Swapping your boat berth

Down here on the east coast of Oz, we have a terrific free monthly boat magazine called 'Afloat'.

I noticed in the last edition, a company had started up basically putting boaties in touch with each other to swap their boat berths.

This is a great idea, to be able to leave your boat for a month or so in a different cruising ground, without the cost of the mooring fees is a great way of keeping costs down & encouraging us to be a little more adventurous in our boating(well me anyway).

Just wondering, has anybody out there had any experience with this, and does it work?

Greetings,
Mr. AG. Great idea but I've never heard of it before. I must confess, the first thing that came to mind was...




Tsk...tsk.

Before you go any further with a plan like that, check your lease agreement with your marina. You may not be allowed to "sub let" your slip.

Andy G said:

Down here on the east coast of Oz, we have a terrific free monthly boat magazine called 'Afloat'.

I noticed in the last edition, a company had started up basically putting boaties in touch with each other to swap their boat berths.

This is a great idea, to be able to leave your boat for a month or so in a different cruising ground, without the cost of the mooring fees is a great way of keeping costs down & encouraging us to be a little more adventurous in our boating(well me anyway).

Just wondering, has anybody out there had any experience with this, and does it work?

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Cant see how its going to work unless its aimed at private moorings but I do like the idea. My marina contract is for my boat and I'm the signature on the contract it will be up to the marina managers /legal weather and if they take it on I can also see legal issues if things go wrong .

I've done home exchanges before. Not sure how this is much different. Sounds like a great idea! Just check insurance coverage...

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr. AG. Great idea but I've never heard of it before. I must confess, the first thing that came to mind was...

Tsk...tsk.

Click to expand...

Which reminds me I saw Duck Soup a couple of nights ago.....you were very good.

WesK. Yes your'e right, I'm on a club berth and they told me it's not allowed. I asked why, and they said talk to the General Manager. I think I will talk to a few other members first, then talk Bruce K out of retirement to take them on for me.

IMHO clubs should work for the benefit of the members not just the management.

I would be pleasantly surprised to see a marina's standard lease contract allowing one to sublease one's berth. On second thought, NOT. Can imagine problems occurring for the marina and other berthers.

I think if one is a berth owner, even if it is just via long term lease, (as these can be sold on), then it would be ok, as it would be a private arrangement, and on your own head. You would need to make sure the berth 'swapee' had adequate public third party cover to keep the marina happy however, as this is something they seek proof of every year anyway.

While I like the concept, if the person you swap with is a total nightmare.... I see a lot of potential ill will if things go badly at your marina.

Ted

For potential renters the first question may be "where can I park my shopping cart?" The second would be "can I bring my friends aboard?" Andy, what is the motivation here?

sunchaser said:

For potential renters the first question may be "where can I park my shopping cart?" The second would be "can I bring my friends aboard?" Andy, what is the motivation here?

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I guess I was thinking of it as an inter club swap. More on the lines of the club making an agreement with other clubs to extend hospitality to be agreed through individual members swapping their own berths.

Most clubs have a mandatory insurance policy and club rules. I think visitors to another club would tend to be on best behaviour. Mind you it does not have to be just clubs ,if a Marina wanted to participate they could lay the ground rules for their clients..........really the benefits outway the potential issues.

it's just a berth after all.

The marina contracts I'm familiar with for rental slips all seem to forbid this. I have known people to get permission however, when approaching things in advance and correctly, to do a seasonal switch. Not worth a marina making an exception for a day or week, but in the case I'm aware of, it was a Chesapeake and South Florida boater switching. They gave the marinas all their insurance documentation, filled out all paperwork required.

Now, there's another slip swap method used by some of the larger marina groups. If you have a slip in one of their marinas then you're able to dock, space permitting at any of their other marinas while cruising at no charge. Unfortunately, even the largest marina groups don't have that many marinas.

I know Brewer, in the NE, has membership programs that entitle you to a few free days but then major discounts the rest of the time. Full time slip renters get a gold card which gives them 6 free nights, 50% off on other nights, and 40% off on fuel.

Then of course some yacht clubs have networks with reciprocal agreements.

The Florida council of yacht clubs offers them.

FCYC

And Yachting Club of America has a reciprocity guide.

Yachting Club of America

Otherwise, it never hurts to ask. I've found some clubs grant reciprocity when not full even if no agreement. Other clubs freely grant reciprocity. Other clubs very reluctantly grant it and it's clear they do not like visitors.

At my marina the berths are all privately owned. You can rent your berth out yourself if you wish, but you are held responsible for noise, damage etc as if you were there yourself.

You can also ask the marina to rent it out for you. They take 10% of the rent but you are absolved of liability or responsibility for anything the renter may do.

If I am away I just gives dates and say rent it out while I'm away if you can, and am happy with the 90% net. I am guessing that those with permanent berths and monthly fees at any decent marina would be credited with any third party occupancy revenue.

It seems to me that swapping berths would generally lack the flexibility to be worth doing.

Insequent said:

I am guessing that those with permanent berths and monthly fees at any decent marina would be credited with any third party occupancy revenue.

.

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Actually there are some nice marinas that don't do that. If you're going to be away you must notify them, they can rent your slip, and they do not share with you.

In our neck of the woods reciprocal moorage is heavily used between clubs. I've used it a few times at other clubs and I'm aware of members of other clubs using ours.


Usually first two or three nights are free, it's first come, first served, and there's usually a charge for power.

Andy G said:

I guess I was thinking of it as an inter club swap. More on the lines of the club making an agreement with other clubs to extend hospitality to be agreed through individual members swapping their own berths.

Most clubs have a mandatory insurance policy and club rules. I think visitors to another club would tend to be on best behaviour. Mind you it does not have to be just clubs ,if a Marina wanted to participate they could lay the ground rules for their clients..........really the benefits outway the potential issues.

it's just a berth after all.

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Andy: IMO there is so much $$$ competition between the "70% full" pay by the month marinas within 50k of us. This has caused a reluctance between marinas agreeing on "swamping". .Some people such as I found the grass was greener cheaper better facility just 15k away .Our club is very open to swapping Club moorings on a gentleman's hand shake .

Tenants in our harbor can sublease their slips for up to a year. It's done through the harbor office. Boaters wanting to keep a boat in our harbor for awhile can let the office know they are interested in a sublease and the office will inform them if one becomes available.

We had to wait two and a half years to get a permanent slip. For the winters we sublet a slip that was available for six months when the regular tenant moved his boat to Sidney, BC to avoid paying Washington taxes.

BandB said:

Actually there are some nice marinas that don't do that. If you're going to be away you must notify them, they can rent your slip, and they do not share with you.

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That's how mine is and why I posted above. They can (and do) rent my slip and keep the revenue.

What bothers me is, they keep charging me for electricity in addition to slip rental. I missed this the first few times but next time I'm going to make sure they don't.