Price differential in Marinas

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bedouin

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The current MDL thread has caused me to wonder about what causes the price differential in the various Marinas in the Solent area.

My understanding is that for a 10m boat you can pay anything between £4000 and £6500 for an annual berth in a modern "full service" marina. What is it that means that the more expensive can charge so much more than the cheapest?
 
Position, for a start. I would imagine that people would pay more for a marina at the mouth of the Hamble, for example, than for a berth half an hours motor up the Hamble.
Ease of access, both by road, and by boat.
Shelter.
Non marina facilities - local pubs, shops etc.
 
Demand, pure and simple. - driven by lots of factors such as amenties,distance to crusing areas, access by car and so on.

Put prices up if the waiting list is long - bringem down if there are spaces. Doesn't need a cartel cos boating isn't a neccesity. No, really, it isn't.

I suppose there is *some* inertia - so let's say *if* youwere startinga new marina, say, you'd start off with artificially low prices to fill up the place, and then later bing it into line with similar marinas nearby. Once you've gottem, you can probly jack up the prices until a few people are crying or screaming, but not too many. Er, oops, i mean acording to the property summink index calculation there's a very accurate accountanty price to work out and obviously you would charge that...
 
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Position, for a start. I would imagine that people would pay more for a marina at the mouth of the Hamble, for example, than for a berth half an hours motor up the Hamble.
Ease of access, both by road, and by boat.
Shelter.
Non marina facilities - local pubs, shops etc.

[/ QUOTE ] I'd agree with you, generally speaking, though the most expensive marina in the Solent is Buckler's Hard, which is miles up the Beaulieu River, serviced by a rubbish pub and overpriced restaurant, has a chandlery that closes for the weekend at lunchtime on Saturday, is reached down winding and sometimes crowded country lanes, etc. etc.....

Surroundings are stunning, however, and that's their usp, along with the social cachet conferred by the presence of some of the distinguished berth holders - though there's some bloke with an Oceanis who lowers the tone somewhat.
 
If you raise the prices until you're not quite full that's about what the market will stand. No point in lowering them so that you are full as you'll probably only take as much and have higher costs.
Marina owners may like boating, but they're in it as a business.
 
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Position, for a start. I would imagine that people would pay more for a marina at the mouth of the Hamble, for example, than for a berth half an hours motor up the Hamble.
Ease of access, both by road, and by boat.
Shelter.
Non marina facilities - local pubs, shops etc.

[/ QUOTE ] I'd agree with you, generally speaking, though the most expensive marina in the Solent is Buckler's Hard, which is miles up the Beaulieu River, serviced by a rubbish pub and overpriced restaurant, has a chandlery that closes for the weekend at lunchtime on Saturday, is reached down winding and sometimes crowded country lanes, etc. etc.....

Surroundings are stunning, however, and that's their usp, along with the social cachet conferred by the presence of some of the distinguished berth holders - though there's some bloke with an Oceanis who lowers the tone somewhat.

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Very true - there's always an exception. It is beautiful around there, though, isn't it? And, although it is a long way up the river, even that is no hardship.
 
Premier appear to operate at something over 100% capacity on the principal that not all boats are there all the time, so they take the money from newcomers and shunt them around from empty berth to empty berth until a permanent one becomes available.

AARGH!!!

Three figures and I didn't even notice. I'll give myself a rosette to mark the occasion.
 
Is B/H the most expensive marina in the Solent?

Despite comments to the contrary, I'm not so sure about the undesirability of the bloke with the Oceanis. Since he moved his boat into its berth there has been a steady, but significant rise in fees, which would suggest that he has added value to the location.

Have to agree wholeheartedly with the comments concerning his rabble crew though, especially the bloke that was beating 9 kinds of shite out of a dodgy (in more ways than one) spinny pole at 0730hrs.

