University of Wisconsin
34th National Course and Conference
Docks and Marinas 2008
October 15, 2008, Madison, Wisconsin
FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS
ABOUT MARINAS
PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE
COMMON SENSE RULES OF THUMB
Conanicut Marina
Jamestown, RI
Neil W. Ross
Neil Ross Consultants
138 White Horn Dr, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881
401-782-2116, neilross@cox.net
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths about Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 1
INTRODUCTION
Working with the marina industry across the
United States and in seventeen other nations, I
have walked the docks of hundreds of marinas
and talked with several thousand business
owners and managers. Over four decades, I have
seen and learned much that is unique but also
common among them.
This presentation highlights many widespread
aspects of the marina business that I believe
make good common sense and useful rules of
thumb about marinas.
Common sense, based on a strict construction
of the term, consists of what people in common
would agree on: that which they "sense" (in
common) as their common natural
understanding. Most commonly, the phrase is
used to refer to beliefs or propositions that —
in their opinion — most people would consider
prudent and of sound judgment, without
dependence upon esoteric knowledge or study
or research, but based upon what they see as
knowledge held by people "in common". Thus,
"common sense" (in this view) equates to the
knowledge and experience which most people
have, or which the person using the term
believes that they do or should have.
A rule of thumb is a principle with broad
application that is not intended to be strictly
accurate or reliable for every situation. It is
an easily learned and easily applied
procedure for approximately calculating or
recalling some value, or for making some
determination.
Source: Wikipedia
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Not all apply everywhere, but can be
considered anywhere.
Generally, most will work more often than
not.
The best are easy to understand and apply.
Everyone will find some that will be new
and many that are useful.
Always remember to use your own common
sense when planning or managing a marina.
Marina Rules of Thumb Contributors
o George Bassett, CMM, Nantucket Boat
Basin, Nantucket, MA
o Tom Cox, CMM, Constitution Marina,
Boston, MA
o Jim Frye, CMM, Association of Marine
Industries, and Westrec Marinas,
Warrenton, VA
o Larry Halgren, Aqua Marine Partners, and
Vertical Yacht Club Storage, Bellingham,
WA
o Fred Hunt, Frederic G. Hunt, P.E.,
Columbus, OH
o Dave Irish, Irish Boat Shops, Charlevoix, MI
o Dennis Kissman, Marina Management
Services, Boca Raton, FL
o Bill Munger, CMM, Conanicut Marina,
Jamestown, RI
o Dan Natchez, Daniel S. Natchez and
Associates, Mamaroneck, NY
o Neil Ross, Neil Ross Consultants, Kingston,
RI
o Pam Rubinoff, University of Rhode Island,
Narragansett, RI
o Bruce Tobiasson, P.E., Waterfront Design
Associates, MA
o C. Allen Wortley, P.E., University of
Wisconsin, Madison, WI
The marina items listed in this paper come from
my own experiences and many generously
contributed by twelve colleagues, most of who
have been speakers and participants in past
University of Wisconsin Docks & Marina
courses.
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The contributor of each is named.
All the concepts in this paper I agree with.
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 2
MARINA ECONOMICS
With the current recession much in our thoughts
and concerns, I decided to begin this
presentation focusing on the economy.
Recession Impacts – The current 2007-08+
recession is showing similar economic patterns
in the marina and boating industry that were
observed in four past recessions of 1973-75,
1980-82, 1990-91, and 2001-03.
Let’s look at what we’ve seen before.
• Marinas and boatyards are economically
the most stable part of the boating
industry.
• They are the last to feel the recession’s
effects and the first to recover.
• The majority of marinas survive
recessions with the same owners, whereas
many boat dealers and manufacturers fail.
• Even in recessions, most boats remain in
use. The last 2001-03 recession saw 99.2%
of the boats remained in use; with the largest
ones kept in marinas.
• Annual growth in US boat registration
drops1
o 1980-82 recession growth went from 4.2%
to 1.0%
o 1990-91 recession growth went from 4.0%
to 0.6%
o 2001-03 recession growth went negative
from 1.0% to –1.0%
• During tough times, most owners will
continue using their boat, but spend more
time at dock, cruise nearer to homeport, cut
fuel consumption, make necessary repairs,
and postpone buying new boats.
• Marinas with multi-profit centers do
better than those primarily with dockage
income.
• Marine fuel service declines while boat
repair service increases.
• Dockominium sales sink, and slip owners
lose major investment capital.
