Oo_____________Viable marinas_____________oO

[kindredspirit]

What would you think is the minimum number of berths neccessary to make a marina viable ?

I know the question is not that straightforward because it would also depend on the number of ancillary services being provided as well.

But I would be interested to hear peoples' views on it.

.

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[gonfishing]

Hi Kevin
Really does depend on support services and staff levels but I reckon 100 or there abouts would be a fair starting point but that would be with a very minimal service to berth holders.

Julian

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[straight6]

Lawrence Cove marina in Bantry Bay seems to be managing with c 40 berths. Have you been down there?

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[kindredspirit]

Been to Lawrence Cove Marina twice.
Absolutely jaw dropping scenery but does it bring in the return for the investment?


I was just asking the question in general, because I was talking to someone at the weekend who was asking me if marinas were a good investment and what size they would have to be to be solvent.

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[halcyon]

It also depends on the cost of building it in the first place, remember marina's going bump alsmost daily in the 80's, normally whilst or after building. It's not the cost of financeing the daily running cost, it's serviceing the cost of finance before you have the customers to pay. So you will have to budget for going bust as well.

Also remember in the 60's my father coming home from picking Alfred Owen up from Heathrow, he'd come back from USA and his idea this time was to build a car park for boats. He'd seen this thing called a marina in the States and was determined to build one, and everyone laughed at him. But Rubery Owen bought some land at Hamble point, and he built pontoons, and there was his car park called Hamble point marina., and they still laughed. One thing we made was a Carriecon, used for moving freight containers, and Alfred had another idea, a boat looked a bit like a container. So RO built a pair of tracks out over the water at Hamble point, a carriecon was modified, and we had the first boat hoist, and they still laughed. A few years later Alfred died, the first thing his sons did was to sell of Hamble point marina, how could you make money parking boats!!!!!!!!!!.

So instead of MDL you could have had ROC.

Brian

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