I was researching on Active Captain for next year's cruise. Just off the Hudson River (New York State) is a marina that lists showers at $1.00 for 5 minutes. This is the first time I've seen a marina charge separately for showers. Is this unusual? Do other marinas (in the USA) do this?
Shower - $1.00 for 5 minutes
- Thread starter rwidman
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I might accept it if this was on a remote island where water was scarce but this is in a populated city in the good ole USA. It's even a city marina!
Kingston City Marina, Kingston, NY. Other nearby marinas don't seem to charge separately for use of the showers although a few don't mention even having showers at all.
The thought of them charging for showers when most other marinas don't just turns me off to that marina.
Kingston City Marina, Kingston, NY. Other nearby marinas don't seem to charge separately for use of the showers although a few don't mention even having showers at all.
The thought of them charging for showers when most other marinas don't just turns me off to that marina.
ksanders
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I still do not see why anybody that has a boat with a shower and a head, would ever even think of using public facilities.
Even our smallest cruiser, smaller than most any boat here on TF had a working head and a shower. Yes the shower was a pull out from the sink, but it was FAR better than going to the harbor showers.
Why marinas even provide shower services is beyond me. Public restrooms I understand, but not shower facilities.
Even our smallest cruiser, smaller than most any boat here on TF had a working head and a shower. Yes the shower was a pull out from the sink, but it was FAR better than going to the harbor showers.
Why marinas even provide shower services is beyond me. Public restrooms I understand, but not shower facilities.
AlaskaProf
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Universally true in the PNW. The marina where we are in Ganges BC gives 3 minutes for one "loonie".
I'm perfectly happy with my shipboard shower; my wife and daughter prefer a more...ahem...spacious experience.
AlaskaProf
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When I was cruising in a 23 foot sailboat, it was a welcome amenity.
In one small BC town I'm familiar with there was a waterfront b&b that offered a sailors' special: a shower, scone and tea for $5.
psneeld
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Travel far enough and nothing is new or shocking.
Like boat expenses, marina costs, outside labor, rules and regs, etc...etc...
You just have to expect the unexpected...that is the bottom line of a thing called experience or wisdom.
Plan ahead to the max, not the expected...and you wont be disappointed.
Like boat expenses, marina costs, outside labor, rules and regs, etc...etc...
You just have to expect the unexpected...that is the bottom line of a thing called experience or wisdom.
Plan ahead to the max, not the expected...and you wont be disappointed.
Roamer Blue
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Hmmm... truck stop showers all cost, or get thrown in as a perk for fueling.
Last I remember, $6 for as long as you wanted?
Local problem with the homeless wandering in and using the facility?
RB
Last I remember, $6 for as long as you wanted?
Local problem with the homeless wandering in and using the facility?
RB
Wifey B: I really don't see a problem, thinking it might help control who uses and keep them cleaner. We don't use public showers, but if we did, guess we'd average about $4. A lot of times $3 would do it but sometimes would take $5 or $6 or until the hot water ran out. 
boomerang
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Every year since the mid 80's 'til about '08 I would travel south from the Chesapeake to Delray Beach & we would frequently use the marina showers. It's just easier to use the marina facilities and not have to clean the showers onboard. Some showers were better than others and some were kind of rough but we never came down with any illness from using the marina heads ,as far as I know. After burning 900 gallons of fuel a day I don't think $1 for 5 minutes of convenience is too awfully outrageous.
Perhaps stay at Roundout Yacht basin (RYB) about 300 yards away across the inlet and use the pool ,showers, breakfast bar, pump out and get fuel as well. You can either dinghy over to the town dock or walk across the 'small' bridge to get to town (just about a mile). We have stayed at RYB often and wintered there a number of years as well - they have a larger travel lift and boat ramp on site.
Egregious
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Haha when you're 6'6" and your shower is built for a small Taiwanese child, you might consider a marina shower a luxury. I shower more with the anchor wash down hose than I do in our actual shower.
