Marina rebates

[Peppermint]

I've heard rumours that some marinas give a bit of money back to yotties who are off cruising. Is this true or just an sailors tall tale.

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[Riggy]

Sailor's fantasy more like........Premier Marina's actually RENT OUT their berths if the occupier is away more than two weeks.....NOW THAT's SCANDALOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<hr width=100% size=1>Scheme me up Botty..........there's no intelligent life down here!!!!!!!!

 

[Sanderling_]

Down here at Plymouth Yacht Haven, we get a share of any visitor letting of our berth in the summer. In my case this totalled about £18 this year, not much but at least it gives us something.

I think that the main reason is to encourage us to let them know when we are away so that they can sub let.

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[GeoffW]

Premier will give you credit if the boat is away for 3 months, but an actual refund. NO

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[charles_reed]

In the majority of French marinas and a very few UK marinas (notably C&N), the berth-holder gets credited with a proportion (between 20-50%) of any let.

the usual proviso is that the marina know the dates of the berth being free.

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[Birdseye]

Overheard the Mobos in Swansea marina talking amongst themselves as to how they never let the marina know when they were coming back so the berth couldnt be let out - just because they felt ripped off by not receiving anything for re-lets.

<hr width=100% size=1>this post is a personal opinion, and you should not base your actions on it.

 

[andyball]

seems a common attitude- even to the extent of leaving a tender in the berth during a summer lift-out.

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[Fill]

Premier will give 75% of charges if away for more than 30 days at a time set against next year's charges.

<hr width=100% size=1>It was all so different before it changed

 

[Riggy]

That's all very well but some of us still have businesses and jobs and not many can afford 30+ days away. Also my boat has been out twice this season for 3/3 1/2 weeks, both times my berth was 're-let' for that period. Did I get a rebate or discount?? Bet your'e sweet a**e I did'nt!

<hr width=100% size=1>Scheme me up Botty..........there's no intelligent life down here!!!!!!!!

 

[johna]

Can't understand this attitude. Don't we all at some time visit marinas and use a berth for a night or two. We can only hope that visitors in some way susidise marina charges.

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[Bejasus]

I find the practice of re-letting berths which have been paid for despicable, unless by prior agreement with the berth holder, who should the receive a refund equivalent to what he would have paid for that period. The marina has already been paid. Imagine renting your council house and going on holiday, to come back and finding that the council had let out your house in your absence.
If someone wishes to rent the berth that badly, then the marina could offer it at a price over and above the renumeration for the berth holder. Anything else would just be a rip off.

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[Sailfree]

MDL will give a rebate if you are away for 4 months or more (its in the small print) Otherwise they are entitled to all temporary lets while your berth is vacant. Its tough for them to make a profit these days!

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[BrendanS]

Then we'd all be searching for berths when we travel outside our own marina. The system works well as is

<hr width=100% size=1>NesQuid agis, medice?

 

[Its_Only_Money]

I agree 100% with Brendan - if this system didn't operate where would anyone go except back to their own berths of an evening - to rely on dedicated visitors berths everywhere would be impossible and hugely expensive for everyone involved (empty berths - your own while you are away - would equal extra cost into the system).

Ever thought that the average usage by vistors offsets the average annual berth fee????

<hr width=100% size=1>Rgds

Simon
Its Only Money
Fairline Sprint
Solent-based

 

[andy_wilson]

Yacht Havens group (eg Lymington, Plymouth) give back about 50% of visitors fees. I never had a dime when I was at Lymington for 3 years, but then I rarely told them I was leaving. The yearbook once said they had paid back about £20K one year.

If I was on the other side of the fence, I would be arguing that every opportunity to stick a visitor in an unoccupied berth is a few more pence saved on everyones annual berthing contract.

Clearly there are more ways than one to skin this particular cat.

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[Bejasus]

Sorry Brendan, but do you mean that you don't search for berths now? Implying that as a berth holder, you get some kind of benefits being a current bertholder, entitling you to a berth elswhere? Being a newbie to berth holding, I am just asking the question. Is it not illegal to sell the same thing twice, or am I just being a tad naive.

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by h00 on 20/12/2004 01:35 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[BrendanS]

None of the marinas I go to overnight have a reciprocal agreement with my berth holder.

The way it works in the UK, is that if a marina knows a boat is away for a night or weekend, you can take that berth. Double booking to some, but means that huge numbers of people can get berths for the night or weekend

Ask the Med quys how things work there, and you might have very different thougts to the UK option?

In busy areas like the Solent, some you have to book ahead with, some are pot luck, and the earlier you turn up the better, early afternoon for example. Outside the Solent, usually based on availablity, but won't turn you away if weather is bad and conditions are such that you are seeking shelter, even if it means you are moored outside a fishing boat that will be leaving at 5am next morning, as many here will tell you.

The further outside marina's you go, the more friendly and helpful the staff. There are exceptions. Even in the Solent, you will find places like Mercury, who will provide moorings even if they are full. Same goes for Cowes, where outside main marinas, the harbour master has a few places into which he will guide peeps, to to people who ask nicely....but I didn't say that, cos West Coast Scotland is a much better bet!

To answer the question though, in busy areas like the Solent, you are usually taking someone elses mooring, unless they have large numbers of visitor moorings, and even then, you often take a residents place if they know you are away.

Can talk specific areas if you want - Lymington and Yarmouth have huge visitor areas, but these overwhelmed mid summer. Demand you see. Overflow is to vacant moorings from people who have vacated them to go elsewhere overnight.l

<hr width=100% size=1>NesQuid agis, medice?

 

[Piers]

Berthon Lymington did when I was berthed there two years ago. 50% of all lets if you told them you were going to be away for more than one or two weeks.

<hr width=100% size=1>Piers du Pré
http://www.dupre.co.uk

 

[tritonofnor]

I am obviously biased here, but Yacht Havens give the bertholder 50% of any visitors fees taken on your berth while you're away. As Andy Wilson says this helps me do my job by giving people an incentive to let me know when a berth will be vacant, Without this, during the summer months chaos would result, and I'd have to turn a lot of overnight visitors away. I'll agree the refunds aren't huge, but the system works well. Bertholders who go out for an afternoon sail don't come back to find their berth occupied, and visitors can be found a secure spot for the night. Visitor fees go a long way to keeping charges down for all of us.

<hr width=100% size=1>Marina skips - the greatest free resource centre!

 

[Piers]

Do you operate a minimum period away before the 50% takings are paid out?

<hr width=100% size=1>Piers du Pré
http://www.dupre.co.uk