Dockage Fees

[LandVF36]

Our F36 is slipped for 5 mo in the summer on the Mississippi in RedWing MN at a city owned marina.
Its $1750 for the summer including all the water and elec I can consume.
The winter layup is $800 in a city storage lot where it sits from mid Oct to mid May.
We can do all our own work on the dock or on the lot or I'd not be able to afford this hobby. Seems like the parts, just to keep a 40 yr old boat going, cleaned an polished is about about $2K. About $250 of that is the tarping and antifreeze to lay her up for the winter.
Then, I average about $750 a month on fuel for the 5 months we can use her here in MN.
Its not a hobby that makes a lot of sense, but I'd go crazy if I ever stopped.
You can't put a price on peace of mind...

[kboette1]

We are paying $4995 for summer docking includes electricity, water and wifi.That is the cheapest I have found for our F36 in this area. The 3 other quotes I got were between $6500-$6700 for summer. Last winter was $1300 for haul pressure wash and relaunch. This is in the Mystic, Ct area.

[Diverted Income]

$3950 for 36'x15' covered slip, w/elec and water. That includes in and out, blocking and outside storage. I opted for inside storage this year though that was about $850ish. Have nice showers/bathrooms and a heated pool.

[csnyder]

$ 12000.00 per year. All water/ electric/ launch and out / Winterize / storage. Per ft cost basis.:

[jimbo36]

Is the cost of seasonal dockage rising faster than the inflation rate everywhere....... or just here in Eastern Ontario?? My boat has been moored at the same marina since 1976 (it's a '74 and I bought it in '98) and has hibernated each winter in the same storage building. But it's getting tougher each year to swallow the fees. I really enjoy the people on my dock and certainly don't want to move. I visited the competition and they're just as expensive. I guess it's what the market will bear but if seems sort of like a monopoly. I do know that marina operators certainly face additional costs these days with new regulations for fuel tanks, septic tanks, increased insurance and green products.

But, during the last five years, it seems to me that the cost of keeping a boat in a marina has experienced a dramatic upswing. Thoughts?

As a Marina operator I agree with your concerns of increased dockage fees in Ontario. But I can assure you, marinas, at least in our area, remain very competitive in their pricing. No such "monopoly" exists. What does exist are huge increases in costs. Fact is, the % increase in revenues has been exceeded by the % increase in expenses for several years. We have increased dockage fees, annually, by less than 3%, while hydro, Water/sewer charges, wages, garbage removal, pool supplies, cleaning products, gas for equipment, lumber prices (10K+ a season) etc; etc; has increased by 3 -10% consistently. But this is only the beginning. Capital improvements costs for most of the aging marinas in Ontario is huge. We have invested just under 1 Million in our marina over the past 3 years in repairs and upgrades. This is in addition to our annual operational budget. We need to continue this investment, year after year in order to maintain a great facility that will keep our existing boaters and attract new customers. Boaters in Ontario were subjected to a dramatic upswing in costs when the HST in dockage fees came into effect in 2010. 13% in taxes that continues year to year. Just a small perspective from the marina side. I assure you, we share your concern.

[rickalan35]

As the originator of this topic I can only agree with Jimbo's comments.

As a Marina operator I agree with your concerns of increased dockage fees in Ontario. But I can assure you, marinas, at least in our area, remain very competitive in their pricing. No such "monopoly" exists. What does exist are huge increases in costs. Fact is, the % increase in revenues has been exceeded by the % increase in expenses for several years. We have increased dockage fees, annually, by less than 3%, while hydro, Water/sewer charges, wages, garbage removal, pool supplies, cleaning products, gas for equipment, lumber prices (10K+ a season) etc; etc; has increased by 3 -10% consistently. But this is only the beginning. Capital improvements costs for most of the aging marinas in Ontario is huge. We have invested just under 1 Million in our marina over the past 3 years in repairs and upgrades. This is in addition to our annual operational budget. We need to continue this investment, year after year in order to maintain a great facility that will keep our existing boaters and attract new customers. Boaters in Ontario were subjected to a dramatic upswing in costs when the HST in dockage fees came into effect in 2010. 13% in taxes that continues year to year. Just a small perspective from the marina side. I assure you, we share your concern.

The fact remains that there are ever-increasing and more stringent government regulations (read cash grabs) being applied to all commercial businesses along regulated waterways. The waterway I boat on was recently designated as a World Heritage Site and yet the year after designation, the federal government attempted to drastically cut back on waterway maintenance and services while dramatically increasing locking fees. There was an immediate uproar and the feds backed down very quickly. There appears to be no tourism budget targeting the potential of a good thing. Our American boat traffic has been significantlly diminished. As if the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing sometimes.

