Marina features

Hello all, I have a question that I am sure will have many different answers depending on location and type of boating you do. What would you consider the best, most convenient, likable feature of your present or past Marina?

STOWAWAY said:

Hello all, I have a question that I am sure will have many different answers depending on location and type of boating you do. What would you consider the best, most convenient, likable feature of your present or past Marina?

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Location

Friendly, engaged, knowledgeable Dockmaster. Air conditioned restroom and shower facilities.

In slip pumpout!

Bathhouse, reliable power and friendly staff.

Port Annapolis has set the bar high with that toasty bathhouse. A bigger deal for me with a Camano 31 versus someone with big holding tanks and a separate shower. I suppose I would leave though if the staff was rude and/or the power unreliable.

Covered moorage, 50A power, pump out and fuel dock 100 yards from my slip, no lengthy no-wake zone, and it's only 15 minutes from home.

Relative isolation.

STOWAWAY said:

Hello all, I have a question that I am sure will have many different answers depending on location and type of boating you do. What would you consider the best, most convenient, likable feature of your present or past Marina?

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Location to get out to a main channel or open waters

Protection from storms, wind

Reliable electric

Sturdy well-maintained floating docks

Dredged

Cellular signal or good WiFi

Added bonus is on-premises fuel that is cheap

Wi fi ?

Positives of my marina.

Lots of parking
Big concrete docks
30a 125v and 50a 125/250v power
Cable/Highspeed WiFi extra charge but available
Wide slips
Water at each slip
Pump out comes to your boat, extra charge, go to it for free
West Marine close by
Location, no locks to transit

Negatives

No covered slips
No restaurant
Government owned, not service oriented
Location, high demand, high prices, long wait list.

Are we talking about for a permanent slip/home for the boat, or are we talking about transient marine features when visiting places? For me at least, the features are different.

The best feature you have seen or have at present

for me, its my boathouse. Makes life way easier in all sorts of ways.

The best feature of my dockage is it is 75’ behind my house. In a commercial marina the best feature may be a great dockmaster that sets the tone for the entire marina and staff.

Beautiful marina, well-kept, secure, nice clean restrooms/showers, two restaurants, great staff (marina office is open until 11:00 pm every day), on the salt water (no Locks)....

For my home marina:

Roving night watchman for security
Boat basin or barrier island (no currents or wave action)
Floating concrete docks
Full length finger pier on at least one side of the slip
At least 2 pilings with line hooks, between boats
Ample large dock cleats
At least 6' of water everywhere in the marina at storm low water
50 amp 220 / 240 volt power.
Good municipal water with 60 + PSI of pressure.
In slip pump out
Ample parking close to the dock
Ample supply of good quality, in good repair, dock carts
At least at night, a gated entrance by car to the entire marina and parking lot
Well lighted parking lot, sidewalks, docks and dock ramps
Modern heated / air conditioned bathroom / shower facilities, cleaned daily
Helpful friendly staff
Less than an hour from home
Short distance to the open water
Good cellular service

Ted

Professionalism.

That encompasses the vast majority of things I desire. It's trained dock hands and knowledgeable dockmaster. Practicing good safety habits so no hoses or lines or cords spread out to trip over, no blocked walkways. It includes security. It includes fast fuel pumps, convenient, and good pump out, always working and at your slip. Electricity, water, and WIFI work as they should. Things are clean and orderly. Trash isn't overflowing.

Our goal is to be at the dock as little as possible. However everyone has their own preference and lifestyle.

Pros: Quiet, no 24hr party. Good onsite mechanic at a reasonable price (he and helper are year round so I just drop off a list of items when the boat is pulled and he bangs them out in the off season). We can do our own work such as sanding and painting. Can to also bring in outside help if desired. Reasonable price. Friendly dock mates. Calm as we are at end of channel. Does not nickle and dime us.

Cons: Long cruise (15min) cruise to the entrance to the bay. Small bathroom. Old docks. No paved parking so lot is dusty.

