berths

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scubajohn

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im total newbe whos looking into buying a boat and god willing buy a berth.
my question is can a marina use your berth whilst your out and about .( i scanned loads of pages, off different forums one which had a go about a marina who berthed a visitors boat in his/hers berth i cannot find again)
cheers jp
 
Hi Scubajohn, welcome aboard. Sorry no-one has bothered to answer you yet, but if I can help . . . :cool:

I don't use marinas, nasty crowded, expensive thingses they are! But my understanding is that the contract you sign allows them to assign your berth to a visitor while you are away.

Generally this will not affect you & you certainly don't get a reduction in fees, but I suspect you will find that there is a clause in there that if your berth isn't available for any reason (repairs, damage - or visitor is in occupancy) then they have the right to assign you elsewhere on a temporary basis.

As I say I don't use marinas, but hopefully, "an expert" will be along to contradict or confirm my views & we will both be a little wiser. :D
 
That pretty much sums up the normal position when you just rent the berth. Your berthing contract will spell out in detail what the terms and conditions are. In practice the options the marina operator has don't present a problem if you manage it properly. For example you need to advise the marina when you will be returning so that your berth is free for you, plus letting them know in advance if you are returning sooner than expected.

The situation is different if you buy a long term lease which usually gives you sole rights to the berth and the option of sub letting it either on a permanent basis for a fixed term or allowing the marina to use it for visitors and paying you for the use.
 
The marinas abiltlity to make available an empty berth for a day or to casual visitors such as moi can help keep costs down for regular bertholders.Many marinas such as MDL go further and will allow boats to "swap" marinas for longer periods which gives their customers a change of scenery for a while.
 
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I have rented berths for many years, and unlike Searush I get a number of benefits with security, fixing stuff when I can't get there, elec supply etc. A good marina berth is not cheap, especially on the South coast. We are on the River Severn.

I really don't care what the marina does with my rented berth when I am not there, as long as I don't have to pay for other peoples electricity within reason.

I cannot comment on a leased or purchased berth, but there are others on here who can.

Good luck, and don't be afraid to ask questions on here. Sometimes you'll get the answer you need:)
 
We own our own berth in majorca and the marina will let the berth out when we are not there and do not give you anything in return..... we have now sold our boat so the berth is not being used at the moment and if we wish to rent it out they will take 30% of the rental income so its now for sale ...
 
wow thanks all great answers it seems the marinas have it sown up, one last question (how longs a piece of string) if i was to stay in one area for a longish period for instance a year and needed a berth which berthing option would you choose
 
scubajohn said:
wow thanks all great answers it seems the marinas have it sown up, one last question (how longs a piece of string) if i was to stay in one area for a longish period for instance a year and needed a berth which berthing option would you choose
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Sorry, I'm not sure I understand your question. Are you asking would you rent, lease or buy? For 1 year I would think that renting is the best option. I doubt you will get a lease for less than a year, and the buy and sell within a year will be a major challenge. There are currently more berths available than people willing to pay for moorings.

If you are asking where would you berth, then that is a piece of string question.
 
If you are looking at the UK a good option could be buying a lease within one of the larger marina groups such as MDL.

In theory you can stay at any of the other marinas free of charge by using their club outlook gold card which gives unlimited nights stay at other marinas.

I once asked about buying a lease at one of the Thames marinas like Penton Hook and then using the gold card benefits to stay at Hamble Point. I didn't do it but in theory it would work.

Triangle berth brokers or inwards are a good place to hunt.

There are private sub lets that do done up every now and then.
 
Have a look at various marinas, most aren't nasty or crowded. The one I use isn't. I also don't have to get the dinghy out to get to the boat, I have unlimited electricity and water, somewhere to park the car, 24hr CCTV and security, excellent toilets, showers and laundry, nice neighbours and the boat is as safe as it can be in any conditions. All for about the same daily rate as long term car parking.
 
