How common is this? FP Athena sitting in a Marina rotting away

[Fore and Aft]

Last Sunday at Hervey Bay was a perfect day for sailing and boating yet on our marina finger only three boats went out. Our yacht and maybe three others get used on a regular basis. The rest just sit there unloved.
I always struggle to understand the mentality of people paying for a marina berth and never using their boat.
Cheers

[4arch]

Some marinas around here have a rule stating that all wet-stored boats must leave and return once per year under their own power. I think this is a good rule to ensure boats are at least maintained and seaworthy at bare minimum levels. I wish more marinas would adopt similar rules.

That said, if I were a marina owner, I’d absolutely love having customers who paid in full and on time without ever asking anything of me or putting any wear and tear on my facilities. I’d love it until other paying customers started getting scared away, anyway.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

I always struggle to understand the mentality of people paying for a marina berth and never using their boat.
Cheers

I have a friend who owns a self storage business. People pay for years storing worthless stuff. Garbage bags of clothes, old furniture, etc. He has even offered free use of a trailer for people to take excess to dump, specifically in the case of a person who has multiple units and could consolidate to one. "They are too busy" to mess with it, and just continue to pay because that is apparently easier than cleaning with it.

RE: derelict sailboats, I think owners have memories of better days, and it's easier and more pleasant to remember, than accept the boat in the shape it is now and deal with it. For many of the boats I've seen, two years slip rental costs more than the boat is worth.

[witzgall]

There was a heavenly twin 26 in our north Carolina marina for 6+ years, never visited. The owned paid every month, and the North side of the boat wasnangreen forest,

[Alan Waters]

It's the same in the aviation world. Aircraft sitting on rotten tires, ect. Airport owner says its been sitting there with a broken crank from a prop strike for the last 20 years. Owners will not sale. I think its an ego thing. As long as they actually own the plane they can brag about "My airplane" while in social gatherings. Maybe the boat owners do the same.

[Shrew]

Also keep in mind that many folks only boat on the weekend, while others only boat on the week days. We've been in some marinas for several years and never seen anyone on a certain boats for those years. However, we're only there from Friday night until Sunday afternoon. During vacations we cast lines and go.

It doesn't mean those owners don't come down and and sit and have drinks on the boat on a weekday afternoon or evening. It's just that you and many others don't see them on the days when they're there.

Some folks use their boat to sit, have a drink and even entertain. Just because they use their boat different than you would use it, doesn't mean they're 'doing it wrong', just that they're doing it differently. What do you care what they're paying for and how they're justifying it.

At the end of the day, it's their cat. They can pet it any way they want.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Nahbrown

... I could keep going but suffice to say the value of that catamaran is falling fast. Its not listed for sale but I dont know that there is a price I would pay for that boat becuase it has "money pit" written all over it!

So the point is this, is this common? Do you see boats just rotting away in your marinas while owners keep paying for them to be tied off to the dock?

Unless there are leaks (deck or bottom), these assumptions are greatly overstated, even fabricated.

I once let a cat sit for 18 months because of an injury. The boat was tight, so the only thing it really needed after 18 months was new anti-fouling (the barnacles don't actually hurt anything), fresh water, and oil change. Folks leave them sit for 8 months out of season all the time.

I like to see regular use, but this is not a black/white fire sale issue.

[pateco]

This is how we got or current Free Sailboat 1983 Hunter 31 abandoned at the dock for 3 years without paying their rent. Dock owner spent years before he got title, and then gave it away to get it out of his slip. Took me 3 months of part time restoration before we got her out for her first sail. We've been documenting the fun on her Facebook page linked in my signature. The Stargazer Adventure

[taxwizz]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

I have a friend who owns a self storage business. People pay for years storing worthless stuff. Garbage bags of clothes, old furniture, etc. He has even offered free use of a trailer for people to take excess to dump, specifically in the case of a person who has multiple units and could consolidate to one. "They are too busy" to mess with it, and just continue to pay because that is apparently easier than cleaning with it.

There is a TV series on the auction of abandoned storage units. Some seem to contain some rather valuable stuff. I guess that people move away, or die, and no one knows of these assets. (Or the producers "salt" the units with value.)

The same can easily happen with boats.

[Palarran]

Personally I think the really funny ones are boat's that look like this, are anchored in a harbor in St. Somewhere, and are liveaboards. Dare we call them "Cruisers" - "Sailors"

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by taxwizz

There is a TV series on the auction of abandoned storage units. Some seem to contain some rather valuable stuff. I guess that people move away, or die, and no one knows of these assets. (Or the producers "salt" the units with value.)

The same can easily happen with boats.

Its common knowledge that the producers "plant" interesting "valuables" in the lockers to make the show more interesting. Later in the show they often get an "appraisal" of the value of that interesting item, but in reality, it is quite difficult to get that amount of actual money from anyone for it. Just try to sell a piece of jewelry or rare coin....you'll get about 25% of appraised value, because the buyer needs to sell it to someone else to get his profit too.

Makes for interesting TV.

We need more TV shows about sailboats.

[SV Siren]

Two weeks ago we made a trip up the East side of Lake Michigan, stopping at several marinas along the way, and yes, there were boats sitting on the hard at all of them. Up in the white winter north, the abandoned boats just sit in dry storage for years, if I were to add them all up, there must have been 50 or so sailboats just sitting there. Just sad, one marina alone had about 20 or so, mostly 28' and smaller. two years ago I watched a once nice Ericson 41 get chain sawed due to the fact the companionway we not closed and it filled with 4' of water in the cabin...

My current project/restoration was abandoned at a marina in Fla...it happens everywhere.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Alan Waters

It's the same in the aviation world. Aircraft sitting on rotten tires, ect. Airport owner says its been sitting there with a broken crank from a prop strike for the last 20 years. Owners will not sale. I think its an ego thing. As long as they actually own the plane they can brag about "My airplane" while in social gatherings. Maybe the boat owners do the same.

Some of it is bragging rights I'm sure, but a whole lot of it is someone has gotten old, lost their medical, has a sickness or has fallen on hard times financially, but as long as they still own that plane or boat, they can dream, that they will get better, or maybe gain financially and return to what they used to like to do. Can't do it now, but will soon, they hope

I sold most things to go cruising, sold my Maule, but kept my old little C-140, but it's in a hanger pickled and covered in bed sheets to keep the dust off the paint, not quite the same thing, but I wanted an airplane for a long time, as long as I keep my little 140, I'm still an airplane owner
One day once I get too old or infirm to cruise, maybe I'll start flying again.

[windhorze]

Originally Posted by Nahbrown

We went for a walk at a Marina in Port A Texas and saw a catamaran sitting exactly where it was a year ago. Locals claim that it hasnt moved in over two years and they havent seen anyone on it in that time either.

if I knew the slip number I'd try to contact the owner...I wouldn't be afraid of it being a "money pit" unless you had to pay for everything to be fixed by a yard...if you are handy, do things as they come...

[sheldon957]

This disease of neglect is not only in the world of boating. Having a foot in both worlds, I can say it is exactly the same with planes.

My flying forums have had many threads with pictures and laments of abandoned aircraft decaying away at airports.

I believe sometimes it is just being able to say or think "I own a ________" regardless of the real world.