Moorage Madness

[Phil Herring]

How has the increased value of real estate, higher insurance premiums, and more frequent storm repair changed the cost of your moorage?

Quote some numbers and some history, let's see if the trend is what we might suspect.

 

[sail sfbay]

55 ft two finger berth at Emery Cove Yacht Harbor (across the bay from San Francisco) leases for $696 per month since November 2020.
47 ft two finger slip at Boardwalk Port in Point Richmond (across the bay from Tiburon) rents for $600/month since May 2021 after a 4% increase.

 

[kappykaplan]

$2220/year for my 37' since 2008.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

$2220/year for my 37' since 2008.

I saw your moorage and suddenly felt ill .

 

[kappykaplan]

I saw your moorage and suddenly felt ill .

Just did the conversion to US $$$ (4x for my 37'). The costs you posted made me ill!

 

[jssailem]

When I first moored my boat in Everett, WA the 2015 costs were $338/mo all fees, taxes, and Elec.

It feels that there has been a rush among the marinas WA to be the facility that sucks the most $$$ out of the residents. Everett WA, now one of the largest on the west coast has reduced the services they provide (i.e. only 29 days of free continuous parking while expecting 365 days of moorage fees), and upped their fees to $428/mo all fees, taxes, plus elec usage (about $35 in winter)

This is a 4% annual inflationary increase.

 

[jeepbluetj]

Dana Point, CA. Owned by the County of Orange, a few years ago had a change in management companies to a "public/private partnership" which loosely translates to "The county gave this to some developers so they can make as much $$$ as possible from public land"

Sure, they're promising a redevelopment. But that's gonna end up total BS (IMHO). Slip fees were just increased, some slips saw a 90% increase. 2nd increase in 3 years. Dana wasn't cheap to start with. They also added the "extra cost per foot" fee (which is odd, as an extra foot of boat doesn't cost them any extra)

The docks are literally falling apart - the solution? They cover the crumbling docks with plywood. The wiring is terribly unsafe - undersized, no GFIs. The restrooms are awful, the parking gates fail often, and that's it for amenities. I can smell that they're going to start using the boater parking for paid parking as soon as they think they can get away with it.

If you saw what kappykaplan pays per year... This is per month at Dana Point:

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

At last ................... someone who pays more than I do and IN U.S. $$$ .

Why do many marinas quote moorage by the month when you moor your boat by the year ?

 

[arf145]

Why do many marinas quote moorage by the month when you moor your boat by the year ?

Less painful looking number!

 

[Rick D]

SoCal monthly rates for 40' Long Beach municipal slip downtown
2005: $370
2021: $733 = +98% over 16 years
Catalina Island yearly Cat Harbor mooring (rented while not occupied; rental income to Island Company)
2000: $1286
2022: $2970 = +131% over 22 years
Seems like a lot although it's really 6% a year, but compared to an overall inflation rate of just over 2%, it is high.

 

[TomY]

Not dockage (there is none in our harbor). Our mooring fee is $100 per season and I don't think the rate has changed in 20 years. I guess this is the beauty of town owned water access. The rising cost of most everything is covered mostly by the taxpayer (we res. rec boaters) as the access is public.

Boaters aren't hit hard thanks partly to the fishing community which also uses the access.

We buy and own this equipment; granite block and tackle. The cost of maintaining this equipment has risen as have all services and labor rates.

On shore, costs of everything - especially housing - have risen dramatically (especially in the last 1-2 yrs). I can't see how a privately owned marina cannot raise it's rates to keep up with present rising costs.

 

[FastOlson]

This thread might inadvertently increase interest in yacht club memberships!
We have been in a YC that owns the upland property and was/ is built and maintained by volunteer members. Our overall
costs are geared to inflation, but have risen only slowly for the last 20 years.
I pay approx $2K per year, billed quarterly. Everything including moorage. Total, 100%.

We have all concrete docks, with new electrical service, now all GFCI to 30 amp outlets. Wifi that covers most of the moorage.
Our fire standpipes meet code and are tested yearly.

Only downside is that we do accumulate some sand (we are sited by a river bank) and so operate our own dredge a couple of months each year in the late fall. We operate our dredge with a good sized crew of volunteers.
Obviously, we attract DIY and hands-on members, rather the the blue blazer & white ducks crowd at many larger clubs....
We have a clubhouse, but do *not* have a restaurant or bar, however!

