yard/building/railway is now a shiny new Hilton Garden Inn. A friend of mine from years back happened into town and was amazed at the changes and all of the new construction. He was most amazed by what he referrred to as the new "Medford Hilton". Now there's a nickname thats going to stick with the locals!
 
Yep.

We've lost two good haul-outs here in this area in the last two years. This leaves us with two - both of which are absolutely taking advantage.

I ran to Pensacola this year for my bottom job. Transit time, 5 hours (at 9 kts.) Why? A $1,000 price difference in the bottom job! No, that's not a typo. ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. For the same work, same paint, same deal.

Oh, and they don't care if I do my own work while I'm out.....

But is it practical to keep the boat there and live here? No.

Indeed, I went with a friend - we both got hauled for the work on the same day. I was first in the slings; while they were hauling and blocking me, he tied up at another nearby marina and had a drink. While waiting he casually inquired about THEIR price for the work - they had seen his hailing port - and immediately quoted him the "Destin Special" price - that is, $1k more than we had been quoted at the yard we were headed to.

Nice guys eh?

Now what happens if you NEED to come out - NOW - due to a problem while you're here? Bend over......
 
in miami, most of the yards are up the river among cargo docks and not so nice neighborhood so they're fairly safe.

the problem is the lack of slips. no new docks are being built because of environemtal BS, marinas dont' even have waitlists anymore... they were too long.

there are many places where great new facilities could be built by the city or county, these woudl bring in revenues and jobs but it will never happen. it could also make for some nice recreation areas with parks, boardwalk, restaurants, etc... but no, got to protect those sea cows and the sea grass they eat...
 
I posted this same reply on Livingaboard board...... Seems here just South of Jacksonville in the city of Green Cove Springs, a new marina has been appoved. And it can have a max of 7,000 slips.
Back in the 1940's they built liberty ships there during WWII and after the war had a total of 600 ships of different sizes mothballed there.
"From what I read and been told", it will have slips for "boats" well over 100' as there is no place for boats that size for dockage or repairs anywhere close to this area of the East Coast.
Plus it's on the St Johns River, which is not a bad place to be !! No seawalls, not house on top of house ect.
Will keep ya'll posted as things unfold.
 
7,000 slips? That might get me to move over there.....
 
Seven thousand slips.....that marina will have its' own ZIP code. Not to mention it's own WalMart and West Marine... :D
There are fewer yards here than there used to be, like Eric said, and if there's a yard in an area where it's getting to be touristy, sooner or later the yard disappears. I am lucky and have kept my place in line at a small family-owned boatyard on the Severn River. However most of the boats on this forum would be marginal for a haulout there, and I do not think they could haul a 53 MY- too much weight. So if I ever trade up a few sizes I am homeless for a haulout.
I'm all for improving facilities, but too often it comes at the expense of locals. Ironically, one of the largest marinas on the Bay is owned by the State of Maryland, in Crisfield, and is pretty nice, last I saw it. And they do well with it, but it hasn't inspired them to build any more.
 
Wow... $160.00 per ft and that I assume is for the season,not the year.

I am very lucky that some years ago I joined a wonderful private yacht club. We have 5 1/2 acres of prime real estate with 70 large boat slips. Each slip has a full length 4' wide finger. All new floating docks with all the usual features. We pay $35.00 per ft per YEAR which includes winter storage in your slip which has a bubler system. I prefer to remove my boat to a dry dock facility about 20 miles away. My winter storage costs more than my dockage at the club.

My point with the above is that we are in danger of some developer convincing our political leaders that if they declare eminent domain and take our property, the developer can build condo's with a 70 slip marina and the taxes generated will be at least 10 - 20 times as much as we pay now. Since we have the best politicians money can buy, it's a real possibility. One way to protect ourselves is to get as much historical information regarding your facility as possible and affiliate with the National Trust for Historic Places.

Karl's situation is particularly sad as I have many fond memories of living and boating on the Fla panhandle. I guess as with most things the golden rule applies -- He with the gold, rules. In this case the developers.....

Walt
 
Wow, what a difference a location makes. Here in the Detroit area marinas are begging for customers. Prices have dropped and they are treating their customers much better. I guess it is better to lower the price than leave the slip vacant. Big economic problems here and I will bet that when the US auto industry folds it's tent it will have a big effect on the rest of the country. For now though, lots of good, relatively cheap slips in Motown and around the area. Indoor heated winter storage is getting more popular and some marinas are adding new buildings for that purpose. We pay $2,700 to keep our 36C inside and warm and $2,000 for our well.
 
Genesis, You mentioned that you have waterfront land but do not have sufficient depth to dock Gigabyte without illegal dredging. I have experience with this, although within a different state's legal loopholes. There are ways to "legally" dock your boat at your property. PM me or email me at vrmmm@aol.com and I'll give you some of the details of my research that allowed me to receive special permits from eight different state/government agencies to build the docks that I wanted/needed to store my boat at my property.

With respect to the marinas being bought up by developers, I agree that this is a major concern to all boaters. We all have to have places not only to keep our boats when we are not using them, but to keep them when we ARE using them! We need to know that slips are available at every port we intend to stop in while cruising. If we choose to stay out on a hook, so be it but we need to know that there is a safe slip to dock if weather forces us to make that choice or if we need to perform repairs, etc.

A 7,000 slip marina would be fun for the occasional transient visit, but I could not keep my boat there all the time. I can only imagine how far a walk it would be to get from my car to my boat! With all the luggage and supplies, even with a dock cart it would be a pain. I would be curious to see what kind of design layout that they could come up with so people will use the outermost slips, or I guess they could do it with different rates.
 
Its not a solveable problem here in terms of dredging. The bay is simply not the place where you can do what needs to be done.... it would also be hideously expensive - and an annual event.

I've looked into it, and its just not practical.... I wish it was.....
 
$160/ft/year, wouldn't that be nice? Here in San Diego the rate is $240/ft/year, and there is a 7 year waiting list!

I guess the weather isn't free after all.
 
Wow!! People around here complain about the ~$72 per fooot per year they pay for slips at our marina!!
 
Well, all I can say is I sure couldn't afford to keep our boat in San Diego!
 
[Here in San Diego the rate is $240/ft/year, and there is a 7 year waiting list! ]
Well I know I would have A boat that came with a trailer. :eek:
I am up to 125 @ ft with electric guess I will stop complaining!! NA :rolleyes:
 
For my 43 I pay $2000. for 6 months for a 60ft dock at my marina. I pay $260.for 6 mo. at my yacht club. Winter storage is $160. I think I like it here.



BILL
 
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