No Trash Disposal?

We pulled into a marina for fuel, water, and pump out. If I have a lot of trash, like after a week in the Georgia marshes, I ask for the dumpster so as not to fill up the dockside can. If the dock attendant says to just leave it and he'll take care of it - bigger tip.

This time, we were told that they wouldn't take any trash unless we were docking overnight. What? The attendant was as nice and as helpful as could be so I'm sure this is management policy.

I immediately scaled the fuel purchase way back to 30 gallons. I'll save that "reverse capacity" for a place that will take our trash.

I suggested that the attendant talk to his management. I told him that, if they had been willing to take our used oil (which I would have been expected to pay for), I would have filled the tanks. There is a big service facility right next door which has a tank. If they had taken our trash, I would have bought 100 gallons of fuel. Instead, I only bought 30 and will be trying another fuel dock the next time I pass through.

You showed them!


When you own a business, you get to make the rules. Maybe that policy will hurt them in the long run but probably not. Mostly, but not always, we arrange to fuel up at places where we spend the night so the trash disposal, water, etc. are never a problem.

Make a non-judging entry in ActiveCaptain.

-Chris

WesK said:

Mostly, but not always, we arrange to fuel up at places where we spend the night so the trash disposal, water, etc. are never a problem.

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We usually do the same on the rare times we spend a night at a dock. If we do need water, pump out, or trash disposal at a time we are not going to spend the night in a marina, I always buy some fuel even if we don't need it (as was the case this time) so I don't feel like a freeloader.

Dock probably got annoyed by sailboaters. Famous for coming in to dock, buying ten gal of diesel, dumping a load of trash, filling water tank and getting a pumpout. And someone goes to the bath house and grabs several rolls of toilet paper. Meanwhile a big sporty is waiting for fuel dock space and wants to buy 1000gal.

Dock does seem to be a bit knuckleheaded in OP's case. They should say something like if you buy 100gal of fuel, all the other stuff is free, if you don't buy 100gal, trash is five bucks. In some areas, the state prevents them from charging for pumpout. To keep things humorous, they could also say toilet paper lifted from the bath house is a buck a roll.

They could have handled it better, for sure.

Ski in NC said:

They could have handled it better, for sure.

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Agree completely. Free trash with minimum fuel purchase, otherwise a reasonable fee. That sort of policy seems perfectly reasonable to me. Nothing at all unless you stay overnight is just bad business sense.

Ski in NC said:

Dock probably got annoyed by sailboaters. Famous for coming in to dock, buying ten gal of diesel, dumping a load of trash, filling water tank and getting a pumpout. And someone goes to the bath house and grabs several rolls of toilet paper. Meanwhile a big sporty is waiting for fuel dock space and wants to buy 1000gal....

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As a sailor who is in the process of switching to power, I'll say I've never observed anything like this behavior. We have always waited our turn and paid for anything we used.
I have however seen (and read posts by) powerboaters who display attitude that I hope I never emulate!
People are people, there are good and bad in every group..,
Bruce

Roger,
You're talking like an old English lord.
Many marinas do'nt have an endless capacity for disposing of other people's garbage. When you're going away from home you're garbage is'nt other peoples responsibility. It's yours.

Nomad Willy said:

Roger,
You're talking like an old English lord.
Many marinas don't have an endless capacity for disposing of other people's garbage. When you're going away from home you're garbage isn't other peoples responsibility. It's yours.

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It is his responsibility, but marinas are there to service boaters, and this seems like a good service to offer, at some reasonable fee. Surely boaters will favor marinas that offer such services over ones that don't.

And I agree with Bruce that people are people in all walks of life. Some will abuse and try to take advantage. Most will behave reasonably.

Most of the on-water fuel docks in my area will not take garbage. Access to the dumpster is limited to those renting a slip (seasonal or transient). Many will take oil only if you've purchased oil. (Though I think that is the law). I've never tried to buy a quart and give them gallon(s). That would be unreasonable IMHO.

If marinas won't take our trash, we're pretty much left with no option other than to toss it overboard or dinghy it to shore and dump it in the woods or on the beach.


We count on marinas to dispose of our trash in return for being a customer.


I suspect in the OP's case, the marina owner has been taken advantage of enough times that it has become a problem and that's why he has this policy. As somebody else mentioned, sailboaters are famous for buying five gallons of fuel and then taking on 60 gallons of free water, having their holding tank pumped, dumping a couple weeks worth of trash and garbage and using the bathrooms. Adding insult to injury, they then spend the night anchored in front of the marina. I suppose powerboaters might do this as well but they probably buy a lot more fuel in the process.


