Disappointed with Ganges Marina

So, we've been cruising around the San Juan Islands getting a few items organized on the boat. We finally have everything organized (the dinghy took a little too long but..,) and decided that we'd head into Canada. We cleared in at Sidney, spent a spectacular day there and then thought we might visit Ganges the next day.
Although they list their hours as beginning at 9:00 am we couldn't get anyone to pick up the phone before about 10:30 am.
We asked if they could accommodate us and got a "no problem" from the woman who answered our call.
When asked what our boat was I answered "an American Tug 395" because, well that is what it is...
Anyway, we were directed to B dock and slip 21.
We get there and note that the electrical hookups are way too far away for us to access. There are lots of empty slips so we simply move over to the next slip where we can access the electrical outlet.
The dock is kind of grungy, the electrical outlets are not working and the breakers are loose in the box...kind of scary.
I decide to walk to the dock house to see if we might find a better slip.
In the middle of my asking about a slip with two 30's or a 50 amp outlet that I might split a dock hand glanced at our boat and said something about his dock having shrunk.
He ran down to the dock with a wheeled measuring device and proceeded to measure our boat from about 3 feet behind the swim platform to ahead of the bow and said "you're 45' long"....
I said that no we were not. We were about 41' when I measured tip to swim platform give or take a few inches for parallax.
He accused me of lying!
All I wanted was a decent slip with working electrical!
This idiot couldn't wait to show me that I was somehow trying to get up on the marina somehow and actually referred to me as "busted"...
So, we took in our lines, left Canada for Roche Harbor, checked back into the US and will spend the evening here.
Hope they actually sell some dock space today but it won't be to us!
I have never lied or misrepresented the size of our boat to save a buck and that is about how much dockage is running in the area, a buck a foot...
Amazing!
Bruce

Greetings,
Mr. BrB. Not surprising. You pulled into a marina called Ganges on 4/20. Still, no excuse...

Looks like the Active Captain reviews were pretty accurate.

How were the showers

Your comments mirror my experience at Ganges some years ago. We don't go in there anymore. The other big downside is that Ganges harbor is very exposed to the south and there's not much to break the wind coming up Haro Strait.

Guess we weren't alone then!
I'm not in the habit of reading Active Captain but that's about to change!
I can't figure out how to leave a review there but I'll figure it out...
Amazing...
Bruce

Did you include davits/duckboard and anchor in your measurements?

Simi 60 said:

Did you include davits/duckboard and anchor in your measurements?

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Everything, tip to stern.
The length of the boat was never the issue though, except in his mind.
Bruce

Your hull color looks great.

Ken E. said:

Your hull color looks great.

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Many thanks! We do concur...
Bruce

Why did't you just go to Salt Spring Marina, the Government dock or anchor out?
Rick

Rickized said:

Why did't you just go to Salt Spring Marina, the Government dock or anchor out?
Rick

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The guy so ruined the mood that we just wanted out of there. We have just a couple of weeks left in the area and everything is so beautiful that my desire to roll with it is non existent. We have literally hundreds of places to see that will not treat us like criminals. That is what we will do with our time.
Bruce

Take it on the positive side... your boat looks bigger than it is!

L.

You did right taking your business elsewhere. Bad behavior shouldn't be rewarded.

Thanks, helped me decide which route I'll take north.

Can't say I've ever taken moorage at Ganges Marina, although my boating history in Ganges goes back to 1960 or so.

We find the anchorage to the NE of Goat Island (the next bay to the E) to be a good location where you can get out of much of the summer boating slop and southerly chop, short tender ride to the dinghy dock or public wharf.

Sometimes in fair weather, we will tender in from anchorage at Prevost I.

It's always fun to make the summer time Saturday Market for some serious people watching.

You didn't have a political bumper sticker on your boat, did you Bruce?

Yup, had the same experience but it was mid Summer and at the busiest time. The marina is in very poor shape and some slips are...well just plain difficult to get in and out of.

There is NO EXCUSE for this kind of service especially given the poor weather we have been having and slow start to the year. They should have welcomed you and given you top notch service!!!

It's too bad.....Ganges can be a fun place to stay for a couple of days.
If we go again, next time we will go to the NEW Govt docks and avoid both marinas all together.

Please don't let this be your only memory of boating in BC.

Most of us are more welcoming than that!

AusCan said:

You didn't have a political bumper sticker on your boat, did you Bruce?

