Boating just got more expensive!

JHornsby3 said:
So reading this, it has me thinking. I can get a slip at one of the better marinas on the Columbia River for $475 a month with water/electric and cover. But no yard for the pick up and trailer. So I would have to bring the trailer home, 70+ miles from the boat. Maybe just keeping it in the driveway would still be best. Being half way between PDX and the salt, I still have options.
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John, what if you used the trailer to take the boat to the slip, dropped off the boat then took the trailer home and parked it for the season. Two advantages with that--1. the truck and trailer wouldn't be left parked where people can get at it and, 2. you'd be able to just take the car (or truck) to the boat when you want to go boating.

That's what we did when we took the 330 to Anacortes for two weeks.
 
Gofirstclass said:
John, what if you used the trailer to take the boat to the slip, dropped off the boat then took the trailer home and parked it for the season. Two advantages with that--1. the truck and trailer wouldn't be left parked where people can get at it and, 2. you'd be able to just take the car (or truck) to the boat when you want to go boating.

That's what we did when we took the 330 to Anacortes for two weeks.
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I've thought about that. But if we want to head to the coast for tuna or halibut, then it's twice the distance. We had an offer of leaving at Newport for free. We are still thinking that over. One of the trucking yards(Not Swift) has space not far too. Might hit them up, for a fee of course, to park in their lot.
 
Jaybeaux said:
I haven't received my renewal yet, but it should be here soon. We've been at $150/foot of boat since 2016. Our electric is not metered, but we pay $20/foot of boat as a flat fee. You could hang meat in my salon during the summer :cool:

Jaybeaux
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Hey. Based on that meat locker comment, I’m assuming you run your AC basically all season long? This is gonna be our first season in the water with our new to us 300DA. Never had a boat of this size or one with AC and was wondering what most people do / what I should do.
 
Also our marina is up from 88/ft to 96/ft this year. First Saturday in May to 3rd Sunday in October I believe. You pay by the foot. Went from an 22’ boat to an 33’ boat. That was fun. Electric is included hence my prior post.
 
On Long Island I am paying $ 110 / ft summer only ( $ 4,510.00 ) with electric, Water and a bathroom, no pool no rec room ect.
Winter they haul out, power wash bottom block and launch in spring $ 1,400.00
Year I am paying $ 5,910.00
 
1hot87gt said:
Hey. Based on that meat locker comment, I’m assuming you run your AC basically all season long? This is gonna be our first season in the water with our new to us 300DA. Never had a boat of this size or one with AC and was wondering what most people do / what I should do.
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We keep the AC on 78 when we are away and 55 when away in the winter….it says on year round.

Bennett
 
It seems the cost to operate a marina doesn't stop because the boating season has ended. Price per foot has little relevance between marinas except in a locale. It's understandable that price per foot is greater in areas where boating ends and the boats are hauled. Also what is missed is pricing differences for a yearly contract vs month to month and live-aboard. Demand plays a large role - marinas packed with waiting lists in south Fl have different fees than marinas in central Fl with open slips. Costs to operate a marina that has a dirt road to run down wooden docks is different than a marina with pools, laundry, restaurant, modern docks, and nice landscaping. Lastly, marinas in pro-business / low tax structure states generally have lower overhead and consequently pass lower costs onto customers.
 
Folks, you need to keep those fees to yourselves. If Surry or James City see the amounts I’m afraid of what they will raise our rates to. At this time Surry is $2400 for a 30’ or below. 34’ or above is $3800.
James City is under construction and has been for the past 3 years and has no amenities at all. There is another up on the Chick charging the amount some of fees you’ll are paying, they are half empty.
 
This is for a 340 with a 36.5 LOA
40' floating dock on Sandusky bay with dedicated water, power, cable hookup went up $150 to $3150 for 2023. Marina has a pool, full service, showers, free pump out, gas dock, and average Internet. We are there mid-april to late October. Biggest increase this year was for indoor heated storage. Went from $2650 to $3050 this year. That includes bottom pressure wash, heated storage, hall-out and spring launch with delivery and pickup right at my marina.

Storage facility has decent rates as well for detailing and other odds n ends services in the winter as well. They keep their crew busy all season. They swapped my Anodes out for about $25 more in total than I could get just the parts.

They are charging $525 for a bottom pain and will do a hull and topside buff this spring for $1200.
 
dwna1a said:
Folks, you need to keep those fees to yourselves. If Surry or James City see the amounts I’m afraid of what they will raise our rates to. At this time Surry is $2400 for a 30’ or below. 34’ or above is $3800.
James City is under construction and has been for the past 3 years and has no amenities at all. There is another up on the Chick charging the amount some of fees you’ll are paying, they are half empty.
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Seems to me once the construction is done they will be at or close to the same price as Chick. Just a matter of time.

And @ttmott Tom you are spot on as usual. I am at one of those marina's you describe and they know it. The thing that safe harbor did made no sense though. They are charging 32/ft to haul, power wash, store and back in. That all has operation cost tagged to it. But this is the part that makes no sense, they are charging 50/ft to stay in the water in the same slip you are already in. That's the rub, not so much the increased price but arrogant increase just because.

And also to another post, SH seems to be chasing towards the big money boats and want's nothing to do with the smaller ones. And by smaller I mean ones that are not going to lease a 50' slip.
 
I remember paying $124 a month for my 330DA when I kept it in Hopewell Virginia about 20 years ago. Now I'm paying $7,000 plus a year for the 380. I get a dockbox, I pay for electricity, free pump outs, discount on fuel, we have decent showers. Everything else is an additional charge. Only licensed and insured mechanics and such are allowed to service the boat.

