working on boat

I have noticed that all the marina s in my area don't let you work on your boat so I don't understand would they have a problem. What is the line I guess that is to much do it your self

Any kind of work at all? Or just sanding and painting? What exactly is banned?

Ya that's what I want to know says you can sand by hand only and all work by outside contracts. I'm not sure but think I will find out

Two trains of thought.

The first is, the marinas who restrict owners from doing work are simply trying to screw as much cash from your wallet as possible, thus making their profits as big as possible.

The second, usually DIYers take quite a while to get jobs done. So when several 'projects' become wrapped in blue tarps, have plastic 'greenhouses' built over them and undone, or shabbily done repairs/maintenance the marinas take on a low rent look.

Either way the marina loses money as people with money tend to shy away from podunky looking marinas.

Like you hint at, a small sanding job will likely be overlooked. But if it grows into topside gelcoat repair you will attract attention.

Carefully read your contract. I have seen several that stipulate any repairs done from the rail down (hull, running gear, bottom jobs) must be done by marina. Then again, I have seen others that state NO work may be done by owners OR outside contractors while at the marina OR while hauled out on their property.

And I have seen contracts (like where I keep my boat) that state the marina does not provide ANY services other than slips and haul out and blocking and it is your responsibility to find your own contractors.

Well they say no tarps no painting. I'm not sure what they are getting at. I think it could be the noise from sanding. I have seen this in lots of contracts but never knee what it ment every place I have been no one seemed to care what you did

We are at a state park marina.It doesn't have any haul out facilities . We have done a bunch of work on William in a covered slip,lots of woodwork,sanding, varnishing and painting.I bought a Festtool sander,grinder/vacuum combo . It was pricing but it's quiet and virtually no dust escapes the vacuum.We kept everything cleaned up as we went.If we felt like we were bugging a neighbor we just stopped for the day.

Any marina that has haul facilities and allows no work to be done by owner is basically practicing a form of extortion. I can do just about anything in my marina besides spray paint.
When I stripped the varnish off the entire boat I anchored out in a very protected part the bay for a day and had at it.. was actually nice as I never had to stop working and got a great deal done as nobody came by to chat.
Re varnished the cap rail while back in the slip.
Many marinas have a no work in the slip policy for liability purposes.. then never seem to notice work being done.. go figure.

HOLLYWOOD

I am not sure exactly what you are asking Pure. The restrictions on DIY work in yards in most cases that I have seen have nothing to do with increasing profits of the Yards by making more work for them, but has everything to do with decreasing liability.

Environmental concerns are huge for many Yards and their insurance companies. Some have policies that prohibit certain types of work. Other insurance companies require that any work be done by licensed and bonded contractors.

Check with your Yards and find out specifically what is and is not allowed, then abide by those restrictions. It will keep everyone happy.

Gone are the days when we could scrape, sand, repair, and even paint the bottom while on a tidal grid.

work done

Just wandering if this is normal the way the contract reads sounds like no work at all is slip unless you are a contractor

Our yacht club marina allows everything but spray painting, for obvious reasons. When I first bought our boat I used the small boat hoist to put a 5 k gen set aboard. I've seen other member use it to pull engines.

Pure pleasure said:

Just wandering if this is normal the way the contract reads sounds like no work at all is slip unless you are a contractor

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Ask your marina manager for the answers. For sure no one here can answer that question.

Unless of course the owner/manager of your marina happens to be a member here.


There is no "normal".

Capt.Bill11 said:

Ask your marina manager for the answers. For sure no one here can answer that question.

Unless of course the owner/manager of your marina happens to be a member here.


There is no "normal".

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The big issue with sanding and painting is usually dust and overspray....then you have the fistfights from the guy who comes in from a day fishing, starts washing his boat and sprays the crap out of the new paint on the next boat over...really cool...

Nope...hard to say...that's why I am staying in a really bad liveaboard marina due to location and current for another year. With all the work I want to do on the boat, I am hardly noticed with all the grinding, welding and painting of all the small tugs and barges...

Pure pleasure said:

I have noticed that all the marina s in my area don't let you work on your boat so I don't understand would they have a problem. What is the line I guess that is to much do it your self

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You're going to have to define "don't let you work on your boat" a little better. Can you install a VHF? Change your engine oil? Post the language from the lease.

There could be any of several reasons why they wouldn't allow you to do certain things. Probably the main reason is liability, not only for accidents but to the EPA for pollution.

If you really want to know the answer, you will have to ask the marina management. They are the only ones who can give you an accurate answer.

Even the most restrictive marinas are hard pressed to even know what kinds of interior maintenance you are doing and know so....so they usually either don't care or are hard pressed to enforce.

Wheel dozens of gallons of fuel or oil past the manager down the dock at high noon..well?

Replace a VHF, or other electronics or appliances, interior wiring, etc...how would the know? .....and in my experience...most don't care.

