Kingston, Ontario Marina costs and recommendation

[horan]

This question is for the Kingston Ontario area community. I am looking at Marinas around the Kingston area and would appreciate any recommendations or advice when looking. Also what average annual marina cost I should expect on a 34 foot sailboat. I want to make sure I don't get in over my head with marina costs and will still be able to manage the upkeep costs of an older boat.
Thanks
Frank

[Mike OReilly]

Hi Frank, you already have this, but just in case it is of use to others I'll post it here:

We were in your area from 2014 to 2017, but have now moved on to Newfoundland. We were based in a small marina in Belleville called Stillwater Basin Marina. It cost us about $3000/year, all in. This included summer dock: $1800, $1000 for winter storage, and $125 for launch/haul. Unfortunately this marina went through a sale while we were there and was really going down hill by the time we left. I wouldn't recommend it now unless things have improved.

Had we stayed in the area we would likely have moved to nearby Crate Marina, or more likely Loyalist Cove Marina in Bath. This latter one is small, but got good reviews from the people we talked to, and was also inexpensive.

[raisedkk36]

Great choice, Kingston is a wonderful place to keep your boat. Make sure you secure a dock that is walkable to downtown, you will be missing out of some of the best places to explore if you don't!
Join The Kingston Yacht Club if they have a dock available. Great history, fun place, pretty good food, certainly nice people.
Confederation Basin is another choice, but it's larger, impersonal, city run, and no winter storage. You are just a few steps from the heart of downtown and all there is to enjoy though.
Either allows you immediate access to some of the best sailing anywhere in the world and lots to explore on both sides of the Canadian/USA border.

[LittleWing77]

Hi Frank,

Loyalist Cove and Crate have great reputations (and I'm reporting this from distant Toronto). My understanding is that Loyalist is the more affordable of the two, but you'd need to verify that personally, as that's only second-hand info that's been reported to me.

I'm acquainted with Loyalist's shipwright, Nathan (with regard to his potentially doing some Winter work projects on our Members' yachts) and he is knowledgeable and has a lot of integrity, so you'd potentially have a good guy available to work on your boat if the occasion arises, should you go with Loyalist.

Good luck with your search and welcome to yacht ownership!
LittleWing77

[Kalinka1]

We would second the Loyalist Cove marina. The owners were/are Sailors first. Very accommodating and helpful. some shopping in the village but not much. Would need a car to get into Kingston but a short easy drive. The marina is small and depth might be a problem. Most if not all jobs can be taken on.

[flyingnut40]

Hamburking????

[B25Matt]

In the end you're going to pay roughly the same anywhere you go around Kingston, $2600 for docking, $1400 for winter storage. You can get cheaper but then you're further off the beaten track and it will take you longer to get to your marina.

For me the bigger question would be is, where do you plan to spend most of your weekends. If its the 1000 islands then go somewhere on the east side of Kingston. I don't recommend Gananoque for a sailboat as you're too far from real sailing and you also have to deal with the power boater nonsense that goes on from the next province over. Collins Bay is great, I spent three years there and its a decent compromise between sailing destinations to the east, west, and south. I highly recommend it although the others all good too.

[Mike OReilly]

If the west end of the Bay of Quinte isn't too far then I'd look at the Trenton marina. It's pretty new, and the facilities look great. The prices were right the year I left the area (four years ago now). Only problem is I don't think they do winter haul/storage.

[Dave Lochner]

Collins Bay Marina to the west of Kingston is a nice facility.

Another choice is Trident Yacht Club, about halfway between Gananoque and Kingston.

I've stayed at both as a transient and both would be on my short list if I were looking for a marina in the Kingston area.

[Redline452]

Originally Posted by B25Matt

I don't recommend Gananoque for a sailboat as you're too far from real sailing and you also have to deal with the power boater nonsense that goes on from the next province over. .

When in the area we quite enjoy the Gan marina and town, and haven’t had any problems whatsoever from Manitoban boaters ;-)

The Thousand Islands Playhouse is worth a visit, great venue and a wonderful troupe. And Muskie Jake’s has the most incredible wings.

[hamburking]

Hello fellow Kingston sailor!

I've kept sailboats at several of the local marinas, so speaking from personal experience.

In general, sailboats are terribly under-served and over-charged in Kingston. Its a wonderful place to sail, and a lousy place to keep a sailboat.

KYC is a lovely club with decaying facilities. Yes, there are some new finger docks, but you might have to wait years before you could get one. They go to members only, using a point system based on how long you've been a member and the membership type. Your (single) membership alone will cost about $2000 per year. The good news is no "buy-in" fee. A finger dock there, if you can get one will cost you $3000/yr. Add in haulout/launch, winter storage, mast up/down/storage, cradle storage, power, and of course TAX, and the grand the total is around $8000/yr, all in. Car parking is free (for members), if you can find a spot. You could save $500 if you can get a med mooring instead of a finger.

