What to look for in a marina?

Gkalas

New Member
Mar 8, 2014
8
Annapolis
Boat Info
2004 Sea Ray 280 Sundancer
Engines
Twin 4.3l Mercruiser I/O
I am in the process of looking for a marina to store my boat at year round, and am hoping to get some advice. I've decided on the area that I want to be in (Severna Park/Edgewater Md. area), but can't really tell what makes one marina better than the other. My survey and sea trial will be done in the next week and I hope to be the owner of a 280 Sundancer shortly after that. I don't think I want the boat stored in the water and would like the convenience of having the marina take care of things for me. What should I look for when deciding on a marina?
 
"I don't think I want the boat stored in the water and would like the convenience of having the marina take care of things for me. What should I look for when deciding on a marina?"

I don't understand, if your planning on leaving it on a trailer in the yard? All you need from a marina is security and a fuel island!

however, if you wanted to wet slip the boat, there is a lot to look for in a marina.
Must haves,
* 24/7/365 security
* Good management,ie; do they respond quickly to concerns, are the dock clean and in good repair, do they have an active program to keep geese droppings and spiders away from the docks.
* Dog park
* Fuel island should have an active crew to make fueling quick and easy! and should accomadate several boats at once! I'd say at least 6.
* A service center, preferably one with an excellent reputation.
* Clean restrooms

Nice to have,
* Restaurant that offers dock side service
* Plenty of guest parking
* Tennis courts
* Sunday morning service
* A well stocked bait shop for those days you feel like wetting a line.
* A Sea Ray dealer! When you get that 3' itch!!
Welcome aboard and congrats on the new boat!
 
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I could easily do without many of the things oar play mentioned, but for me it would include:
~24/7 security with video cameras everywhere
~reasonably new construction, concrete docks that are wide enough for two dock carts to pass, covered moorage
~adequate power supply to every slip
~water to every slip
~enough dock carts for even a busy Saturday or Sunday
~clean, secure rest rooms with showers for boaters who don't have them on board
~pump out at the fuel dock

Things I don't need because we're not dock queens
~people at the fuel dock to help. (Hey, I learned to pump fuel in the 60's)
~pet zones, tennis courts, family activities, picnic tables, vending machines, child's play area, etc.
 
Ours was a sleepy little marina where the crickets are the loudest noise you hear at night. Also a good supply of bats to keep the spider population down. A dusty gravel road was a plus. I just wish we had a better breakwater. It would also be cool if the pay at he pump would actually print out a receipt on paper instead of just making the noise like I might actually get one. I would also insist on being able to sit out on the lake at night and not have another boat within a mile or two. A nice road coming down hill into the lake area makes for nice brisk morning walk. The latest topic is to buy a hand gun and make sure we can carry it into the state we keep our boat in. Also if the cops are going to be parken their boat at the end of your dock it helps to be on good terms with them. You might want to ask before hand depending on your opinion of them. I hope this helps! Rick
 
location, location, location.
security with key fobbed gates not key codes. anybody can tell someone over the phone a key code.
pet area
clean showers, I have not replaced the hot water heater on my boat yet (big list this year) so i want to be able to take a shower whenever i want. plus the shower in the boat is pretty small and I am not.
wide concrete docks
wide stable fingers, last year we were at a marina that had very narrow and wobbly finger docks, wife was uneasy going out to tie off the bow.
easy parking
clean water with limited traffic
something to do on land. restaurant, stores, movie theater, something to walk to.
ability to have a Dock box. ( i wish i could)
dock hands, my wife will have our (currently 4 month old) daughter to worry about, i don't mind tipping a helpful hand to help tie up if it isn't ideal weather.

everyone's list will be different. I would use these as a guide to decide what you want. if you have never had a boat before or never at a slip, your list might change after a few months.
 
Me? I'd just want covered slips. Great neighbors are a massive plus. Pump out and fuel. Security is a great plus. As AFD has said, location! Find one near your home and near where you want to boat.
 
So you don't want to keep the boat in the water... are you thinking of an in/out dry stack place?

Thing that are important to me (in no particular order):
-parking area convenient to docks w/ lots of dock carts available
-convenient & easily accessible pump out dock (seems to be an afterthought in some older marinas)
-protection from nasty weather (hurricanes, nor Easters, etc); do they have the capability to haul & store you ashore if it's really nasty?
-dumpsters/recycling areas readily available (my old marina in CA had on site oil & battery recycling - that was nice!
-clean restrooms & showers
-proximity to open water
-would love to have pool/playground (esp nice for kids)

I think looking at the type and condition of boats in a marina can tell you a lot... I looked at a boat last weekend that was next to two burned out hulks. Other boats were haphazardly blocked up, etc - lots of real Junk made a real bad impression.

