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markpierce · 22-12-2013, 19:56

When I want "free" water and electricity, I pay for an overnight berth.

(Pittsburg, CA marina)

Idylles15.5 · 22-12-2013, 20:20

Once again a thread gets turned around. I'm not bitter at all. I sail all over the place. My family had a home in Antigua for thirty years and sailed down there for years as well. I was trying to give the perspective of the owner. Also this thing about the trash. The dumpster at our place is filled to max capacity every day. There is also restaurant on the premises which needs that dumpster. So don't think a bunch of people running up bags to the dumpster in ice carts doesn't add up. I'm not on anybody's side, but lets be honest. A sail boat is a lot cheaper to operate then a power boat, so some ( SOME) people who are aren't as well off choose a sailboat to live on or cruise on, because it is cheaper to operate. We have all been to the BVI's and see the boats that don't look like the owner washed it in ten years. I'm sure this post will get twisted too.

Idylles15.5 · 22-12-2013, 20:47

Just wanted to clarify what my original point was, which was lost due to the duck guy. A power boat filling up hundreds of gallons or even a hundred takes some time. So they are usually filling up long enough where there is plenty of time to fill the water tanks and dump the garbage. (we don't charge for either). The sailboats on the other hand, take only a few gallons, so they are done fueling in a couple of minutes, but then stay to take on water for 15 to twenty minutes and then dump garbage. Like I said we don't charge to dump garbage or for water, but in a 250 slip marina, in Manhasset Bay, where the private water authority isn't cheap, the water bill adds up. So times thousands of gallons of water each summer, compared to a tiny amount of fuel per sailboat, you can see why the marina owners are not fond of some sailboats. That was my point. Mr Duck guy, who just joined this month, if you want to twist this too go ahead I'm done.

Horror Hotel · 23-12-2013, 04:49

I have nothing to twist, you make some valid points. You're first post seemed to single out sailboats as cheapskates. If I only needed $30 of fuel I would use a jerry jug and take the dink. Yes I'm sure there are some super cheap sailors who are at the extreme end of things like this, but many of us are not. Also I have been here for many years it's the art of not being seen and Mr duck guy is a fitting name as I really, really have a thing for diesel ducks.

Captain Bill · 23-12-2013, 07:48

I would just like to address a few issues raised here.

1: I couldn't rent a slip from the guy even if I wanted to as he does not have any wide enough for my boat. The only T dock he has is the fuel dock.

2. There were no boats waiting to access the fuel dock. If they all had my experience I'm not surprised.

3. The five dollar charge 3 weeks ago for water and trash suddenly became $20. I think we all know he pulled that number out of his butt when he put the burr in. I never asked for anything free.

4. I can't be cheating him out of payment for a service he cannot offer to me. If he wants paid for a service he needs to offer it. If he wants Catamarans to pay for a slip he needs to put one in that can accomodate one.

cheoah · 23-12-2013, 08:25

Bill, sounds like this guy just got his hackles up about being questioned about his pricing. You're clearly not the guy he should be directing his frustrations toward, with the boat he can't accommodate, 'cept for the fuel he sold you. Nonetheless, it is easy to get frustrated when people question your pricing.

In my business, I usually smile and ask people how much money they want me to lose? If the guy has set pricing that he needs to make his business work, he just needs to stand behind it politely. Customers have a choice.

Businesses do have to make choices about who they can serve, and what customers they really want. I'm also the guy pulling up for a squirt of diesel, a $10 pumpout, and some water and trash service. Realizing I'm not much of a customer, I try to be strategic about my dock time and not get in the way or slow things down. I don't really expect the same service as the guy with the big trawler.

I think this guy has essentially made one of these choices, and given you preferred customer status. (we prefer you go elsewhere). I think he has basically said, "I can't or don't want to serve you"; just not in a friendly way. Take your business elsewhere Bill, and hope they want your money.

I'm in no way defending this guy, it never pays to rant to your customers. If I were him, I would have honored the same price as last time, but explained that next time it would be at the increased rate because of overhead, or whatever. When you set your pricing, it is good to have a reason for it. If you think it through, and are confident about it, then you can stand behind the increase and explain it to the customer and they can take it or leave it. Sounds like a pretty reactive kind of guy, so that's all neither here nor there.

