LKN marinas, slow?

islandhopper00

Active Member
Jan 4, 2007
2,670
Lake Norman (Denver) NC
Boat Info
240 Sundancer
Engines
5.0L 260hp, BIII outdrive
So, how busy is everyones marinas this year? It seems like my marina (Midway) is dead this year. No dock parties, nobody grilling, nobody hanging out on the boats. Last year, it seems the docks were packed.
The fourth of July this year was dead! Even The Boathouse restaurant wasn't busy.
Even the coves don't seem to be as full as usual.
The boat rental docks are full of people renting pontoons all the time. What gives? Are people broke, or is the marina lifestyle done?
 
My Marina has been dead for the last few weekends. Then again I'm the life of the party and I was out of town so its understandable. :smt043
 
Mike, You need to go up to my old marina, Skipper's. Under the new management their seems to be some always going on. I still get the news letters.
 
Mike, I agree that there are not as many people on the docks this year as in the past. I think the heat has something to do with it. Sitting on the dock when its 98 degrees with the dew point at 75 is just not fun. I also concur that the restaurants are not as busy this year. We pulled into North Harbor Club at noon this past Saturday and half the deck tables were open and there was only one boat in the visitor slips. In past years I wouldn't think about going to North Harbor if I couldn't get there before 11:30am as the slips would be filled and there was a wait for tables. Again, I think this may be weather related. On a slightly different note there has been a noticeable shift on the my dock in the past two years away from cruisers to deck boats on lifts. It seems every time a cruiser sells or moves another bowrider moves in on a lift. These folks tend not to hang around the marina before and after they go out on the water.
 
since we are fairly new to our marina (The Boat Rack) i can't really judge the level of activity this year compared to past years.....i do see a fairly steady flow of boats in and out of the fuel docks....the lift truck stays pretty busy dropping boats in the water from dry storage....during the Memorial Day and July 4th holiday the marina store ran out of ice and you could not even find a parking space....needless to say we were very busy those WE's...we have made several good friends on our dock and most of them are on the docks most every WE....some stay overnight and some don't....we have several grills that get used about every WE....i wonder if more people are grilling now vs. going out to eat.....i see several others on the dock just below ours about every WE....so i would say we have a fairly constant level of activity but by no means would i call it 'robust'.....our slips are covered so that may be one reason we have a fairly constant flow of people and boats in and out....even when we have bad weather we can still enjoy hanging out together....the majority of the boats in wet slips are cruisers so that also helps with people being around at night....

cliff
 
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Ours has been dead, too. We have covered slips but also 16 "open" guest slips. Berthers are able to use the guest slips if not reserved so they normally come out and hang on the weekends. My boat is there permanently as it's too tall for the sheds. But the regular "Dock Rats" have been mostly absent this year due to life changes like new grandchildren, family travel, etc.

Also, our management decided not to accept club cruise-ins this year for some reason so this has contributed to the lack of activity. IT's also killing the exposure to my big boat that sits on that dock and is for sale. Last year I was asked every weekend if it was for sale.
 
Mike, I agree that there are not as many people on the docks this year as in the past. I think the heat has something to do with it. Sitting on the dock when its 98 degrees with the dew point at 75 is just not fun. I also concur that the restaurants are not as busy this year. We pulled into North Harbor Club at noon this past Saturday and half the deck tables were open and there was only one boat in the visitor slips. In past years I wouldn't think about going to North Harbor if I couldn't get there before 11:30am as the slips would be filled and there was a wait for tables. Again, I think this may be weather related. On a slightly different note there has been a noticeable shift on the my dock in the past two years away from cruisers to deck boats on lifts. It seems every time a cruiser sells or moves another bowrider moves in on a lift. These folks tend not to hang around the marina before and after they go out on the water.

Jim, I see the same trend with regards to the cruiser out, pontoon in.
The Blue Parrot restaraunt stays busy, but it's a smaller place....and you can take your dog there! I love that.
 
since we are fairly new to our marina (The Boat Rack) i can't really judge the level of activity this year compared to past years.....i do see a fairly steady flow of boats in and out of the fuel docks....the lift truck stays pretty busy dropping boats in the water from dry storage....during the Memorial Day and July 4th holiday the marina store ran out of ice and you could not even find a parking space....needless to say we were very busy those WE's...we have made several good friends on our dock and most of them are on the docks most every WE....some stay overnight and some don't....we have several grills that get used about every WE....i wonder if more people are grilling now vs. going out to eat.....i see several others on the dock just below ours about every WE....so i would say we have a fairly constant level of activity but by no means would i call it 'robust'.....our slips are covered so that may be one reason we have a fairly constant flow of people and boats in and out....even when we have bad weather we can still enjoy hanging out together....the majority of the boats in wet slips are cruisers so that also helps with people being around at night....

cliff

Cliff, I was wondering about your marina. Seems like everytime I run past there, there are people on the docks, and something going on.
It's a rumor flying around Midway marina, that it has been bought by the Lancaster family...finally, and there are big plans of new docks, shore facilities, dry stack...etc, etc. Of course, nothing will happen for a couple of years, I'm sure. But when hwy 150 gets 4 laned, and a new bridge built, I'm sure work will begin on the marina.
 