Rob
 
The OP appears to be either a first time owner, or at the very least does not plan on doing his own maintenance. That being said, I would put the maintenance/service department at the top of the list.

Next is that some of the items mentioned might not even be available in his area. Covered slips comes to mind. Being that he does not want to keep the boat in the water, this could be a moot point anyway.

Often here on CSR when someone asks "what style of boat should I buy?", the responses usually include..."determine how you will use the boat, then decide". I'm going to suggest he do the same here. Determine what you will use the marina for, then decide.

I'm going to suggest that you start visiting marinas now. Ask a lot of questions. Keep your needs in mind. Do all the marinas in your area have room for you? You didn't mention kids or family, but anticipating those kinds of needs now, could save you from a lot of headaches this summer.
 
Me? I hate covered slips! I want to bbq at my slip when I come back, I want a slip I can back my truck full of goodies up to my boat with, I have a pool at home, I want security, I want a short sail to good spots, I need my dock box and I need at least 1 finger dock to board the boat.
 
I think it's a tough question to answer with specifics outside of general needs.

For example, there isn't a spot where we can park our vehicles T our boat or have a covered slip. Demand is high here so we can't be picky.

To me the most important thing is staff and marina condition. Docks need to be good and staff treat you well. The other stuff just seems to fall in place over time.

Mark


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hey! I bet GFC is a dock queen and doesn't know it, (grin) help at the fuel island is nice because I've been stuck waiting on morons that 1) don't know how to dock 2) don't know which side the fill is on 3) struggle to drag 40' of fuel line because they tied up at the diesel pump.
All the additional stuff is just fun to have. You are right, about the wide dock, power and water at each slip.


Sent from my crappy iPhone using Tapatalk
 
this is what we have:

-Good parking
-plenty of carts
-convenient fuel and pump out
-power pedestals every two slips
-dock box
-wide, well maintained docks
-ships store
-restaurant, bar
-pool
-kayaks, sailboards, small sailboats no charge
-security
-good people
 
It would appear some of you are spoiled by having people available to help you dock, fuel and pump out your boats. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, and it's probably something I could get used to. We don't have any dock hands or help at the fuel dock. It's just GW and me.

Maybe that's why she's such a good deck hand.
 
There's one thing that matters most, price! Is it worth what you may be asked to pay. Location, is it in an area that you want to be boating in or how much fuel will you be burning to get where you want to be? Both of these add to the cost of your boating pleasure.
 
Me I prefer keeping a boat in the water-get to meet some great fellow boaters. Customer service should be high on list. short distance to open water [ 6mph zone burns fuel]. Pool, clean showers, parking area paved, play area for kids, dog area, place to store dinghy on land. Fuel/pump-out close by.
There are so many more, but as someone esle mentioned, visit the marinas you are interested in and get a feel for what you will be paying for. Good luck.
 
Well, I don't live the marina life. I will say from reading the forum that wifi access needs consideration. It seems like a lot of folks are running cameras or security systems tied into their marina's wifi when they are not at the boat.
 
Thank you all for the comments. I've started to visit some marinas and am trying to balance out the things that a lot of you have mentioned , with what is important to me. I guess the search will continue and one of the hardest things is trying to decide on a boatel versus a slip. Leaning towards the boatel, but considering the slip for easy access and getting to know fellow boaters. In any case, this was helpful and I appreciate the comments everyone made.
 
Thank you all for the comments. I've started to visit some marinas and am trying to balance out the things that a lot of you have mentioned , with what is important to me. I guess the search will continue and one of the hardest things is trying to decide on a boatel versus a slip. Leaning towards the boatel, but considering the slip for easy access and getting to know fellow boaters. In any case, this was helpful and I appreciate the comments everyone made.

What did you decide? Curious because we just went through the same process and decided on Ferry Point Marina.
 
What did you decide? Curious because we just went through the same process and decided on Ferry Point Marina.
What a coincidence; I decided on Ferry Point as well. I'm in slip 6, come by and say hi sometime. Love it there and The Point is a great restaurant. Also, the decision to rent a slip instead of choosing a boatel was definately the right one. Have been developing relationships with my neighbors and have gotten some help to get me going. Would suggest any newbie choose a slip over a boatel for those reasons.
 
Excellent! I am in slip #88 and if you go there, you will notice that nothing is there yet. The boat is currently getting it's final touches @ Clark's Landing on KI this week and we should be bringing our new to us 2006 280DA to The Point!
 

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