Dockwa

[Howie Curd]

Hi All,

I am trying to make a Dockwa reservation. The website says please allow for a 24 hour response time. Do you think Dockwa would allow you to request dock space / mooring if they were at capacity? I am just trying to gage if I should be thinking of alternatives. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Best,
Howie

[Shrew]

It was my impression that the 24 hour delay was to relay the request to the marina, who then approves or declines the request based on availability.

[Danm1]

I have attempted reservations for the next day and been advised that they weren't available (20-30 hours later) just before and just after my etas. Wound up anchoring out in both situations. Definitely don't count on a space without confirmation.

[CaptTom]

Are you saying that Dockwa doesn't show actual availability?

They ask you all the information about your boat (length, beam, power requirements, draft, etc.) so I sort of assumed the system would let me know if the marina had something that would work.

If not, Dockwa would be nearly useless to me.

Mostly, I'd use it to find available slips for the coming evening. I try not to plan much farther ahead than that.

I might also want to reserve a spot for the coming weekend, knowing that some places fill up on weekends. Again, I don't see how this could work without availability information. Would I have to reserve a slip at multiple marinas in hopes that one of them will have room for me come Saturday? Then review them all 24+ hours later and cancel all but one?

Without some real-time way of knowing what's available, any reservation skystem would only be useful to those who want to go directly to one destination marina and stay there for a pre-determined time. Not for cruisers on their way somewhere, who are subject to weather and other scheduling issues.

The more I cruise, the more I prefer anchoring!

[Danm1]

I have also used them successfully for same day reservations, but I think it depends on the sophistication of the systems at the participating marinas and yacht clubs. Some probably have live, up to the minute status like a hotel reservation system, and some have an email account. And some confirm faster than others. On the same day I try follow up my reservation with a call or direct email if I don't get a quick confirmation.

[sailorboy1]

Dockwa is just a middleman

[CaptTom]

This is really disappointing. Getting slip prices and availability in an app or on a web page would be so much easier than calling around. But if I have to call around anyway, I don't see the point. Especially since Dockwa doesn't list all marinas, or any anchorages.

Any cruising guide (paper, on-line or app) would be more useful.

[PLANET EXPRESS]

They have contracted with the marinas to have a percentage of space available I think. I have called marinas and told nothing available, then gone to dockwack and reserved space and marina call me back and confirmed within an hour. Something fishy going on like reserve America use to call camp grounds make reservation then they came in people reserve ahead and cancel least minute so it makes it hard for others. But the system they are putting in place almost requires that you do this. Blanket reservations omg never thought I would see this

[CaptNemoO2]

A bunch of places I went to last summer switched over to only taking reservations through Dockwa. However almost all of those places, if I called them, they would look for my request and accept the reservation, usually while I was on the phone with them. You'll get a notification from the app that you have a spot reserved, if not give them a call.