What' important to you at your marina?

Being on the upper Mississippi there is no shortage of marinas. I live aboard 8 to 9 months of the year so my requirements may be a bit different, also it’s a 4 hour drive from home.
#1 - Well protected from wakes or wind induced waves.
#2 - Well built covered floating docks
Provides shade from the sun,weather and able to withstand snow loads.
#3 - A shower house with laundry facilities.
#4 - Well stocked marine parts & accessories, able to haul out boats and a capable marine mechanic & service tech.
#5 - shopping nearby, grocery, drug, hardware and medical.
#6 - Good clean city water, diesel fuel and trash pickup
#7 - friends on the docks to enjoy social times with.
#8 - Security as far as people off the street wondering around.
#9 - A great staff and management who keep up the docks and grounds.
#10 - Nearby destinations for day or weekend trips and sandbars.
These are not in a particular order depending on the day or time of year any of them could be #1.
Two Rivers Marina was bought by new owners last November, this will be my 11 year here. The new owners are long time boaters and slip holders, new blood running it is hopefully a good thing for everyone. Sadly the mechanic that has always been here has retired, I would hope the replacement is as qualified as he was, the skills of the mechanic is one thing that would cause me to move. Because of arthritis and bad back and knees I can’t do the work I used to do.

SoWhat said:

Worst marina: Many years ago in Gloucester Harbor with numerous fish processing plants going 24/7, hot humid night with no wind. Absolutely suffocating. Amenities ceased to matter.

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Next time try the Cape Ann Marina just inside the mouth of the Annisquam...its in a no wake zone, nice pool, and you get the free entertainment of the boat ramp across the river!! Its better than HBO!!

A lot of good stuff and I agree with many of them. But nothing can match when you own your own dock, thus your own moorage.

With today's news, I must add a couple of points.

Safety from fire. No, it's not totally preventable, but modern dock construction. If covered, with proper openings or vents. Materials other than wood. Ideally, fire pumps and hoses on site. Perhaps this is something we don't look at carefully enough. Also rules enforced regarding working on engines at docks, regarding propane, regarding smoking, and GFCI electrical compliance.

BandB said:

Also rules enforced regarding working on engines at docks, regarding propane, regarding smoking, and GFCI electrical compliance.

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I'm curious. What kind of rules about working on engines are you thinking of? In my mind, my home slip is exactly where I'd plan to do any non-emergency engine work of a DIY scale.

rslifkin said:

I'm curious. What kind of rules about working on engines are you thinking of? In my mind, my home slip is exactly where I'd plan to do any non-emergency engine work of a DIY scale.

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I know some marinas do not allow DIY. The mechanic is required to check in at the marina office with copies of insurance, certification etc......

In my eyes, I would not moor my boat at such a marina.

Alaskan Sea-Duction said:

I know some marinas do not allow DIY. The mechanic is required to check in at the marina office with copies of insurance, certification etc......

In my eyes, I would not moor my boat at such a marina.

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My marina requires that for any outside mechanics, etc. (as many do), but DIY is fine. In my book, if DIY isn't allowed, I'm not keeping my boat there.

rslifkin said:

I'm curious. What kind of rules about working on engines are you thinking of? In my mind, my home slip is exactly where I'd plan to do any non-emergency engine work of a DIY scale.

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Different marinas have different rules, from requiring outside contractors to show evidence of insurance and bonding to only allowing specified contractors and rules on how DIY is to be done. I recall seeing one marina that had a lot of houseboats and required them to be moved out of the covered slips to an uncovered dock. Many of the large houseboat marinas have extra rules because houseboats have been involved in so many fires.

Covered slips may require different rules than uncovered. The work that generally is worrisome is that requiring many attempts at starting. Use of ether may be prohibited as it's common in some areas to see people spraying to get engines to start. Others only allow work during certain hours.

I'm not suggesting what rules a marina should have, just as a potential tenant to be aware of rules and what typically takes place. The other things I mentioned were more my focus as they may have contributed and as the marina in question involved many old houseboats, lots of propane, likely many space heaters, possibly smoking, covered and unvented roofs, wooden docks, older wiring, all things that made it a high risk marina.

