$24 pump out? What?

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Pmcsurf1

Pmcsurf1

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2020
Messages
298
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Agape
Vessel Make
Californian 45
Navionics says St Michael's marina in Maryland (Chesapeake bay) charges $24 for a pump out. Got to be a typo. We're from Florida. Seems the further you get from the ocean the more pump outs cost.
Whats the most you've ever paid for a pump out? Filling your boat with diesel doesn't count:)
 
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$43 in San Francisco, that’s a mobile service.
 
Greetings,
$20 set fee. 5 gallon tank. More expensive than some of the cheap wine I used to drink. $4/ gallon.
 
St. Michael's being more remote on the Eastern shore is probably on well and septic, so maybe a deterrent to get you to pump out where there is city water and sewer. There's a lot of environmental considerations when on the Chesapeake bay.
 
Sealife said:
St. Michael's being more remote on the Eastern shore is probably on well and septic, so maybe a deterrent to get you to pump out where there is city water and sewer. There's a lot of environmental considerations when on the Chesapeake bay.
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Yeah, that sounds like a “ We’ll do it if you really want us to, but we’re not thrilled about it” price.
 
$15 here at the gas dock but $20 if they come to your slip.
BD
 
Not really, it's a "cost more to process and higher environmental impact fee". The Western shore will most likely be cheaper.....but hey $10 less/more. Not even worth worrying about in overall operations cost if passing through. In Baltimore our pump out is free, but everything else is more expensive!
 
They have a short fuel dock with limited room and they frequently place tour boats which run out of Annapolis at one end of the pier so pumping you out means they can't be selling someone else fuel. The charge for highly for water as well. They really want to focus on fuel sales. The marine museum has dockage for members, it is worthwhile to buy a membership even for a single visit.

I have visited the fuel dock in a sailboat needing water and and pump out as well as a trawler with a transient reservation, the way I was treated was worlds apart. I believe I am a pretty savvy customer and understand their perspective and am willing to pay for the services I need but was put off by the mentality, I realize that my bill for a pump out and water is low but I am certain the margins on selling water and dealing with waste is far higher than diesel. The woman just rubbed me the wrong way, interesting she was super nice when I was paying for a slip. Just two different experiences.
 
Gdavid said:
They have a short fuel dock with limited room and they frequently place tour boats which run out of Annapolis at one end of the pier so pumping you out means they can't be selling someone else fuel. The charge for highly for water as well. They really want to focus on fuel sales. The marine museum has dockage for members, it is worthwhile to buy a membership even for a single visit.

I have visited the fuel dock in a sailboat needing water and and pump out as well as a trawler with a transient reservation, the way I was treated was worlds apart. I believe I am a pretty savvy customer and understand their perspective and am willing to pay for the services I need but was put off by the mentality, I realize that my bill for a pump out and water is low but I am certain the margins on selling water and dealing with waste is far higher than diesel. The woman just rubbed me the wrong way, interesting she was super nice when I was paying for a slip. Just two different experiences.
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Edit, in her defense, I believe they have people regularly tie up the fuel dock for hours when they belly up to the bar after docking for fuel. The business is making plenty off of selling drinks but she is stuck with the logistical challenge.
 
Here, if you are a renter, $20 a visit.
 
$10 at the fuel dock at my marina. Pretty much everywhere else I've ever been has been cheaper or free.
 
Scratching my head... Didn't the State of MD. or the Dept. of Natural Resources have a program to increase the number of pump out stations on the Bay ? They contributed money to build them but they also capped the fee charged.
FWIW in Solomons, MD. $ 5 Calvert marina, free at Spring Cove and there is a public pump out that's free.
 
Wow, $43 is crazy! Makes me glad we have two holding tanks. One is 204 gallons, the other is about 215 gallons. So if a boat has two tanks, do you get charged TWO fees?
 
This marina maintains a pumpout log to discourage cheating.
 
Greetings,
Mr. s. 400+ gallons for holding tank capacity? Impressive!


iu
 
Just looked at the St Michaels Marina website.

If I read it right.... at $210 per boat MINIMUM per day transient ($175 plus $35 resort fee).... $24 for a pumpout seems like a deal! :eek:
 
psneeld said:
Just looked at the St Michaels Marina website.

If I read it right.... at $210 per boat MINIMUM per day transient ($175 plus $35 resort fee).... $24 for a pumpout seems like a deal! :eek:
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That sounds like the Harbour Inn. Which marina is being discussed, that one or St. Michaels Marina? Not that it matters much. I like St. Michaels but they’re both treading close to Newport and MV rates.

We always stay at the museum. Free water and pumpout if your draft isn’t too much. And, there is a Miles and Wye Rivers pumpout boat in season on weekends.
 