 

[jssailem]

I can't see how a privately owned marina cannot raise it's rates to keep up with present rising costs.

I can understand this idea.. If a private facility is to maintain the service it provides, with the rising cost of taxes, employment, etc. there must be an increase in rents. But what of a City owned system. One that reduces the benefits to the public, but increases the rates to the renters. One that pays no taxes yet charges more in taxes, due to the increase in rent. Here in is the conundrum.

One that you agree to participate in until the utility provided causes you to stop.

 

[patbratton]

Safe Harbor - Aqualand Marina, Lake Lanier Georgia, 30 ft shared slip, $3,100 a year. A 26 foot slip is $2,200.

 

[DayDreamer41]

I look at some of these posting related to boat mooring/slip fees and all I can say is WOW.
Our club provides a very nice (2) story club house, second floor is a banquet room for members, lower floor has a full commercial kitchen, bar and medium size gather room. The Club is a cooperative with no paid employees, no restaurant but members do Friday night feeds whereby a member and usually their significant other will cook up their specialty and charge about $5.00 for a plate. Dockage has a base fee depending on boat length for our 41 ft its $550, your first year of membership the docking fee is base rate x 200%, each subsequent year the rate goes down by 10% so after 10 years your docking fee is what your base rate is, for us its $550 + membership dues.
I believe that we have approximately 120 slips and some 350 members, of course not all members own boats.

 

[smokey73]

Dockage has a base fee depending on boat length for our 41 ft its $550, your first year of membership the docking fee is base rate x 200%, each subsequent year the rate goes down by 10% so after 10 years your docking fee is what your base rate is, for us its $550 + membership dues.

Is that a base rate of $550/month for your 41 foot or $550 annual? What are the membership dues? Just curious.

At our Yacht & Sailing Club we have an 150 foot T head dock and inside piers but no tieup at the dock other than courtesy docking overnight for early departure/late arrival and occasional work that has to be performed at the dock. Limited 30 Amp service is available at no charge. The club provides 2 skiffs with 25 hp motors for "tenders" to get to and from the moorings (14 total moorings) and a yard hand will take you out/back between 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Our club membership is $1200 per year and the heavy moorings (10,000 lb blocks) are an additional $1400/year and include everything from the ball to the block and are inspected 2 times per year and tackle replaced every 3 to 4 years or so. For my 40 ft boat it comes to $216.66 per month total cost. Members do most of the routine upkeep and maintenance/yard work and get credit up to $200/year for 20 hours of work.

We have a casual club with a very nice club house, volunteer tended bar and full kitchen. We have Friday Night "pot lucks" and once a month "steak night" with the best steak in town, plus other special social activities (trivia night, pool aerobics, card clubs) and an active youth sailing program. We also have a large salt water pool, tennis courts, bocce ball court, playground and boat/trailer yard with a launch ramp. We have a paid manager plus two "yard hands" as well as a paid social director. I don't know how many members total but we have a very large boat parking area and a lot of members who have joined just for the tennis courts and salt water pool. We also host weddings and other events for a fee which helps keep our member costs down as well as an active "paid kids summer camp program."

 

[DayDreamer41]

Is that a base rate of $550/month for your 41 foot or $550 annual? What are the membership dues? Just curious.

Docking fee is annual, dues are $500/yr each slip has potable water and a 30 amp service provided with the docking fee.

 

[smokey73]

Docking fee is annual, dues are $500/yr each slip has potable water and a 30 amp service provided with the docking fee.

That is a real bargin. Do you haul our boat for the winter? How many months is it in the water?

 

[seanmadian]

Hi all -- Not sure if I feel better or worse after reading.... We pay $1k/mo at Elliott Bay Marina (north end of Seattle's Elliott Bay) inclusive of electricity. Parking is unlimited and the facility/services are really good.

Sean & Lori

 

[DayDreamer41]

That is a real bargin. Do you haul our boat for the winter? How many months is it in the water?

If you choose to pull the boat with the club it only cost about $200 (club co ops a crane and the cost is shared), with no storage fee, but, you have to step the mast and I would either need a cradle or stands.
The club does have a nice jib crane set up for mast stepping, the jib crane has a 1T capacity and the crane has a 5T capacity, the crane is used to launch (1) design boats for regattas.
I keep our Sapphire across the river with the mast up, they provide the stands, I usually launch the end of April and pull the end of October.