Dock & Mooring Fees

[boat driver]

its arbitrary. i know 60 feet seems to be a break-off and often based on the dock being wired with heavier power opportunities for bigger boat demands- so the bill goes up.
and some marinas measure to be sure the owner included swim platform.
not something to get worked up on if choosing a boat unless living at one specific place forever.

[SV__Grace]

It's simple Supply and Demand. Most marinas have far fewer slips for larger boats, hence they can and do charge more for them.

[BobFromColorado]

Originally Posted by Montanan

It is also easy to shop around on the internet in the region you are considering as the marina rates are typically listed.

Absolutely not true in the Tampa Bay area. Even finding where the Marinas ARE is a hit-and-miss. I would guess that no more than 50% of the Marinas in the Tampa Bay area are "findable" on the Internet, and discovering rates and availability is usually a by-phone or in-person proposition.

[slug]

Originally Posted by boat driver

its arbitrary. i know 60 feet seems to be a break-off and often based on the dock being wired with heavier power opportunities for bigger boat demands- so the bill goes up.
and some marinas measure to be sure the owner included swim platform.
not something to get worked up on if choosing a boat unless living at one specific place forever.

No true

Globally a small craft port tends to be in town , the whole reason you are visiting the port

If you don’t fit into the small craft port, no more convenience for you , because the big boat port is way over there , outside of town

This is the curse of multihulls

They never fit into a small craft port

[powsmias]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

Don't know where you're going, but sometimes there's also a cruising permit cost based on size.

For example, in the Bahamas, the annual cruising permit up to 34' costs $300 annually, 35+ costs $600 annually.

just seen this.. can you clarify? always thought i made the cut with a 35.. anyone?

[letsgetsailing3]

Bahamas Entry/Cruising Fees:

https://www.bahamas.com/faq/enteringexiting-policies


Updated fees effective Jan. 1, 2020 are as follows:
Up to 34’: $150 for 3 months; $300 annually
35’ – 100’: $300 for 3 months; $600 annually
100’ – 150’: $500 for 3 months; $1,000 annually
150’ – 200’: $800 for 3 months; $1,600 annually
Over 200’: $1,000 for 3 months; $2,000 annually

The fees will cover:
1) Cruising Permit
2) Fishing Permit
3) Departure Tax for up to three (3) persons. Each additional person above three will be charged a $20 departure tax. This fee is good for a second re-entry within a 90-day period.
If you plan to stay longer than 12 months, special arrangements must be made with Bahamas Customs and Immigration. Bahamas Customs and Immigration office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Officers are on call during holidays and weekends.

[KP44]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

It's more about the size of the slip.

They usually have 2 or 3 sizes.

So if they have a 36ft slips and a 50ft slips, a 39ft boat will wind up in the bigger slip and pay big boat prices.

The break point of slips varies from marina to marina.

We often see the difference in slip size. A local marina has slips for up to 44, then up to 51. They have another dock with slips for up to 63'.
Our boat is 45', I pay for a 51' slip.

[slug]

Technically , in many regions , dockage is charged by the square meter

Length x beam

The same with shipyard hard standing

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

Bahamas Entry/Cruising Fees:

https://www.bahamas.com/faq/enteringexiting-policies


Updated fees effective Jan. 1, 2020 are as follows:
Up to 34’: $150 for 3 months; $300 annually
35’ – 100’: $300 for 3 months; $600 annually
100’ – 150’: $500 for 3 months; $1,000 annually
150’ – 200’: $800 for 3 months; $1,600 annually
Over 200’: $1,000 for 3 months; $2,000 annually

The fees will cover:
1) Cruising Permit
2) Fishing Permit
3) Departure Tax for up to three (3) persons. Each additional person above three will be charged a $20 departure tax. This fee is good for a second re-entry within a 90-day period.
If you plan to stay longer than 12 months, special arrangements must be made with Bahamas Customs and Immigration. Bahamas Customs and Immigration office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Officers are on call during holidays and weekends.

Might want to use the ACTUAL government of the bahamas web page

https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/porta...vZ0FBIS9nQSEh/

doesn't match the prices you have listed there

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Dfitchtx

Is it common for fees to double or dramatically “step up “ at a certain boat length? For example, $3 / ft below 40 ft and $6 / ft above 40 ft.