The vast majority of marinas along the Atlantic ICW that are restrictive...usually say "light maintenance" meaning if no one complains...you are getting away with it.

Please note that work is allowed on your vessel by outside contractors only. This what's in the lease then it goes on to day the times they can work and to ck in at the office

Pure pleasure said:

Please note that work is allowed on your vessel by outside contractors only. This what's in the lease then it goes on to day the times they can work and to ck in at the office

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I am no lawyer...but that may be illegal.

Without a scope of what is"work" you may be breaking the lease by just "washing" your boat.

ya

Well that's what I thought. Think it like some else said if someone complain then it's a problem.

Pure pleasure said:

Please note that work is allowed on your vessel by outside contractors only. This what's in the lease then it goes on to day the times they can work and to ck in at the office

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Please quote the exact clause in the lease so we can respond more intelligently to it. Those I have seen have been to protect the other boaters and to protect the marina against liability. The checking in and clearing in at the office is to be sure they're licensed, if licensing required, and that they're insured and bonded, plus they don't have a previous history of causing problems. It's also part of good marina security to know everyone who is being allowed on the docks.

I did

That was a cut and past from the lease

Pure pleasure said:

That was a cut and past from the lease

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You have hose a very peculiar marina then. My rental agreement allows liveaboards but the discusses no cooking aboard.

When I brought that to management...they said don't worry about it it was a mistake....I was good with that as my knowledge of the marina practices and USCG regs, EPA regs and NJ DEP regs...I knew we could come e to an agreement no matter what.

Pack Mule said:

We are at a state park marina.It doesn't have any haul out facilities . We have done a bunch of work on William in a covered slip,lots of woodwork,sanding, varnishing and painting.I bought a Festtool sander,grinder/vacuum combo . It was pricing but it's quiet and virtually no dust escapes the vacuum.We kept everything cleaned up as we went.If we felt like we were bugging a neighbor we just stopped for the day.

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I wish all my neighbors were like you!

Pure pleasure said:

That was a cut and past from the lease

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I missed the cut and paste from the lease. Could you paste it again in quotes or italics?

If they told me "outside contractors only", I would hire my own company and send me to do the work

TDunn said:

If they told me "outside contractors only", I would hire my own company and send me to do the work

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Have a copy of your businesses' $1 million liability policy handy?

psneeld said:

Have a copy of your businesses' $1 million liability policy handy?

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Yep, that's the downside of that plan.

So been in the marina a little more than a month think I have seen every rule broken here staff at marine watching so I guess do what you want and ask for forgiveness when you get asked to stop

Some marinas around here restrict DIY work so they can more easily maintain their "MD Clean Marina" status. Much of that is about containment during sanding, blasting... and then any run-off. Latter controlled even when they do things like power-washing hulls themselves, as during a haul-out for instance; restricted to being in a specific place in the work-yard and the catchment tanks under there.


-Chris

Pure pleasure said:

So been in the marina a little more than a month think I have seen every rule broken here staff at marine watching so I guess do what you want and ask for forgiveness when you get asked to stop

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Breaking rules doesn't get you in too much trouble until something goes wrong. Just keep in mind that with every rule you agreed to and then violate, you're assuming a tremendous amount of liability.

While I didn't get in too much trouble...and many of the recipients later thought I was an upstanding guy.....


The first year I had my boat I started sanding off the bottom paint....well I keep sanding and grinding for nearly 3 months due to severe blistering and hydrolysis.


No big deal till the first decent dew on the boats in October. The blue bottom paint turned about 25 boats all around me all different colors from brown to purple.


I spent a week washing and scrubbing boats...from a 55 footer to a bunch of 20 somethings. My arms still hurt 4 years later.


The manager was all pissed...but the owner just laughed every day as I headed out with bucket and brush. It was in the yard, not the docks so it really wasn't a restricted activity....but I didn't want hard feelings and as I posted...by the time I was done, most owners said their boatds were never so clean...several boats I did 2-3 times... the 3X winners were a 37 foot Egg harbor sportfish and the other a 41 Sea Ray OUCH!!!

Must be clear whether it's in a slip or in the yard...usually two different conditions / restrictions - at least in my case.

In the slip it's all about creating problems w/ neighbors

In the yard similar w/ neighboring boats but more importantly is EPA & State DEC reqm'ts - and topside vs bottom can be very different

Our YARD will allow DIY sanding & bottom painting provided...
Plastic / tarps cover ground - dust / drippings collected & disposed of at least daily & properly...
yard very sensitive to environmental issues and possibility of a Gov Inspector showing up = Fines$$$

Topside sanding & even spray painting allowed (w/ prior discussion & permissions) owner just wants to make sure you protect other boats adequately

I've done all of the above w/ little / no issues when ask ahead and understand the reqm'ts - owner has even provided waste shrink wrap for ground covers -
Sometimes it helps to keep communications open and establish trust vs do it and beg forgiveness