For me, it's location. Our boat is at a marina that is only five blocks from our home, and that is the thing I like best about it.

I can walk out my door, check on my boat, and be back home in ten or fifteen minutes.

Looking at the snow outside that won't thaw for another couple months, and given that we're about as far from salt water as a person can be on the North American continent, to have our boat floating at any marina right now sounds like paradise. Our marina may not be perfect but we still love it, but here are my thoughts in no particular order:

1. Continue to allow swimming in the marina; I know not all marinas do. Huge for the kids.
2. Not too picky or fierce about rule enforcement.
3. Peace and quiet, although I’ll put up with some noise and chaos past “quiet hours” in light of #2 above.
4. Decent showers and bathrooms (check).
5. Pump out that works well and consistently (unfortunately, all too seldom at our marina).
6. A good service department, although oddly at our marina most of my work orders seem to disappear.
7. Not getting gouged at the marina fuel pumps (wishful thinking, we get gouged, badly).
8. Decent parking relatively close so I don’t have to drag tools or supplies or food or weekend junk 500 yards back and forth from car to boat (check).
9. Dock neighbors who take some care and don’t live like yokels – don’t leave electrical lines sagging in the water, rake out the junk floating in your slip once in a while, etc.
10. A marina store that actually stocks some common boat supplies, like a hose clamp (unfortunately also wishful thinking).

kthoennes said:

Looking at the snow outside that won't thaw for another couple months, and given that we're about as far from salt water as a person can be on the North American continent, to have our boat floating at any marina right now sounds like paradise. Our marina may not be perfect but we still love it, but here are my thoughts in no particular order:

1. Continue to allow swimming in the marina; I know not all marinas do. Huge for the kids.
2. Not too picky or fierce about rule enforcement.
3. Peace and quiet, although I’ll put up with some noise and chaos past “quiet hours” in light of #2 above.
4. Decent showers and bathrooms (check).
5. Pump out that works well and consistently (unfortunately, all too seldom at our marina).
6. A good service department, although oddly at our marina most of my work orders seem to disappear.
7. Not getting gouged at the marina fuel pumps (wishful thinking, we get gouged, badly).
8. Decent parking relatively close so I don’t have to drag tools or supplies or food or weekend junk 500 yards back and forth from car to boat (check).
9. Dock neighbors who take some care and don’t live like yokels – don’t leave electrical lines sagging in the water, rake out the junk floating in your slip once in a while, etc.
10. A marina store that actually stocks some common boat supplies, like a hose clamp (unfortunately also wishful thinking).

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Wifey B: Wow, this thread has to be hard on you. Sunshine and you have snow. And all those marina things yours doesn't have but guess it says Location wins and we make do with less than perfect.

Now I had no idea any marinas allowed swimming other than in the pools.

Ut oh, I've fierce on enforcing rules but prefer very few. Don't make them if they're not important.

kthoennes said:

1. Continue to allow swimming in the marina; I know not all marinas do. Huge for the kids.

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Might want to reconsider swimming in marinas. Here’s why most don’t allow it.
https://www.electricshockdrowning.org/

I'm aware that some marinas allow swimming. Under the right conditions I approve. Unfortunately, many marinas have certain problems or issues which preclude swimming.

A) Lots of river current is dangerous
B) "Bobbing" heads and bodies are hard to see from approaching or leaving boats
C) In many marinas, the water is just plain dirty and full of floating junk, weeds, sticks,goose and duck droppings,etc.
D) TURTLES!! and to a less dangerous degree but almost as scary, Sturgeon and Muskey.
E) Almost all marinas have small fishing boats coming and going, usually looking for Muskey, they throw huge lures with nasty hooks.
F) While the bottom is generally sand at river marinas, dredged marinas will often have a muck bottom, nasty.. (I once lost my glasses in the shallows at a marina and doned diving gear to retrieve them, the bottom was literally covered with garbage, glass, boat parts, other junk,
G) Stray electrical currents, can be fatal.

