"Evicted": Marina Won't Renew Contract for Next Year to maximize Profit

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

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I cannot say where or how this will all unfold. This recent Covid thing has added yet another twist, but certainly, it seems that the whole marine industry is in a precarious situation.

MicHughV , I can see that we've both consulted in the Marina industry and can see both sides.

I have attended all the ICOMIA Marina Conferences in the past, but will pass on this one primarily due to travel difficulties with anticipated low attendence

https://worldmarinasconference.com/

The recurring business theme has been ways to increase upland income, minimize liabilities and develop efficient dry-stack storage for powerboats

Unfortunately, there is always a new boat owner, full of YouTube dreams willing to overpay to get less and which is why the conglomerates are buying the Marinas, as the founders cash out.

Covid at the moment is only affecting the remote seasonal marina locations as the densely populated areas have full slips.

But the upland revenue has dropped and that is hurting the small operations

[peter57]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Sounds like capitalism operating as designed.

Yeah, Socialist capitalism.

[ixnax]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Quite often the municipal marina was built on public shorelines without the cost of acquiring the land. In the case of our marina Seattle the uplands and shorelines were seized under eminent domain for the purpose of providing a public marina. Now it operates as a profit center without paying taxes. Information we obtained during a dispute over our Marina's plans in Seattle revealed that the marina was profitable at that time to the tune of $600,000 per year (in 1995) yet they still wanted to raise rates. We told them that they were given the land (and the marina was built by the Corps of Engineers) to provide a public facility, not to build a profit center to fund other port operations. In that instance after public hearings the plans were revised. Nobody was happy so it must have been a good compromise.

If a private marina is allowed to lease the public shoreline there should be limits and restrictions to ensure it is put to a use which is good for the entire community, not just to serve the wealthy.

Suck it up cupcake or go live in a commune. So you want to sail and park your boat on equal terms with those who can afford to pay more and now you are butt sore. Why not just go pitch your tent in someones beach front yard in the Hamptons? The view belongs to everyone, right? Heres a news flash comrade, by the daily living standards of most Americans you are already rich. Show some intellectual consistency and sell your boat and go help some truly poor people. Or, just clam up.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by peter57

Yeah, Socialist capitalism.

Explain?

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by g0nz0

Don't want to get into a big discussion about how capitalism does/should operate, just want to say that Pharma bro Martin Shkreli raised the price of an AIDs drug from $13.50 to $750.00 overnight. Without an alternative available.



Yes, according to the book definition, this is capitalism. But man, is this how we want to live?



Good luck with your marina search.

Ummm it wasn’t an aids drug it was epipen

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by ixnax

Suck it up cupcake or go live in a commune... now you are butt sore. ...Heres a news flash comrade...Show some intellectual consistency and sell your boat and go help some truly poor people. Or, just clam up.

Friendly sort of a jerk, aren't you?

[lestersails]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Ummm it wasn’t an aids drug it was epipen

Ummm, no, it wasn't the epipen, it was daraprim, which is used to treat pneumocystis pneumonia, which is a parasitic pneumonia, which is not uncommon in folks with AIDS. So, he wasn't exactly right that it was an AIDS drug per se, but he was closer than the epipen. The epipen gouge was a similar stunt, in this case by the Mylan Corp. Shkreli sunk himself - he was such an arrogant jerk that everyone turned on him. But Mylan hired expensive PR people, floated a bribe in the form of a $300 coupon that most people couldn't actually use, and laughed all the way to the bank.

But, irrespective of the flub on the drug, yeah, this is capitalism at its worst.

[ixnax]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Friendly sort of a jerk, aren't you?

I'm simply beyond accommodating your simplistic and naive world view.

[lestersails]

Originally Posted by wingssail

I don't think it is right if the wealthier boat owners out bid the middle class boat owners, who worked just as hard for their money, until the shorelines which includes marina berths which assumably were meant to become berths available broadly to the public, and are, after all public lands, to become the exclusive domain of the super rich so the marina operator can maximise his profit, because that's where it's going.

