Dry Storage

[andrewa]

I have a 27ft boat moored in a marina, after visiting the States last year they have alot of marinas but equally in Florida anyway they have dry storage sheds, they are very popular and most have waiting lists with boats stacked 3-4 high, apart from Poole does any other place offer this service on the South Coast surely its prefereable to leaving your boat in the water idle for most of the time and I would think better for it as well. My mooring is up for renewal next year and I want to look around at the possibility before I renew.

Look forward to your replies.

 

[ccscott49]

I actually believe dry storage for smaller boats, is ther answer to our mooring problems in the UK, I don't see why more places don't do it, best idea I've ever seen and plenty of places to do it. Old disused dock areas for instance. Not a answer to your question, but my tuppence worth. IMHO

 

[KevL]

If your boat happens to get stored on the bottom don't all the bits of weed and crap etc from the boats above fall off onto your pride and joy?

I'd never seen this before I visited Poole so I brought it up in the conversation with the broker I was visiting. When I asked about accessability they said that you phone up and by the time you get there your boat is in the water waiting for you, is this true?

KevL

--
It may be the early bird that catches the worm but its the second mouse that gets the cheese.

 

[andrewa]

I agree, its big in the States and as you say the boat is ready when required and left on a waiting pontoon when you have finished for the boat yard to collect wash off and restack. This is how they do it State side and most places can accommodate up to 30ft.

My boat is from the US and has been dry stored all its life its a 1993 Searay 270 and the thing has only just been anti fouled for me, until then completey clean. The boat is immaculate apart from normal wear and tear in the cockpit. Its done 350 hours and harldy a mark on it. Its been in the water here for 3 months and is covered in stains around the bottom from dirty water, easy to clean but still a pain.

 

[BrendanS]

I keep mine at Haven Quay in Lymington (between Town Quay and Railway station).
In answer to some of the other posted queries - don't have any boats above mine, kept on floor trestle not rack. Even if kept in a rack, all the boats are fresh water pressure washed when they are lifted out as part of the service, so no weeds to drop onto your pride and joy
Yes, you just call them and tell them what time you expect to get there, and they'll either have it the water waiting for you, or you can load it and they'll drop it straight in.

I was talking to an acquitance of mine last night. He's been in marine industry for 30 odd years, designing boats, racing offshore powerboats etc, and has recently designed and patented a storage system for boats of up to about 60' (this is bigger than anything possible even in the US at present) and is looking for funding to build facilities, so if anyone is interested in investing or knows anyone who would, let me know.

 

[andrewa]

I hope he gets this off the ground, what I would like to see is a no frills storage and launch facilty, at a resonable cost on the solent or area. Maybe offering servicing and winterization etc. Until something like this gets off the ground the established Marinas will be able to continue ripping us all off. We live in a market driven economy its about time the market got bucked!

 

[pistonbroke]

Dry storage (racking) is currently available in 2 locations in Poole and 1 in Lymington. It is an excellent way to store a boat, saving you money on antifouling, anodes etc.

I have kept a boat in Poole Boat Park, and they gave an excellent service, but i found the manager of the yard could be quite difficult/unhelpful at times, depending on his mood. The other problem was that if you had boats stored above you, your boat could get very dirty if they had left their bungs out. I have seen boats there with oil over them where the boat above had an oil leak.

 

[tome]

Believe Sparkes Marina on Hayling Island offer this.

 

[Geoffs]

I keep my boat at the said establshment. Always found everything excellent, and the manager is always friendly and helpful, in my experience. Never seen any evidence of boats on the bottom getting dirty from oil or anything else. Don't have problems with weed or anything, as boats usually only in the water for a few days at a time, and don't get dirty bottoms.

Dry berthing the answer for small boats, up to 27ft, IMHO, and not expensive, when compared to marina charges.

Old Chinese proverb 'Man who sail boat into rice field, soon get into paddy'

 

[andrewa]

Judging from the reponses this appears to be the way to go so why has no one picked up on this and offered it on a large scale maybe the likes of MDL or Premier for that matter, planning rules are getting stricter so new Marinas on the South Coast at least are going to be in short supply which will only force prices even higher as boating is becoming such a growth pastime.

 

[Guest]

I Guess once on the rack you could put a hugh sheet of poly over it to stop crap from above ?