Wifey B: We docked at Rondout (it's not round
but only for one night, when we went through. That is my thought. I haven't compared the dockage rates or other amenities except for the pool but as I posted, being charged to take a shower makes me want to go elsewhere.
900 gallons a day? Does your boat have U.S.S. before it's name?:lol:
Wifey B: You'd really choose a different marina over the $1 per 5 minutes shower?
Even if the other charges were less there? 
There was an entire thread on this and I think you posted your opinion and I posted my reasons.
1) Most of our boats have limited water and in particular, limited hot water. Most marinas have virtually unlimited hot water. This means taking a long, luxurious shower as opposed to getting wet, turning off the water. lathering up and then a quick rinse.
2) Using the marina shower, there's no need to clean and dry the shower, someone else does it.
There have been times when we have showered on the boat or not at all because of a dirty marina shower but that has been rare in our experience.
You mention "public facilities", I assume that includes toilets. When I poop in a marina toilet, I push the handle and the poop disappears, never to be seen or heard from again. When I poop on my boat, it goes into a holding tank and I have to search out and pay for a pumpout facility. I hate to have to plan my cruising around saved up poop.
BruceK
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It`s to stop people taking 15-20 minute showers,and recoup some heating cost. Shower on your boat(their water & their electricity). I swim for exercise at the local Olympic pool, some people take v e r y l o n g showers I bet they don`t take at home.
Wifey B: You'd really choose a different marina over the $1 per 5 minutes shower?
The cost for the hot water and maintenance is in the price somewhere. It's more a matter of principle and gives me a negative feeling about the marina that charges extra for things that other marinas include in their dockage rate.
Many marinas have luxurious shower facilities built into the regular dockage rate. For that matter, we've been to some marinas that supply soap, shampoo and clean towels at no extra charge.
It may be or there may be another reason. In my experience on the USA east coast, this is the first marina I've seen that charges for showers.
Some marinas supply free coffee. Some go as far as to supply free donuts or a gift basket with a bottle of wine. Some supply free loaner vehicles so you can resupply or go for meals. I'm not so naïve to think these things are free, when I pay for dockage, I am covering the cost, but these are things that make customers feel good and want to come back. Charging separately for a shower has the opposite effect.
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Here is my guess on the town marina which we also have stayed at - they need to charge so they can 'control' the folks entering the facilities and tis gives them a way to do that. Kingston waterfront is pretty much renovated and very nice but if you visited there 15 years back it was very rough. They still have some per cent of folks that show up on the waterfront that will not or can not respect property and so they have a full time dockmaster and a number of LEO's that are around. I will guess that they use the fee's to control the facility so its nit trashed within 20 minutes of last use.
With that said the fees to stay at the twin dock and at RYB were always about the same - last we were there was 1-1/2 years back and they were both at $2 foot. We would almost always stay a full week at RYB and would end up with a cost of about $9 a foot for a week. When up there we did many different activities in the area so a week was just about right. Unfortunately we learned the owner of RYB passed away a bit young last year but I know folks 'took' over quickly and kept the marina running well last we checked a few months ago. The previous owner (Jim) was a great guy who will be missed as he renovated RYB and also the marina named "hop-O-nos" in Catskill -a nice guy who did great work and was always fair to all he dealt with.
Anyway - RYB is mostly quiet at night but the town is not too far away by dinghy, walk or taxi. The town dock is near a much louder and active area but lacks privacy and is right in the town.
It is also easy to rent a very economical car up there and visit all kinds of places and activities while in that area.
None of these marinas are like the big time marinas near NY or Long Island when it comes to glitz and highest class amenities they are all pretty laid back, simple and about 1/3rd the price.
Where is your home port? Have you been up the Hudson before by boat?
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Pay Showers (or any shower) were a godsend back in the day we used to boat-camp in our 19' Glasply. After camping at one of the many San Juan Island State Parks, most without showers, we'd stop at Rosario or Roche and get cleaned up.