If I or my family want a nice swim we use a marina pool or go a mile or two out, into clean water.

One man's opinion.

pete

Though our marina doesn’t have many of the requirements that seem to be most desirable, we do have a pretty good location. Leaving hurricanes out of mix, we can see key Biscayne National Park from our slip and it takes less than 5 minutes to get aboard to leave and that includes deploying all the hurricane shutters.

A place to keep my boat... J/K

I'm lucky to have freshwater(spring fed), 8 miles to the ocean, awesome ship store(like really awesome), and reasonable rates(cheap for FL). I also keep my fishing boat there in dry storage.

Just about the only thing I wish we had was floating docks.

Pump out at the slip or a poo-cart to wheel to the boat.

Top 10 things at the dock.

#1: Good docks
#2: Good power source
#3: Good neighbors
#4: Clean water
#5: Wifi
#6: Pool and hot tub for my wife
#7: Protection from wind and wake
#8: Good club house for cleaning up after a long day of fishing
#9: Restaurants close to the docks
#10: Plenty of paved parking

Two views on this:

Winter, long term moorage:
1.Safety of vessel: from adverse weather; from thief; from unexpected happenings (24/7 human security via walk-by and observation); secure docks
2. Good electricity; water & WiFi
3. Reasonable noise levels: not too many party animals; loud sirens and general traffic (Westview on Sunshine Coast a negative example of too much noise - ferry & road traffic)
4. Visual surroundings pleasant
5. Friendly, knowledgeable, helpful staff
6. Allow live aboard
7. Allow reasonable work being done on vessel
8. Close by area to walk
9. Reasonable moorage price
10. Garbage; waste oil disposal

Transient basis:

1. Quality electricity, water and WiFi
2. Garbage disposal
3. Proximity to those things we want to do or see including shopping
4. Friendly, knowledgeable, helpful staff
5. Cleanliness.
6. Culture of other boaters. My Admiral must be comfortable with down to earth people

Well, it is hard to single out 1 or 2 things that are important, so really for us all these things are necessary for us.
1. Well Maintained Marina
2. Live Aboards allowed
3. Covered slip
4. City/Municipal water
5. 2-50 amp 125 at pedestal
6. Pump Out
7. WiFi
8. Clean shower facilities
9. Shopping and restaurants within walking or quick car ride.
10. Day and Night security

Quality of facilities

1. Floating docks
2. Up to date electrical system with 50 amp
3. Secure docks, night time security
4. Adequate parking not far from docks
5. Responsive knowledgeable staff
6. Competitive pricing
7. Ample dog walking in area
8. Pump out at dock
9. Good wifi
10. Competitive fuel and other services nearby

Swimming in marina

Especially dangerous in fresh water and well documented on the internet. The current to run on 30 amp light bulb will electrocute you and cause you to drown, stray current leaking from poorly maintained boats and marina power systems. Electrocution regularly is missed and reported as drowning due to ignorance of the danger of swimming in marinas or near other boats. Important that all responsible boat owners check their grounding systems do stray current leakage.

Most important to me at my marina?

1) That it’s a commercial fishing vessel harbour authority.

2) That it is freshwater moorage.

Those are what come to mind right now.

That is protected against the coronavirus that will kill most of us

L

Since we bought the new boat (still in Manly, Qld, while we finalise the paravanes) we have spent some time at the Nelson Bay and the D'Albora marina there; it's set up well, and very well maintained.

If you become a member (commit to a year) then you get a boom-gated parking spot for your car, a key-secure slip, access to 30 days a year reciprocal rights at about a dozen other D'Albora marinas around the country, and there is a travel lift and boatyard on site. Overnighting on the boat is not a problem, and rowdy live-aboards not a problem either, since (officially, anyhow) that's not legal in NSW. However, that restriction exists to give the local authorities the capacity to move on anyone who fails the 'attitude test'; the locals all move on board in holiday season and rent out their apartments to holiday makers, and make the annual slip costs that way.

We are looking forward to moving Anika J there soon.