Marina Restrictions on Boat Use?
- Thread starter Kings Gambit
- Start date
It’s hard to discover the reasons for some of the rules which may seem arbitrary. For example, if my house (home address) is in Long Beach, and my job is there as well, but the boat is in, say, Ventura, then why would I or anybody else in a similar situation be seen as a potential sneak-aboard/illegal live-aboard? If I take a two-week vacation to my boat, I may get only a few days in the slip; but, if a transient comes in from northern CA he can be end-tied for two weeks while staying aboard.
Is it all about rate differences? The difference between nightly transient rate and monthly slip?
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All the marinas in the SF Bay charge overnighters except those marinas owned by yacht clubs and they offer generally offer 2 - 3 nights free.
Maybe you should move to Holiday, then! They didn't nickel and dime me here at all (unlike my Alamitos Bay experience recounted in my earlier post). I have an Ericson 26 and so pay for a 26 footer. They have not taken a tape measure to it as far as I know.
The situation in the LB municipal marinas, including ABM, is now different from many others. You are not actually charged by the foot if you’re a permittee for a slip. You are charged by the size of the slip, its area. My boat measures 40’ 1” by the marina’s tape. That “qualifies” me for a 40’ slip. But if I sold the Bavaria and bought a 42’ boat, I could put it in my slip and not pay more. It’s still a 40’ slip that can take up to 44’ 11”.
“Per-foot” pricing makes sense to me only at a long dock. Access to a 75-ft long dock, for example, simply must be priced by the total number of feet that a boat actually occupies, including with its “overhangs”. These physical structures deny other boats use of that space even if only an anchor hanging on a roller at bow rather than a full bow sprit. It adds up. A 44-ft yacht (LOA including overhangs) at a long dock should pay more than a 40-ft yacht as it is consuming more of the available space. But I don’t see why a boat in a slip that only it occupies should pay more if 44 ft than if 40 ft, or if it has a few inches of overhang but still within the confines of the slip. Where’s the logic? No matter what, you cannot squeeze in another few feet of boat. No one is being denied access due to the overall length, etc. I think this is another example of: “Well, that’s the way we’ve always done it (but we have no idea of why).” Even if the origin of “always” dates to the days of sail when commercial vessels tied to long docks; nobody had a “slip.”
The downside is that if you are 38 ft, and normally would go into a “35 ft” slip, but there are none available, you might have to go into a 40-ft slip and pay the full Monty on that one.
“Per-foot” pricing makes sense to me only at a long dock. Access to a 75-ft long dock, for example, simply must be priced by the total number of feet that a boat actually occupies, including with its “overhangs”. These physical structures deny other boats use of that space even if only an anchor hanging on a roller at bow rather than a full bow sprit. It adds up. A 44-ft yacht (LOA including overhangs) at a long dock should pay more than a 40-ft yacht as it is consuming more of the available space. But I don’t see why a boat in a slip that only it occupies should pay more if 44 ft than if 40 ft, or if it has a few inches of overhang but still within the confines of the slip. Where’s the logic? No matter what, you cannot squeeze in another few feet of boat. No one is being denied access due to the overall length, etc. I think this is another example of: “Well, that’s the way we’ve always done it (but we have no idea of why).” Even if the origin of “always” dates to the days of sail when commercial vessels tied to long docks; nobody had a “slip.”
The downside is that if you are 38 ft, and normally would go into a “35 ft” slip, but there are none available, you might have to go into a 40-ft slip and pay the full Monty on that one.
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Sounds like their policy has changed since I was there. Back in the late 90's, it was the size of the boat or the size of the slip, whichever was greater. Plus, any amount over an even foot--even one inch over--was rounded up to the next whole foot.
That’s about the way it was at Shoreline Marina as well, 20 yr ago. Hard to believe sitting here citing situations of 20 yr ago.
Clearly, there has been “progress.”
With the advent of the big cats I can understand why some marinas want to go to square footage pricing.
Every marina or storage facility I've ever been in charges by length. None has, so far as I know, ever measured my boat. Every one has accepted the length I supply on the contract - and believe me I have never included bow rail , anchor or stern appendages. I just used the manufacturers published length. I.E. Ranger 29 = 29'
Every marina or storage facility I've ever been in charges by length. None has, so far as I know, ever measured my boat. Every one has accepted the length I supply on the contract - and believe me I have never included bow rail , anchor or stern appendages. I just used the manufacturers published length. I.E. Ranger 29 = 29'
Sometimes it can cut both ways. Dive cleaning also charges by the foot according to the model’s length, even though the waterline length is the relevant metric. I get charged for cleaning 38 ft with only 32 ft of actual waterline. But, I suppose they must consider the actual bottom surface to scrub. There’s no “winning” allowed with sail boats.
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