Safe Harbor

[FIRE]

Investigating marinas and came across Safe Harbor. Anyone a member on the East Coast? I am looking for a marina on the Chesapeake as a home base and became interested in learning more on a Safe Harbor option because of reciprocal arrangements as a transient.

Perhaps the increased cost is offset by free transient dockage as you cruise North or South along the East coast. Is there zero availability making this a "good in theory" sort of proposition?

I understand the reduced service from a corporately owned entity and in most cases will support local...until such time that a new business model aligns with your needs.

So if anyone is an active member would you share your experience?

 

[Lollygag1]

While not a member there is one in our cove, from the folks who are there they like the discount at the fuel dock helpful staff. We frequently use the fuel dock as there are 3 dockhands which makes getting in when windy helpful.

I would think if you do a lot of cruising where you want a transient dock it would be beneficial.

 

[ranger58sb]

Several members of our previous owners club are in Safe Harbor marinas, and they seem to like the reciprocity benefit. But then it depends on whether another Safe Harbor marina happens to be at your chosen destination... and then whether it's your preferred option if several marina choices are present.

Then it appears each specific marina can be slightly different. Safe Harbor bought (is still buying) a boatload of marinas, some needing work. Work proceeds apace at each one (depends on what "apace" means), and most members say "their" SH people are trying to improve the facility. Some members have said they mostly see evidence of that trend toward improvement... but then some have not.

Most say slip prices have risen, although most also have said they weren't onerous increases and understandable because of the marina updates they were seeing.

Where are you looking on the Chesapeake?

-Chris

 

[Cigatoo]

SH has purchased many marinas in Narragansett Bay. Not ours….yet. They have raised the prices but made significant improvements to each of them from what I have seen and heard. Everything from new docks to live entertainment on the weekends. A friend of a friend runs one of the marinas and was given a couple of million to spend as he sees fit. Trying to remain positive It seems that the boat owners are at least getting something for their money.

 

[backinblue]

Around CT and NY, SH marinas tend to be upscale, full service, and pricey. Probably worth looking into if you are planning to pay for a full-service marina anyway. Many have restaurants, pools and other amenities. Membership claims to give you unlimited transient stays but I don't know if you have priority over paying customers. That would be worth asking. Montauck Yacht Club for instance is a luxury resort and very pricey to stay at, but is a SH property. I wonder if you'd be able to get a spot in the busy summer season when other customers are willing to pay a few $100's per night. I wonder whether availability is only if they have free space and no reservations for the dates you want.

 

[O C Diver]

Friend of mine had a boat in a rack storage marina that was bought out by safe harbors. Prices went up; service went down, most of the benefits (over night dockage for rack customers) went away or became expensive add ons. As mentioned, it seems the target customer is someone who sees safe harbors as "the" destination as opposed to a place to dock your boat.

Ted

 

[CharlieO.]

I wouldn't mind a membership type deal if I could harbor hop and leave my boat for the week and return on the weekends to keep hopping.

Every Safe Harbor I've inquired at has no seasonal vacancies. What are the benefits of the Black Card, do they still offer that?

 

[backinblue]

I wouldn't mind a membership type deal if I could harbor hop and leave my boat for the week and return on the weekends to keep hopping.

Every Safe Harbor I've inquired at has no seasonal vacancies. What are the benefits of the Black Card, do they still offer that?

From what I read on their site, transient dockage is limited to 3 nights and subject to availbility per SHM discretion, whatever that means.

 

[johnma]

we've been Safe Harbor members on the Chesapeake for 3 years and are very happy. The only time i've had a problem with space on the bay was at their Annapolis location. All of the others we've stayed at seemed to have a transient only dock. Ours
( Bohemia Vista) in the upper bay on the Bohemia is pretty full for 40' plus, but there is a tee head that can fit 2 larger boats thats right in front of us that they seem to use for transients. Hacks Point on the south side of the Bohemia had several 40' slips last year that i got with zero notice. I went on Dockwa about an hour before we were going to arrive (it was unplanned) and then made a phone call and they texted me a marina layout and slip number and i pulled right in. It was after hours. We got in at Kent Narrows and Oxford with very little notice also.

 

[FIRE]

Great info! I think we are settled on Narrows Point. Paperwork in process.
Have any thoughts on the Diesel at cost benefit?

