Vacant possession

John 32i

John 32i

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If I pay for a pontoon berth in a marina....12 months in advance from 1st April, is it reasonable for the marina to allow other boats to use it for 24 days (so far), just because we havnt been able to move our boat from its swinging mooring?
 
Normally the marina would give you a share of the takings (1/3?) if they do that. I assume it would be part of an agreement which you would be aware of.
 
if your not in it there is no reason why they can't put another boat in it until you arrive

most contracts I've read state that your berth assigned to you at the start may change, but will be a compatible berth for what you have paid for. (it's never happened in reality)

the only problem I have with it, is if someone else is using my electricity and I get billed for it.
 
Billjratt said:
Normally the marina would give you a share of the takings (1/3?) if they do that. I assume it would be part of an agreement which you would be aware of.
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Normally they would definitely not do that, at least in all the marinas I know of. The contract is to provide you with a berth, and if you are not on your specified one for an extended period, the marina- which is in the business of making money- will put something else there if convenient or profitable. Your deal with them is certainly not a subcontract where you can ask for a slice of their profits e.g when off cruising, nice thought though that is.

Our boat overwinters in the yard and this year a fishing boat was on her berth all winter. As soon as we went in it was moved without any trouble (by its owner but on the initiative of the marina). If the OP has paid for a marina berth then it's up to him to use it, and I don't think he has read the contract if he objects to the marina making a couple of extra quid per diem if he doesn't. To think otherwise is naiive.
 
Any marina you've ever been to as a visitor that didn't have a dedicated visitor area and slotted you into a berth between unoccupied boats - that was almost certainly somebody's home berth who was away. It is quite normal for marinas to work like that.

In your position I would have no problem unless and until I wanted to put my boat on my berth and could not because it was occupied by a visitor. The marina should manage things so that that doesn't happen.

What harm is it doing you, anyway?

Pete
 
John HH21 said:
If I pay for a pontoon berth in a marina....12 months in advance from 1st April, is it reasonable for the marina to allow other boats to use it for 24 days (so far), just because we havnt been able to move our boat from its swinging mooring?
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Some marina's have schemes such as the one below from Largs Yacht Haven. However, this is arranged in advance and doesn't cover the situation if I am away for a weekend and they place someone in my berth.

Earn Money from Your Berth!

• Our Sub-Let Refund Scheme pays you 50% of fees received from visitors using your berth when you're away sailing between April and September. Let us know when you plan to be away and we will do the rest.
Click to expand...
 
Look at your T&Cs. Most marina contracts only provide access to a berth for the period of the contract. You have no rights to a specific berth and they retain the right both to move your boat and to allow others to use it, keeping any fees. On the other hand if you have bought a lease then the terms of the lease will specify how any income from subletting is divided.

Don't know the details of the Largs deal, but suspect it will be more expensive than a normal berthing contract to reflect the owner of the berth giving up part of the potential short term income from visitors.
 
As others have said, this is pretty common. Some will split the fees with you, but many will not. If I remember correctly, there's a clause hidden deep in our MDL contract that actually requires us to spend a small number of days away from the marina every year - though they do not seem to enforce it very strictly.
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
Some marina's have schemes such as the one below from Largs Yacht Haven. However, this is arranged in advance and doesn't cover the situation if I am away for a weekend and they place someone in my berth.
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I've always seen the Largs policy as partly self-interest. They have no visitors' berths. AFAIK, virtually all berths are let long-term. If they didn't encourage absentees to say when they're away, it would be quite difficult to manage short-term visits.
I believe that the sister marina at Troon has now started doing this. Perhaps it's a sign that Troon is full.
 
I've never heard of a marina sharing takings at any marina I know of on the South coast, however it's usually not allowed to sublet a marina berth privately.

As long as the boat currently on your berth is gone before you arrive, spiffing...
 
Tranona said:
Don't know the details of the Largs deal, but suspect it will be more expensive than a normal berthing contract to reflect the owner of the berth giving up part of the potential short term income from visitors.
Click to expand...

I think you'll find all the Yachthaven marinas run the same scheme, certainly Plymouth does, and is no more expensive than the other local marinas.
 
We had a laugh a few years ago when friends proudly told us that they had received several hundred pounds from their marina for visitors' fees. This still meant that they were paying about £4000 per annum more than us on the East Coast.

I tend to take the view that every visitor who uses my berth is helping to keep my marina fees down. My goodwill doesn't extend to their misuse of my dock-lines though.
 
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