• Less well-maintained and run marinas
are hurt the most and may not survive, or
•
get bought out for redevelopment, often
including some dockage.
Better-managed marinas lose the fewest
customers, pick up ones relocating from
other less well-managed facilities, and are
often the first to return to waiting lists.
Neil Ross, RI
Marinas are good businesses for local
economies.
• Employ local workers who spend income in
the community,
• Pay property, sales, and income taxes,
• Place few demands on local tax expenditures
(e.g., schools, services, hospital, new roads),
• Import money into economy.
Neil Ross, RI
Marinas are great economic generators:
• Good employers with better than average
wages.
• Marina guests patronize and spend
significant dollars everywhere nearby
boosting employment, barber shop, gift
shop, restaurants, hardware stores, coffee
shops, grocery store, area boatyards, hair
dressers, real estate (sales & rental), kayak
rentals, flower shops, drug store, air port,
rental cars, airport shuttle, taxies, plus much
more.
Bill Munger, RI
Nantucket Boat Basin and its customers
annually added approximately $80 to $100
million into the island economy, according to
the Chamber of Commerce Chairmen in 2000.
George Bassett, MA
Boater spending impacts the community well
beyond the marina. The best mix of “passive”
income (from storage both wet and dry, leases,
etc.) and “active” income (those profit centers
with a cost of sales like retail, service and fuel
that are dependant on boaters using the boat) is
one where the majority of income is passive. A
good passive/active ratio is at least 60/40 and
better at 70/30.
Jim Frye, VA
1
Statistic source: National Marine Manufacturers
Association, Chicago, IL
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 3
A marina can be an attraction to the
neighborhood, and therefore may increase
adjacent land development and values. This
should be a specific consideration, since this
may become a positive or detrimental secondary
impact.
Pam Rubinoff, RI
Boating costs keep rising. However, the golden
fleet (rich) will always be able to own and use
boats.
Neil Ross, RI
Understand what the boat market needs, and
put in as many profit centers as are practical.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Demand for marina slips is finite, related to
wealth in the area and desirability of waters
served. Build it and they will come does not
often apply. Low, below-cost rates do not assure
occupancy.
Dave Irish, MI
Dockominium – not as good as they look in
theory. Many do not ever sell out all/most slips,
but end up co-owned with many slip owners.
“Worst business decision I ever made.”
Anonymous marina owner, MA
Keeping good customers is cheaper than
recruiting new ones.
Neil Ross, RI
Marinas have two economic windows of
opportunity: the water window and the land
window. A well-planned marina will take
advantage of both and serve a wider customer
base beyond the boater. This represents good
economics for the marina owner and the
community in general.
Dennis Kissman, FL
Use the national on-line boating economic
impact model and show the local authority how
to use it. (www.marinaeconomics.com)
Larry Halgren, WA
Marina slips are still being rented by the
ancient historic method used for centuries by
seaport harbormasters = Price per linear foot/
meter measured length over all (loa), bow to
stern.
Consider using more realistic, alternative
methods that are based on actual long-term
costs of occupied space:
• Charge by area used by each boat in
square foot/meter (slip length x width)
given that boats have grown longer and
wider.
• Where dredging cost is a factor for deeper
vessels and those with keels, charge by
cubic volume foot/meter (depth x area).
Neil Ross, RI
MARINA SITING & DESIGN
Price dockage as a commodity, but priced
locally. Charge the price that will generate 95%
seasonal occupancy at a specific marina. Another market only a few miles away may
price at half or twice as much.
Dave Irish, MI
Do not assume that your marina needs to sell
fuel. Boaters will travel to get fuel. Low volume
fueling stations are big money losers.
Dave Irish, MI
Location, location, location still is the best key
to marina success. It must be located on a wellprotected waterway that opens to large water
bodies suitable for recreational boating. The
marina must also be easily accessible to large
population centers where people live. For the
marina to become an effective, efficient
business, it must first be well designed by
experienced marina professional engineers and
built with products that will give a long service
life.
MARINA SITE LOCATION
They’re not making more coastal land. This is
generally true, however some few places have
added waterfront land at great cost. Venetian
canal developments are found in Europe,
Florida, and Dominican Republic. The United
Arab Emirates has created new islands for
homes and boats.
Neil Ross, RI
Marinas are water-dependent uses that can
only operate at the shore and thus should get
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 4
land use priority.
