Yikes, No Slips!

Steelshooter · 27-09-2009, 10:20

This is my first post here and I hope it's in the right place.

My wife and I decided it was time to make the leap and buy our first sailboat, a Catalina 30. We love the boat and we are doing fairly well learning to sail. We think that this is something that we will enjoy for a lifetime.

One thing that we never considered was being able to find a slip in our area. I guess we just thought that there had to be something available, after all this is Michigan, the Great Lake State. Yea right. Our boat is now moored in a slip that is a 3 and a half hour drive away and belongs to the previous owners who will be using it in the spring. We were hoping to have it close to home come springtime but we can't find any slips available. We live in the Traverse City area and every place we call tells us that they can put us on a waiting list which in Traverse City is 7 years long. The shortest list we have found is an hour away and is still a 2 year long list.

So here we sit, new boat and no place to put it.

Anyone have any ideas?

Cheechako · 27-09-2009, 10:25

I've found that actual waiting times are often much shorter then thepredicted wait up here in the PNW. (when they call people who signed up 2 years ago they either sold their boat, got a slip somewhere else etc alot of the time) The other possiblility is, do the marinas allow someone who has a slip to sublet it up to 6 months a year? Up here some do. I lived abord for 3 years subletting in the same marina...had to move slips every 3-5 months but that wasnt really a hassle...

Steelshooter · 27-09-2009, 13:00

I sure hope you're right because come spring I'm the owner of one expensive paperweight.

k2kamahele · 01-10-2009, 10:02

I loved spending time with the boat in Traverse City 3 years ago...I can see why it would take time to get a slip! I met people there traveling all the way from Illiinois who kept their boats in cool spots like Suttons Bay, so competition is tough, mainly because it is such great sailing there.
I was on the waiting list for years where I am now on Green Bay, started to think it was like Packer tickets, you have wait for someone to die or be
3rd generation native, but my time came and now that we have our "ideal" spot, I am antsy to move the boat south...go figure!
The good news is you don't have to despair in the meantime. When the boat is farther away or at a marina that isn't ideal, you block more time and actually stay on it, and it is conducive to taking longer trips. While it may be a disappointment not to have it for sunset sails, a lot of people around here think nothing of driving 3 hours to their summer cottages in the woods for a weekend, so why not a sailboat? When we kept our boat on Lake Michigan rather than on the bay, I managed to get most of our friends and family seasick, so I no longer have to worry about entertaining guests, and we have the boat all to ourselves now

.

If you can afford it, staying as a transient and moving around every 2 weeks might also be doable, if a bit of a pain.

I'm sure if you look farther north there will be spots to put your boat. You might have to go as far as St. Ignace...but I remember they had a beautiful but almost empty marina!

k2

talus · 01-10-2009, 10:11

I agree with Cheechako, up in the PNW the whole "slip thing" is a bit of a joke. We had friends just buy a 37'er and get a slip within a week.

Marina's keep lists of (wannabe) boat owners that are looking for slips. When a slip comes up the marina starts going down the list calling prospective renters. Most (all?) don't have boats yet so they tell the marina they will get back to them or pass on the slip.

Those that have boats and keep calling the marina's tend to get in when the slip opens up. In our friends case, the marina was just happy not to have to go down the whole list calling people again.

Not saying it's the same where you are, just that it's how the game is played around here.

newt · 01-10-2009, 10:50

Anchor out. (if possible) Buoys (if available) Haul out during winter. Cheaper and more fun.

Solitude · 01-10-2009, 11:45

Ok. Your in a pickle.

I would call the marine and Kiss *ss. Talus is right they always give you a line about wait lists and given there are some long lists. But if you call back to them often and be very nice.... they usually can find something for you.

If not find yourself a nice mooring spot, purchase a cheap old hard dinghy to leave on the shore. Drop a mooring and save yourself thousands per year!

MikeinLA · 02-10-2009, 01:16

I've found in the past that regular (daily) personal visits to the dockmaster at various marinas will get you in faster than anything else. Be nice and friendly, not pushy. People like to do favors for people they like. Also, take them a snapshot of your new boat. Dockmasters will often give preference to boats that will make their docks look better. Out here in Cali, the real estate market is apparently causing many people to get out of boating. I am in the process of changing slips and found that every marina in Marina del Rey has slips available. I ended up getting a new slip at a price less than when I moved to my current slip 6 years ago. Yikes! Good Luck,

Mike

27-09-2009, 10:20	#1
Steelshooter Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Northern Michigan Boat: Catalina 30 Posts: 14	Yikes, No Slips! This is my first post here and I hope it's in the right place. My wife and I decided it was time to make the leap and buy our first sailboat, a Catalina 30. We love the boat and we are doing fairly well learning to sail. We think that this is something that we will enjoy for a lifetime. One thing that we never considered was being able to find a slip in our area. I guess we just thought that there had to be something available, after all this is Michigan, the Great Lake State. Yea right. Our boat is now moored in a slip that is a 3 and a half hour drive away and belongs to the previous owners who will be using it in the spring. We were hoping to have it close to home come springtime but we can't find any slips available. We live in the Traverse City area and every place we call tells us that they can put us on a waiting list which in Traverse City is 7 years long. The shortest list we have found is an hour away and is still a 2 year long list. So here we sit, new boat and no place to put it. Anyone have any ideas?