 

[FWT]

Congratulations on the Flemming purchase. It will be the queen of the marina in the Narrows.

What's the latest on controlling water depth in the channel heading north out of Kent Narrows? A season or so ago there was some shoaling reported.

My Helmsman 38 is being delivered this spring to the Bay Bridge Marina, by the way. Neighbors of a sort.

 

[CaptTom]

Around CT and NY, SH marinas tend to be upscale, full service, and pricey...

Actually, that's their reputation everywhere I've been on the East coast. Especially the "pricey" part. Lots of frustrated boat (as opposed to "yacht") owners have been priced out of both seasonal and transient slips after SH bought their favorite marina and turned it into to a yachting resort destination.

I guess that's just the way the whole industry is going. I'm glad I got to participate while boating was still open to working stiffs. I'm afraid those days are over.

 

[backinblue]

Actually, that's their reputation everywhere I've been on the East coast. Especially the "pricey" part. Lots of frustrated boat (as opposed to "yacht") owners have been priced out of both seasonal and transient slips after SH bought their favorite marina and turned it into to a yachting resort destination.

I guess that's just the way the whole industry is going. I'm glad I got to participate while boating was still open to working stiffs. I'm afraid those days are over.

Can't really blame them, it's whatever the market will bear. If they can keep filling up at their high prices, who's fault is it really? There are empty slips at my yacht club for about half the price of the SH slips about 50 yds away. Alas, we don't have a swimmming pool.

 

[Nick14]

There are now two parallel 'Safe Harbors' threads going, I'll post in this one.

We recently joined Safe Harbors New England Boatworks (Portsmouth RI) for our upcoming Helmsman 38. Can't comment on the service yet, though agree on the 'pricey.'

They have now removed the 12 night maximum per year for transient dockage. It's now unlimited, but...

For those who have been SH members, how realistic is it to get a transient slip at another SH marina? Are they readily available? Or is it like trying to use frequent flier miles to get a plane flight, where there may be plenty of seats available, but the airlines restrict frequent flyer seat availability to one or two seats per flight?

 

[CaptTom]

I'm fascinated by the idea of transient slip reciprocity between SH marinas. I know one of the old marina chains they bought used to do something similar. But since SH has so many marinas now, it really opens up possibilities, if it's implemented well.


Each customer out looking for a transient night's slip leaves a vacant slip at their home marina, so in theory it should all even out.


The problem I see is there seem to be fewer people actually cruising every year. My own marina is filling up with day boats and show boats, along with a few dock queens. Very few vacant slips at night. I suspect SH marinas are even more advanced along that spectrum than our little private boat club.

 

[Woodstock]

Along the Southeast coast I believe most of the SH marinas have blackout periods for free nights that correspond with the spring and fall North/South migrations. In the fall that meant October and November and in the spring it was April and May. In 2020/21 we went south in December and returned north in March so we were able to enjoy many free nights. Don't know if that's still their practice.

 

[dwiggl]

We really enjoy Narrows point. Nice facilities. SH has spent millions on the site in the last 3 years. Comparative pricing in the area is not much different. Rt 50 bridge can be a bit noisy at times, but that's the neighborhood. If you want quiet, then go south to Oxford.
They are replacing docks and dredged this year.
The north channel is very narrow and going off course puts you into the Oyster beds fast. But it is doable at all but extreme tides. With all the dock bars in the Narrows, you have to be very careful of drunk pilots when navigating both north and south channels on weekends.

 

[FWT]

"They are replacing docks and dredged this year."

Fixed or floating?

 

[backinblue]

A word of caution. Just because you have reciprocal trasnsient slips at anpther SH marina, doesn't mean you will get one. I'm not a member but if you want to go somewhere popular and expensive, I don't think you get priority over paying transient customers. My understandng is that if there is a free slip, you can use it, but in a popular destination that fills up long in advance, you may be out of luck. Be intersted if any real SH members can confirm or deny this.

 

[dwiggl]

Floating

 

[FWT]

Floating

Great.

Great new option. I went to Bay Bridge in part because of the docks. The old docks at the Narrows were in poor shape, and being fixed were flooded every few years with abnormal storm high tides.

Thanks for this news.