Marinas ...Boat sizes
- Thread starter gfr51
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My experience has been that for a lot of the boats that I have looked at, it can be somewhat difficult to find what the true LOA is for the boat.
With some of the older boats, it seems the manufacturer's LOA may or may not have included the bow pulpit, or the swim platform.
Interestingly, a lot of Yachtworld ads that I have looked at have incorrect LOAs and sometimes even incorrect beam widths. One would think that a broker would strive to make sure these are correct!
Jim
dhays
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Many of the marinas I’ve been to in the PNW have transient dock space (not slips) that have paint marks every 5 feet along the dock. It makes it really easy for the dockmaster to eyeball if that 36’ boat really is taking up 45’ of linear dock.
foggysail
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With slip prices around here soaring above $100+/ft folks honest or otherwise are motivated to demand paying only for the listed size of their boats. And add to that water use fees, excise taxes, electrical cost along with any contrived costs a marina can apply.
foggysail
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Gees, I hope that idea do not catch on the east coast. Personally it would not bother me where I presently keep my boat (a club), our seasonal cost is an amazing $10/foot + $100 for electricity including AC usage. Within spitting distance to our docks there is another marina and folks there pay normal (high) fees.
ranger58sb
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Our experience has been that we're charged LOA for transient slips.
Our home marina happens to have accepted our "model number length" (42) but I think that's actually because they charge X for the slip we're in, no matter what length boat is the current occupant.
We've heard of marinas that calculate slip fees based on the length of the slip, not the boat... but aside from our own "possible" instance of that, haven't ever seen that in a transient situation.
You'll have seen form other posts that marinas make their money from renting all their available slip length; the actual boats are secondary to their equation.
When we look for transient slips, we report our LOA as 48' to account for our pulpit, swim platform, and the dinghy cantilevered off the platform. We have often been assigned a transient space that is just about exactly 50'. On a long face dock, for example, the dockmaster will often load boats cheek to butt... so they can accommodate as many travelers (and maximize their gross $$) as possible.
Which can sometimes mean if we were to ask for room for a 42' boat... we might find ourselves unable to fit within the assigned space. It's difficult enough getting a 48' boat (LOA) into a 50' slot... I certainly don't want to try to get a 48' boat into a 44' slot. So we don't under-report, and I don't begrudge paying for the extra space we're using. Especially since the dockmaster had no vote in the type of boat we decided to buy.
-Chris
Using the actual size of the boat on the East Coast is quite common all around us - Long Island sound both sides out to BI and thru the city up part of the Hudson.
dhays
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Time for those boaters to reevaluate whether they can afford to boat where they are then.
OldDan1943
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$100/ft? How about if I anchor out and bring my inner tube to shore?
They will charge what they can and what people are willing to pay for the location.
I dont think I'd be willing to pay $100/ft to anchor in the DC reflecting pond.
They will charge what they can and what people are willing to pay for the location.
I dont think I'd be willing to pay $100/ft to anchor in the DC reflecting pond.
tozz
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Yep. And just try to get that NT into a 46’ at your home marina. Tight squeezes all around. Better off in the 52’ with the wider fairway.
In fact matching up beams is as critical as length in our double wide slips.
tozz
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This 100x. Our marina has proportional fairways as well. We stuffed a 46’ LOA into a 46’ slip but moved to a 52’ and the breathing room in the fairway was totally worth it. Especially with the cross winds we get through the marina throughout the year.
How did you know! The marina originally put my NT42 into a 46 foot slip. Boat hung out fore and aft, and the neighbor was not happy. I got on the waiting list for a 52 foot slip, and once I got the larger slip, life was much better!
Moving the boat to the La Conner marina next week, initially to a 60 foot slip while I wait for a 50 footer...
It’s not fun trying to slot a boat into a too-tight slip!
Moving the boat to the La Conner marina next week, initially to a 60 foot slip while I wait for a 50 footer...
It’s not fun trying to slot a boat into a too-tight slip!
My experience is if $100/ft is an annual rate, in many parts of the country this would be the norm!
In some places, folks might be extremely happy if they only had to pay $100 per foot!