Bucklers Hard is a particularly beautiful place to keep a boat, but there are other benefits. For a relatively diminutive marina it is well staffed and not much fails to come to the attention of the HM guys. In order to check the boat out, following last week's gales, I got up early on Saturday morning and made the three hour drive down to the marina. I had just had time to cast my I over her and start the engine up before the Asst H.M was knocking on the coachroof to see who was messing about. IMHO they do show a great deal of care for the boats and were actually patrolling the river, on Thursday, in 80ish kt winds, checking moorings and piles etc. I'm sure this sort of service isn't unique, but I'm not convinced that the same level of attention is afforded by the mega marinas for little, if any, less money.
 
ah , well loads of marinas *are* full. With waiting lists. So! The obvious conclusion is to jack the prices up.

Who do you think is the skintest on your moorings then? Cos of course, if they'e all taken, the prices oughta go up until one of them gives up, reallly?...
 
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I'd agree with you, generally speaking, though the most expensive marina in the Solent is Buckler's Hard, which is miles up the Beaulieu River, serviced by a rubbish pub and overpriced restaurant, has a chandlery that closes for the weekend at lunchtime on Saturday, is reached down winding and sometimes crowded country lanes, etc. etc.....


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Plus its showers are always covered in mud, the car park is full of pot holes, (is the lane to it still full of pot holes?). Berths are tight to get into.
 
BH is certainly in the upper quartile, along with Lymmington Yacht Haven and (IIRC) Hythe.

OTOH the Portsmouth marinas (e.g. Haslar and Gosport) used to be some of the cheapest (though perhaps not as cheap as 5 yrs ago).

It particularly surprises me that so many are prepared to pay for Lymmington over Portsmouth. Okay Lymmington is a nice place, but it is not the easiest place to drive to
 
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Have to agree wholeheartedly with the comments concerning his rabble crew though, especially the bloke that was beating 9 kinds of shite out of a dodgy (in more ways than one) spinny pole at 0730hrs.

[/ QUOTE ]You forget to add.... "especially the bloke that was beating 9 kinds of shite out of a dodgy (in more ways than one) spinny pole at 0730hrs in the trashing rain, thoroughly soaked to the skin, and wondering what the hell he was doing with a rotten old bit of aluminium to start with"
 
Buckler\'s Hard Tack

ah but jhr at least is attracted to it cos of the social cachet, despite or perhaps even BECAUSE of its public school privations, surly service, punishing fees and the somehow exciting possibility of being expelled or - even better - watching the bloke with the oceanis getting expelled. Actually, i bet they would pay extra if there was a guaranteed very-public and embarrassing chucking-out of one boat per year. Or is it already part of the deal?
 
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I'd agree with you, generally speaking, though the most expensive marina in the Solent is Buckler's Hard, which is miles up the Beaulieu River, serviced by a rubbish pub and overpriced restaurant, has a chandlery that closes for the weekend at lunchtime on Saturday, is reached down winding and sometimes crowded country lanes, etc. etc.....

Surroundings are stunning, however, and that's their usp, along with the social cachet conferred by the presence of some of the distinguished berth holders - though there's some bloke with an Oceanis who lowers the tone somewhat.

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BH is a very special location - IMHO it is the only Marina in the Solent which is a pleasure just to be in although the difficult access by road - and the long distance out to the Solent both tell against it. I can fully understand why you would be prepared to pay a premium for that.
 
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I'm sure this sort of service isn't unique, but I'm not convinced that the same level of attention is afforded by the mega marinas for little, if any, less money.

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The staff at MDL Northney were checking the warps and fenders all day Thursday. I was told that they were starting one end of the marina working their way to the other end. When they had finished they had to start all over again! I believe when the weather is particularly bad they check the boats every 2 hours day and night.
 
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BH is a very special location - IMHO it is the only Marina in the Solent which is a pleasure just to be in

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Better off keeping your boat next to an industrial estate, that way you cant wait to get out and visit BH! WE have the same issue Chi harbour is so lovely we dont always want to leave. Spend 3 - 4 hours sailing and then tie up at Shepards Warf! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Bucklers Hard was built when the Contessa was the future and many berths are, of consequence, narrower than they might be. Having said this, my berth (10-12m) is one of the smallest and I share a gap between fingers with a Princess 40, so things aren't too tight. The fingers are all a minimum of 1200mm wide and are very stable, which is more than can be said for at least one of the dearer locations.
 
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