It's not unknown for boaters (both kinds) to wait until the marina staff goes home, pull in, take a slip, hook up to electric power, take showers and fill their water tanks and then leave the next morning before the marina staff arrives for the day. I have actually witnessed this.


Operating a marina is not all profit from renting a hole in the water.


The marina is paying someone to haul trash away. I would suggest a minimum purchase for trash disposal or a fee for each bag but it's not my marina so I can't make that decision.

WesK said:

It's not unknown for boaters (both kinds) to wait until the marina staff goes home, pull in, take a slip, hook up to electric power, take showers and fill their water tanks and then leave the next morning before the marina staff arrives for the day. I have actually witnessed this.

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Indeed me two I saw this last summer when a boat came during the night to tie in an empty slip, spent the night there and left early morning.

WesK said:

...
As somebody else mentioned, sailboaters are famous for buying five gallons of fuel and then taking on 60 gallons of free water, having their holding tank pumped, dumping a couple weeks worth of trash and garbage and using the bathrooms. Adding insult to injury, they then spend the night anchored in front of the marina. I suppose powerboaters might do this as well but they probably buy a lot more fuel in the process.

...

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Please stop promulgating this perception of sailboaters. Have you observed this trend yourself? I sailed for 15 years and never saw this kind of behavior.

Of course sailboaters buy much less fuel than powerboaters. They use much less fuel.

Thank you

Richard

Cruising for 30 years and never ran into not being able to throw out a standard bag of garbage, then again we usually load up on diesel.... Then again never thought to ask, just throw it in the can...

On the upside, if that's your biggest problem, you are do'en GREAT!

Britannia said:

......... Have you observed this trend yourself?..........

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Yep. I call them as I see them.

I realize that there are jerks and honest people in both camps but basically the sailing crowd seems to figure that since the wind is free, everything else should be as well.

The way I look at it is that marinas provide "free" services to boaters based on the services that the boater buys.

I do not think it unreasonable that if you are just buying fuel (even 100 gallons) that they decline to accept a bunch of trash, used motor oil, etc...

By the same token if I pull up to the local gas station and fuel up my truck with 40 gallons I do not expect them to take a bunch of trash, or my used motor oil.

If you want to hire them to berth your boat for the night, then it is implied that you can dump your trash, fill the water, use the pump out facilities, etc...

The marina is also hoping (but not requiring) that if you spend the night you'll take a meal in ther restaurant, have a drink in the captains lounge, and or buy some supplies from their store.

You see, the overnight slip rental provides them with not only revenue from the slip, it provides revenue potential for other parts of the marina. Buying fuel alone provides none of that revenue potential. It is a one time buy and go transaction. I'm suspecting not all that profitable either, based on the competitveness of fuel pricing. Heck, I'm guessing (but could be wrong) that since you chose to go there they might be the cheap fuel place in the area. They might even have low priced fuel to attract folks to their marina, in the hope that they rent a slip etc...

WesK wrote;
"If marinas won't take our trash, we're pretty much left with no option other than to toss it overboard or dinghy it to shore and dump it in the woods or on the beach."

You sir are no citizen if you do that!
We have a 30' boat and could store our garbage for a week if needed. Throwing out your garbage willy nilly is not an option. Not even when I was a young man much less now. Everybody should dispose of their garbage responsibly.
Glad you're not from around here.

WesK said:

Yep. I call them as I see them.

I realize that there are jerks and honest people in both camps but basically the sailing crowd seems to figure that since the wind is free, everything else should be as well.

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I'm sorry that has been your experience. It has not been mine.

So, would you say that in general the powerboaters are more considerate than the sailboaters?

Richard

While I have only seen the "Everything should be free" attitude from sailers a couple of times, I often hear of it from Marina staff and owners. It only takes a few bad eggs as they say.

To the OP, please put a review in Active Captain. It has become very difficult for marinas to hide unfriendly behavior these days.

Arch

As I read this thread and some of the negative remarks made about sailors, I am reminded of some of the posts made by powerboaters on this forum who brag about how little fuel they use and other posts by powerboaters who won't use a watermaker because their boat holds 200 or 300 gallons of water...
Again, as demonstrated by some of the replies here there are good and bad people in every group.
Bruce

Nomad Willy said:

WesK wrote;
"If marinas won't take our trash, we're pretty much left with no option other than to toss it overboard or dinghy it to shore and dump it in the woods or on the beach."

