Scheduling and Rates
Reservations
The procedure for reserving a slip for your vessel differs widely among marinas. All desirable marinas have a waiting list that is updated frequently by marina management personnel. In some geographic areas, marina operations are restricted to specific seasons, causing intense competition at these locations because of the limited time for boating. Boaters who live in such areas must familiarize themselves with the dates these marinas open and close. Even more important is the date when the annual waiting list begins to accept applicants, as some lists start fresh each year.
Examples of reservation procedures at various marina types are given below:
- Municipal marinas in small towns often have tremendous demand for their relatively few slips. Consequently the marina manger or harbormaster often requires applicants to prove residency in the town/city as the first step to get on the waiting list. The applicant that’s first on the list must wait until an existing tenant gives up or forfeits his/her slip and this occurs rarely. I know of a small town in Massachusetts where being tenth on the list meant that you may not get a slip for at least a decade. For this reason, dry-dock marinas have been sprouting up adjacent to many of the busy ‘wet’ marinas and harbors.
- Marinas in larger municipalities typically have larger marinas and waiting lists that are often shorter and quicker. Typically the list is maintained objectively and posted publicly so applicants can’t accuse anyone of favoritism.
- Private yacht clubs are often the most difficult marinas to obtain a slip because of the restrictive membership process, substantial joining fee and considerable waiting lists at some facilities.
- Private, multi-use marinas also manage reservations by a waiting list but the procedure for assigning slips can be subjective at some facilities, as discussed in Chapter 2 with regard to applicants needing to be cooperative during the process. Otherwise, an applicant may never get to the top of the list.
- For Dockominiums (Equity Slips) typically “money talks” and there often are slips available if the applicant can meet the financial requirements.
Slip Rates and Duration
Before discussing marina rates, it is important to remind boaters that significant discounts can sometimes be negotiated (in advance) if the owner is a member of Boat U.S., Active Captain or other marine organizations. Certainly inquire about all discount programs offered by the marina.
At most facilities, slips can be leased for various time durations that range from one day to multiple years. To begin this discussion it’s necessary to first illustrate the two most common methods for calculating rates:
- The simplest rate structure is quoted according to “length overall” of the vessel, measured from the tip of the pulpit or bowsprit to the aft-most part of the boat (e.g., swim step). This method is especially necessary when leasing long or side-tie piers where slip lengths are not predetermined.
- The other rate type is quoted according to the specific length of a slip, regardless of the vessel length. For example, if a vessel is 35 feet long and the marina has only 30- and 40-foot slips, the boater would have to pay for the 40-foot slip although his/her vessel is considerably shorter. Vessels are not assigned slips in which the vessel would be considerably longer than the slip length. Some marinas do not allow any over-hang.
In terms of dollars, slip rates are normally quoted according to lease duration as shown below, regardless of whether the calculation is based upon method 1 or 2 above:
R(day) = $X per foot per day
R (month) = $XX per foot per month
or, for lease of a 40-foot slip (method 2) or berthing of a 40-foot vessel (method 1), rates can be quoted simply as:
W = $XXXX per month
Note that Transient day rates often range from $2/ft to over $6/ft depending upon the facility, timing and occupancy level. Monthly rates are normally much lower than Transient (day) rates. It follows that Seasonal and Annual rates are quoted lower than Monthly rates at most facilities. For example, rates are given below for a 40-foot vessel at a high-end marina in a tourist area:
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Example Rate Chart |
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|
Rate |
Cost |
Total Cost |
|
Transient day rate |
$5 per foot per day |
$200 |
|
Monthly rate |
$30 per foot per month |
$1,200 (one-fifth of Transient rate) |
|
Annual rate |
$15 per foot per month |
$7,200 (half of Monthly rate) |
Most facilities have a small number of transient slips available for vessels that wish to stay for only a few nights. Marinas make a high profit when leasing transient slips but longer-term leases generate the majority of the revenue at most marinas.
Other Fee Considerations
When boaters obtain price quotations from marinas, it is essential they understand the charges included in the overall monthly or annual fee. Here’s an example of a worst-case scenario:
A boater is ecstatic he can lease a slip in the marina of his choice, as confirmed by a phone call from the marina office. The rate he had been quoted was $1,200 per month ($30 per foot per month) for the 40-foot slip that was available — ideal for his 35-foot vessel. Although this was considerably more than the $910 per month he had been quoted at his second-choice marina, he really liked the pool and marina restaurant at his first choice. The $910 (tax included) had been calculated from $26 per foot per month times 35 feet because marina ‘B’ only charged by actual vessel length, rather than by the length of the slip.
Although marina ‘A’ was a few hundred dollars more expensive than his second choice, he committed to leasing the slip over the phone because he was told the next person on the waiting list would take the slip if he didn’t commit right then. “Okay sign me up” said the happy boater.
When he arrived at marina ‘A’ he was happy to quickly sign the marina tenant agreement then sign the form for automatic bank withdrawal for his monthly slip rental. His jaw dropped when he saw a total of $1,445 per month. “What’s this about?” he said to the marina finance person with a big frown.
“The breakdown is like this: $1,200 per month for the slip, $150 for the resort fee, and $95 for state tax, which totals $1,445. And that does not include your monthly electric bill that will be metered and based upon actual usage. For your size boat, electrical costs typically range from $75 per month to $150 depending on how much you use your air conditioning. You chose not to be live-aboard which could have added another $125 per month, plus tax, for one person only.”
Realistically, the boater can expect a bill of around $1,550 per month including an average electric bill. At marina ‘B’ he would have been paying $910 per month for the slip (tax included) plus their flat fee of $50 for electrical; no other charges. Thus, marina ‘A’ ended up costing him 61 percent more than marina ‘B’. Had he taken time to assess all the costs at marina ‘A’, he might have decided that the nice pool and restaurant were not worth the additional $590 per month.