Dock & Mooring Fees

[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.

[skipmac]

I would not say it's common but certainly isn't uncommon. Usually see the break point at higher footage and usually not quite that much.

[valhalla360]

Double is a lot but yes, as you move up, you see jumps in per foot pricing.

Keep in mind, your average 60ft boat is also a lot wider than your average 30ft boat, so the space you are taking up is much larger.

[Dfitchtx]

I am thinking in terms of 36 to 39 feet so I should not expect a large variance between ports.

[slug]

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.

Yah, very common

This is why 40 ft is the sweet spot for boat length

In many regions small craft dock at semi public facilities . The classic semi public small craft facilitie has small capacity power connections and often shared water connections

Big boat must go to the yacht marina

[sailorboy1]

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.

I have never seen it for a dock. So whether a size increase is "common" I guess depends on where you are.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Dfitchtx

I am thinking in terms of 36 to 39 feet so I should not expect a large variance between ports.

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.

[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.

[Davy J]

Valhalla beat me to that explanation by a couple of minutes.......

[Dfitchtx]

Beginning to sound like a 36’ Boat would be a good bet. I plan to live on this boat and I am 6’3” and 260 lb. Boats under 30 are not comfortable for me.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by Dfitchtx

Beginning to sound like a 36’ Boat would be a good bet. I plan to live on this boat and I am 6’3” and 260 lb. Boats under 30 are not comfortable for me.

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.

[BobFromColorado]

The width of the slip may be an issue too.
For my 52' Jefferson, a common rate on the South side of Tampa Bay is $18 per foot (per month).

[zeehag]

here the cut is 50 ft.. up to 50 ft is one price over 50 is another. if 40 ft is cut off on east coast they an keep it..i btdt already on land donot need to pay double slip fees for any reason.

[Dave Lochner]

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.

Financially, paying by the foot favors the boater, paying by the slip size favors the marina.

It is also easier to manage, boats under a certain length go in Slip size A, boats in the next group go in slip size B. This system is fairer to smaller boats as it makes no difference to the marina whether a 30 ft or 35 ft boat is in a 35 ft slip so there is no incentive to discriminate against smaller boats to increase revenue.

[Montanan]

Many marinas charge on a per length basis of the slip or wharf allotted and not the size of the boat. And other marinas charge based on the LOA, including appendages [dinghy davits, bowsprits, etc.]. And wide beam boats, e.g., catamarans and trimarans get charges extra for their oversized widths. Other boats due to their large size or draft constraints may get charged at higher rates because of the limitations of where they can be positioned or limitations of their ability to safely navigate within a marina.

So for example, the slip may accommodate up to a 50 foot boat and you get charged for that large size of construction of marina facility. One can then put any size boat into such slip so long as there isn't any overhang into the fairway or over the pier / dock. Obviously if the boat does not require such a large slip [space of occupancy] then downsizing to a smaller slip may yield a more economical rental, but if all the smaller size accommodations are taken then one is left with utilizing the larger slip. Kind of like having to rent a suite at a hotel because all of the standard sized rooms are booked up.

Each marina has its own pricing policy and schedule; there being considerable different ways of slicing the cake. It is was it is.

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

As to the length measure, do realize that is just one dimension, boats are three dimensional, when they get longer they get exponentially larger in displacement. A 40 foot boat is typically massively larger than a 30 foot boat.