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Good question!
No, no political stickers and no political discussions in Canada...
None on FaceBook that can be credited to me either.
I'm sure there are no other American Tugs in this color masquerading around as we were the first one in Sea Shell green!
Not sure what was up except that as posted earlier, the AC reviews suggest that this is pretty normal behavior for the place.
Life is short, we moved on...
Bruce

Well played Bruce.

I'm not in the habit of paying for the privilege of being insulted either.

As usual, RTF nailed it. Had you come in the next day, you would have received much better treatment. Also you could have taken in the Saturday market this morning.

Good decision, and thanks for the post. We'll definitely skip that marina when we head north soon.

We also avoid the Ganges Marina but have had a good reception at the other marina at the harbour head, Salt Spring Island Marina
Just watch out for the rock as you approach. It is marked with two private bouys. Do NOT GO BETWEEN the two bouys. The rock is between them. I've seen people do it depending upon draft and tide but it is called Moneymaker Rock for a reason.
The charts show it but not well enough since many have the approach more on their mind.

Disappointed iwith Ganges Marina

Agreed - Ganges Marina has shitty service, so my club moved our outstatuon to Salt Spring Marina. They're pretty nice but not particularly responsive. The walk to town will also do you good.

Disappointed iwith Ganges Marina

We stayed for a night in Ganges last summer. The docks weren't great but they weren't bad either. There is a big range of dock conditions in the PNW and BC. The office was a bit hard to find, but I felt we were treated well enough by the staff. Keep in mind that I was there at a very busy time in the height of the summer.

All in all, not a bad place. There is a great hardware store and lots of good places to eat. However when we left, my wife said that she didn't feel the need to go back.

FWIW, I have yet to find any marina in the PNW or BC that has "good" wifi.

I've been in and out of Ganges for close to 50 years. Like other marinas as you go further north, there is simply not the money, local support, yacht awareness or length of season to keep them always well managed, spiffy and updated to satisfy the wants of all.

Not to forget Ganges is in a different country where things are indeed different, not bad just different. But why marina rant on the internet about what may well be only one side of the story?

I have been to most of the more traveled marinas in BC. I know what to expect and deal with it accordingly. A trip to Port Browning's docks will render Ganges a palatial stop over. A few weeks ago twisted tree was complaining about Coal Harbour in Vancouver. For Vancouverites CH is a luxury stopover, it is for me.

My marina, Van Isle is really nice. But, the complaints pour in from those who are not used to dealing with north of the border prices. Then there are the different Canadian electrical hookups to trap the unwary. Adaption is the key, whether at a less traveled marina in WA, BC or AK. It is a big world.

sunchaser said:

I've been in and out of Ganges for close to 50 years. Like other marinas as you go further north, there is simply not the money, local support, yacht awareness or length of season to keep them always well managed, spiffy and updated to satisfy the wants of all.

Not to forget Ganges is in a different country where things are indeed different, not bad just different. But why marina rant on the internet about what may well be only one side of the story?

I have been to most of the more traveled marinas in BC. I know what to expect and deal with it accordingly. A trip to Port Browning's docks will render Ganges a palatial stop over. A few weeks ago twisted tree was complaining about Coal Harbour in Vancouver. For Vancouverites CH is a luxury stopover, it is for me.

My marina, Van Isle is really nice. But, the complaints pour in from those who are not used to dealing with north of the border prices. Then there are the different Canadian electrical hookups to trap the unwary. Adaption is the key, whether at a less traveled marina in WA, BC or AK. It is a big world.

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I wasn't complaining about anything but the incredibly condescending treatment,
incredible arrogance and attitude. I've been to marinas in different parts of the world and in 25 years never experienced anything like this.
If you were there to argue their side then let's hear it, otherwise please accept my version as I have no reason to embellish. By the way, if as you say people are complaining....there may just be something to what is being said.

I stand by my criticism!
Bruce

I don't discount your experience at all Bruce. I just wanted to point out that we at least didn't get treated as badly as you did. Hopefully your experience was an anomaly.

dhays said:

I don't discount your experience at all Bruce. I just wanted to point out that we at least didn't get treated as badly as you did. Hopefully your experience was an anomaly.

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I wasn't responding to your comment Dave.
Sorry you felt it necessary to respond...
Bruce

You got one crumby employee. Even though we don't go to Ganges Marina, we regularly return to Ganges harbour as it is a nice stop for a day or two. Don't let one jacka++ turn you off. You can get those anywhere.
As for our service at Ganges Marina, it was not the people, but rather where they put us and that was ~ 15 yrs ago. We just found places we like better.