Marina was sold we had to leave.

Havana Shamrock

Well-Known Member
SILVER Sponsor
Sep 9, 2008
5,422
Sarasota Fla.
Boat Info
2019. 250 SDX OB
Engines
300 Verado V8
So just as Hurricane IAN hit our area our marina “Stump Pass” was closing on a sale they where bought by Windward who owns I think 5 east coast marinas in Fla. After a few weeks and speaking to the forklift kid the plan is to re do a lot of the marina by that I mean fire the entire service dept and knock the building down which they did. Make the restaurant nicer etc.. we’ll someone will have to pay for it right? Guess who? I got an email with the new rates
They went up 31% or an additional $164/ month time to move on as much as I liked the place there’s nothing there to justify a rack for almost $700/month I mean nothing.
So we moved to Gasparilla marina an additional 10 mins in the car and closer to where we anchor anyway it is indoor covered not outdoor covered like I had before and less expensive.
I wasn’t looking to leave but they forced something like 50 boats out when they sent the emails. How do you justify such an increase all at once I’d be fine paying over time when the improvements where completed but I’m not fronting you the money…. Rant OVER
 
Im glad you had an alternative to move to. Ive seen posts on here of areas where so few marinas it was pay or sell boat. Hoping it works out for you.
 
My biggest issue this year, slips stayed the same. He raised my rent on zodiac lift from 150 to 250. When i said wtf he said look around I can get 700 but you good long time customer. If i leave it will be 700. I ain’t leaving, my kids will inherit like a rent controlled apartment in manhattan.
9B616FBC-E103-40F8-B1A4-D56FCF7C0488.jpeg
 
So just as Hurricane IAN hit our area our marina “Stump Pass” was closing on a sale they where bought by Windward who owns I think 5 east coast marinas in Fla. After a few weeks and speaking to the forklift kid the plan is to re do a lot of the marina by that I mean fire the entire service dept and knock the building down which they did. Make the restaurant nicer etc.. we’ll someone will have to pay for it right? Guess who? I got an email with the new rates
They went up 31% or an additional $164/ month time to move on as much as I liked the place there’s nothing there to justify a rack for almost $700/month I mean nothing.
So we moved to Gasparilla marina an additional 10 mins in the car and closer to where we anchor anyway it is indoor covered not outdoor covered like I had before and less expensive.
I wasn’t looking to leave but they forced something like 50 boats out when they sent the emails. How do you justify such an increase all at once I’d be fine paying over time when the improvements where completed but I’m not fronting you the money…. Rant OVER
I feel spoiled to a point. Granted we are on Lake Mich so our boating season is much shorter, and none of the slips are covered, but that said we pay around 1300 for the year. Which gives us a perm slip, storage at the club which is gated and with cameras, and the drop in and lift out. Plus we have a very nice club house with a great bar, and showers.
 
So just as Hurricane IAN hit our area our marina “Stump Pass” was closing on a sale they where bought by Windward who owns I think 5 east coast marinas in Fla. After a few weeks and speaking to the forklift kid the plan is to re do a lot of the marina by that I mean fire the entire service dept and knock the building down which they did. Make the restaurant nicer etc.. we’ll someone will have to pay for it right? Guess who? I got an email with the new rates
They went up 31% or an additional $164/ month time to move on as much as I liked the place there’s nothing there to justify a rack for almost $700/month I mean nothing.
So we moved to Gasparilla marina an additional 10 mins in the car and closer to where we anchor anyway it is indoor covered not outdoor covered like I had before and less expensive.
I wasn’t looking to leave but they forced something like 50 boats out when they sent the emails. How do you justify such an increase all at once I’d be fine paying over time when the improvements where completed but I’m not fronting you the money…. Rant OVER
Oh and no extra charge for a dinghy. Just gotta leave it tied to your boat, or pay a very small extra charge per month for storage if on a trailer.
 
Cant leave in water, barnacles in a week.
Yeah we have our issues with Zebra Mussels. But take the boat out for a rip every couple weeks……..they gone, along with the majority of yuck providing you have good bottom paint that is.
 
Yeah we have our issues with Zebra Mussels. But take the boat out for a rip every couple weeks……..they gone, along with the majority of yuck providing you have good bottom paint that is.
But with a dinghy I would only leave it in the water for maybe a day or two. We live 5 min from our club so it’s no problem trailering it home.
 
West coast of Florida slip availability is getting tight, and will probably get tighter.

Slip capacity in Fort Meyers took a hit when some of the marinas went offline to rebuild. That forced Fort Meyers boats north.

