Switching Marinas

skolbe

skolbe

Well-Known Member
Oct 3, 2006
3,549
St. Louis, MO
Boat Info
320 Sundancer, Zodiac 290 Wave Inflatable Tohatsu 6HP, Boston Whaler 130 Sport
Engines
350 Mag V-Drive - Kohler 5ecd
So we have been at our current marina for 11 years. It has been a lot of memories, but some newer marinas have opened up and have more to offer. So we are looking at switching, the new marina is further away by car. That being said we used to have a good group on our dock. But over the last 3 or 4 years - the group has disappeared. Many have sold their boats and/or changed the way they boat. Some of this has to do with we have had flooding in our area the last 3 seasons that has limited boating and some has to do with the economy. The new marina has a lot to offer if the area is flooded. That being said there are some friends on the dock we probably won't see as much. Wondering how long folks have been at their current marina? How many switched and regretted it.
 
We were in our first marina only for 5 months before we changed. It was closer, great docks and damn cheap but I didn't like the train that hit its horn as it went by about 100 yards away, the park adjacent to the marina where vagrants hung out and the fact there were very few people that actually used their boats!

The marina we are in is farther away by about 20 minutes by car, way more expensive (the highest price in the area) and we love that we changed! Great area, people are always there and are very friendly plus we are close to a lot of destinations so we burn less fuel.

Now we can't wait to move up to a longer berth to house our next boat..... :smt021
 
My biggest issue is that the boat next to me the tags expired in 2007 and the boat hasn't been washed in 2 years. The next boat over hasn't been washed in 1-1/2 years. We are in covered slips. It is starting to feel like an abandoned boat yard.
 
There tends to be those boats everywhere. My marina will send the owner a note with their bill telling them to wash it or they will have it washed and send them a bill.

I is amazing how many people have nice expensive boats, pay $400 to $1,000 to berth them and never bother to come use them. I don't get it. I feel like starting a service saying I will maintain your boat, run it and keep it healthy if you can't or don't want to use it. I can have an entire fleet of boats at my disposal to use when I want! No charge, just let me use the boat.
 
Both Marinas have pools. Our current marina - to get to the pool is about 1/2 mile hike. New marina it is close by.
 
Skolbe,
We are changing marinas because the section of the river we are on is narrow and has a lot of chemical plants along the shore. Our current marina is great as far as facilities go and are dockmates are nice but 10 to 15 years older than we are. The folks on the other side of the harbor are 10 to 15 years youger and quite clannish eventhrough I belong to their yacht club and rarely leave the dock. The people at the new marina on Lake Michigan are closer to our age and appear to be more serious boaters and but still like their cocktail hour after boating which is much more to our liking.

Since you are going to be on the Illinois Waterway, make sure the pool that your new marina will be in has adequate channel width and gives you a long enough cruise before having to go through a lock. You mentioned flooding as an issue where you are. It would be for me if I were in the Seneca or Starved Rock pools instead of the one I am in currently. Another consideration might be the quality of the Service Department at your new marina. You do far more of your own maintenance than I do but I am sure there are things you might not want to tackle. Finally does the new marina have a restaurant or located near a town that has them plus grocery stores etc.

If you made some good friends at your current marina stay in touch with them and try to arrange some river trips or mutual marina visits with them every so often depending on how many locks away your will be.
 
I have been also thinking of moving from the marina that we are at because we don't use the thing there. We pay 2,300 includes the $300 to winter boat there. It is nice with semi-security. We have a place to park behind the boat. A place for out table and chairs ( used 3xs) A Pool ( never used) So I have a friend with a 39 foot boat paying 1,000 for dock behind someone house in a channel w/ electric & water and will check if there is room for me. Save 1k is about what we paid in gas this summer...
 
Switch......you won't regret it !! You will be invigorated by the change and make new friends. Just do it . We did
 
I changed marinas 3 years ago and haven't regretted it. I had a 330 'dancer in a 12' x 30' covered slip. We knew we would be upsizing within a few years so when a brand new marina opened and I could get a 20' x 60' slip I jumped at the chance. The montly stroke went from $145 to $205 for a brand new covered slip with wider docks, better marina, etc.

There's no pool or any other services except for a GREAT bar/restaurant at the top of the ramp. That in itself is worth the extra slip rental.
 
Gofirstclass said:
I changed marinas 3 years ago and haven't regretted it. I had a 330 'dancer in a 12' x 30' covered slip. We knew we would be upsizing within a few years so when a brand new marina opened and I could get a 20' x 60' slip I jumped at the chance. The monthly stroke went from $145 to $205 for a brand new covered slip with wider docks, better marina, etc.

