Co-op Marina?

[squidge]

Just try and do a search on "Marina" and see how many negative comments you get back.The Big Brother bad boys seem to have it all their own way with extortionate fees and limited space.(some say).
Well what are your thoughts on a co-op type of marina."run by the people for the people"? Would a little capital investment be worth it if you could have lower costs and a say in how things are run?What about free visitors berths at other co-op marinas as long as you let yours whilst away?
Monday madness or will it hold water?
/forums/images/icons/wink.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Aeolus_IV]

Sounds good to me - I'd love to think that our anual berthing was working for me, and not somebody else. The trouble is bringing together the sort of capital require to buy a marina.

I know of one which ought to be for sale soon - within is days sail of the solent (just /forums/images/icons/smile.gif),

Jeff.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[ecudc]

nice idea but I suspect planning permission to get new marinas (as well as finding a suitable site) must be really hard else we would be over run with marinas all competing to give us the best quality service at the lowest possible price.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[aod]

One of the IPC mags ran an article on just such an idea that had already been actioned with great success.
I for one would certainly be interested. I am also interested in moving the boat over to Cherbourg next season and just jumping on the ferry which would be significantly cheaper than a 35ft mooring in the Solent.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[themount2]

Count me in!! Have business background and legal partner. Let's see where it takes us!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Birdseye]

Sorry to disappoint you but your idea is effectively old hat. Co-operative marinas were what we had when each port town had its own harbour run as a public trust. In some parts of the Bristol channel its still like that. Then along came the concept of privatisation, and public corporations (like the dvlc, ra etc) and before you know it you are getting services you dont want and paying heftily for them. Even our local yacht club, which effectively is a co-operative, charges about £800 pa for my boat on a pontoonin their "marina".

Suspect you cant turn the clock back.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Twister_Ken]

Re: Co-op Marina - Folkestone

The trouble is (probably) that marinas are capital intensive operations. Car parking, shower/toilet blocks, pontoons, office, access gangways, piles, mooring chains, dredging, etc even for a mimimum-facilities one. So whether owned by a multi-national conglomerate, a sailor's co-op or a local council, those costs have to be recovered (and/or debt serviced, on top of payong for staffing, ongoing maintenance, etc. So how much difference would occupier-ownership make? Some ceertainly, but a lot?

Sounds like Folkestone harbour might be coming up for sale, if you want to get a ball rolling.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[jamesjermain]

Forget it...unless

The capital cost is totally prohibitive for a private consortium; it will take you for ever to find a suitable site and another forever to get acceptible plans drawn up and passed by local planners and conservationists.

BUT. If you happen to know of, or own, derelict docks, a yacht club with a suitable piece of foreshore or own the Dutchy of Cornwall (bow..scrape...no offence Your Highness), you might be in business. The RYA has a department which produced a scheme with a commercial operation for developing private marinas for yacht clubs and private consortia. I believe this initiative has resulted in four or five club marinas and other mooring projects. The newish marina in Grimsby fish docks is one of these, I think - it is certainly an owners' consortium.

<hr width=100% size=1>JJ

 

[oldsaltoz]

At my home port, (err we are talking Australia here) we had no marina and no sign of one from private enterprise.
So the local yacht club approached the port authority with a proposal; basically, the club would take on the maintenance of the existing pile moorings, the plan was to link them with pontoons; also included were full facilities such as toilets, car and trailer parking, admin building, free bus service and so on.

The nearest marina at the time was some 80 miles north and well over 200 miles to the south, the port had pile moorings only to offer any passing cruisies, so they passed without stopping.

An environmental study and detailed plans were drafted (at no small cost) a task force was put together and several approaches made, we advertised for expressions of interest based purchasing a pen off the plans and got an overwhelming response, from private and commercial operators, so financing was no problem; even 3 new locations were proposed when the port authority hinted that they did not want an increase in small craft in the harbour to complicate commercial shipping.

All this was about 10 years or more ago. And what has happened since you ask.

Well the nearest marina to the north is now only 50 miles away with a brand marina built about 4 years ago. And, we now have a marina in the local port. But, all the pile mooring were removed and anchoring outlawed; needless to say this new marina is NOT run by the yacht club, and like most marinas only charges an arm and a leg.

You will have great difficulty convincing any of the boating fraternity here that a yacht club can own and run it's own marina based on a not for profit operation.

But never say die, someday, someone 'may' manage to get one through, and wish them the very best of luck. . . . . .



<hr width=100% size=1> Old Salt Oz /forums/images/icons/cool.gif Growing old is unavoidable. However, growing up is still optional.

 

[Heckler]

did you know

that in wales we have something called cymdethias ty clwyd and other similarly named things that build "social housing" they have taken over the roll of council house type building and basically IMHO are a law unto themselves, they can buy green belt land and then fill it with "council houses" there is a loop hole in planning that allows this so that they can "compete" in the housing market and provide "cheaper" housing.
perhaps we should be lobbying them to be providing affordable marinas, they could aquire sites that would normally not be allowed to be turned into marinas ie SSRs stick their fingers up to the conservationists and planners and then develope them for us the boys so that we could have affordable marinas!
stu

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[squidge]

Sorry for the delay in replying.Thanks for all of your input.
The idear was to convert an existing dock or similar into a marina so not tread on the conservation peoples toes and keep it simple with the minimum of services.May be with the help of some kind of grant as some of the abandoned docks are rather run down unappealing places which could do with a face lift.
/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Joe_Cole]

I'm not sure but I thought that the Mayflower Marina at Plymouth was set up as a cooperative.

Joe

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[cgull]

Mayflower, excellent marina, setup like a co-op. Just spent a few days there and was very impressed. No cheaper than anywhere else but the helpful staff, restaurant/bar,shower facilities, pontoon staff,all superb. And a free barbecue patio area with free gas.

<hr width=100% size=1>