Visiting a marina, move if berth holder returns?

ricky_s

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If you are visiting another marina and are booked until lunchtime, would you move if the berth holder returned earlier than expected or would you tell them you are booked so sort it out with the marina?
 
If we had told the marina we were leaving the berth overnight, we would in all honesty expect them to book it out til midday so on that basis, we would aim to get back after that time. If for some reason we knew we would be back earlier, we'd phone the marina to see if the berth was in use, in which case we'd ask for a temp slot somewhere else until the visitor had vacated.
How early were they Ricky?
L
:)
 
In almost all cases, asking the marina office what to do is the right way to go.
If it meant moving, and crew to do the move are available, then fine.
If the returning boat has to use a temp. berth, then oh dear, that's what the marina have asked for, and not your call.
Boating is supposed to be an escape from the usual argy-bargy.

.
 
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If I was a visitor in another marina and they asked me to move berths because the berth holder had arrive back, I wouldn't see it as a particular problem - I've moved up and down on an alongside pontoon to create spaces as people have left and I've let people out of rafts as well. Not to do so would seem somewhat petty.

I always tell the marina when I will be returning so if there is a boat in my berth when I get there, and it's happened, I expect them to sort it out so that I can use my berth - my booking predates any visitor booking. If that means they have to move the visitor then that's down to them. Now, they generally don't fill berths the night before berth holders are due back so it shouldn't occur.

What would you expect if you arrived back and found someone in your berth and wanted to get your boat tidied away and unloaded so you could set off home?
 
If we had told the marina we were leaving the berth overnight, we would in all honesty expect them to book it out til midday so on that basis, we would aim to get back after that time. If for some reason we knew we would be back earlier, we'd phone the marina to see if the berth was in use, in which case we'd ask for a temp slot somewhere else until the visitor had vacated.
How early were they Ricky?
L
:)

+1. On the odd occasion we have arrived back early due to weather or crisis at home, we have left our boat on a temporary berth and the marina has moved it for us when our berth has become free.
 
What would you expect if you arrived back and found someone in your berth and wanted to get your boat tidied away and unloaded so you could set off home?

I'd expect to be allocated another berth to unload and tidy up, and the marina staff to move the boat back onto it's home berth afterwards. It's happened before, and falls into the "No Problemo" category.
 
If we had told the marina we were leaving the berth overnight, we would in all honesty expect them to book it out til midday so on that basis, we would aim to get back after that time. If for some reason we knew we would be back earlier, we'd phone the marina to see if the berth was in use, in which case we'd ask for a temp slot somewhere else until the visitor had vacated.
How early were they Ricky?
L
:)

We stayed in East Cowes marina Saturday and they warned we would need to vacate the berth by 11.30 as that was when the berth holder was due to return. We actually left before that time but it did get me thinking.
 
+1. On the odd occasion we have arrived back early due to weather or crisis at home, we have left our boat on a temporary berth and the marina has moved it for us when our berth has become free.

You Sir, are never allowed to leave your berth vacant again on account of visitors not being competent enough to get in there!
;)
 
is it part of your contract to inform the marina when you are away from your berth for a while , as i would expect you to move its my berth with my dock fenders and mooring lines ,ps what would you want to happen if you came back to your berth.roy
 
We stayed in East Cowes marina Saturday and they warned we would need to vacate the berth by 11.30 as that was when the berth holder was due to return. We actually left before that time but it did get me thinking.

I berth in East Cowes although you probably weren't in my berth as I wasn't due to return until Monday.

I don't see it as unreasonable to be told on booking when you have to vacate the berth, you then take it on those conditions - if you don't like it don't take the berth. I know they were very full on Saturday night so it would have been entirely possible for there not to have been a free berth to put the returning berth holder into.

Visitors rely on berth holders to free up their berths for them at busy times. The trouble is if visitors don't appreciate that and cause inconvenience to berth holders, they just don't tell the marina when they are going away and the result is less visitors berths being available.

We told the marina we would be away until Monday originally but when I looked at the forecast I phoned them first thing Sunday morning to say we would be back Sunday evening. They hadn't booked my berth out for Sunday night at that stage but if they had I would have expected them to do what was necessary to make it available for me on my return.
 
But you would see it as a problemo if as a visitor you were asked to move to free up the berth for the berth holder?

Not a problemo if I have crew available to make the move for someone that has returned early, or it's easy enough conditions to make the move single handed.
If crew "shoe shopping" or otherwise occupied and breezy conditions, I'd ask for help from the marina staff.

I don't own the berth, so deferring to the Marina to call the shots defuses most situations.

.
 
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As a visitor I'd quite happily vacate a berth. As soon as the marina staff turn up at the boat to give me my money back I'd cast off and head somewhere else.
 
I do remember many years ago returning to find my berth taken, the marina issued me with another berth and then moved the boat to my normal berth at some stage that week.
 
As a newbie excuse my ignorance, is this question only pertinent to tidal berths.
Only i thought when i paid for my mooring that it was mine for the next 12 months, whether i was in it or not..
 
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