01-10-2009, 10:02	#4
k2kamahele Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: green bay wisconsin Boat: Dufour 36 Classic kamahele Posts: 10	be patient I loved spending time with the boat in Traverse City 3 years ago...I can see why it would take time to get a slip! I met people there traveling all the way from Illiinois who kept their boats in cool spots like Suttons Bay, so competition is tough, mainly because it is such great sailing there. I was on the waiting list for years where I am now on Green Bay, started to think it was like Packer tickets, you have wait for someone to die or be 3rd generation native, but my time came and now that we have our "ideal" spot, I am antsy to move the boat south...go figure! The good news is you don't have to despair in the meantime. When the boat is farther away or at a marina that isn't ideal, you block more time and actually stay on it, and it is conducive to taking longer trips. While it may be a disappointment not to have it for sunset sails, a lot of people around here think nothing of driving 3 hours to their summer cottages in the woods for a weekend, so why not a sailboat? When we kept our boat on Lake Michigan rather than on the bay, I managed to get most of our friends and family seasick, so I no longer have to worry about entertaining guests, and we have the boat all to ourselves now . If you can afford it, staying as a transient and moving around every 2 weeks might also be doable, if a bit of a pain. I'm sure if you look farther north there will be spots to put your boat. You might have to go as far as St. Ignace...but I remember they had a beautiful but almost empty marina! k2 Last edited by k2kamahele; 01-10-2009 at 10:09. Reason: reread original post and had wrong stuff written

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27-09-2009, 10:25	#2
Cheechako Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Skagit City, WA Boat: Fellippi 32 Posts: 2,205	I've found that actual waiting times are often much shorter then thepredicted wait up here in the PNW. (when they call people who signed up 2 years ago they either sold their boat, got a slip somewhere else etc alot of the time) The other possiblility is, do the marinas allow someone who has a slip to sublet it up to 6 months a year? Up here some do. I lived abord for 3 years subletting in the same marina...had to move slips every 3-5 months but that wasnt really a hassle...

27-09-2009, 13:00	#3
Steelshooter Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Northern Michigan Boat: Catalina 30 Posts: 14	I sure hope you're right because come spring I'm the owner of one expensive paperweight.

01-10-2009, 10:11	#5
talus Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: WCVI Boat: Edel 665 (makes it sound HUGE), and Ericson 32T (when we can). Posts: 65	I agree with Cheechako, up in the PNW the whole "slip thing" is a bit of a joke. We had friends just buy a 37'er and get a slip within a week. Marina's keep lists of (wannabe) boat owners that are looking for slips. When a slip comes up the marina starts going down the list calling prospective renters. Most (all?) don't have boats yet so they tell the marina they will get back to them or pass on the slip. Those that have boats and keep calling the marina's tend to get in when the slip opens up. In our friends case, the marina was just happy not to have to go down the whole list calling people again. Not saying it's the same where you are, just that it's how the game is played around here.

01-10-2009, 10:50	#6
newt Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Layton, Utah Boat: Valiant 40, Compac 23 Posts: 265	Anchor out. (if possible) Buoys (if available) Haul out during winter. Cheaper and more fun.

01-10-2009, 11:45	#7
Solitude Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: West Coast, BC , Canada Boat: Cascade Posts: 374	Ok. Your in a pickle. I would call the marine and Kiss *ss. Talus is right they always give you a line about wait lists and given there are some long lists. But if you call back to them often and be very nice.... they usually can find something for you. If not find yourself a nice mooring spot, purchase a cheap old hard dinghy to leave on the shore. Drop a mooring and save yourself thousands per year!

02-10-2009, 01:16	#8
MikeinLA Registered User Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Marina del Rey, CA Boat: Deja Vu - Catalina 36 MK I Posts: 43	I've found in the past that regular (daily) personal visits to the dockmaster at various marinas will get you in faster than anything else. Be nice and friendly, not pushy. People like to do favors for people they like. Also, take them a snapshot of your new boat. Dockmasters will often give preference to boats that will make their docks look better. Out here in Cali, the real estate market is apparently causing many people to get out of boating. I am in the process of changing slips and found that every marina in Marina del Rey has slips available. I ended up getting a new slip at a price less than when I moved to my current slip 6 years ago. Yikes! Good Luck, Mike