A different perspective on moorage expense.

When someone contemplates buying a boat the automatic assumption is keeping it at a marina (like everybody else) but few consider the long-term escalating expense that can run into thousands of dollars every year. Admittedly, a large part of that decision is that buying a boat is usually a secondary decision after one has already settled into a non-waterfront/water access home. Longer term planning would help.

If boat owners added their monthly/annual marina bill to their home mortgage payment many would realize that they could afford waterfront/access property and pay very, very little for moorage...I have averaged less than $25/month moorage expense over 18 years for my 28' and now 42' boat. (NOTE: Not all waterfront/access property is automatically suitable for moorage.)

From my experience I can attest that there are certainly tradeoffs, like everything else associated with boating, but the savings have allowed me to enjoy sailing that I would not have had if I had to pay the usual marina moorage expense, currently $530/month (plus electricity) at the local marina for my boat.

~ ~ _/ ~ ~ MJH

[pcmm]

Where I am pricing is uniform X$ per foot of boat length. Never seen a marina with break points (except for Catamarans as they typicially take up 2 slips worth of space) so it would be highly unusual to see that

[christine47]

I am 6’3. Live and Cruise full time. I’m on a 47 Nordhavn. I haven’t experienced up charging after a certain size and marina’s if that have space accommodate us.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Davy J

Not directly related to your question, but one thing that seems to be coming more common place, is to be charged for the slip length. Not boat length......., 27’ boat in 30’ slip, you pay for 30 feet, 31’ boat in 40’ slip, you pay for 40’ feet. And for some reason most seem to jump in 10’ increments.

At my marina, you pay for boat length OR slip length, whichever is greater. They put my 35 foot sailboat on a 26 foot dock, and I paid for 35 feet. You have to pay for overhangs like anchor rollers and davits as well. And if you keep your dinghy in the water, you add that to your length as well.

Does it sound crazy? I think so. But they have to keep increasing the rates because so many people are leaving. (BTW, they are leaving because of the rates).

When they put my 25 foot sailboat on a 12 foot dock...I moved to another marina.

This is what happens when marinas are operated by office people who have never even seen a boat.

[davenrino]

Originally Posted by MJH

A different perspective on moorage expense.

When someone contemplates buying a boat the automatic assumption is keeping it at a marina (like everybody else) but few consider the long-term escalating expense that can run into thousands of dollars every year. Admittedly, a large part of that decision is that buying a boat is usually a secondary decision after one has already settled into a non-waterfront/water access home. Longer term planning would help.

If boat owners added their monthly/annual marina bill to their home mortgage payment many would realize that they could afford waterfront/access property and pay very, very little for moorage...I have averaged less than $25/month moorage expense over 18 years for my 28' and now 42' boat. (NOTE: Not all waterfront/access property is automatically suitable for moorage.)

From my experience I can attest that there are certainly tradeoffs, like everything else associated with boating, but the savings have allowed me to enjoy sailing that I would not have had if I had to pay the usual marina moorage expense, currently $530/month (plus electricity) at the local marina for my boat.

~ ~ _/ ~ ~ MJH

Ha...that doesn't work so well in Hawaii! Landlocked homes in my neighborhood start at $1.5 M and shacks on the water start at $3M. Of those, very few have moorage or dock access.

[davenrino]

Originally Posted by pcmm

Where I am pricing is uniform X$ per foot of boat length. Never seen a marina with break points (except for Catamarans as they typicially take up 2 slips worth of space) so it would be highly unusual to see that

My marina has 30, 40, 50 and end tie rates. I am charged 2x $12 in addition to the 30' rate as they charge me 2' extra for length of anchor roller and wind vane. A 10' boat in my slip would still be charged the 30' rate. I would have to move to and pay for the 40' rate if I got a boat 2' longer as they only allow a couple feet overhang into the fairway. I would also have to move further out and pay for a 40' slip if my draft was much more than 5', as the 30' slips are closest to shore.


In addition, staying onboard more than 3 days a week incurs a $12/ft live-aboard fee. I think I will go use one of my days tonight.