Note we checked out one marina with amenities, it was a complete zoo. Every picnic table and grill had a waiting line, nightclub music blaring until 11. Trash was overflowing. Longggg docks. Not for me

Friendly staff
Trash disposal facility
Heated and cooled bathhouses
Nice laundry facilities
waste pump out
convenient fresh water spigots
nice shore power stations
I prefer floating docks on piles with solid decking. It never fails. I drop something on the dock and it does right between the boards.

Behind my house.

We have only been transients in Marinas. I never really though about it, but I have never had a long-term slip in a marina. We have either been transient, or on a permanent mooring. But transient stays have been for as long as a month or two. With that context, and in no particular priority order:


1) Facilities in good repair. This includes docks, power, ramps, etc.


2) Location in close proximity to restaurants, grocery store, hardware store, and marine supply store.


3) Wifi that actually works.


We are pretty self sufficient, so bathroom and laundry facilities don't matter.


If we are staying for a short time, say a week or less, then if the marina doesn't have a good location with respect to shore services (2), and good wifi (3), then I pretty much have no use for the place.


And I'll take the opportunity to comment on how useless the wifi is in nearly all marinas. I think marinas should be ashamed of themselves. It's akin to advertising bathrooms with cold showers and a toilet that's a seat open to the ocean below.

Free WiFi at hotels used to be a joke. Now I get great WiFi at all my hotel stays. Free WiFi at marina’s in the PNW is still a joke. The outstations for our yacht club used to be hit or miss depending on the number of boats. Recently we did an upgrade and now it is very good. Which is amazing since we have 9 outstations in two different countries and 6 of them are on islands.

I've had my boat at several marinas in the Puget Sound area for the winter. The current one (Salmon Bay Marine Center) is the best by far. Fresh water, excellent modern docks, less than a minute walk from car to boat (and golf carts available if hauling heavy stuff), webcams to keep an eye on the boat, excellent management who look after the boats, great service providers on site, all the electrical power one could need, gigabit (wired) internet to every boat. No showers, no laundry, no fuel, but that's fine. There's an excellent chandlery a block away and expertise in just about anything to do with boats within a mile.

When traveling, I'm more focused on how efficiently the marina enables me to get chores done. Close proximity to groceries is usually the most important thing.

I gave up on wifi in marinas. Have an unlimited data cellular plan.

Ted

After reading a few more replies to the thread, I feel I need to add more. I was focused specifically on the marina itself, not the area around. I agree it would be nice to have a supermarket close by and a P.O. Maybe even a UPS or FedEx store. An office supply store may be a good thing to have incase fax or copies are needed.

ben2go said:

After reading a few more replies to the thread, I feel I need to add more. I was focused specifically on the marina itself, not the area around. I agree it would be nice to have a supermarket close by and a P.O. Maybe even a UPS or FedEx store. An office supply store may be a good thing to have incase fax or copies are needed.

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Wifey B: In some ways it's easier to think of what makes a bad marina. It's all the "un" and "in" words.

Un safe
Un pleasant
Un clean
In competent
In convenient

BandB said:

Wifey B: In some ways it's easier to think of what makes a bad marina. It's all the "un" and "in" words.

Un safe
Un pleasant
Un clean
In competent
In convenient

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I could argue that the things you can't provide for yourself are the most important things, like:

Other than what BandB says (which we should expect)

Fresh food.
Liquor
A great jacuzzi and pool


If they receive packages and mail you can get:
Supplies
Parts
Food that's not perishable.

And you can do a LOT on the internet.... banking, games, entertainment, etc.
If you need copies, scans, faxes you can do you own SO easy. Printers are dirt cheap and they will scan, and fax services are dirt cheap and never leave the boat. (I prefer email instead of fax, but there some jerks like banks, etc that only do fax, but rarely need).
And, like Ted, just have one's own wifi solution makes sense as I wouldn't count on the marinas.
Also, for local transportation a bike or electric bike solves a lot of the issues. And if you want to haul some stuff and it's reasonably close you can make two trips with a bike faster than you can get an Uber.

Free wifi?.. aircon bathrooms?...close dumpsters?....


Oh come on guys.. go big!


How about a marina in a resort that has a pool frequented by bikini models!


HOLLYWOOD

I prefer solitude and being away from the young singles and partiers.



Get off my water ya damn kids!