Economic impact of transient boaters

Thirty years ago a study was done in a harbor town a distance from Chicago. The intent was to show the economic benefit of the Chicagoans for the local community and reduce the resentment the locals had towards these Chicagoans.

The study was not publicized when it was determined that the amount the Chicagoans were spending on the weekends exceeded the average income of the town. Figured it would just increase the resentment.

Prince Rupert finally upgraded their transient facilities! Business is booming so say the harbor managers. All this from years of bitching by those of us headed to and from Alaska. Lest I forget, Port McNeil is a great stop. All you'll need is within a block or two of the well run public Marina manned seven days per week.

For us, convenient grocery shopping is on the list. Currently in Nanaimo, close by shopping and eateries galore. And what a great walkway along the waterfront.

Port Townsend chose to convert its Point Hudson facility to all transient moorage a few years ago, it has become a positive for the local economy and it's full most times in the boating high season. The local business all welcome the tourist dollars and it has provided a easy stop on the way to points north. It may be rare but we have a port that turns a profit and provides jobs.
Hollywood

Philadelphia is one city that never got it together for transients. If the town planners ever visited the Baltimore Inner Harbor it would attract many to turn north up from the C&D that now just skip it.
Penns Landing cost millions to rehab in the seventies and still sits 95% vacant.

High Wire said:

Philadelphia is one city that never got it together for transients. If the town planners ever visited the Baltimore Inner Harbor it would attract many to turn north up from the C&D that now just skip it.
Penns Landing cost millions to rehab in the seventies and still sits 95% vacant.

Click to expand...

Baltimore's Inner Harbor is doing very well. Norfolk, VA had a "Waterside" which was in sad shape two years ago and is now being torn down. Jacksonville Landing (FL) is not much better.

I'm not sure why some of these work and some do not.

WesK said:

I'm not sure why some of these work and some do not.

Click to expand...

It's because they miss something critical that transients need that would change an overnight (maybe) stop into a week-long stop. They also lack the ability to get exposure for what they're doing.

Jacksonville Landing is the perfect example. They provided a great venue to bring boaters up. But the long trip past the ICW and the lack of things to keep a boater there meant that it wasn't used. Fifty miles for a free dock and Chicago Pizza just isn't good enough.

Ortega Landing Marina came to us for help - they were severely empty because of the 50 mile issue as well. When the manager called to discuss some ideas, they had 4 boats in slips (there are 190 slips). We helped them with positioning and took advantage of the Jacksonville Landing draw a couple of miles away. Four months later, they were 80% full (4-5 years ago). Today, it's quite full all the time with boaters staying a week to a month or more. It's the perfect stop to or from a cruise down the St Johns River. Often, boaters spend one night at Jacksonville Landing on the way in or out of the area too - but they pay for a week or more at Ortega Landing. Ortega now has 119 reviews and averages 5 stars. That alone now drives boaters to the area (along with Huckins, Lambs, and the Sadler Point yards). In general, some type of spark is needed. There are numerous examples.

"Build it and they will come" never works. It takes a little more creativity to pull it off.

sunchaser said:

Prince Rupert finally upgraded their transient facilities! Business is booming so say the harbor managers. All this from years of bitching by those of us headed to and from Alaska. Lest I forget, Port McNeil is a great stop. All you'll need is within a block or two of the well run public Marina manned seven days per week.



For us, convenient grocery shopping is on the list. Currently in Nanaimo, close by shopping and eateries galore. And what a great walkway along the waterfront.

Click to expand...

Rupert and McNeil are good examples of the effects of transient boaters on the local economy, but in the case of Shearwater the entire economy is driven by transient boaters and one family owns the entire setup. 100' foot yachts tie up there for weeks at a time. But the real gem is Ocean Falls, IMNHO.


Jim
Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

Well Jeff, on the basis of Ortega any chance to help out Mark and the Vallejo Delta syndrome.

Transient boaters are few and far between here in Kitimat.

Most people stick to the Inside Passage and don't bother with the 120 mile round trip up & down Douglas Channel, or 240 miles if you go see the Kitlope at the end of Gardner Canal as well. Strike one.

When Alcan built Kitimat for their aluminum smelter back in the 1950's they were given huge tracts of land and chose to build the town site 5 Kilometres inland, keeping all the land close to the water for themselves. There is no regular public transit to town. Strike two.

Then there's the marina facilities...

There are only two marinas left; MK Bay, and a minimally serviced one tucked up in Minette Bay which has a sketchy entrance that dries at lower tides. MK Bay was poorly managed by the regional district for decades, and the new owners are fixing things up slowly. Services are basic and our breakwaters keep breaking (strike three) just ask CrustyChief.

I'm not complaining though, because I like boating in uncongested waters

sunchaser said:

Well Jeff, on the basis of Ortega any chance to help out Mark and the Vallejo Delta syndrome.

Click to expand...

You are not going to overcome geography.
In the Delta proper there are many many places that are very transient appropriate and transient friendly.

WesK said:

Baltimore's Inner Harbor is doing very well. Norfolk, VA had a "Waterside" which was in sad shape two years ago and is now being torn down.

I'm not sure why some of these work and some do not.

Click to expand...

Having been to those two, I have opinions as to why one works and one doesn't.

Baltimore's Inner Harbor is part of an incredible redeveloped area with a lot of attractions. It houses thousands of local boaters and doesn't depend on just transients. It's part of a Riverfront area that attracts land and water visitors. There was real commitment. The city went all in. There have been others similar. Chattanooga, much smaller, inland river, studied Baltimore and Boston and others. Their riverfront area is beautiful but not dependent on transients. Does have river cruises for visitors. Incredible aquarium. Then annually they have their Riverfest, which is one of the most remarkable 9 day festivals of any city.

Contrast with Waterside. Far from heavy population, not a place for locals and couldn't pull them. Proof that you can't survive if your appeal is just to visitors unless you've got far more to attract people than they did. If you were in the area, why travel out there to eat? There was nothing there except Waterside. Not surrounded by entertainment and activity. Sort of Lone Wolf syndrome.

Building something great on the water requires a city or town to be "all-in". Baltimore went all in and there is so much activity in that area. By comparison, Waterside reminded me more of movie sets where you have these beautiful building fronts but nothing behind them. I think it was a shame as Waterside could have been nice, but had very unrealistic expectations. There was nothing to pull people from the population areas or visitors from the beaches. We docked at Waterside. Nice. And we had it all to ourselves.

Someone else mentioned Philadelphia. I don't hear of anyone cruising there. We do plan to do so sometime. You almost wouldn't know Philadelphia was accessible by water. To my knowledge, they've never focused on it. I know they have a development organization and Penn's Landing but when you think of boating communities, they never come to mind. It appears either locals are not into boating or do it elsewhere. Now, in reality, given it's population, New York City hasn't done much in the area of boating. However, New York is a city tourists flock to and Philadelphia just doesn't have that pull.

sunchaser said:

Well Jeff, on the basis of Ortega any chance to help out Mark and the Vallejo Delta syndrome.

Click to expand...

Give me more specifics about where that is and what the problems are.

Mark

The ball is your court to fill Jeff in on issues you raised.