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20-01-2009, 23:45
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Florida on my boat
Boat: catalina 1985 30 -Hello over there
Posts: 108
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Dealing with a marina?
So i would like to hear if anyone was able to wheel and deal with
your marina for more fair prices and extending winter storage and launching
dates, to waving live aboard fee's
the only Chip any of us really have is to bring our business else where.
some marina have some unfair prices and stipulations
such as, my marina i pay for winter storage haul out and launching at the same time but if i don't launch the boat before april 15 the launching has "Expired"
and i have to pay to launch it all over again
this is just my opinion but I am new to boating but it seems that marina's have us on the run
i thought it was a service industry, what is to come with inflation and it seems that there are more and more rules
i understand that there is not much we can do but i would like your
2 cents
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21-01-2009, 00:03
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Boat: 1989 Carver Santego 3067 - BADFISH
Posts: 220
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Quote:
the only Chip any of us really have is to bring our business else where.
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Wrong. Find a small and privately owned marina. Will not be full service (no haul outs or maint).
Last year I was talking to a dock owned by an elderly woman. My being there year-round to "keep an eye on the boats", as well as my willingness to take care of the grounds, got me a a pretty nice deal. I ended up going with another marina for the facilities, but that goes to show tha there are still some docks owned by the "elderly women" type. Make sure they know how your presence benfits them, i.e. taking care of the grounds or looking after the unoccupied boats, etc.
Cheers
Bill
__________________
Q: "How do you stay fit?"
A: "Passing the vodka bottle and playing guitar." - Keith Richards
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21-01-2009, 05:06
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Piscataway, NJ
Boat: 34 Sabre Tempest
Posts: 960
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Waterfront Property is a limited resource. In the NY harbor area most marinas have waiting lists. I don't think don't they feel the need to negotiate when they have a waiting list. I'm guessing it works like everything else, with the law of supply and demand.
I see it as more of a real estate industry 1st.
If you're in an area where there are empty slips, or a new marina is getting built, you might be in a better position to negotiate.
I'm happy where I am, and with the folks who own my marina, their services, and get the slip I want each year...so, I bite my tongue and pay the bill.
__________________
Tempest
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21-01-2009, 05:43
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Québec City
Boat: Le Zephyr, MacGregor 26M
Posts: 81
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I have had 2 marinas give me a reduction in annual costs after helping them out with a problem they had in the administration of their business. I started by paying for services on a monthly basis at one marina and got 2 months free. I got free ramp and hook services at the other. When I leave the marina for extended periods I advise them and they rent my spot during my absence.
They would never have negotiated anything...at the start and I never really negotiated...they just offered to pay me for my services and I said I didn't need money ...but they are a marina and I have a boat!
Q1
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24-01-2009, 09:33
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#5
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,249
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tempest245
Waterfront Property is a limited resource. In the NY harbor area most marinas have waiting lists. I don't think don't they feel the need to negotiate when they have a waiting list. I'm guessing it works like everything else, with the law of supply and demand.
I see it as more of a real estate industry 1st.
If you're in an area where there are empty slips, or a new marina is getting built, you might be in a better position to negotiate.
I'm happy where I am, and with the folks who own my marina, their services, and get the slip I want each year...so, I bite my tongue and pay the bill.
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Do they have any slips open?
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24-01-2009, 10:37
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: U.S., Northeast
Boat: Currently boatless
Posts: 1,643
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Quote:
Originally Posted by beetlejuice30
my marina i pay for winter storage haul out and launching at the same time but if i don't launch the boat before april 15 the launching has "Expired" and i have to pay to launch it all over again
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Have you actually talked about it with the boat yard manager? Even though my storage contract includes a similar clause, in practice I found the manager quite flexible about a few weeks delay. Just make sure you discuss it with them before your contract expires.
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24-01-2009, 13:04
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#7
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Eastern Tennessee
Boat: Research vessel for a university, retired now.
Posts: 10,406
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If the marina you want to go to is not full then I think you have some negotiating room. If the marina is not full then according to the laws of supply and demand, he is charging too much. Right?
__________________
David
Life begins where land ends.
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25-01-2009, 09:32
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#8
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,249
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Quote:
Originally Posted by switepine
oHH yEA, i CANNOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO START A NEW THREAD AND THAT IS WHY i REPLIED TO THIS ONE? anYONE KNOW HOW FOR ME?
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You can't be inside a thread. If you go up a level, there's a New Thread button right at the top of the page. Looks just like the reply button.