Confederation Basin Marina (aka Confed) is municipally owned. The people who run the marina and make all the important decisions have never been on, owned, or even seen a sailboat. The entire marina is built beam-on to the prevailing SW wind, which blows strong every summer afternoon (and most mornings and nights too). Ask anyone who has been there about the collisions which occur daily. In recent memory, a large power yacht lost control docking on a windy day and scraped down an entire row of docked boats (around 25 boats) causing tens of thousands of dollars of damage. Everyone eventually got an insurance cheque. Eventually. They keep adding more and more docks, so its increasingly difficult to manouver in and out, even in the best of conditions. I kept several boats there, including a Hunter 35.5, and the longest dock they would give me was 26 feet long. They wanted to give me a 12 foot dock for my C&C25. The effect of all this is that almost all the sailboats have left. Yes, its a wonderful location, provided you don't want to drive there, or move stuff from your car to your boat...thats almost impossible most days. According to their latest marina fee schedule, using the "all in rate", it will cost you about $4200 annually. This actually sounds reasonable...until you see the washrooms.

I live near Confed and kept a boat there maybe 10 seasons. As a solo sailor (or sailing with young kids), I appreciated the dock hands to assist in taking my lines when coming and going. However, they were usually unreliable and untrained...give them a line and they will pull HARD. If you like to party its a great place to be. Not so great for sleeping on your boat though.

Portsmouth Olympic Harbour is just west of downtown, also owned/run by the city. It'll cost you around $4050 annually based on their "all in rate". But they have longer docks, some lee, a fuel/service dock, mast crane, and lots of parking. The marina is however INSANELY busy during CORK (August) and several other major events that are based at POH, like fishing derbies and poker runs...think of 30 giant cigarette boats on massive trailers waiting to use the launch ramp while 200 lasers are returning from a race.

The Inner Harbour (aka Kingston Marina) has better rates, but its an industrial location (Metalcraft Marine owns/operates the whole marina site) and you are tied to the bridge, which opens once per hour. My last winter there, my boat was robbed and vandalized over xmas, along with several others. When I reported it to the marina, they suggested filling the cockpit with lawn chairs and rubbish for security.

Trident Yacht club, east of Kingston, is a beautiful club with wonderful people, great docks and a constant battle with power boat wakes. Its where all the big boats live. Last time I looked, the "buy-in" to become a member was something like $13,000. Plus annual fees.

Collins Bay has a wonderfull reputation and reasonable prices. But its located in a (reclaimed) swamp next to a main road near the airport. If you live nearby, its a good compromise.

CFB Marina is a great little club that will cost you around $1000/yr, all inclusive. But you must be a member of the military. And I think they only take boats under 30 feet. I'm not in the military so I'm not sure. But I sold one of my boats to a military man who kept it there for a while.

Despite the great sailing here, sadly, Kingston does not have good marinas or marine services. I did not realize just how bad it was till I went to Annapolis...and my eyes were opened. If you want to sail here, you better have deep pockets and low expectations.

My advice...Presquile Yacht Club https://presquileyc.com A beautiful little club with modest prices and friendly sailors.

[Rowglide]

I have tried a few marinas in Kingston over the years. Was at Confederation basin on my Alberg 37 and at Portsmouth Olympic Harbor (POH), I also raced out of Collins Bay and KYC for many years. Now I am settled in at Loyalist Cove Marine in Bath with my Hans Christian 43.
Loyalist is a very well run marina. The docks are well maintained, staff are always helpful and polite, and parking is available and free. Winter storage is generally offsite at a nearby yard but they have an efficient and impressive system for moving the boats. Launch and haul are a major plus as you set a date. POH and KYC have fixed dates to launch, you have to be ready, period.
It is a small bit more expensive than POH with their all in one package (105.34/ft, includes summer, winter, launch and haul at POH). Depth is not a major concern at Loyalist Cove. There is a red can when heading to the gas/pumpout dock. It must be obeyed.
Rowglide

[Mike OReilly]

Here's a nice tool to see all the marinas in the area:

Waterway Guide Explorer.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by Redline452

When in the area we quite enjoy the Gan marina and town, and haven’t had any problems whatsoever from Manitoban boaters

That’s hilarious! I see what you did there. I’ve made the mistake of cruising TI at the “wrong time” and I don’t mean Christmas.

I wish we could keep the boat in CV or Kingston. The worlds most beautiful sailing and cruising region. I’ve stayed at PYC, KYC, Olympic, and Confed. For visitors Confed is the best, though as noted (in different words) the traffic can be entertaining.