Marina Highs and Lows

[Dann Peacock]

close,safe and sailboat savvy

Living 2-3 mins.from a sheltered marina that caters to sailboats was a no-brainer to us. We will enjoy all the benefits that we need without all the frills that cost so much. And, the personnel are so very experienced in maintainance,etc. The costs are competitive;the services are exceptional. Happy sailing...Dann~~ _/)~~~

 

[Warren Updike]

Lucked out

Must have visited 15 marinas looking for a C25. Finally found one near home. Maryland Marina on Frog Mortor Creek, Middle River, Chesapeake, had been a Catalina dealer and had an active C25 Fleet in residence. The marina has a store with old and new Catalina parts, a well-run shop, storage yard, nice clean bath/shower facilities, and winter hard storage. The sailing slips are mostly on one side of the marina and are dedicated to only sail. They have been making numerous improvements: dredgiing, bulkheads, soon a pool. There is a restaurant on-site with outdoor "beach" dining. My Fleet mates are good people with a wealth of sailing knowledge. In short, we lucked-out.

 

[John Allison]

A Number of Reasons

There are a number of reasons why I chose my marina. Primary consideration was protection for "Whisper". I moved from my previous marina to where I am now for reasons noted below even though the cost was about 20% more. The previous marina was shared with the CG and the only way in and out was through a blind channel barely wide enough for two boats to pass (the CG 40 footer not being one of them). The marina offered absolutely no protection from Northeast to Easterly winds.....in fact to the point that two 25 footers got there masts hung together. The next consideration was proximity to where I live and work. I reside within 3/4 mile of the marina. The next was convenience (parking close to the boat, water, electricity). Two out of three aint bad ..... park next to the boat and have water (maybe next year electricity). And last, but not least is ambiance (nice setting, friendly dock mates, etc.). Security was another consideration. We do not have shower facilities, marina store, but all are within walking distance (including the bar with cooooold beer).

 

[Capt. Kimo]

Marina Selection

>What's important to you when you choose a marina?• Price, convenients, and protection from the wind. Family run marina vice a corporation with no personality or customer service. > Did you choose your present marina because it's convenient to your house or your job? Or did you drive past three marinas to get to one that's got better protection for your boat?• Dry store my boat off the lake area on a trailer for best price. Storage is on the way to the lake from my house. >Are haulout services or chandleries important?• No. Prices typically too high at the marina. Prefer West Marine, BoatUS, or Boaters world stores. Have also used marine area of K-Mart and Wal-Mart for consumaibles (oil and grease). Do own haul out on trailer. > Did a yacht club or racing group influence your decision? Or was your deal driven by dollars?• Deal driven by dollars. Start own sailing association independent of marina. > How well does your marina meet your needs, and would you make the same decision again?• Yes, even thou other marinas are more modern. Service and family atmosphere more enjoyable than corporate managed marinas.

 

[John Buckham]

Closer, better and Less Cost

About two years ago I moved my boat from a private marina to a public marina. Although the private marina was nice, it was a 19 mile drive from house to slip. Although closer to blue water, the channel was silting up and I touched bottom more than once coming in. The private marina allowed live aboards, which isn’t a bad thing at all, until a neighbors pet cat trashes your dodger by clawing it to shreds (twice!) The public marina has all of the amenities the private marina had, plus it has much better wind protection, a brand new breakwater, recently dredged channel, and is much deeper. 30 amps of power is available at the slip, rather than 20, and there is a local sailing school and yacht club. The feeling of camaraderie is much greater on the docks. It was also $30 a month cheaper.Check it out:www.coyotepointmarina.org

 

[Steve Dion]

Year round or seasonal choice!

We live in Carson City, NV. Our choice is to sail on Lake Tahoe from May (very cool) thru Sept. (can also be cool) or to leave the boat in the water year round in the California Delta.It would be nice to have the boat only 30-40 minutes away, but thinking about not having an escape is another problem. We opted for the year round option. This means that we have to drive for about 3 hours to get there but feel that it is worth it.Our marina is private and for SAILBOATS ONLY. This makes it tranquill. The security there is also very good. Don't even need to worry about locking the boat up. This makes it good for our friends that live in the area to check on it when they are down during the winter months.

