$20 to dock your dinghy for dinner.

[backinblue]

Not to argue with any points made, they are all valid in specific situations. There is a point to consider though. Even if a marina and a restaurant have no formal affilliation, they both benefit from each other indirectly. Boaters frequent the marina because there is a good restaurant there. The restaurant gets more business both from land and boaters, because of it's location on the water. I think it benefits both businesses in the long run by encouraging boaters to visit.

Near me there is a new state of the art private marina and restaurant. Many 10's of millions invested. The restaurant is on the marina property and I have to believe are owned by the same company. Both the marina and restaurant are rather upscale. The marina is mostly empty because it's new and part of a stretch of waterfront still being developed. When they first opened, boaters were able to tie up for free. Then 1 day they started charging $1/ft for a lunch tie-up (boat not dinghy). That's when I stopped going there. The restaurant is already expensive, this just felt like greed. Even the dockhands were apologetic. Seems short-sighted because they need to draw boaters to these properties and show how nice they are. I guess investors needed some quick return.

 

[slowgoesit]

The restaurant is already expensive, this just felt like greed. Even the dockhands were apologetic. Seems short-sighted because they need to draw boaters to these properties and show how nice they are. I guess investors needed some quick return.

It's just funny that many of the times I've run into a similar situation, be it taxes, increased fees, etc, the people doing the cost analysis most always use the current numbers for patronage and multiple it by the increased fees/costs, thereby arriving at an "increased profit" number . . . . and never seem to realize or take into account that if they raise the cost of patronage, often the number of people actually PATRONIZING that establishment, or program goes down . . . often to the point that the net revenue realized after the increases is less than the revenue realized BEFORE the cost/fees increase . . . It's also possible that realized exactly what were doing, but had already received marching orders for what they analysis needed to discover, even before they started the analysis . . . .

 

[OldDan1943]

By 'adjusting' the cost upward, the users will decrease with the intent to improve the less crowded dining experience?
Seems 'those who make the decisions' have forgotten the concept of 'disposable income'.
Raise the prices to 'shake out' those with limited income but ignore those who are fed up.
My weekly grocery bill has gone up close to $50 in the last 6 weeks.
Guess I will have to start eating more potatoes and rice and beans.

 

[catalinajack]

It's just funny that many of the times I've run into a similar situation, be it taxes, increased fees, etc, the people doing the cost analysis most always use the current numbers for patronage and multiple it by the increased fees/costs, thereby arriving at an "increased profit" number . . . . and never seem to realize or take into account that if they raise the cost of patronage, often the number of people actually PATRONIZING that establishment, or program goes down . . . often to the point that the net revenue realized after the increases is less than the revenue realized BEFORE the cost/fees increase . . . It's also possible that realized exactly what were doing, but had already received marching orders for what they analysis needed to discover, even before they started the analysis . . . .

Basic principles of Microeconomics 101. Taken to an extreme, if GM were to double the price of their vehicles wouldn't they double their revenue? Or, would their revenue decrease to near zero cuz the sell nothing. Increasing prices dramatically works to increase revenue only when demand is inelastic. Examples of inelastic demand are food and gasoline, to a point. For example, I was at the meat counter yesterday. I gasped at the price of ribeye steak. I moved on to the pork section. When gas prices get "too high" consumers cut back on discretionary driving so both food and gas demand is not wholly inelastic.

 

[Seevee]

Basic principles of Microeconomics 101. Taken to an extreme, if GM were to double the price of their vehicles wouldn't they double their revenue? Or, would their revenue decrease to near zero cuz the sell nothing. Increasing prices dramatically works to increase revenue only when demand is inelastic. Examples of inelastic demand are food and gasoline, to a point. For example, I was at the meat counter yesterday. I gasped at the price of ribeye steak. I moved on to the pork section. When gas prices get "too high" consumers cut back on discretionary driving so both food and gas demand is not wholly inelastic.

Catalina,


Good point. And we can decide what we want and what benefit. Most of us can adjust to buy what's cost effective and not buy the expensive steak. However, if one HAS to have the steak and the value of the steak experience is more than the price, they buy.



