Marina Prices

[rigman]

65ft oyster,5.5m beam. We are (goodness me) one metre wider and significantly shorter not that it matters, yet pay 50% or more surcharge. That's just one example seen recently. I'm sure your point is valid...nah, actually I'm not.

Sorry I haven't a clue what you are talking about. Maybe you have seen too many flying pancakes. Anyway I am out. Subject closed.

 

[Jeva]

I've always questioned why marinas charge for length on a berth and not beam. If you take a place on a pontoon what does it matter how far you stick out (not causing an obstruction of course). If you take a place, you take pontoon space so just charge by the length of pontoon you take i.e. beam. Imagine if car parks charged by the length.

 

[Bitterend]

It t seems you are reluctant to accept a different view. I had a ketch monohull and I noticed many more cats in Lefkas marina last year then previous years. If the marina can attract catamarans to gain more business then I say good for them, especially in the winter season. In life its often better to have a bit of something than all of nothing.

 

[Tranona]

I've always questioned why marinas charge for length on a berth and not beam. If you take a place on a pontoon what does it matter how far you stick out (not causing an obstruction of course). If you take a place, you take pontoon space so just charge by the length of pontoon you take i.e. beam. Imagine if car parks charged by the length.

Because length is easy and if in fingers, actual beam is largely irrelevant as it varies relatively little on monohulls in a particular size range. As already noted there are other ways of charging, principally area (L*B) and berth size irrespective of size of boat. The basic principle is the bigger the boat the more you pay, but as boats are not all equal whatever method the marina chooses means that there are winners and losers and always somebody who claims foul. simplest way for you to avoid feeling hard done by is to only go onto marinas where the charging regime favours your boat.

 

[SamanthaTabs]

Sorry I haven't a clue what you are talking about. Maybe you have seen too many flying pancakes. Anyway I am out. Subject closed.

There's no such thing as too many pancakes, flying or otherwise preferably covered in maple syrup

 

[dslittle]

65ft oyster,5.5m beam. We are (goodness me) one metre wider and significantly shorter not that it matters, yet pay 50% or more surcharge. That's just one example seen recently. I'm sure your point is valid...nah, actually I'm not.

Err. Wouldn't that be a 50% surcharge on your 'signicantly shorter length' not 65ft? I have a sneaking suspicion that they were still paying more than you even though they have only got half as many hulls...

On another note, I was charged more than twice as much as a 10m yacht recently on an adjacent buoy!!! We voted with our anchor.

 

[Cheery]

Is the rise in popularity of cats actual or perceived? I ask as when we went to the BVI last November it is absolutely noticeable that cats are more popular. I would say that 60% of boats I saw were cats and out of the remaining 40% there were Mobos as well.

 

[RichardS]

Is the rise in popularity of cats actual or perceived? I ask as when we went to the BVI last November it is absolutely noticeable that cats are more popular. I would say that 60% of boats I saw were cats and out of the remaining 40% there were Mobos as well.

It is certainly actual amongst the charter fleets. The Caribbean charterers led the way and the Med charter industry is heading the same way. Probably still 80% monos but that goes down every year in my experience.

Richard

 

[Tranona]

Is the rise in popularity of cats actual or perceived? I ask as when we went to the BVI last November it is absolutely noticeable that cats are more popular. I would say that 60% of boats I saw were cats and out of the remaining 40% there were Mobos as well.

Real As Richard says mainly on charter fleets in the Caribbean as you have seen. Such boats are not primarily for "sailing" but are mobile waterborne holiday apartments that anchor every night rather than berth in marinas. Less attractive in the Med where marina or quayside berthing in congested harbours is more common and cats either cost more to berth or can't find space. Slowly changing though, but will take some time as the number of new boats coming onto the fleets is low at the moment because of the uncertain economic environment.

 

[Cheery]

You are right about the waterborne apartments, mostly Americans. The cost of mooring where my son was at the time was $30 a night for boats under 60'. As it was a seagrass site you had to anchor outside if over the limit. Where he was was nearly all cats.

 

[Sybarite]

Whatever method you use there are winners and losers. Many marinas in other parts of the Med do use the L*B for charges. However length is much easier to use as you just take it from the registration document. The problem with cats is that they effectively take two berths in a marina laid out for monohulls if the berth is between fingers (unless a small boat - rare in the Med can be squeezed in), but if they are just stern to as in some, then a 50% surcharge seems reasonable as a cat takes up 50% more quay space than a typical mono of the same length.

Whatever method is used somebody will always feel victimised!

French marinas tend to use a source which gives the true length of boats including pulpits and other standard overhangs. On this basis they wanted to move me up a category until I pointed out that I had a shorter replacement pulpit.

 

[westernman]

French marinas tend to use a source which gives the true length of boats including pulpits and other standard overhangs. On this basis they wanted to move me up a category until I pointed out that I had a shorter replacement pulpit.

All the French and Spanish marinas (with the exception of Alucudia, Menorca when when we were occupying and blocking a 30m superyacht place), have charged according to the LOA of 15.63m I have on my part I registration. No one has taken into account the overhang of the bowsprint. Although both marinas where I have had a yearly rental berth in have come and measured the total length from end of bowsprint to the end of the stern (20.03m). In all cases (except Alcudia) I was/am paying for <16m.

Alcudia I had to pay for <18m. I had sailed onto that particular berth because I had a broken starter motor.