Moorage Madness

Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
In Northern Illinois (Waukegan) slip fees range from 1400-2200 for a 25'

At Montrose Harbor in Chicago a slip will run you 3000 for one of the very few 25' slips and 4000 for a 30' slip. I believe customers recieve a power bill at the end of the season. Moorings and floating star docks run about 1900 for non-residents plus 125 for dinghy storage. The marinas closer to downtown are more expensive

You can find a slip with no amenities at Sunset Bay Marina on the Calument River for $600. Lake Calumet was a superfund site that required hazmat suits and oxygen tanks during clean up. No Thanks!

Haul out and storage usually costs 900-1200 from a typical marine service provider. I managed to find storage 1.5 hours away for $100 for the entire winter.

In Michigan City, IN slips are 800 with no power/water at Sprauge Point - Must motor a mile down a river and deal with two bridges
On the other side of the river is Trail Creek Marina. I believe slips with power and water are 1400-1800 - Also must deal with river/bridges
They also have a marina right on the lake which will run about 2200 for a 25' slip
Storage and haul out is 675. Storage on a trailer is 375 I believe. $10 for ramp fees or $0 for residents
 

DArcy

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Feb 11, 2017
1,690
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
There seems to be an incredible range of prices for slip fees. It looks like I'm somewhere in the middle, we just had a 7% hike this year. My slip is CDN$2,633 for the year including electricity and winter storage.
 

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
There seems to be an incredible range of prices for slip fees. It looks like I'm somewhere in the middle, we just had a 7% hike this year. My slip is CDN$2,633 for the year including electricity and winter storage.
Yes. Municipal moorings and member owned yacht clubs are typically reasonable in price. Private marinas, not so much. When we are cruising, we will search for municipal marinas when we need a slip, since the fees are usually not too bad. Sometimes, though, the names of the marinas can be misleading. The "municipal" marina in Atlantic City, named after a governor or some such, turned out to be attached to the Trump tower, and was not cheap. On our next trip, we found the Atlantic City "city" marina, which was about $1 per foot for the night. Of course, the amenities were very basic, but that was okay with us.
In Charleston, we researched the Charleston City Marina, but the fees were high, and we realized it is actually a private marina. The Charleston Municipal Marina, however is run by the city and is priced reasonably. The staff here was very helpful, and the service was excellent.
 
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Mar 26, 2011
3,399
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
$100/mo for 25 years, increasing to $125/mo. last year. Power and water included, but no amenities. 20' x 45', but not very deep. I stay in all winter, sailing every few weeks on nice days.

They are replacing dock boards this winter.
 
Jan 5, 2017
2,263
Beneteau First 38 Lyall Harbour Saturna Island
We pay $178/month(Cdn) for the 6 or 7 months we are home in the winter. No charge all summer while we're out sailing. Dock is only 1 1/2 miles from home so it's easy to get down to do winter projects.
 
Sep 25, 2018
258
Catalina Capri 22 Capri EXPO 14.2 1282 Stony Point
$1,700 a year with power, water and a swimming pool I never use. The slip can accommodate a 30 foot boat, mine is 22'. However, at extreme low tide I only have 2 feet of water. My draft is 2' 8" so the keel sits in mud. Only once was I left out in the Hudson River waiting along with a half dozen power boats for thr tide to come in enough to get to the dock. Oh well, just went sailing for a few more hours. When I came back I got into the slip under full power and finally using me winch to pull the boat for the last 5 feet. The wing keel did plow into the bottom the first try. I just wiggled it out in reverse and it un-dug itself for that extra 2 hours sailing i didn't plan on. It was dark when I finally got it and got to see that my lights worked. I am truly a day sailor, never out in the dark. On the Hudson, there are too many yahoo power boaters day and night with those out at night often under the influence.
 
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Jul 1, 2014
252
Hunter 34 Seattle
I’m at the mercy of Port of Seattle who see marinas as a profit center. They raise the rates every year like clockwork, 8% the last few years. Only 5% this year so I should be happy, lol. Brings it to $600/mo for a 36’ slip. I will be moving when I retire next year.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Yes @Charlie98117. I am a bit upset with your pricing. Every year you go up, Everett feels left out and has to follow the trend, like a lemming progression. Or 36 ft slip is running nearly $400 a month (all included taxes, lease fees, power etc.) It makes a person wonder what will happen in the future.

Could you put in a request to stop this madness?
 
Jul 1, 2014
252
Hunter 34 Seattle
Ha @jssailem, I know. Every year I get a letter that says they’ve surveyed local rates and adjusted accordingly. Don’t understand how a survey that says you’re the most expensive marina in the area justifies raising the rates. May be moving to Poulsbo or Bellingham.
 
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MitchM

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Jan 20, 2005
1,011
Nauticat 321 pilothouse 32 Erie PA
the state of PA holds its state park marina tenants hostage for $1600 a season for slip w electric. for that you get a haul in and a haul out if the state employees are available, no security gates , and any fisherman who wants to fish 2 ft behind your boat or in your slip throwing lines hooking into your canvas 7 days a week. by comparison, the yacht clubs are at $1400 and have security gates and courteous staff. .
 
Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
wow some of the prices are incredible. My city marina charges me $168 a month, which includes electric and has locked gates on the docks, with a day room, kitchen faciilities, showers and washer dryer.. Floating docks

at-the-dock.jpg
 
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Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
In the USVI a liveaboard mooring costs you $15/foot for the year. The hard part is getting them legal. The local agency, Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR), has a messed up fee schedule. If you are there longer than 14 days you are supposed to get an anchoring permit at $2/foot per month. So they made more money on anchoring permits if people get them every month. As a result the default state is they never approve mooring permits and people will either never get anchoring permits or just get them a few times a year. The fine is $50 for not having a permit. So people install illegal moorings that never get permitted. We had our mooring for 3 years before I finally got DPNR to issue a permit with me harassing them every other month or more.

The other odd part is that the mooring belongs to the boat. So if you sell the boat you have to either include the mooring or start all over again trying to get your new boat permitted.
Our experience in the USVI is entirely different from this. We bought our mooring from another boater. The only relationship between the boat and the mooring is the cost you pay annually. If you sell or move your boat, you can sell your mooring or not. But, to keep it your permit, you have to register a boat on it. I’m not aware of any unregistered moorings, at least in St. Croix. We bought our mooring from another boater before we sailed our boat down here. Registration was straightforward. They are mostly interested in collecting the fees.
 
Oct 2, 2008
3,807
Pearson/ 530 Strafford, NH
I’m trying to sale my mooring in Falmouth, Maine. The marina said the 800 lb. mushroom is only worth a few hundred, the chain is due to be replaced (Three year rule). We paid mooring fees, a few more, every year to the town and annual maintenance to the marina (One boat buck).
 
Sep 15, 2013
707
Catalina 270 Baltimore
A 30 foot slip in an urban marina costs me 4K per year. I consider that high but the marina was just rebuilt and it is across the street from me so convenience is a huge factor.
 
Apr 8, 2010
1,942
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
A 30 foot slip in an urban marina costs me 4K per year. I consider that high but the marina was just rebuilt and it is across the street from me so convenience is a huge factor.
That's high, IMHO, but there is a "full service" yacht club down the street from us that charges approx. 3 times the $500./Quarter that I pay. Yikes.
Sometimes I wonder if owners of light aircraft have the same problems finding affordable hanger space? :)