And the price of gas will affect the folks that travel.... RVers and yep, boaters.... especially the snowbirds that make the 1000 mile trip twice a year, plus local stuff.



We still have some voting power with our dollar .... to a point. As for Ted's experience, I'd pass on $20 dinghy parking also, unless the restaurant was an "absolutely must go to".

 

[Tom.B]

It seems to be lost on some of you that the marina closes at 5p and the restaurant does not open until 5p… so unless you must be there at 5p and dinghy up at 430p, there is no way to charge for docking your dinghy there. And not the the restaurant cares on way or another, they don’t own or control the dockage one iota.

 

[SteveK]

It seems to be lost on some of you that the marina closes at 5p and the restaurant does not open until 5p… so unless you must be there at 5p and dinghy up at 430p, there is no way to charge for docking your dinghy there. And not the the restaurant cares on way or another, they don’t own or control the dockage one iota.

Yep, I think was mentioned before. Unless there is an honor box to drop $20 into I guess no one pays after 5pm arrival.

Fact remains, said marina charges more per foot for a few hours than for an overnight stay.

 

[backinblue]

There are always options. There is a lot of unnecessary driving that people will stop doing if gas gets too expensive. Or find options like mass transit, car pooling etc. Same with food. Unless there is a must-have for rib-eye, there are cheaper food options that people will turn to when the cost really begins to be a painful impact. Boating for most of us is a luxury not a necessity. Marinas generally raise thier prices annually and still stay full, so you can't blame them. When marinas are less than full because it becomes too expensive for the general boating population then they will stop raising prices. Why do you think Safe Harbor is buying up marinas? They know boaters will pay whatever they charge until it hits a breaking point. Doesn't feel like we are there yet, so you can't blame them. Limited supply, big demand, prices rise to meet that.

 

[Benthic2]

Basic principles of Microeconomics 101. .....Increasing prices dramatically works to increase revenue only when demand is inelastic....

....or when supply is constrained

 

[BandB]

There's the crossroads we all often face and it's principle vs money vs giving in vs. stubbornness.

We all have our points of choosing. I recall Charles Barkley who lost over $30 million gambling in his life and he dropped a quarter in a urinal. Then he dropped a $20 there and picked both us. He said he wasn't going to fish a quarter out but would a $20. Sorry, public urinal, I'm not grabbing the $20 either.

We each decide what to refuse to do as a matter of principle. I'm not so principled in this situation that the $20 would deter me. On the other hand, if I found the restaurant not great, then I'd refuse it and do something else. If I loved the restaurant though I'd still pay it. I respect those who say it's just too much and refuse. Just I'd more focused on my meal.

On the other hand, there's one nationwide chain store I will not go to because of a human resource policy they have that impacts their employees. As a shopper doesn't impact me, but I just can't do it. Understand I shop many stores whose owner's beliefs I don't share. It's just the impact on employees.

Give me the wrong change and I won't leave until corrected. Doesn't matter if it's a dollar or 25 cents. Now, give me too much and I'm the same way, although once had a store manager refuse to admit I was given $10 too much and finally after a few minutes I gave up and kept it and left.

As to boycotting Safe Harbor or Suntex or other chains of Marinas, I'm not going to do so as if they have the best marina choice where I'm going, I'm not going to punish myself.

As to this situation, I fully respect any who choose not to use the dinghy dock over the fee. However, I'm not going to get outraged over a marina charging for the use of it's dock now boycott the entire group. Had I been advising the previous marina owners, it never would have been free. Would it be $20 now, I don't know without more facts that none of us have access to.

 

[Group9]

Every bad decision by a restaurant can lose customers. One of our boating friends refuses to ever go back to one of our favorite places because they refused to give the two for one margaritas that night, that was on the chalkboard when we came in (but, got erased afterwards). We shrugged it off as a funny thing (it felt like being in a sitcom episode to us) and laughed about it. He vowed to never return, and hasn’t as far as I know.