Pmcsurf1 said:
Navionics says St Michael's marina in Maryland (Chesapeake bay) charges $24 for a pump out. Got to be a typo. We're from Florida. Seems the further you get from the ocean the more pump outs cost.
Whats the most you've ever paid for a pump out? Filling your boat with diesel doesn't count:)
Click to expand...

I have yet to pay for a pumpout at a marina or from a mobile boat service. I believe they are govt subsidized. I always give a tip $5 min.
 
HTurner said:
This explains the sad state of San Fransisco and the poop in the streets.
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There is a shortage of public restrooms in all American cities. Sure you can always use the toilet in a store or restaurant, but will they allow you if you are homeless?
 
backinblue said:
I have yet to pay for a pumpout at a marina or from a mobile boat service. I believe they are govt subsidized.
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Give it time.

The government subsidies come out when they're trying to get a NDZ declared. Then there's plenty of money to install pump-out equipment everywhere. Generally it comes with a stipulation that the fee can't be more than some nominal value like $5 or $10.

But once the NDZ is declared, the money dries up. No money for maintenance. No real reason for the marina to pick up the tab, if they can't make a profit on $5 pump-outs.

What remains are the few marinas which do put money into (and have staff for) operating and maintaining the equipment. They want a return on investment. Not sure I'd pump you out for any less than $24 if I had to pay to locate, install, maintain, empty and staff a pump-out facility.
 
CaptTom said:
Give it time.

The government subsidies come out when they're trying to get a NDZ declared. Then there's plenty of money to install pump-out equipment everywhere. Generally it comes with a stipulation that the fee can't be more than some nominal value like $5 or $10.

But once the NDZ is declared, the money dries up. No money for maintenance. No real reason for the marina to pick up the tab, if they can't make a profit on $5 pump-outs.

What remains are the few marinas which do put money into (and have staff for) operating and maintaining the equipment. They want a return on investment. Not sure I'd pump you out for any less than $24 if I had to pay to locate, install, maintain, empty and staff a pump-out facility.
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Waters here have been NDZ for as long as I can remember. Pumpout boats are generally owned and operated by the local towns. Not sure what the marinas may get, but regardless, no fees that I've seen.
 
CaptTom said:
Give it time.

The government subsidies come out when they're trying to get a NDZ declared. Then there's plenty of money to install pump-out equipment everywhere. Generally it comes with a stipulation that the fee can't be more than some nominal value like $5 or $10.

But once the NDZ is declared, the money dries up. No money for maintenance. No real reason for the marina to pick up the tab, if they can't make a profit on $5 pump-outs.

What remains are the few marinas which do put money into (and have staff for) operating and maintaining the equipment. They want a return on investment. Not sure I'd pump you out for any less than $24 if I had to pay to locate, install, maintain, empty and staff a pump-out facility.
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Long Island Sound has been an NDZ for 10-ish years at this point. Both before and after that, there have been a few organizations that run pumpout boats that will come to you for no charge. Some are run by marinas for their customers, others are run by not for profits and cover a larger area. The marinas, yacht clubs, etc. all like and encourage it, as some don't have a fuel dock or other good place to install a pumpout, others only have a mooring field, etc. so the pumpout boats become a practical solution. When we were in CT, the marina pumpout boat happily came around and emptied the tank for us on a weekly basis as long as we were in the slip when they came.
 
Porgy said:
That sounds like the Harbour Inn. Which marina is being discussed, that one or St. Michaels Marina? Not that it matters much. I like St. Michaels but they’re both treading close to Newport and MV rates.

We always stay at the museum. Free water and pumpout if your draft isn’t too much. And, there is a Miles and Wye Rivers pumpout boat in season on weekends.
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Yes, and I apologize as having stayed at the marina that is not the Inn.

I forgot it was there....or over at Higgins. Its been 6 or seven years. And prices seem to be rising much faster than the rest of the Bay.
 
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St. Michaels suffers (or benefits, depending how you look at it) from being one of the top transient destinations on the bay yet having a very small harbor with not many boat slips, no public moorings, and room for only a handful of boats to anchor. The operators of the two marinas on the south side of the harbor have capitalized on this imbalance of supply and demand.

If I take a slip in St. Michaels it's always at the Maritime Museum, or Higgins Yacht Yard. They don't have the amenities of the other two, but the prices are more in line with transient rates elsewhere on the bay. Higgins actually has the best walkability to both the museum and the main attractions on Talbot St.

People also seem to shy away from anchoring outside of the harbor south of its mouth. It can get a little rolly and I wouldn't want to be there in a strong blow from the N or NE, but it's a perfectly adequate option when I don't want to pay for a slip.
 
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