Making Money in Port

[lemonbelly]

i would like to know if any of you have experience with finding work while traveling on your boat. is it easy to find work in ports or when living in a marina. i would like to start a small business on my boat in port but i am worried some people might feel it looks bad to have someone pedaling there goods in port. do marinas look down on business running while docked. i am a cook / baker and would like to run a small bakery on my boat. love to hear input. thanks

[Sandero]

Sounds ymmmy, boats have notoriously small ovens. I don't think the marinas mind and they might like the aroma of bread baking in the morning.

[Hud3]

We spent a bit of time in the Hog Island anchorage in southern Grenada. There was a German fellow anchored there who baked bread every Tuesday and came around in his dinghy to deliver it. It was great bread, heavy and dense. And it kept for a couple of weeks. Great value! Everyone looked forward to it.

[Roy M]

Brew up a big pot of French Roast coffee, also, and you'll have every boatworker downwind knocking on your hull.

[lemonbelly]

i'm worried the marina we live in will look down on a shipboard operation. dose anyone have experience dealing with officials in private marinas or ports. do local businesses feel uncomfortable with the competition. thanks for the info
sabine

[Roy M]

I think scale is the issue. If the line gets too long outside your boat, the landside deli will freak, but the marina maintenance workers will be the first in line.

[Morgan Paul]

but the marina maintenance workers will be the first in line.

That is true, if the workers are "Hispanic/Latino" make sure you have plenty of Orange Soda.

Give it a shot you have little to lose. Good luck.

[offrd2001]

If you are attempting something like this....always give the marina employees some for free. That keeps them off your back and anyone else who has a problem with it will have to come through them too. Pretty much like a criminal paying a cop to keep the "FUZZ" off his back.

Dave

[hellosailor]

lemonbelly, it would work well as long as you stayed below the radar. In parts of the US, the local businesses would report you for running a food preparation business without that license (and the proper kitchen facilities and permits) as well as being an unlicensed vendor. No one likes competition, and if they can shut it down with a phone call--they will make the call.

In more casual places...I can think of a lot of cruisers who'd be willing to pay up for the chance to get some fresh croissants and coffee at their rail early in the morning. And if there's no competition (and you remember to leave a sample with the harbormaster) "no harm no foul" usually will apply.

Most pay-for-dockage marinas will want a slice of whatever money is being made on their property, though. Formally or informally, if they see it happening for any length of time.

[David M]

In addition to what hellosailor said about domestic businesses, you need to be careful about breaking any laws overseas as well.

You could probably get away with it in most places if kept on a very small and casual scale.

[witzgall]

I misread your post's subject upon first glance - just remove the "r".

Chris