Jim
$100 per foot is ballpark on Lake Michigan for a six month season...of which half of the time is unfit for boating. Then heated winter storage is about $6.25/square foot and up for the other six months (~$4000 for our 48 OAL...I remove the dink and store it under the bow flare). Add insurance and registration and our 44 (on deck) costs about $10K/year. By the way, ice is still holding on in the northern reaches of the Lake.
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FoxtrotCharlie
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At our soon to be marina, on the TennTom, full timers pay by the size of the slip - 24, 28, 40, 50, 60 or 70 - covered or uncovered. At 42', plus small bow sprit and usual swim deck they said we are ok for 40' slip - not backed up to a fairway so no problem. Transients on 450' side dock - they said they usually go with the stated length of the boat unless someone has something really extra hanging off the stern - such as a wide dinghy sitting flat, out beyond the swim platform. Very friendly folks and totally understandable.
foggysail
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Just because one owns a boat does not mean that person is wealthy. Today’s soaring cost is affecting boat ownership forcing many people to make that hardship decision you suggested.
foggysail
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Some places around here, Nantucket for example do not allow anchoring in most of their mooring filled harbors. I have not kept up with Nantucket Moorings, been awhile since I was told a mooring cost about $75/night with a departure time of 11AM. And if they catch anybody still moored minutes after the departure time, they are charged for another night.
Commander Nomad
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That's what we've experienced in the southern states. Transients are stated length unless someone is claiming their 45 footer is a 25. Like I mentioned earlier, if someone is uptight enough to break out a tape it's a non-issue, I'll be underway before they have decided on a measurement. I want no part of that sort of attitude.
caltexflanc
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Why all the aversion to telling the truth?
Lollygag1
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Costs at our marina depend on both size of boat and type of slip. We pay $10 foot more for a finger slip but it is well worth it. Thankfully these include both water and electric. Of course we do not have many amenities and the marina is the farthest one down the cove but the people are nice and there is no hassle.
Never hurts to walk the docks and hear what others are saying about their marina. Some are a lot more flexible than others.
Never hurts to walk the docks and hear what others are saying about their marina. Some are a lot more flexible than others.
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And why have a nickel and dime mentality?
Commander Nomad
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No aversion to telling the truth, but I'm not paying for unusable space. I have 55' of "living space", that includes a cavernous anchor locker forward and 500 gallons of fuel across the transom. So 55' for 4 people is fairly generous as is.
Put me in a 70ft slip where my overhangs don't matter and ask me to pay for 60' of length and I'm not happy. Especially not when the 50' boat next to me has twice as many people aboard and is using more of the amenities while paying less for the same slip.
It's all a matter of perspective.
Lollygag1
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If you were the marina owner what would your policy be? As with any business you have costs, taxes, insurance upkeep etc.
I have always tried to be upfront and honest in any business dealing whether as the customer or the business.
I have always tried to be upfront and honest in any business dealing whether as the customer or the business.
foggysail
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I doubt slip availablity for large boats is any better in Rhode Island than where I am in Fairhaven, MA area. When slips are just not available you just don’t have many choices to go elsewhere.
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An aversion to spending $? But it`s more complex than that,and penny pinching attitude is as unattractive in the marina as in the boat owner.
The issue largely comes from boat mfrs for some reason fudging LOA, leading to a measuring exercise,and consequent conflict. Short term, marinas seem to accept nominal LOA, long term they may be more inquiring.
And mfrs vary. For example, Rivieras are described 3-5ft short by model, but Alaska boats are close to exact. There should be room for negotiation, with commonsense.
But if you tell the marina your boat is a "40", they give you a 40ft slot, and the anchor and swimstep protrude 5ft into the fairway for all to see,the game is up.
dhays
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That is my question as well. Honestly! And TF’ers claim that sailors are cheap....
dhays
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Honestly, your fixation on “living space” makes absolutely no sense. Using that specious argument, you should be paying much higher rates for your 60” LOA vs an older sailboat that has LOA. They have a lot less “living space” than you do. Again, a marina isn’t renting “living space” they are renting dock space.
Try renting a parking space in a big city and arguing that your sub-compact should pay much less for that parking stall than my SUV.