Water-enhanced uses gain value from being
beside the water but do not need to be there.
Common examples are hotels, condominium
apartments and restaurants, that could be located
inland.
Water-independent uses are those that gain
neither value nor benefit from a waterfront
location, such as a parking lot, furniture store, or
McDonalds that all should be located inland.
Neil Ross, RI
Look at existing developed areas (called
greyfields) before new areas are used. It is not
only the environment of where the marina is, but
what other areas are you opening up to access
that need to be considered and managed
appropriately.
Pam Rubinoff, RI
Convert under utilized or abandoned sites to
marinas, including urban commercial
waterfronts, industrial brownfields, military
bases, shipyards, fishing ports, ferry terminals,
and lakes behind dams.
Neil Ross, RI
Always have a diver inspect the bottom for
debris materials thrown over the side by
boaters. Yes, they do make many deposits into
the Davie Jones storage locker.
Larry Halgren, WA
Good up front planning, professional
engineering, and quality docks/equipment
save time and money later.
Neil Ross, RI
Deep water in a marina has extra expenses,
such as needing longer piles and anchoring
systems.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
A common design error is to make the
fairways to narrow to allow easy and safe
boat entrance and exit of slips.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Marina developers often do not give enough
credit to calculating marina costs. Keep the
cost of upland development from being writtenoff onto the marina, if you want the marina to
succeed. Slip income is usually not enough to
support landside uses.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Any marina market study must look out a
minimum of 50-mile radius or more.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Easy land access to the marina is necessary
for it to succeed.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
It may be less costly to berth large megayachts near the shore. The cost is very high to
run thick electric cable and other utilities
(including fuel, water, pumpout) to pier ends.
Traditionally the largest boats/yachts were
placed out at the end of the piers, but today it is
changing. Many owners like to show off their
boats near to people walking by and to be seen
aboard.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
WIND, WATER & WAVES
Consider wind and wave environment. These
are often under appreciated by marina owners.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Water comes in many forms that must be
considered before designing the marina:
• Liquid, solid ice, steam vapor, falling rain,
heavy snow, sweat drops
• Calm, storm waves, massive tsunami, long
seche lake waves, boat wake, tidal, flowing
river current, floods, drought
• Chemically salty, fresh, potable, clean, clear,
polluted, colored.
Allen Wortley, WI
Marinas need the same wave protection as
marshes do to prosper.
• Wave/wind forces are often underestimated, resulting in structural damage to
docks and boats, and unhappy boaters.
• Often ignored are boat wakes and reflection
within the marina basin.
Neil Ross, RI
Protection is a must. Go the extra mile – do
the research, do the engineering – then listen
to them!
Bill Munger, RI
If the site has a potential for wave damage to
your marina always hire a professional to do
a wind, wave, and current analysis.
Larry Halgren, WA
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 5
As boats get bigger, so does their wind
profile. In strong winds, large boats put
enormous structural pressure on dock and piles.
Dock design must factor in storm wind loads.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Without good wind, wave, and ice protection,
no marina business can survive.
Neil Ross, RI
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If winter ice is a problem, contact Professor
C. Allen Wortley, University of Wisconsin.
MARINA DESIGN
Design engineers must always visit the site to
see the bigger picture. A drawing, chart, or
photos from the developer or owner will never
show all of the things you could miss by not
being able to see in person.
Larry Halgren, WA
Marinas are site specific. Each situation is
different and needs different designs.
Daniel Natchez, NY
Build to what the market demands, and not
to the developer’s perception of what boating
should be like.
Dennis Kissman, FL
Design to your boating market for today’s
customers and those who will use the marina
over the next 25+ years.
What you build now should be able to work for
boaters in 25 to 40 years, if well designed.
Neil Ross, RI
Define and design the facility for its prime use
depending on location and market.
• Marina - boat storage, slips, moorings,
access to water, limited services
• Boatyard – maintenance and repair services
to boats, engines, and equipment; no storage
• Full service marina - combination marina
storage and boatyard services
• Dry stack marina - vertical rack storage
• Dry land marina - boats stored on stand,
cradle, or trailer
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Mooring basin - single or multiple boat
anchorage
Homeport marina – where boats cruising
out of to other places, and returning to
Residential marina - liveaboard, houseboat
Destination marina - transient visitor
dockage usually in tourist area
Stopover marina - overnight transient
layover stop while cruising to another place
Seasonal marina - slip rental by boating
season
Year-round marina - slip rental month to
month
Neil Ross, RI
Consider the purpose of the marina before
designing. Are the docks and boats to enhance
the value and esthetics of a landside
development? Is it to be a full-service marina
that provides boat maintenance, repair, and
storage services, or a homeport marina? These
will affect the costs and economics of the
business.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
The smallest slip sizes in most new and
upgrading coastal marinas today are 40’+.