You sir are no citizen if you do that!
We have a 30' boat and could store our garbage for a week if needed. Throwing out your garbage willy nilly is not an option. Not even when I was a young man much less now. Everybody should dispose of their garbage responsibly.
Glad you're not from around here.

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I did not say that I would do that, nor did I suggest that anyone would. Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions.

Britannia said:

.............So, would you say that in general the powerboaters are more considerate than the sailboaters?

Richard

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I could not say either way. We are all individuals. And of course, we all might be considered "considerate" in some situations and inconsiderate in others. There's a powerboater at my marina who lets his dog run lose whenever he is there. To me, that's inconsiderate.

Powerboaters are generally prepared to spend more money when boating than sailboaters. That's been my experience. We have met some really nice boaters at marinas in our travels. Sailboaters or powerboaters, it doesn't seem to matter.

ksanders said:

The way I look at it is that marinas provide "free" services to boaters based on the services that the boater buys.

I do not think it unreasonable that if you are just buying fuel (even 100 gallons) that they accept a bunch of trash, used motor oil, etc...

By the same token if I pull up to the local gas station and fuel up my truck with 40 gallons I do not expect them to take a bunch of trash, or my used motor oil.

If you want to hire them to berth your boat for the night, then it is implied that you can dump your trash, fill the water, use the pump out facilities, etc...

The marina is also hoping (but not requiring) that if you spend the night you'll take a meal in ther restaurant, have a drink in the captains lounge, and or buy some supplies from their store.

You see, the overnight slip rental provides them with not only revenue from the slip, it provides revenue potential for other parts of the marina. Buying fuel alone provides none of that revenue potential. It is a one time buy and go transaction. I'm suspecting not all that profitable either, based on the competitveness of fuel pricing. Heck, I'm guessing (but could be wrong) that since you chose to go there they might be the cheap fuel place in the area. They might even have low priced fuel to attract folks to their marina, in the hope that they rent a slip etc...

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That's it in a nutshell. Private (non government) marinas are businesses designed to make a profit. If they make a dollar selling you fuel and pay a dollar for the water you take and for someone to haul away your trash, they've wasted their time.

Marlinmike said:

Cruising for 30 years and never ran into not being able to throw out a standard bag of garbage, then again we usually load up on diesel.... Then again never thought to ask, just throw it in the can...
On the upside, if that's your biggest problem, you are do'en GREAT!

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I've not encountered this issue, but drawing on 50 years in aviation, I can tell you that a $5-er slipped to the lineboy will buy you a lot of service.

'prof

WesK wrote;
"I did not say that I would do that, nor did I suggest that anyone would. Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions."

You had to think that to say that.
You are what you are.
It's hard to imagine anyone dumping their garbage on a beach.
Most would not think to speak of it.
Much less printing it for thousands to read.

Nomad Willy said:

WesK wrote;
"I did not say that I would do that, nor did I suggest that anyone would. Don't be so quick to jump to conclusions."

You had to think that to say that.
You are what you are.
It's hard to imagine anyone dumping their garbage on a beach.
Most would not think to speak of it.
Much less printing it for thousands to read.

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Whatever, dude. Think what you want.

Say it, say it not, write it, write it not, but it is a very sad reality that a whole lot bunch of idiots are throwing their trash where they cannot be seen... not seen not bad as they should think with their single neuron. And this is not particular to land base people or boater, cyclist or who ever you can think of. Stupidity is just part of human being. This is why we can see all these trash along the roads, or in forest, floating on the water or just left on the beach after a busy day. This is why you can see somebody emptying his ashtray on a parking lot, throwing his gum on the pavement and all these kind of little "normal" things of the everyday life. Reality is that boater, motorized or not, are like any other human being, some are just careless idiots, some are not.

So I'm reading about Cabbage Key Marina in southwest Florida and it says "No trash disposal." Well, it's on an island so any trash you might leave there would have to be transported to a land based facility. Come to think of it, we were at Smith Island Marina in the Chesapeake Bay and they didn't have trash cans either. Same situation, disposal is costly.

WesK said:

If marinas won't take our trash, we're pretty much left with no option other than to toss it overboard or dinghy it to shore and dump it in the woods or on the beach.

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I'm astounded at this comment. You can always bring your trash home with you.

Entitlement....It's a national trend...:-(