One of the reasons I'm slipping where I am is because it's close to the destinations we like to go to and no taxes. That's something I never thought about much until this boat.
 
I was on a wait list for 17-years to get my slip that's located in a County owned marina, within a public park. These are the cheapest slips around @ $100.00 per foot, which includes electric, water and public wifi..... no pool, just public rest rooms, which we never use. It's cheaper than the $165.00 per foot at the local Safe Harbor marina, but more importantly, much closer to home and the destinations we go to.

I do my winter layup at Safe Harbor, but their prices just keep going up each year. This years fees are up 15% to $5,400 to haul, power wash ($318.00), outside storage ($3,062.00), shrink wrap ($2,030.00!) & launch. I am allowed to do all my own work though.

I just love it when I see that some of you guys get inside/heated storage for the same, or cheaper price than what my outside storage cost is and therefore don't have to then winterize or shrink wrap your boat!!
 
mrsrobinson said:
Ugh, I have not received my annual invoice yet. @JimG where are you located, you referenced SML. @SKybolt I considered the slip purchase route as well. I have a good friend who did this in Baltimore. He said he would not do it again. I know there are pros/cons to both.
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I bought a covered slip 3 years ago. Sold it 3 months ago. I made very good money on the deal. The 2 greatest days were when I bought it and definitely when I sold it. Just don't stay too long.
 
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I keep my boat in Riverside Marina in Riverhead. It's on the Peconic River which feeds into Peconic Bay. It's our 3rd year here. When we bought her, she was slipped here and we had a few months left on the contract. It is a private, no frills marina. Super splintery, wobbly floating docks, sporadic electric at .29/kWh. We pay by LOA at $85 per foot. We are allowed to work on our boat in the water. There is no hauling, storage, or mechanics here. We have to bow in because there is no water under the boats. I like this because if we have dinner on the boat, you don't have to see everyone who walks past and we get to see the wildlife on the far side of the river. There is a bathroom and a deck that the year round live-abords hang out a chat. People are super nice and always grab us as were heading home to join them for a burger or an impromptu song on the karaoke.
 
Civility said:
I keep my boat in Riverside Marina in Riverhead. It's on the Peconic River which feeds into Peconic Bay. It's our 3rd year here. When we bought her, she was slipped here and we had a few months left on the contract. It is a private, no frills marina. Super splintery, wobbly floating docks, sporadic electric at .29/kWh. We pay by LOA at $85 per foot. We are allowed to work on our boat in the water. There is no hauling, storage, or mechanics here. We have to bow in because there is no water under the boats. I like this because if we have dinner on the boat, you don't have to see everyone who walks past and we get to see the wildlife on the far side of the river. There is a bathroom and a deck that the year round live-abords hang out a chat. People are super nice and always grab us as were heading home to join them for a burger or an impromptu song on the karaoke.
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With the exception of the liverboards hanging out and chatting in the bathroom ;-) , looks nice enough to me.
 
Civility said:
I keep my boat in Riverside Marina in Riverhead. It's on the Peconic River which feeds into Peconic Bay. It's our 3rd year here. When we bought her, she was slipped here and we had a few months left on the contract. It is a private, no frills marina. Super splintery, wobbly floating docks, sporadic electric at .29/kWh. We pay by LOA at $85 per foot. We are allowed to work on our boat in the water. There is no hauling, storage, or mechanics here. We have to bow in because there is no water under the boats. I like this because if we have dinner on the boat, you don't have to see everyone who walks past and we get to see the wildlife on the far side of the river. There is a bathroom and a deck that the year round live-abords hang out a chat. People are super nice and always grab us as were heading home to join them for a burger or an impromptu song on the karaoke.
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The worst thing about moving from a mooring to the dock and then getting a nicer, bigger boat is people want to talk to me. And I can’t go bow-in because of the short dock.
 
I would do bow in at my current slip as the sunsets and marsh view are amazing. Pier is not long enough though for on/off access
 
Those rates that folks are posting would not hold up well here. All of the local marinas would have to jack their prices at the same time. JCC has already said that once they finish or get close to finished they will go up in fees. Most of the boaters understand this. IF they put covered slips back in we are looking at about $1000 increase. That would bring us inline with Deep Creek.

My move to Surry was a $400 increase but they pay the power bill. After that is done I’m about even at $2000. Plus they have everything except a pool. The other good thing is deep water, Surry has it. Even if JCC completes the dredging of the marina the creek is still only 3’ at the entrance to the first curve. Then you have two fixed bridges at about 11’ clearance, realistically 10’ as they ran water and sewer lines under the bridge.

James City is doing the opposite as some here have posted. They seem to be pushing the big boats out. 30’ to me is not big but they seem to want year round slip holders out. Large boats pay less in taxes, about .95 per $100. Larger boats need fuel, pump outs, electricity, and services. They would save a good bit of money by not replacing pump out and fuel tanks and lines. Even more if they don’t dredge. They want the marina to be a distention marina. In its current and future conditions that will never happen, maybe for smaller low draft boats but not deeper draft boats. Even if the dredge the creek you would still have the two fixed bridges.

This whole pain in the ass, improperly managed, and poorly planed project should have been moved to the deep water area at the Chic Riverfront Park. Then they could have what the BOS is dreaming about. They want to be in business but they have forgotten the most important rules. 1 location, 2 know your target clients 3 know the limitation of the location you’ve picked. In my book they have messed up on all three. This project was doomed from the start. It’s poorly designed and low bid built.

Im off my box now
 
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