We started very slow, but overall boating activity has been higher this year than any year in recent memory. There are still a lot of empty slips, but people are out using their boats. Near constant activity going in and out the past few weekends.

Are they renting boats Scott? We have crowds at the rental docks. They even crowd out our slip owners parking lot. The marina manager put up a new sign, directing the renters to the overflow lot. They are ignoring his sign and he is fussing about it. It is funny to see the parking lot full, but nobody on the docks.
 
Ours has been dead, too. We have covered slips but also 16 "open" guest slips. Berthers are able to use the guest slips if not reserved so they normally come out and hang on the weekends. My boat is there permanently as it's too tall for the sheds. But the regular "Dock Rats" have been mostly absent this year due to life changes like new grandchildren, family travel, etc.

Also, our management decided not to accept club cruise-ins this year for some reason so this has contributed to the lack of activity. IT's also killing the exposure to my big boat that sits on that dock and is for sale. Last year I was asked every weekend if it was for sale.

That's an awesome boat you have...bof em. haha Good luck on the sale.
 
My marina is so dead right now, I strung a hammock from the roof rafters above the walkway, and take a nap. Nobody wakes me up....but I keep think one of these days I'm going to wake up falling into the water, when someone dumps me out of it! haha
 
Lake Norman Marina seems as busy as last year, I think they launch around 40 boats on a typical weekend day. We are dry stacked, so I am in and out, not hanging around much unless I am working on something. We were at the Landing Memorial day and it was crowded, boats starting to anchor at 6pm - it seems pretty busy most days when we go by late. Haven't made it to the Boathouse yet this year, planning the next weekend or two. I haven't been out as much, my college age daughter is usually my partner in crime on the boat, and she has been busy with an internship and a summer school class (Physics II - yippee!) this summer. I have been solo a lot of weekends, so I usually go run tools for Cliff while he works on the 340. I do miss just hanging around the docks when I was at PYC.
 
I have been solo a lot of weekends, so I usually go run tools for Cliff while he works on the 340.

and the help is greatly appreciated Bill....

Mike,
if the rumors are true that may be a good thing for Midway Marina...the Lancaster family certainly has the money to spruce things up a little....and their restaurant makes pretty good BBQ.....

cliff
 
At the Rudder now on the waverunner. Completely dead at happy hour. Never seen it like this. Bartender says it picks up later when the 100 degree heat index wears off.
 
Are people broke or what? Yes they are broke.

I just had some HVAC work done on my former home as part of the sale agreement. I posed the fix or new question to my HVAC guy. He told me fix would be great. Now it's down to small band aids.

He's busy and making money but for all the wrong reasons.

It it is what it is.
 
Are people broke or what? Yes they are broke.

I just had some HVAC work done on my former home as part of the sale agreement. I posed the fix or new question to my HVAC guy. He told me fix would be great. Now it's down to small band aids.

He's busy and making money but for all the wrong reasons.

It it is what it is.
That's what I fear Dave. Why do I keep hearing the recession/depression is over and we are doing better? Really I don't think I see it. I do see a class of people buying, but I allways wonder if they are living in the proverbial house of cards.
 
At the Rudder now on the waverunner. Completely dead at happy hour. Never seen it like this. Bartender says it picks up later when the 100 degree heat index wears off.

I guess we'll see if people come out when the heat subsides. But why then aren't more folks in the coves swimming like years past? It's depressing to see the coves so empty...up on the northern end of the lake.

Another thing I noticed, when I pull up in my cruiser to get gas, (on the water). They treat me like a rock star. Example, if I buy gas, the dock hands will make a slip for me to go eat in the restraunt. (Blue Parrot), even if they have to double park me and hold the lines. (Usually the restraunt docks are full of pontoons with small gas tanks).
My marina is telling the slip members if we buy their gas they will match or beat prices where we are going to get gas.
 
Maybe we should embrace this. Less crowds, better service, more room to swing on the anchor.
 

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