Well yeah, sure, but what about the fact that the middle class boat owner out bid the lower middle class...
He raises his prices until he has too many empty docks, because too many people think it is too expensive. Then he holds there, or lowers to get to full occupancy. So if he has a guy banging on his office door telling him he wants a berth and he is willing to pay $1000 - he is supposed to say 'nah, I'd rather keep leasing it to Lester for $500'?
For nearly all people, a boat is a luxury. Something you don't need to survive, but want for the enjoyment. You just can't think that boating should be some egalitarian shangri la. The market will have its way - pissing and moaning about it just won't do any good.
This is just a silly debate - luxury goods will always be market based. The real argument is about essential goods. Why working 40 hours a week doesn't get you a roof over your head, food on the table, an education for your kids and health care. Now that would be worth arguing about (but not in this forum).

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by ixnax

I'm simply beyond accommodating your simplistic and naive world view.

Oh, arrogant too.

[Pelagic]

This is getting beyond silly.

How much of the available shoreline is taken up by private marinas?? Maybe 0.0001%

Why is it unfair that an individual sees the potential, takes the risk, jumps thru the regulatory hoops and develops a marina as a business?
He has added to the wealth of the community and provided a safe haven for all on the water if they have an emergency.

Most of us appreciate that level of effort and don't deny them their success

[NPCampbell]

I still haven't figured out what the problem is?

If someone raises the prices on your insurance you either shop around, cut the level of coverage or do without. If your tax district raises your property tax you either pay it or move. If your landlord raises the rent, you either pay it or move. What is the issue here?

Median property values in Cape Cod have gone up 40% in the past 2 years and the property tax rate has only gone down 4%. Inflation is running rampant.
Are businesses just supposed to eat the increases? What is the alternative?

[Taichungman]

Originally Posted by capn_billl

UM NO.

MY parents were, and ARE today, DIRT poor.

MY MOM recently had to move in with my sister after losing the house, I expected would be paid off after making mortgage payments for 50+ years.

Constant refinancing, and other poor money choices kept her dead broke her entire life.

It took me a decade just to lose the poor mentality, and begin to make better life choices.

This wasn't the fault of "Capitalism", but I place some of the blame on criminally disastrous government controlled public education.

I started with only the clothes on my back at 16, and worked my way to a comfortable retirement by learning skills, and starting my OWN business under CAPITALISM.

This would be impossible under ANY other system.

Even a minimum wage worker in the US makes over one MILLION Dollars in their lifetime. How much of that you keep is up to YOU.

AND I would gladly build a marina, and rent out affordable slips to everyone on this forum if I could get permission from the Federal government, and State of Florida to do so.

__________________________________________________ __


How much you keep is up to Uncle Sam, IRS,Property Taxes, Gasoline takes, etc. Taxes and spending habits. You make is sound like you're loaded with cash to be able to build a marina and a kind heart to rent them out so affordable. If it were me I believe I would first help my poor mother before she lost her house.

[David Ess]

Originally Posted by lestersails

Classic forensics ploy - too clever by half - the false dichotomy. Nice try, but generally only works on people with two digit IQs. I would wager a lot of dough that no one on this forum is advocating for Cuban-style socialism.
Speaking for myself, what I want is private industry for discretionary economic activities where business is constrained by law and regulation regarding safety, monopolies, false advertising, etc.

Rather, I asked questions that nobody answered. Your answer was on topics other than market based fees.

[MicHughV]

The recurring business theme has been ways to increase upland income, minimize liabilities and develop efficient dry-stack storage for powerboats

Pelagic, you hit the nail on the head. That is exactly what is happening in area marina's around my neck of the woods.

A lot of people kept their basic 20-24' center console fishing boat in a dry-stack building, but have been priced out of there to make room for the mega fishing boats. Even a lot of "wet slips" now sport a " dry-lift" for those powerboats that are too big for the dry-stack building.

I can remember when the marina had at least 50-70 sailboats as permanent dock members, now reduced to around 7 and all surrounding lands being converted to condo's.

There is a large yard about 30 miles away from me, that must have 100's of sailboats up on the hard. Many are transient sailboats, kept there as no dockage available.

As before, could not even take a random guess as to how this will all play out. There has been a big player buying up marina's up and down the coast. They must have a game plan of sorts.