 

[Mark Kiehl]

Extensive research using maps, internet, phone

I recently conducted a fairly extensive search to locate a suitable marina for my recently purchased boat. The marina criteria from most important to least important:- Sufficient depth for my draft (4.5') and ability to haul boat for winter. - Driving distance from home (< 2 hrs)- Proximity to open Chesapeake Bay area (i.e. avoiding 1 hr of motoring in/out)- CostThe best way I found to conduct this research was to first find a map book with marinas (launch ramps) located on it. I found one of these books oriented for driving/boating at a local gas station/convenience store. Using that book, I compared the marinas and a boating map of the area with depths. After narrowing down possible marinas based on depth, I looked up each marina's phone number using internet yellow page tools (Yahoo! yellow pages). Then I called them and got specifics on slip depth, hauling capability, etc. The Middle River area offers the best price and options for my needs. I found a marina located right at the mouth of the river allowing minimal motoring to get into open water for sailing.

 

[Scott Jones]

My Marina

I chose Salt pond marina for the cost and amenties. With two pools, resturant, numerous bathhouses and full floating docks This is the most affordable full service marina in the Hampton roads area.

 

[Scott]

Changed Marinas got screwed

I changed marinas from my one of 5 years to a new one under new management to cut 40 minutes out of my drive...big mistake ... in sept they closed, cut the power, disconnected their phone, a boat sank...thank god not mine...never contacted me or other renters and there was no way to contact them... got a letter yesterday theyre suing me for rent i couldnt pay them because they werent there...wish i never moved!

 

[Larry Watkins]

Marinas

Don't get me started! I'm on my third boat that needs a slip and here in Southern Cal. it ain't easy or cheap. I've been in four local marinas. All marinas in Long Beach, close to my house, are run by the city, and have lots of rules and a large staff of people who don't know diddly about boats to enforce those rules. I've found the best way to deal with problems is to go right to the top to shake things up. It's even worse down the coast in Newport Beach. Slips can average $14 a foot/month. There are cheaper private ones, but they're up the main shipping channel in a commercial harbor, the busiest in the world. I like where am now; the location is great, I can be under sail in ten minutes from the dock, the rent is reasonable for the area, with water and power included, great showers, restrooms, eateries not too far away and a great city skyline view. I only wish there was less tourist traffic and more parking, but everything is a compromise. I recently completed a long hassle with the marina regarding the size of my boat, but it was in my favor, (thanks, Doug) and I don't plan to move now.

 

[R.W.Landau]

There is only one

The State owns it.It cost me about $ 350. for a permanent mooring with 24/7 shuttle service from April 15th to Oct 31.The marina is about $800 for a 25 for the same period.Can you believe people complain about the high cost?I don't know of anything that is more reasonable in price than that.r.w.landau

 

[Susan H]

No frills required

Our marina chose us, since the previous owners of our boat recommended it and we didn't know better at the time. Now that I do know better, I would choose it over others that have more "amenities." It's small, well-maintained, has a friendly and helpful proprietor, showers, washer-dryer, ice, fresh water, shore power, it's well protected, and has a good ramp. Everything else we could possibly need is right on the way between home and the marina. We've decided against ramp launch going forward and we are moving into a slip, which is reasonably priced. We simply got lucky and there was one available when we asked for it (miraculous). It does not have, nor would I want to pay for or use, a pool, barbeques, bar, or restaurant. After all, our objective is to get away from the marina and out on the water. It is also only minutes away from one of the nicest anchorages on the middle Chesapeake; this, in fact, is our #1 reason for staying put.