Hopefully there is another convenient place with friendly people.

Happy Holidays-

David_Old_Jersey · 23-12-2013, 08:29

IMO no such thing as a "Pretty good profit" (or a "fair" profit).

The selling price has no direct relationship to cost.

There be only as much as you can get (and that figure will also vary depending on whether looking to the short or long term - one of my (many!) mistakes in life has been a tendency to look at the long term too much

)......and if that figure is not enough to be worth the time and effort then you don't even bother offering.

My bet is that the charge is as much about deterring those who would not even buy fuel and would be blocking a spot for more valuable customers........or at least making the place look untidy

. Likely you just fell down the cracks in that business decision

. Can't keep every punter happy - a waste of time even trying!

FWIW, over here the water comes out of the dockside hosepipes for free. But that's socialism for ya

.

marlinmike · 23-12-2013, 08:42

Marina's would never survive selling very basic services to sailors, the overhead to operate is extremely high, just the way it is today, from taxes to insurance, having a sailboat show up and hand you ten bucks means nothing to them, his $20 charge for water was nothing more then "I don't want you here". Right or wrong those are the facts. If you want solitude and live off the sea, great, but don't expect other factilities to cover your showers and water supplies.

AnchorageGuy · 23-12-2013, 08:46

The marinas in Melbourne have been known for their dislike of boats anchored out for quite a while. They started by denying dinghy landing to everyone, after some had charged for the service, then later cancel it. This has been up and down over the years and I suppose sometimes it depends on how bad a day the owner or dockmaster has had. The best response is to go elsewhere. There are lots of options in the area if you choose to anchor out instead of taking a slip and also lots of options for fuel, etc. Chuck

onestepcsy37 · 23-12-2013, 09:04

and now for a nice marina story.

we were anchored out for a week, waiting on weather, across the icw from a condo/marina complex in central florida. the admiral was getting antsy about the pile of laundry building up, so we decided to find a Laundromat. there was nothing around except this complex that was even remotely in walking distance. so we dumped the laundry in the dinghy and went over to it.

we couldn't find a dinghy dock so we just tied up near what appeared to be the office, although there was nobody there. we walked around a bit until we encountered what appeared to be a 'dockmaster', only because he was wearing yachtie whites. we explained our mission to him. he was greatly accommodating, pointing to the coin laundry and inviting us to use the community room to hang out at while our laundry was being done. we had tv, magazines, and free coffee, and spent the next two hours talking sea stories and travel with him and whoever else wandered in.

when we left, we tipped him $5, although we had probably drunk $5 worth of coffee. I thought about the days events afterwards. why had we been so successful? I think it's because we looked like ordinary people, acted like ordinary people, were soft spoken and accommodating, and made no special requests of him. I can't say for sure that someone else would not have had the same treatment, but I've often said that the initial approach is everything. all you want to know about someone you can learn in the first 15 seconds you meet them....

David_Old_Jersey · 23-12-2013, 09:23

IME within the service sector dealing with the buying public.....

0.5% will really make yer day

and provide the top up needed to keep going with the rest......

94% are essentially harmless enough and you only have to pretend to like them to keep 'em sweet

. But nonetheless each encounter steals some of yer life force......

5% are hardwork / impolite / deluded (and strangely are unable to deal with that being reciprocated

).

0.5% are a complete PITA with unrealistic expectations and / or mental illnesses. Some of those get buried out back

.

AnchorageGuy · 23-12-2013, 10:16

onestepcsy37, Why not name the marina? It's always good to know who the good guys are as well as the not so good. Chuck

fjwiley1 · 23-12-2013, 10:31

Capt Bill, thus far 27 different post by potential customers of that marina have made a decision....he lost their business,,,,now if it gets posted on Active Captain....Oh well...how being unprofessional can cost...

Capt.Alex · 23-12-2013, 10:45

The dockmaster should be very careful who he runs off. I am willing to bet I am not the only recreational sailor whose day job is captain a large motor yacht. I have stoppped at MHM on the motor yacht and been treated very well. If he gave me the cold shoulder on my sailboat on my weekend off, I would not return when the big boat needs 2000 gallons of diesel and a slip for the week.