Anchor Outs Not Welcome?

[captain58sailin]

I have had similar experiences as Captain Bill, and some of the attitude comes from people who really don't want to be there in the first place and perhaps feel trapped. No excuse for rude behavior. As a vendor, you never know who you are talking to, and showing your backside to someone is bad business. If you cannot conduct yourself in a reasonable manner when dealing with the public, it's time to get into another line of work. Used to run fishing charters, got all kinds, most as DOJ has pointed out were benign the odd bad egg, was not bad enough to ruin my day, and I was just evil enough to find ways to torment them without them knowing. However, after 8 or 10 years of answering the same well meaning repetative questions, some really rude answers started popping up in my head, and I knew before long they would be coming out of my mouth, so I quit. Went to running in the oil field where they expect you to be crotchety and ill tempered.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by fjwiley1

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...

I have posted a review on Active Captain. I should note that my experience a couple of weeks ago was completely different when I was dealing with one of the employees. The young man was very polite and helpful. I gave him a $5 tip on a $15 bill. Too bad the owner can't take a lesson from the employee.

I don't think I noted it before but the guy turned off the water before the tank was full and said "that was 80 gallons". Of course the faucet had no meter on it so how is one to know. I only have a 100 gallon tank and it was more than 1/4 full so my 80 gallons was a worst case guess. Still charged me the $20.

[sailorboy1]

I just looked it up, the cost for municipal water in Melbourne is $4.33-$4.76 per 1000 gals. Sounds like good business to me to charge a boat $20 for 80 gal.

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by Idylles15.5

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.

O k Just ban all sailboats-then you will feel better

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by georgetheleo

O k Just ban all sailboats-then you will feel better

Hardly necessary: simply post a minimum fuel purchase. That would exclude all the cheapskates, sail, power or walking.

All this makes me glad that I don't need to traverse the ICW in my cruising.

Jim

[thinwater]

I feel referring to a group or an individual as cheap is simply rhetorically lazy and dull. It tells me anything about the person or group, only about the writer.

Services are offered for a price; you either accept or decline. There is no cheap or spender, only differencing value points. My personal value point, for example, varies greatly depending upon whether I have time spend on a project, or whether I'm on vacation with the family. Huge difference. It also depends on the attitude of the merchant; I'll pay a person who makes my day feel better.

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

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

Nor a fair wage in your view?

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by AnchorageGuy

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

Chuck, I would rather not because it isn't a public marina. It's an upscale condo complex with docks for owners' boats.

Ok, so tell us how you morphed from waterway guy to anchorageguy......

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Hardly necessary: simply post a minimum fuel purchase. That would exclude all the cheapskates, sail, power or walking.

All this makes me glad that I don't need to traverse the ICW in my cruising.

Jim

OK Jim great idea! So they post a minimum fuel purchase of say $25. Then a small sailboat with a OB needs 3 gallons- or they want to get water or buy a chart LOL-so they have to pay triple! even for fuel they don't need---Maybe it is cool that you stay in Australia with those ideas

[Coops]

3 gallons will cost nearly $25 in some marinas over here.

Coops.

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by markpierce

When I want "free" water and electricity, I pay for an overnight berth.
Free electricity?? o one mentioned that. Who and where are boaters getting "free electricity??


(Pittsburg, CA marina)

[markpierce]

Geo, you're putting words in my mouth. Berthage included the cost of water and electricity. In the future, please separate your words from mine.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by georgetheleo

OK Jim great idea! So they post a minimum fuel purchase of say $25. Then a small sailboat with a OB needs 3 gallons- or they want to get water or buy a chart LOL-so they have to pay triple! even for fuel they don't need---Maybe it is cool that you stay in Australia with those ideas

So, GTL, what is your suggestion?

If mine was followed, the small boat would see the sign and go to a different marina/fuel dock for his three gallons or his water or his chart, and the big time marina operator would not have to get nasty and crap all over the small boater as was reported above. He could sit back and wait for the gold plater to come in and spend 2500 bucks whilst having his ass kissed.

If I was the small boater I know which route I would prefer. Meanwhile, I have not run into the snotty attitude towards small fuel dock spenders that you all are describing... and yes, that has been in Oz (and NZed, and many other south Pacific cruising grounds). They actually seem glad that someone is spending any money at all with them, and don't need to kiss any asses, either.

Oh, no tips expected, either...

But this has strayed from the issue of anchor-outs being welcome or not. I support the idea that usage of marina facilities should normally be reserved for paying residents. If a non-resident wants to use some facility, prior arrangements with management can and should be made. Sneaking in is tacky IMO.

That's all for now. I need to prepare myself for the madness that descends over Hobart when the Sydney to Hobart fleet arrives.

Cheers and Merry and Happy to all

Jim

[cheoah]

Originally Posted by Coops

3 gallons will cost nearly $25 in some marinas over here.

Coops.

saw that coming....

Like I said, I'm the guy pulling up to the dock for three squirts of diesel, some water and a pumpout, but...........

in business, I need each point of sale to be worthwhile. My friends sell their products at the farmers market little by little, a pound here, and a pound there. I don't even sell a pound of anything, it isn't really worth my time - at all. It just doesn't pencil out in my business to do lots of little points of sale.

I suspect the big boats cover the little boats, and if everyone is conscientious, no big deal. A marina would have to be very comfortable with its big business to start to turn away the little guys. I just don't like being lumped in with the freeloaders though, any more than Bill does. The marina owner, in fairness to his moody a$$, has probably been pushed one too many times by sea gypsies. Still no excuse, but no mystery either. Glad you reviewed in Active Captain Bill. Send him an email with the link. When the small boat business disappears, he can reevaluate his business model.

Coops, you Aussies need some more skin in the game anyway. we need your assistance on the global scene to keep the oil flowing

Happy summer to ya!

[markpierce]

Haven't experienced any disdain purchasing $400 to $600 of diesel at a time. When I had a sailboat, however, filled a two-gallon tank filled at a local gas station. ... Regardless, fuel docks here sell more gasoline than diesel, so what's wrong with your fuel dealers? ... My marina advised it picked up twenty-seven truck loads of garbage and debris such as microwave ovens, refrigerators, and steps from a portion of the marina.