Clearwater is getting ready to remodel the Beach Marina. Desperately needed, but they are emptying out all recreational boats this year (2023). Evidently they are about to start giving notice for people to move their boats out, will be closed to recreational boats for 1-2 years. That's over 200 slips that are going offline. A lot of those boats will move south.
 
The market and supply/demand cause the prices to skyrocket. I can't believe how expensive it is for you folks in the south. I looked into the cost of secure dry rack storage in Florida if we decided to buy or long term rent down there. Its crazy. Hard to find and expensive.

In our area of Georgian Bay, one company started to buy up a lot of the marinas. Parkbridge now owns the 4 largest ones in our area (which is 100% of the "full-service" marinas other than ours). Ours is still family owned and hopefully will stay that way. Our rates have gone up because of the rates at the Parkbridge marina's going up. But not quite as much. Marina's are very close to full, but not yet 100% full. The large boat slips in the area are hard to get, but the ones for 30-45ft boats are still available.
 
I guess we are lucky in a way, I can boat year round pretty much for $6600 no winter storage etc. in NY granted a larger vessel but the summer alone was $9000 then add $1500 for in water winter ,shrinkwrap, I did the winterization but it’s over $12000 year for 5 months of boating really.
Here’s the 2 marinas for comparison just realized that pic is old the construction of a hurricane shed is being done in the photo it’s very large
Stump pass
9A1B10BA-D996-4FA7-8E1B-3B0B720120DB.jpeg

Gasparilla
CF22ADAE-AF00-48D2-89D9-378EEDC4CCD0.jpeg
 
Dont take this wrong seriously. But I really feel for NY and Southern guys. On the Chesapeake i pay 1800 a YEAR. Some guys up here pay more for more amenities. But its easy to find cheap slips if you just want a place to put boat.
Just this week someone asked wife, why dont you move south now retired. Wife said cause my husband wont leave the Chesapeake. Dam right skippy. Dirt cheap and a bazillion marinas to pick from.
 
I’m $3,500 summer plus $700 for the dinghy plus $4,500 for heated winter storage…. And these are good prices in my area
 
Dont take this wrong seriously. But I really feel for NY and Southern guys. On the Chesapeake i pay 1800 a YEAR. Some guys up here pay more for more amenities. But its easy to find cheap slips if you just want a place to put boat.
Just this week someone asked wife, why dont you move south now retired. Wife said cause my husband wont leave the Chesapeake. Dam right skippy. Dirt cheap and a bazillion marinas to pick from.

That's changing and very quickly. Perhaps Middle River hasn't changed yet, but it will. Even Great Oak is putting in new floating docks. Think they're keeping they're old rates? ... Safe Harbor marina's are being upgraded to accommodate 50-70' boats, period. Anything less then that will pay for a 50' slip or go somewhere else.

It's getting very difficult to find an inexpensive slip close to where you live without having to drive ~1hr. in my area of the bay, Rock Hall is one of the only areas left.
 
It's getting very difficult to find an inexpensive slip close to where you live without having to drive ~1hr. in my area of the bay, Rock Hall is one of the only areas left.
We're in Swan Creek Marina and I think they were full last year. We bought our SR from the yard manager and had to vacate his spot, and it sounded like there was only one spot open from a boat that moved south. $4000 season plus in/out costs. Protected by a point from the bay, beautiful view, and only minutes into the bay as long as you go south. North takes a little longer. Pesky shallows. We had that on the Delaware years ago on the Rancocas Creek.
When we looked last year there was space available in Rock Hall, and on the Langford creek side too. Could be thousands of slips in maybe less than 5 miles. Maybe 10 min to the marina for us, and still out of town.
 
My slip cost me $42,000 initially + $180/mo.
 
We're in Swan Creek Marina and I think they were full last year. We bought our SR from the yard manager and had to vacate his spot, and it sounded like there was only one spot open from a boat that moved south. $4000 season plus in/out costs. Protected by a point from the bay, beautiful view, and only minutes into the bay as long as you go south. North takes a little longer. Pesky shallows. We had that on the Delaware years ago on the Rancocas Creek.
When we looked last year there was space available in Rock Hall, and on the Langford creek side too. Could be thousands of slips in maybe less than 5 miles. Maybe 10 min to the marina for us, and still out of town.

And that is what I was saying, one of the only places left at a reasonable price point. But there are not thousands of slips available that are reasonably priced. Part of that thousand(s) is also Safe Harbor Kent Narrows (where I am now) and they are not reasonably priced.

That said, I am about an hour away, by car, from Rock Hall and why I am near by where I live.
 
My slip cost me $42,000 initially + $180/mo.

So you bought your slip right? I did the same, but will be for next season as I had to pay Safe Harbor back in Oct. for this years slip. But to your point, initially 40K, then <1K quarterly. The only way to be certain, mostly ...
 

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