There's no pool or any other services except for a GREAT bar/restaurant at the top of the ramp. That in itself is worth the extra slip rental.
Click to expand...

WHAT.....my heart just stopped....$205/month!!
Wow, that slip here in CT.
60ft, No cover, 50amp, water and tax $1,385/month for the six month summer.
Heck, the winter where you cant even use it works out to $341/month six month winter.
I'm trying to remember why, I live here?.
 
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WHAT.....my heart just stopped....$205/month!!
Wow, that slip here in CT.
60ft, No cover, 50amp, water and tax $1,385/month for the six month summer.
Heck, the winter where you cant even use it works out to $341/month six month winter.
I'm trying to remember why, I live here?.
Click to expand...

Now you know why I jumped at it. There's 50A power in 240volts and 120volts, plus water for that price. I guess I can't ***** too much about not having a pool.

The way we boat we wouldn't use a pool anyways. We go to the boat to go boating, not hang around on the dock.

Here's a shot of my 330 in the slip.

P30200311.jpg


At the shore end of the dock there are 30' slips on both sides of the dock. At my end, there are a few 60' slips, all positioned on the east side of the dock. I was the first tenant of this slip and I have NO plans to leave any time soon.
P30200321.jpg


Here's the "shore end" of my dock.
P30200281.jpg
 
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Planning the same thing as well....been here for 6 years now......new marina has a pool, restaurant, bar, jacuzzi and 1200 bux a year (202.00 a month) cheaper......little further to get to work...but think all in all will be worth it....
 
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We've been at 3 marinas in 5 years. All were great, but each one got better. If you don't like it, you can always go back. Pool, not for us. I do miss the Tiki bar that we had at marina 2. but the money I save being able to do my own work at marina 3 is worth it. Move around, that's why we own boats. you can always meet and raft up with friends.
 
hey,kg4vgh just wondering which marina you found for that price.Im at custom house and in reading some of your posts,you must be close to waterside.
 
Got an email today, the new owners at our marina raised rates beginning Jan 1. Ours is going up $50. Our current lease expires on April 1 so we have a little time yet. Our best friends have moved and we're contemplating following them and also moving to a marina closer to home, has cheaper rates, hosts alot of family functions/holiday events, concerts, etc., has a playground for our g'kids, and only minutes from restaurants/stores -- IF they have a slip available. If not we'll get on the waiting list. Our current marina does nothing, has no amentities to speak of. and has really gone downhill. My bro-in-law has a 60' houseboat - he was appalled at how much his rent is going up. He may come with us too.

UPDATE: Well, we did it!, On Sunday we brought "Party" thru Guntersville Dam down to Ditto Landing on Wheeler Lake, a smaller marina but much closer to home. Stormy weather prevented us from getting settled in a slip right away but should be able to get back by the weekend & get that all wrapped up. Now, I gotta change location on my transom decal from Guntersville to Huntsville, at least I can keep the "sville" part.
 
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We switched after 7 seasons. Went to nicer, better run place, cheaper, more well kept and brand spankin' new. Resort style pool with bar and entertainment on weekends. Also, much closer to where we like to boat - like an hour closer by boat. Came running back to the old place after two seasons. I'm the biggest yenta there is and I could not break into the cliques at the new place. My daughter and wife were miserable and we all missed our friends at the old place. From a boating standpoint, the new place was leaps and bounds better - but sometimes it's not just about the boating.
 
We ended up switching marinas. It is an hour from the house versus 30 minutes. Our old marina was starting to feel like an abandoned boat yard. The boat next to me has tags that expired in 2007 - the boat hasn't been out in 4 years. My new marina - the boat is required to go out under it's own power 2 times a year.
 
skolbe said:
My biggest issue is that the boat next to me the tags expired in 2007 and the boat hasn't been washed in 2 years. The next boat over hasn't been washed in 1-1/2 years. We are in covered slips. It is starting to feel like an abandoned boat yard.
Click to expand...
Hey are you at my marina .That's the way ours is.Hell we have one that is going on 6 plus years and no washing.
 
Air O'Nautical, that is the nature of the beast living on the "Gold Coast".

We keep our boat at a "yacht club". I know what you're thinking but its really not like that. In fact, our boat stays on a mooring. The club does have a dock that you can tie up to with water and power for $10 a night. We just switched back to motor boating. The club is full of "rag baggers". In fact, they don't even know we've made the switch yet.

For us, we just need somewhere to keep the boat. We are not interested in doing much socializing with those pretentious "old farts". Our boating allows us to go all over Eastern Long Island sound.

The best part, club dues are..... $750 a year. We also have to have our mooring inspected every other year. As such it leaves plenty of discretionary income for the visits to the fuel dock.

Nick K
 
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