"The Med has got me" (no not the Medway the other Med)

 

[jwatson]

Yes KevL, true. Phone up and at Cobbs Quay we stick the boat in the water before you turn up! Come back, tie alongside waiting pontoon and we re-stack it.
Dry stacking is a good use of space and is one solution to addressing the supply/demand factor affecting our industry. Also good for the boat and good for the environment.
John Watson
MDL

 

[jwatson]

Andrewa, cannot agree, of course, with your marina rip-off comment. Maybe I shouldn't start this debate all over again though!
Best,
John Watson
MDL

 

[ccscott49]

John,
Lets face it the marinas are squeezing evry penny they can get out of the berth holders, I don't blame anybody for this, it's simply supply and demand, just as the meddy marinas triple or quadrupal their prices in the summer months, their busy period, all the berths are full! But dry stacking is without doubt the way to go and a fabulous use of space and enviromentally friendly. Why hasn't MDL taken this up, in places like Galmpton quay, which would be an ideal position? (Some dredging might be needed, but not much) or the old philips yard in Dartmouth or have you already thought of this, the area is ripe for it and the racks are comparatively cheap to manufacture. Why haven't some other places in the solent area been looked at and if they have, why isn't something being done, it must be profitable, or is the current method more profitable? You can't build marinas everywhere, but dry racking and a waiting potoon will fit almost any quayside area. Also sites that could be used are normally turned into waterside flats, for a quick turn over and profit, as opposed to looking longer term, the quick buck scenario, maybe I'm just naive, it has been mentioned!! I and I'm sure some others would appreciate your comments on this. Thank you.
Colin.

 

[andrewa]

Agreed John, the point of the post wasn't to discuss charges it was about better use of space and keeping my boat clean. Everyone has their own view on charges. Florida is expensive or at least on par with the solent on the Gulf Coast, the plus side is cheap fuel and fine weather thats why after a lengthy discussion with the family over the last few weeks and doing some maths my family are probably giving up boating in the uk in a season or so and will start using our airmiles 2 or 3 times a year.

 

[BrendanS]

The effective use of space is something that marina operators should start looking at given the huge and rising demand.

The chap I mentioned earlier in thread has emailed me drawings of the facility he has designed. Boats enter at water level and are moved into a circular rack facility. A 160' diam building, will take 360 boats of up to 50', or nearly 500 boats of up to 32'.

 

[KevL]

Thanks John but what about the "debris from above" issue, are there deviders between the layers that I didn't notice?

I must say it did look impressive, I'd love to see it in operation loading and unloading boats, is there some kind of big fork lift that stacks the boats or a moving platform? Does each pigeon hole have it's own cradle that is set up for each boat and then plugged in and out of the rack or is the rack a "one size fits all" setup.

Just curious, I think my boat is a bit big for one of those and you'd need to move it north by about 250 miles.

KevL

--
It may be the early bird that catches the worm but its the second mouse that gets the cheese.

 

[ccscott49]

Now we are talking, thats exactly the type of thing we need. Then the marinas could be used for boats which cannot be dry stored, it would free up a lot of berths.

 

[jwatson]

Colin,
You raise some very valid points. Let me take them in turn.
I do NOT agree that marinas are squeezing every penny - certainly not ours. I want to keep berthing increases to a resonable level as I think if boating becomes too expensive the customer will walk to other activities - foreign homes, holidays, leisure clubs etc.
IF I can broadly win the PR game and build trust from our customers perhaps they will buy other good/products/services from us.
We do have a dry-stack strategy, and I think we know this game as well as anyone in the UK, but you will forgive me for not being specific other than to agree with the benefits you highlight.
Rome wasn't built in a day but we are trying to move forward quickly to open us cost-effective solutions for boaters.
Stay well,
John Watson
MDL

 

[ccscott49]

John,
The customers are a captive audience, where else do they go for a quick weekend, anyway I won't get into an argument with you over this, it's just not winnable by either of us. But dry storage is not a new idea and I'm well aware thyat "Rome wasn't built in a day", but you didn't mention the flats versus boat stroage, as I said, the "Quick buck" scenario, get in, get em' built, get em sold and scarper, is your company involved in that side of things aswell, or is that another question I will never get answered. You are fairly open John I'm aware. But I can't reasonably expect some answers, privacy and competition etc. Thanks for your reply anyway.
Colin.