 

[Dennis Cherone]

GOT LUCKY

WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST "IN THE WATER BOAT" FROM AN OUTFIT CALLED THE BOATHOUSE. THIS BROKER WAS LOCATED AT CATALINA YACHT ANCHORAGE. THEY ADVERTISED THAT THEY WOULD GET YOU A SLIP IF YOU BOUGHT A BOAT FROM THEM. WE DID AND WE WERE ASSIGNED A PERMANENT SLIP AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS. IT IS AT THE END OF THE 1800 DOCK. ONE IN FROM THE END TIE. STARTED OUT $8.15 A FOOT. IN 1990 WHEN THINGS GOT REAL BAD IT WENT DOWN TO $7.50. BEEN THERE EVER SINCE. NOT FANCY DOCKS. BUT WELL CARED FOR. HAVE POWER, WATER, AND DOCK CARTS. MOST PEOPLE NEVER GO TO THEIR BOATS SO OUR DOCK IS PRETTY QUIET EVEN IN THE SUMMER. BE THERE 13 YEARS THIS MEMORIAL DAY.

 

[Steve Cook]

Clean, safe, friendly and close to home

The Marina where I keep my P323 is in a downtown location. 15 mins. from home and 20 mins. from work. The marina is owned by the city and kept very clean.The Harbor Master or (Mistress) use to run the marina where my parent kept their boat years ago so I have known her since I was a kid (turned 40 last week).Takes about 15-20mins to motor to the lake so we are very protected by the heavy seas. Lots of resturant, bars, parks and shopping all around and the city has something going on downtown across the street from the marina every other weekend.It costs a little more than other marinas on the lake but Manasha Marina is well worth the price.Steve,s/v Rover (P323)

 

[Bill Kroll]

The Right "Boat Yard"

What was important to me was finding the right people for the right price at the boat yard. I did not want a fancy marina with the pool the store and the stuff. I wanted an unpaved lot to keep my boat, where I could work on it myself and make friends with my fellow boaters. I found that place and have been there for 9 years at the same fee. The people all do their own work and the boats get used....On a nice weekend more boats are out then tied up! I have never had a breakin and the owner is a hand shake guy and will do anything for you. It's what makes sailing both a joy and a hobby.

 

[HENRY HEATH]

Friend's recommendation!

My wife and I chose Northwest Creek Marina near New Bern, NC based on the friendly and helpful dockmaster Bud Ellis and his staff. NWCreek was recommended by a friend who has boat there and we have been there over 4 years. We have liveaboards as well as weekend warriors who are there nearly every weekend. The friendships we have developed with these boaters we hope will continue for years to come.Being 3-5 minutes from the broad sailing waters of the Neuse River and a good hurricane hole were other contributing factors in our decision.Within one-two days sail we can visit Oriental, sailing capital of North Carolina, Cape Lookout, Beaufort, Morehead City, "Blackbeard's" Ocracoke and many other coastal treasurers.If you're looking for permanent home or just a transient slip in North Carolinagive NWCreek a try.

 

[Tom]

Neighbor's Recommendation

We just bought our boat and the only available slip was at a marina that is higher than most but the place is clean and the management so far is nice. We have two neighbors there and they have nothing to say but good things. We will see how it goes this year and make a decision this fall about moving.

 

[Bob Camarena]

Very Fortunate

I'm very fortunate in that our sailing club owns its own marina. You don't have to be a member to keep your boat here, but most tenants are members. It's also exclusively a sailboat marina, another plus. The local boatyard is in the next cove.

 

[Duncan Gray]

Employees are Nice and it's Clean

We just got lucky! My wife and I are new to sailing; we took some lessons and decided to buy a boat. I went my marina looking for a sailboat, and liked the place. The people are really friendly, the service has been excellent and it is cleanest marina in the area.

 

[Bob Todd]

Personal preference...

...is what I based my choice on. We were at a real toilet of a marina. The staff was great, the price was right, but the whole place was a dump. From rickety docks to heads that you wouldn't let your dog take a dump in. A septic system that overflowed into the parking lot during the slightest rainfall. Well, my wife had had it and read me the riot act, and I was near the breaking point.We moved to a Brewer's right up the street. This wasn't an easy decision for me (being a frugal Yankee and all) but the extra dough is worth it. The facilities are clean and top-notch. The staff is the friendliest I've ever dealt with, and the 1st mate is happy as a clam at high tide.The marina is our weekend home from March until December and we want to make certain that neither we nor our visitors have to wade through sewage to get to our dock.Cheers,Bob