BlueSkyNick
Well-Known Member
Not entirely true, very few marinas are 100% full, so un allocated berths around the marina are used for visitors, as a preference before absent berth holders.
Vacant possession
- Thread starter John 32i
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Not entirely true, very few marinas are 100% full, so un allocated berths around the marina are used for visitors, as a preference before absent berth holders.
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
Largs is notoriously the most expensive marina on the Clyde, though there is close competition!
Nikia
Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Nikia
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.
I can only speak for Plymouth, see above.
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.
I can only speak for Plymouth, see above.
Solwaycruiser
Well-Known Member
Largs may not be cheap but Kip is even more expensive, at least for annual berthing anyway!
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
That's interesting; a few years ago it wa the other way round. Maybe we'll see a price war
Steve C Cronin
N/A
Our marina, Gouvia, Corfu takes the view that you have paid for a berth; ANY berth, not a PARTICULAR berth, so they will always make a berth available to you if you turn up and your "preferred" berth is unavailable. Now they will SELL you a lease on a particular berth and give you a share in any secondary renting but that is a different matter.
trapezeartist
Well-Known Member
I believe Neyland (part of a group, but I forget which one) will pay an absent berth-holder 50% of the visitors fee when a berth is used. That seems very fair to me, and a benefit to everybody.
Quay Marinas have a different system. I get nothing if a visitor uses "my" berth, but I get 30 nights free in any other Quay marina. Also 50% reduction in any Transeurop marina. I am nearly always asked how long I will be away for as I leave. I had always assumed that is so they know if they can use "my" berth for a visitor. While I'm sure that is still true, they also keep track of boats returning on-schedule. They recently called the Coastguard to report a boat that had not turned up as planned, and a good job they did!
Quay Marinas have a different system. I get nothing if a visitor uses "my" berth, but I get 30 nights free in any other Quay marina. Also 50% reduction in any Transeurop marina. I am nearly always asked how long I will be away for as I leave. I had always assumed that is so they know if they can use "my" berth for a visitor. While I'm sure that is still true, they also keep track of boats returning on-schedule. They recently called the Coastguard to report a boat that had not turned up as planned, and a good job they did!
dje67
Well-Known Member
I'm not convinced it is as fair as it might sound in practice. My berth in Largs is not the easiest to get into and is probably not "top of the list" when visitors are allocated a berth to use. In my 5 years at Largs, I've had 3 nights worth of 50% refunded when I've not been there for about 12 weeks over the summers. I'm pretty sure that this is a lot less than others in the marina who have "more favourable" berths for visitors. Bet I still pay the same for my "less favourable" berth.....
Uricanejack
Well-Known Member
This practice seams odd to me.
addmitedly I have a lease. in the US
I kept my previouse boat in a marina in a specific berth. I come and go as I please so expect it to be vacant on my unanounced return.
I have my current boat in a marina with a specificaly assigned berth which is a lease.
I kept it on a slip the previous owner had leased no charge from the marina my arangment was with the lease holder.
As far as I understand it I have a reserved space I can come and go from as I please.
addmitedly I have a lease. in the US
I kept my previouse boat in a marina in a specific berth. I come and go as I please so expect it to be vacant on my unanounced return.
I have my current boat in a marina with a specificaly assigned berth which is a lease.
I kept it on a slip the previous owner had leased no charge from the marina my arangment was with the lease holder.
As far as I understand it I have a reserved space I can come and go from as I please.
Seajet
...
I think the idea is, if leaving for more than a day or two one lets the marina staff know, after all it helps them stay in business.
If I had a marina berth, went for a day or two and came back to find it filled, I'd be a bit miffed.
l'escargot
Well-Known Member
That's the difference between renting "a berth" in a marina and leasing. If you lease a berth, if you can find one, it is as you describe. There is usually a corresponding difference in price too.
Bosun Higgs
N/A
Depends entirely on the contract you signed. As for letting you have a share of any rental income they get, that also depends on the contract. However there is an incentive for the marina to do so since otherwise when you go away for a few days you wont bother to tell them.
FWIW I will be away from my club marina berth for at least 5 months this year and they will use it for other boats without me getting a bean back. But then it is a club not a commercial outfit.
jac
Well-Known Member
There is also the practical aspect that if they know you're gone for 2 weeks it creates another visitors berth.
Tranona
Well-Known Member
Just to add a bit, leases are not common in the UK although there are some, and they are usually fairly long term so involve substantial capital outlay. Operators like MDL sold some when they want capital for development projects, but prefer to let berths on short term contracts as it gives a reasonably secure future cash flow. Leases have annual maintenance charges attached to them, but the operator does not use them as visitors berths in preference to their own berths. So it is up to the owner to get his financial return by either using the berth in preference to an annual contract or letting the berth to somebody else.
Some leases have been very good investments, particularly in high demand areas, but others have been slow to get going and have to be seen as very long term investments. There is quite an active trade in leases, but if you are investing you need to look carefully at the terms of the lease.
ukmctc
Well-Known Member
It'll say in your contract that your berth if allocated to you will be used if unoccupied by you, some marina's give you a refund of 10% of rent for the occupied period that they let it when you were not there.
The other thing is, you don't actually have a berth as the marina can move you at anytime, you only rent a space/hole in the water which is anywhere in the marina at anytime.
Leased berths are different, the marina must ask you if they want to use it, and pay you too.
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John 32i
Well-Known Member
When we paid we were allocated a berth and told that the previous boat would be leaving before the 1st April - we explained that there was no urgency, however we were surprised that it was another two weeks before he left but as soon as he had another boat appeared there, on several occasions we were told that the berth would be empty when we arrived....well we arrived this afternoon and it wasn't empty, we radioed in and were told that we could have a choice of three other vacant berths - turned out they were all taken too so we ended up on the visitors pontoon for the next two weeks or until the marina can shunt a few boats around and hopefully everyone will end up where they should be - not a great start but hey ho!!
maby
Well-Known Member
I think you'll find that leases can work out quite cheap in the long run - but they want a large sum up front. We were seriously looking at leases in the new marina in La Coruna - I seem to remember a 20 year lease costing around £20k - lots of money up front, but averaging out at £1000 per year which is very good. We got scared off by a number of things including the risk that the operating company might not last that long - didn't want to end up on a run-down pontoon with no working services and facilities.