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25-01-2009, 09:42
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Boat: 1989 Carver Santego 3067 - BADFISH
Posts: 220
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grunzster
You can't be inside a thread. If you go up a level, there's a New Thread button right at the top of the page. Looks just like the reply button.
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Click on discussion board (middle top of page), click on category your discussion subject will be under, click "new thread"
Cheers
Bill
__________________
Q: "How do you stay fit?"
A: "Passing the vodka bottle and playing guitar." - Keith Richards
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25-01-2009, 12:27
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 3,524
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I imagine marina and boatyard managers have sort of a matrix of their customers. The "x" axis is how much the customer spends. It's a business. Big customers are important and small customers are borderline profitable.
On the "Y" axis is how big a jerk the customer is.
In my experience, marina experiences are fine if you are in the "below average jerk" quadrants. You'll get your share of "no charge" items and someone else will get bumped when the travellift schedule bogs down. If you can afford to move yourself up the spending axis too, even better.
Moving up the "not a jerk" axis is easy - go out of your way to say thanks when the work was good, ask about their kids, pay for lunch once in a while, listen to their advice. Bingo - you're in the top 10%
On spending - you can't afford to get to the top - but the guys at the very top are almost always jerks. So just try to get above 50%. Always pay your bill promptly. Don't bring in an outside contractor if the yard can do the work and their price is close. And if it isn't close, give the manager a couple of shots at getting close. He'll find a way to thank you down the road.
Of course there are a few truly bad marina managers. In that case, don't argue - move.
Carl
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25-01-2009, 12:39
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Boat: 1973 Morgan 36T
Posts: 808
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CarlF
I imagine marina and boatyard managers have sort of a matrix of their customers. The "x" axis is how much the customer spends. It's a business. Big customers are important and small customers are borderline profitable.
On the "Y" axis is how big a jerk the customer is.
In my experience, marina experiences are fine if you are in the "below average jerk" quadrants. You'll get your share of "no charge" items and someone else will get bumped when the travellift schedule bogs down. If you can afford to move yourself up the spending axis too, even better.
Moving up the "not a jerk" axis is easy - go out of your way to say thanks when the work was good, ask about their kids, pay for lunch once in a while, listen to their advice. Bingo - you're in the top 10%
On spending - you can't afford to get to the top - but the guys at the very top are almost always jerks. So just try to get above 50%. Always pay your bill promptly. Don't bring in an outside contractor if the yard can do the work and their price is close. And if it isn't close, give the manager a couple of shots at getting close. He'll find a way to thank you down the road.
Of course there are a few truly bad marina managers. In that case, don't argue - move.
Carl
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Carl that has to be an all time CF "Top Ten Post". Very funny but true.
Quote:
On spending - you can't afford to get to the top - but the guys at the very top are almost always jerks. So just try to get above 50%.
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I am still laughing.
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25-01-2009, 14:11
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#12
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Hayes, VA
Boat: Gozzard 36
Posts: 8,700
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When your boat is already in the marina is not a time to renogotiate. You already have a contract. If you are renewing the contract would be a time to think about it.
To use the above example your jerk value goes up a lot when you do things that are not going to work and just make people angry. It's always best to negotiate from strength. If you can get a better contract some place else then my suggestion is to just go for it. If you have to beat it out of them when you can freely get a better deal some place else it's a waste of time wouldn't you agree? If you think the rates are too high then go check it out. Unless you know you are just wasting your time. I know I can find you a lower rate but you might need airline tickets to get there. Location has it's price.
__________________
Paul Blais
s/v Bright Eyes Gozzard 36
37 15.7 N 76 28.9 W
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02-02-2009, 21:14
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Rio Dulce
Boat: Morgan OI-416 SeaYeti
Posts: 5
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Paul,
You are right on the money.... I wont say why or how I know that... ahem. but you are right on the money. LOL. I bend over backwards for the folks who pay their bills, are friendly neighbors, respect the employees and understand that just because they bought a new computer with Vista on it... that it may not be my fault they cant get connected to the WiFi system....
on the other hand the folks who complain about the price of a $1.50 happy hour drink and then corner me to complain about why we dont have a wide screen TV in the rec room ..... We just dont renew the lease....
Me I have always tried to be a "Below average jerk" and use the facilities services, I ended up with more than enough comp'd items or services to outwiegh any expense.
Thanks for the laugh
__________________
Jim Ellis
S/V SeaYeti
Morgan OI-416
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