Dockwa???

To those that have used Dockwa to book a transient slip...

Now there is truly an app for everything.

Voted indifferent. Used once. Worked fine. No issues.

While I see value in something like this, I have a few reservations with the concept.

• I fear that it may morph into the hotel model that will have reservation companies snap up all the free space, and whether or not they actually have space or not, they will show as full. Then, a space you could have occupied stays empty over night.
• Will marinas eventually require you to book online like the rental car model has become.
• I suspect the cancellation policies could have you paying when you, for many reasons, may not be able to make it there.
• The reservation confirmation is dependent on the marina replying to your request. Based on some of the yahoos I have seen working at some of the marinas we have visited, I don't see this being as reliable as it should be. But without being as insulting that, many marinas just employ one or two people that, while during high season, stay out on the dock nearly all day.

Sure, they probably vet the marinas to a certain extent, but lots of marinas will probably sign up just for the exposure and to get into the "racket" of collecting money for canceled reservations. Certainl I sound bitter about the whole process and that may be the case. My hope is that apps and the people that use them, never interfere with the old fashioned phone call and personal relationships you can have with marina personnel.

I don't mind calling Marina's but often it takes a long time to reach someone during the busy season. I'd much prefer to be able to check an app and see of there were slips available. Many times I am trying to find a spot for that night. Marina staff are super busy and many are small time operations with one person handling everything.

So, I'd love it if it worked well but have reservations that it would work well.

In the last 2 years I've used it about 10 times and it has worked great for me.

dhays said:

I don't mind calling Marina's but often it takes a long time to reach someone during the busy season. I'd much prefer to be able to check an app and see of there were slips available. Many times I am trying to find a spot for that night. Marina staff are super busy and many are small time operations with one person handling everything.

So, I'd love it if it worked well but have reservations that it would work well.

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I am curious how the app will know about availability without real-time feedback from the staff? If they are super busy or understaffed, how could the app data possibly be accurate?

Tom.B said:

I am curious how the app will know about availability without real-time feedback from the staff? If they are super busy or understaffed, how could the app data possibly be accurate?

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Yup, hence my skepticism about how it works. It would depend on a linked computer booking program.

One problem of course is that the number of participating Marina's is pretty low, only 7 in WA.

dhays said:

One problem of course is that the number of participating Marina's is pretty low, only 7 in WA.

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I looked at Poulsbo’s website and they offer online booking using Dockwa and also welcome your phone calls. The price is the same for either, so apparently the marina is paying for Dockwa’s operational costs, including two offices in Newport, RI and Cambridge, MA. Personally, I prefer to keep the money with the local businesses and will make reservations by phone or VHF as long at it remains an option.

And Poulsbo is a good example of a well staffed, friendly, and seemingly well-run marina. Easy to talk to. Poulsbo has a $5 reservation fee. Same if you book with Dockwa?

It would be nice if you had a map of the marina showing vacancies so you could choose say Slip B4 for a week. Or maybe the only available slip is a half mile away from the showers and want to go somewhere more convenient. But that’s not how it works.
Currently waiting for a “confirmation “ of an unknown slip somewhere in the marina 7 hours now. Why worry.

Looks as if Dockwa sells marina management software as well, so I bet marinas use their package to manage ‘inventory availability’ there which keeps the public reservations site up to date. Just guessing.

There is a competing company whose name escapes me at the moment.

I once called a marina and reserved a slip. When I got there I found that they had run it through Dockwa. No different for me.

I would rather call a marina on the phone and talk to a person who can look out the window and see the vacant slips. Also a person who will ask about my boat and pick a slip suited to my boat.

I made a reservation at one marina who seemed to put everything on Dockwa software even though multiple contacts were made by phone..I was impressed with what tbey emailed back in terms of info and chartlets of all kinds.

The other is Snag a Slip.

I have heard that Town owned marinas seem to like the cash control that this company offers.

Wouldn't work in Alaska as the slip you are in is a Hot spot, meaning they put you in a commercial fish slip and makes you move when he/she comes back.