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scubajohn said:
im total newbe whos looking into buying a boat and god willing buy a berth.
my question is can a marina use your berth whilst your out and about .( i scanned loads of pages, off different forums one which had a go about a marina who berthed a visitors boat in his/hers berth i cannot find again)
cheers jp
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While it is less of a problem right now due to poverty levels, it might still be worth checking availability of berth lengths for your proposed boat.
 
As you are totally new to boating, I´d rent rather than buy. That gives you more flexibility, especially if you or your family/friends later decide boating is not for you. It´s nearly always easier to buy a berth than sell one! If you really get the boating bug, you may want to upsize in the future, which becomes more complicated if your own berth isn´t big enough.
Most marinas gve a discount for paying a year´s rent upfront, so that´s the route I´d go. I also suspect that in the right area there are deals to be had due to the economic climate.
 
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Hi all
im impressed and grateful with all the advice long may it continue

buy - a berth nope after being told a marina can use it and park me anywhere if its taken .
lease- possible if i had sole use , i come and go at any old time
rent - yes looks likely
i agree if boating wasnt for me , totaly rent, but i go out in most conditions except high wind (trailed boat) fishing off the irish sea nw and had buttock squeeze
soooo all being (buy a gin palace lol i wish). well renting till im proficient enough to venture further a field ie the MED da da daa
once again thanks all
 
scubajohn said:
buy - a berth nope after being told a marina can use it and park me anywhere if its taken .
lease- possible if i had sole use , i come and go at any old time
rent - yes looks likely
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I'm not sure you have the full right end of the stick. Buying and leasing are the same thing. No-one has a freehold of the sea. When you "buy" a berth you are usually buying a long lease

The bit about "a marina can use it and park me anywhere if its taken" is overstated. You'd need to read the contract to get the detial for your exact location but that's not how it normally works. I've owned berth leases for 10 years+ and the normal rule is the marina lets others use your berth when you're away but makes sure the berth is free when you come back. If you go away overnight and dont tell the marina then your berth stays empty. And in many cases you get the rental income less commission of 30% or whatever, so it makes sense to let others use your berth
 
thanks j
as you can tell at the moment im a trailor boater, i assumed not knowing, if you bought a berth is was for x years all mine so to speak . i now understand more. as in my first post learning and researching getting ready, this chap had to moor up quite away from his bought berth because his berth was taken. so i asked the question on here
 
scubajohn said:
thanks j
as you can tell at the moment im a trailor boater, i assumed not knowing, if you bought a berth is was for x years all mine so to speak . i now understand more. as in my first post learning and researching getting ready, this chap had to moor up quite away from his bought berth because his berth was taken. so i asked the question on here
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But maybe the guy didn't tell the marina when he was coming back, or he came back earlier than he'd said, or something like that. You can't extrapolate from internet stories like this. Right now, I don't have a boat and my (long lease) berth is in use by someone else and i have to give a month's notice when I want it back, becuase that's the deal I have made. So if i turn up today I can't have it. But in normal times if I go out and spend the night on anchor on a saturday and return to my berth on Sunday there's no way the marina can say I can't have it and I have to parke somewhere else. That would be absurd
 
You probably already have, but do consider if there's good cruising (or fishing) in the area, whether access is restricted by the tide (usually a lock gate), if there's marina or chandlery services nearby, and somewhere within walking distance to buy fish & chips and beer etc. If you're going to be visiting 20 or 30 times a year (more hopefully!) you'll want somewhere within a sensible car journey's distance.

It's great to have a reasonably priced berth but if it's in the arse end of the world or a seven hour drive away you'll never use it, and you'll start resenting your boat.

Welcome to the forum.
 
no worrys j once im ready ill talk to the marina operators one persons moan doesnt count for much

i have thought about location

my boat location NW , do i , gain experience knowlege cruise isle o man ,scotland ,ireland etc till im proficient and capable or learn the ropes down south, ok i will stay local.
i can see madame marie knickerless waving a baguette and a can o diesel at me though
 
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