SafeMarina says: "Hello" from Halfmoon Bay

[SafeMarina]

I am new to this forum, but thought I would say hello just to get started. Why am I here? I have been behind a desk for many years creating, promoting and operating my web based businesses and needed to find a way to get out more so what did I do? I created a small business that has grown into a full time job! I now get out a lot while checking boats for security, safety, and functional problems. When people leave their boats for weeks on end it makes me wonder how many of these same people are disappointed (to make an understatement) when they come back and find they forgot to put the plug in! Or they forgot to put their bumpers out. I have seen this type of thing and much worse in marinas where there was supposed to be security, but, as it turned out, not a personalized service such as we offer. Anyway, I hope to see you on the waves sometime.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha,
Welcome aboard!! Sounds like a good service. Make certain you check the commercial side of this forum just to be legal.
Just for information what you call bumpers are more correctly named fenders.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[Celestialsailor]

I use to liveaboard(sneekaboard) there. Do you know my friend Rod on Loa Tzu?

[swagman]

Sounds like a good idea and I'm guessing you've proved it works ok and have adequate insurance if one of your guys adjusting a line actually places the boat in greater danger?
Also suggest you add a police check to the credentials you expect from the people doing the checks ....
And lastly as has been suggested above....knowing the right words for the right bits of kit on a boat will help build the service credibility..............
Good luck!
JOHN
Cheers

[SafeMarina]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

Aloha,
Welcome aboard!! Sounds like a good service. Make certain you check the commercial side of this forum just to be legal.
Just for information what you call bumpers are more correctly named fenders.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

Thank you for the technical correction SkiprJohn. As I said, I don't get out much, but that is changing.

I have heard many people call them bumpers, but you are right to correct me. After all, communication is the key and if I am not using the right terminology then it will affect the credibility of the service I offer (as Swagman pointed out in another post below), and may cause misunderstandings that could lead to problems. Fenders it is.

[SafeMarina]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

I use to liveaboard(sneekaboard) there. Do you know my friend Rod on Loa Tzu?

Maybe you are thinking of a different Halfmoon Bay. I am on the sunshine coast(where it rains half the year) in British Columbia, Canada. There is another Half Moon Bay in California.

[SafeMarina]

Originally Posted by swagman

Sounds like a good idea and I'm guessing you've proved it works ok and have adequate insurance if one of your guys adjusting a line actually places the boat in greater danger?
Also suggest you add a police check to the credentials you expect from the people doing the checks ....
And lastly as has been suggested above....knowing the right words for the right bits of kit on a boat will help build the service credibility..............
Good luck!
JOHN
Cheers

Thank you. That is good advice, all of it.

I am not sure what you mean by "proved it works ok" but if you mean "Is it financially viable?" the answer is "Maybe". We will see what happens in the fall as that will be the busiest time after spending the summer advertising and marketing. So far we are ahead of the game so it looks like it is going to "work ok".

[David M]

It never ceases to amaze me how how little some boat owner check up on their boats. I have seen boats slowly sink over a period of a few days or be tied to the dock by two lines. It sounds like the business could work if you can manage to find those types of people who don't stay on top of how their boats are doing either because a of a lack of time in their lives or unawareness that boats, unlike cars that are parked in a garage, do need to be checked up on, on a frequent basis.

[SafeMarina]

Originally Posted by David M

It never ceases to amaze me how how little some boat owners check up on their boats.

The idea for this business came to me one day while watching millions of dollars worth of boats get tossed around in the gale force winds and huge swells (yes even in the harbor in spite of being almost completely surrounded by land) we experienced in November, 2006. No one was around (not much you could do anyway at that point) but I wondered how many boat owners were sitting at home worrying about their boat. Then I realized that if I had their phone numbers I could phone them and then it dawned on me that they might be willing to pay for a service like that. Peace of mind is worth a lot to some people, while others thrive on turmoil (but that is for a different forum.)