Valet launching & Valet mooring

[Happy1]

I was thinking of setting up a business for people who hate to moor and launch, what do you think? Wouldn't it be great if a tender were to come up to you and the valet moorer board your vessel and park it perfectly with no dents, then clean the vessel. Also having valet launchers at main launch sites who will launch your vessel, park your vehicle and trailer, clean and look after it. they could also offer up to date weather forecasts for a small tip. Now why has nobody thought of that before?

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[hlb]

Because he would have to be an expert on every type of boat known to mankind. Where as you only need to be an expert with one. I have nightmares every time I have to let the marina moor my boat. They have damaged it two years on a row.

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Haydn

 

[Happy1]

I didn't mean ME park it, I meant a really experienced day skipper or someone like that, perhaps prudent to get the customer to sign a disclaimer first though /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

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[duncan]

dry berthing is not far away from this both in practice and concept - the best provide perfect poontoons, well sheltered adn fully manned with staff to take and release lines - you get on and go then get off and go home - it's cleaned inside and out and put away till next time - even refuelled if you require!

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[petem]

Premier Marinas @ Port Solent have been offering valet parking/mooring for years and include 3 free movements in an annual contract. Never really took advantage of it myself because I liked to park my own boat. Did did use it a few times when lifting out.

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[Happy1]

Do you know where the nearest dry berthing is to Bromley, that sound great especially if they clean the boat and fill it with fuel and water. I would have been quite happy to give somebody £50 to launch my boat off the trailer, clean my car while I am away, and when I return put it on the trailer and hose it all down, makes life worth living, what's the point of working hard and then at the weekends working just as hard. Arrive and drive, the way to go.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[BrendanS]

Yep!

Mine aren't too far off that. Pontoon very well sheltered, with cushioned sides so no need to put fenders out unless it's staying there a while. Freshwater power washed when taken out.

They don't valet, but I have a company come do that inside and out on site, who were recommended by the dry berth company when I inquired. They also do a pre-season cut and polish.

Don't refuel either, but the fuel pontoon is on the way out and very convenient.

I used to feel a little guilty at the valeting stuff, but it's a far enough drive to be more cost effective to pay someone else to do it.

I

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[andrewa]

Hi Happy

Our US cousins do this all the time especially dry racking. You call up day before boat is in water ready to go come back moor up they hose down and normally flush and re rack it. Does it work, well I have a 10 year old boat that has been used all its life this way and the condition is superb, 8 months with me wet berthed and its in s**t state. Have been cleaning it for the last 2 weekends just about finished. Is it the future it should be! I think Poole does it and Cobbs Quay but they are fairly small scale.

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[Happy1]

Seems the US are way ahead with customer service, seems here we pay the same for crap service just about everywhere. It takes me an hour to clean the boat each time I have been out, would be nice to hand over the keys and then turn up the next week with it cleaned, polished, fuelled up, warmed up, stocked with chosen supplies and ready to go. OK back to reality and the horrors of trailing!

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[kingfisher]

You bunch of lazy, lazy gits NM

NM

<hr width=100% size=1>Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
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[AJW]

Re: You bunch of lazy, lazy gits NM

Personally I enjoy the cleaning the boat, tidying her up, flushing the engine through, hosing down etc after use. Its all part of the ownership experience and dare I say the fun of it. I wouldn't want to pay for someone else to do this a 'cos I have better things to spend my money on and b) cos if I do it myself I know I have done a good job. (or if I've done a crap job then I know its my fault!). Taken at its extreme the "arrive and drive" approach would lead you not actually to own a boat but to hire one when you want to go out. Maybe this is your moneyspinning opportunity Happy?

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[Happy1]

Re: You bunch of lazy, lazy gits NM

It's OK if you are retired with nother better to do than potter about and drink cups of tea, but when you are busy, time management is very important. It is better to delegate the menial jobs to those who enjoy doing it and can benefit from it, it also spreads the cash around and away from money grabbing dealers and chandlers for a change. I guess retired people like you have time to clean your own cars and houses as well!! OK if you have the time and I am sure when I retire I would have a go at cleaning something myself, but at the moment I could not possibly do all I do if I did not delegate tasks accordingly. It does not make economical sense when you can be earning more in the time it takes for your boat to be cleaned.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[AJW]

Re: You bunch of lazy, lazy gits NM

Errmm thanks for the patronising bollox but I am 34, busy job/life and outsource both the cleaning of my house and my car. However I enjoy cleaning, fettling and generally mucking around with my boat as do many others both working and retired. I'm also not earning at the weekends when I do this so argument does not apply. As I say its part of the whole boating experience you either embrace it or you dont. I choose too. You dont.

Mebbe what you need for the menial jobs is a skipper and crew. Y'know someone who can tug their foreluck and say "right away Mr Happy sir, gawd bless you".

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[Happy1]

Re: You bunch of lazy, lazy gits NM

Ooooooooooooooh! touchy, touchy /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif Well perhaps it's all down to class, you obviously know where to spend your weekends, at the end of a brush /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif I bet you do your own anti-foul as well. What do the other members of the family do while you are scrubbing? don't tell me they are just left in the car! If you were able to manage your time better, you would get much more enjoyment. I do not see how scrubbing and cleaning turns you on, well everyone to their own /forums/images/icons/wink.gif I will think of you at the weekend when I am having supper and a nice glass of wine with the family after a great day boating, and you are up to your armpits in suds /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif Have you got shares in Unilever? Or admit it, it's the rubber gloves that do it and the smell of bleach /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[claymore]

The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club run this kind of service with desperately poor boat dwellers being treated like shit by imperialist members. If you don't like to launch and recover your boat perhaps you should take up another sport.

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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[tripleace]

how will you guys ever learn

if it every took off it would be a bad day for uk boating.

skill levels would plumit and every idiot would have a boat :

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[claymore]

Happy is going to get a slappy.

Now that just was not nice - apologise!

<hr width=100% size=1>regards
Claymore
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[BrendanS]

Re: how will you guys ever learn

If everyone had a boat, everything would become far more affordable. Boats would be manufactured in huge quantities, costs would come down. People would be able to wander into huge chandleries with cost efficient purchasing power, and competition for the huge new market would again drive prices down.

The only downside would be the Piccadilly circus out on the water, and marina space would become scarce and prices soar.



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[Alistairr]

Has nobody realised the problem with dry stacking?!!!!!

I have been to Poole Boat Park and the stacking they have there is very impressive, but there is a problem!!
With dry stacking you are not able sleep on board your pride and joy when you go down at the weekends, unless you moor it somewhere else for the night...



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[Happy1]

Re: Happy is going to get a slappy.

OK, I apologise, I realise what I said was a bit harsh, I should have realised that it is possible to buy polish and bleach, but you can't buy class /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>