A Marina Story

[hummingway]

I haven't been to the marina where I have a slip in quite sometime. I finally got around to calling the manager there to see if there was someone on the waiting list who might wat to sublet from me for the remainder of my contract. She tells me there is a list but people are often reluctant to sublet because the slip has to stay in my name because of marina regulations and they then worry that I might decide to keep the slip in the spring when renewal comes around. She says she will ley people know and I tell here I will be advertising the slip in that case.

I didn't get any takers for several weeks but eventually a fellow calls me and he wants it so we arrange to meet later this week. Meanwhile I emailed a friend whose boat was next to mine and let him know what was up. He emails me back and tells me a friend of his has his boat in my slip and has gone to Europe. He seemed pretty sure he had talked to the manager before putting it there.

I called the marina and the girl working the desk tells me they seem to have the fellows name on two slips that there must be a mistake. Obviously he's not supposed to be in my slip but the manager is on holiday. It's not really a problem since he was getting back about the time the fellow renting from me wanted the slip and I made sure the timing work for everyone. It's all good.

This morning the marina manager calls me. She proceeds to tell me how I told her to cancel my contract and pay me out and she had subsequently arranged to lease my slip to the fellow in Europe. I told her we had no conversation like that and explained what she had told me. She said well then why would she think we had the conversation? Well, I didn't know but didn't think her saying it was so made it so. If I knew I could have cancelled my contract, even with the two month forfeit, I would have just done it but she in fact told me the opposite. Meanwhile I have made arrangements to sublet to someone.

She didn't really have a reply for that. Of course I'm the only one with a valid contract so she just agreed to cancel any other arrangements and I'm proceeding on ... of course hoping the deal with this fellow doesn't fall through!

Sometimes life is just plain weird!

[Tempest245]

Here, The marina owns the slip...(though some places sell slips. )
If I'm not in my slip...out cruising...the marina can put anyone they want in it. We have no sub-letting privileges.....last time I went cruising, I came home a day early, and forgot to call ahead...I had to spend the night at the gas dock..as someone was in my slip.....my fault...

[Chief Engineer]

One of the great ripoffs of the marina industry

[F51]

I don't think it is a ripoff where I lease my slip. The lease plainly says if I am not using the slip they get to rent it to someone else while I am gone. So who am I to complain? It would be a ripoff if they did it without my knowledge, but I consented to their renting it out while I am away when I signed the lease.

[hummingway]

The thing is I paid in full up until the end of March. They can't put anyone in the slip under the terms.

[maytrix]

Wow.. so If I understand correctly from F51 and tempest, you pay monthly for a slip. Let's just say $400 for the month.

You go away for a week. They rent out your slip for that week and when you pay that months bill, you still pay $400?

I could see the above situation if they discounted your monthly bill, but if you pay the same having your boat there 100% of the time or 0% of the time and the 0% they get added income, that does seem like a rip off to me. I suppose if its the only option that you have no choice, but that doesn't make it any less of a rip off.

hummingway, that is a weird situation. Glad it seems like you got it worked out.

[Tempest245]

Maytrix....F51 is correct...it's what we agreed to...I don't see it as a rip off either.
Every marina I've ever dealt with operates the same way...

Now, if I'm away, and a friend wanted to use my slip, I'm sure they could..but I'd have to clear it.

There's no guarantee that the marina will get in transients..in fact it's more of a boat builders yard...than a vacation spot...not alot of amenities...if they put someone in my slip when I'm gone it's usually a launch and go..after a repair..

[JiffyLube]

It's common in San Diego for marinas to rent out a slip that has a prime renter (Oceanside too), when that renter leaves for a trip...I call it double dipping. What would be fair is if the marina gave half the daily rent back in the form of a credit to the prime slip renter, but that would only happen in a perfect world. One would think that if a person is renting a space, then that space is theirs whether occupied or not...but not so

[markpierce]

OK, so you agreed to be taken advantage of.

So, does the marina require you to tell them when you are returning whenever you leave the slip? If not, I'd never tell them. Otherwise, I'd explain "I'm whimsical and my future is not determinable. It depends on the weather, etc. I'll give you at least two hours notice prior to my return and will expect the berth to be empty upon my arrival."

What would be fairer and more reasonable is for the marina to give you the largest portion of any fees received renting out your berth.

[hummingway]

I haven't heard of any marinas where the agreement looks like that around here. I do know one that would, if you asked, try and put someone in your spot when you were away if you asked them to and discount your moorage if they did. That's a service rather then a ripoff. I'm really surprised that marinas could operate in the other manner. I guess if it is legal and there are more boats then slips then they can make rules like that.

[maytrix]

I guess rip off isn't the right word to use since those who've commented above clearly knew the deal when they signed up.

It certainly is not what I'd consider a good business agreement though since it completely benefits the marina and not the renter.

I guess in the end if there are no other options then you have no choice, but I know around here that's not how slip/mooring rentals work.

[Capt Phil]

When we lived aboard in San Diego, it was common practice to let out slips of absentee slip renters. We had a good relationship with the marina manager and let him know when we were leaving and when we would be returning... no big drama. At the time liveaboard slips were very difficult to find. What really chafed me was the County of San Diego Tax Authority. We were cruising in Mexico for almost 2 years but because we kept our slip in San Diego they considered that we were county residents and charged us the annual use tax. When I tried to plea our case to them on our return to the US, they said "...pay the tax because we will sue you to get our money and it will cost you more in legal fees to defend yourself than the amount of the tax." Needless to say, we left CA shortly after that never to return.

[Stillraining]

So you rent a car and park it at a motel for the night...Avis finds out and subleases it to a foursome wanting to cat around town till 5 am in the morning.....Ya!..sign me up.....NOT!

[Pete7]

I think the UK marinas agree to rent you "a" space rather than "the" space you are parked in, so they can move you if they want and rent it out when your away.

At about $7500 pa we choose not to rent a marina berth but have a yacht club mooring (pontoon) instead. You need a dinghy to reach the pontoon but is a quarter of the price.

The rules of supply and demand, they will charge as much as they can get away with to make a profit for the parent company and share holders, nothing new there.

Pete

[hellosailor]

Sounds like someone else (I wonder who that might be) called the marina and impersonated you, unless the clerk is lying outright and was trying to make some cash money by renting out your slip.

Either way...If you didn't get any money from them, and there's no written cancellation or anything...It would still be your slip, and what you can do is subject to the terms of your contract under local law. The contract might have a cancellation clause, allowing or not allowing that, among other things. You really need to find your copy of it and start reading up.