I will also add that after seeing what some of the other forum members are currently paying in fees, (one at $12,000 annually - good grief) mine are not unreasonable.

Business is business and in my area I'm sure the marina operators make sure they are on par with the others in the region. Being competitive means charging what the others charge, especially when marinas are close to capacity. To remain in business today, profits need to be maximized, we all understand that fact. I've run my own company for 37 years and I make no apologies to my clients for charging what the market will bear. That's not a monopoly and I believe that I used the wrong term in my original post. But in the near future there could be vacancies in the same marinas as average boaters opt out due to the high fees. Wealthier boaters with newer boats will be required to fill those spots so lets hope the economy keeps rolling.

My main comment should have been that the tipping point may soon be reached where the high cost of dockage threatens to take many average income earners out of the recreational boating market (even though they do most of their own maintenance and limit their cruising range to save money.)

[wolfnnj]

I pay $2600 for my season which is April 1st through nov 31st my floating dock includes shower facilty,washer and dryers ",all electric, and water use, and cable but no wifi

My slip is 11w X 28L
Winter time I haul it on my own trailer store it on my own property and cover it with a 20x 40 inground pool Tarp which I reuse every year.

The same sized slip in the State marina round the corner costs $4900 for the same amenities. I feel I have a good deal

[jimbo36]

rickalan35, I couldn't have said it better. I agree with you 100% and, the "tipping point" is here. That was evident at this years Toronto Boat Show with attendance down 7% with few bigger boats sold. very few in fact. The new boat market is Pontoon, wakeboard and smaller boats. Marinas are unsure about the future of slip rentals with fewer large boat buyers in the market. We, (Parkbridge Marinas Canada) are holding a large event at our Bay Port Yachting Centre in Midland May 30,31 and June 1st, with our partners "Boating Ontario" and "Discover Boating" in response to this downturn in the market. We have invited all outside yacht Brokers to attend this "in water Boat Show Event" in addition to our on site dealers, Pride Marine Group and Crates Lakeland Boating. We expect to have about 100 boats to view and other activities to attract new boaters. O.P.P, Coast Guard, CPS will also be on hand to provide information. Added to the situation is the number of aging boaters with BIG boats for sale and no buyers. The drop in values on these boats is staggering. Thanks to all for your input.

[Commissionpoint]

The new boat market is Pontoon, wakeboard and smaller boats.

Thats for sure. 70 and 80k is now within the realm of the pontoon boat market for some of the larger models. Can you imagine that kinda loot for a couple canoes filled with foam that have patio furniture bolted to them? I sure as hell can't. Nor can I understand similar money for a 24 or 25 foot open bow runabout, and they are practically ALL open bows these days.

[jddens]

I pay $265 mo year around for a 14X40 covered slip, includes water, power averages another $5 month......boat stays in year around in Northern CA.

[P-Dogg]

$ 12000.00 per year

Man, I hope that is a typo! I pay around $3K per year just north of Baltimore.

And yes, new pontoon boats are expensive for what you get. A neighbor paid $60K for a spanking-new pontoon boat with a single outboard and no toilet or beer fridge, about twice what I paid for my tricab, which has everything you could want except that "new car" smell. I think that I saw a can of that at Walmart for $5.97.....

[dfg4240]

Here is what I pay in Rochester
Trojan F36 Convertable Sedan-------36'boat
Winter Storage inside---- $55 a ft------------------------------------$1980
cradle rental ------------------------------------------------------------$175 Total for winter storage last year--------$2327.
Tax-------------------------------------------------------------------------$172



2014 Dockage--$75 ft--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------$2700

Total for 1 year storage and dockage-------------------------------------------------$5027.00

To me it's worth every penny-Great location-all kinds of restaurants and food stores around.
Site is videoed up the ying Yang and loaded with border patrol. We get water and electric and the internet which means netflix movies if we want
dfg4240

[comodave]

We dock both of our boats in front of our house. The dock, which we have to pull out each winter, cost $6600.00 but should last forever with proper care. The inside winter storage which includes hauling, power washing and blocking for the F32 costs $1150.00. It costs $300.00 for inside storage for our 22' Triumph on it's trailer.

[K4282]

theirs a big range yall are paying, around RI its 54 to 120ft for summer, I am fortunate to have a private dock at my house, I could never afford some of your prices, I store in a friends lot for the winter for free, hauling and blocking is $170, ill be happy to pay them in the next couple weeks to launch me for the season

[rossjo]

$12k/year ... ouch, but I've seen higher here.

Glad I have mine at my dock here at the house ... couldn't see paying that for renting dock space, when it could be going towards the mortgage payment.