Anything less will not be fully used. When I
started working with marinas in the early 1970s
the average size boat was 25 to 30’ long.
Neil Ross, RI
Marina fuel storage tanks, in or above ground,
must be located for easy access by delivery
trucks year round.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Design the marina to allow fire truck access
to the entire marina and for firemen with
equipment out onto all the docks. Fire fighting
can be difficult when piers and docks are very
long or obstructed.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
I have found the rectangle to be the most
practical and efficient design for a marina
basin.
Dennis Kissman, FL
Great effort should be placed on buying a
dock system, usually floating, that is good
looking, safe, and will last along time. Current
designs are good for at least 40 years. Much
different than early days when 10 years life was
hoped for.
Fred Hunt, OH
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 6
Consider narrow mooring fingers for your
marina, either new or in a rebuild. This is a
space saving northern European design. Our
experience is that US boaters accept them, at
least to a certain extent.
Dave Irish, MI
Boats continue to get bigger, wider, and
demand more electricity every year.
Jim Frye, VA
General automobile parking ratio is one car
space per two boat slips (0.5 car/boat berth).
Most boats are unused most days of the
boating season without any cars parked.
Busiest parking demand will be mid-afternoon
on weekends during great boating weather. The
very few peak parking days will be on national
holidays and special events, and even then less
than half the boats will be used.
Parking is often over estimated by
government permit agencies who want more car
parking spaces than are needed. However, since
land is so valuable, owners do not want to waste
extra space for empty parking lots.
(Restaurants, public fishing piers, and nautical
shops may need additional parking spaces in
addition to those just for the marina.)
Locate parking off the waterfront and let
people use the area along the bulkhead.
Neil Ross, RI
MARINA DREDGING
Dredging – avoid it if possible. Wherever a
hole is dug in the sea floor, nature will work
endlessly, slowly, to fill it in again. Dredging
once usually means maintenance dredging will
be needed in the future.
Never use the term dredge spoils, instead use
dredge materials or soils. The word spoils
implies contamination, spoils public perception
of the marina-dredging project, that can lead to
costly studies and delays.
Neil Ross, RI
If you are buying a marina, always have a
hydrographic study performed to be sure the
water is as deep as the owner is telling you it
is.
Larry Halgren, WA
Generally, the marina does not need more
than 10-12 feet/3-4 m depths. Many megayachts only draw about 4’/1.2 m depth. The
exceptions are deep keel sailboats and super
large mega-yachts.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
New or re-habilitated marinas never are
dredged deep enough. Dredge deeper from the
start, by far the most economical time it can ever
be done. If you think you need 6', dredge
initially to 10'. I have made this mistake more
than once.
Dave Irish, MI
Advanced maintenance dredging - The
additional depth and/or width specified to be
dredged beyond the project channel dimensions
for the purpose of reducing overall maintenance
costs by decreasing the frequency of dredging.
US Army Corps of Engineers
http://chl.erdc.usace.army.mil/glossary
A quick and sure exit from the marina
business comes from failure to maintain
adequate water depth. Nothing is more
important, or often harder to do. Dave Irish, MI
Do a pre-construction and post-dredging
hydrographic survey of the bottom. Use a
chain dragline after dredging to locate any
newly uncovered obstructions, such as old pile
stubs and rocks that boats could hit at low water.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Determine where any silt comes from and the
estimated the rate of deposit before dredging.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Understand that there may be a narrow
window of time (one or a few months annually)
when government will permit dredging
because of environmental concerns.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
The cost of dredging is based on the number
of cubic yards/meters of material dug out.
These costs can add up quickly. Most
contractors will over dredge to be sure to get to
the permitted depth. Where you are going to
dispose/deposit the dredged soils can radically
raise costs.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 7
Fred Hunt, OH
Reuse dredge soil materials whenever
possible.
Neil Ross, RI
MARINA PLANNING
Planning must be based on results of a good
market demand study. Bruce Tobiasson, MA
The main purpose of having a marina is to
have a safe place to park your boat. All the
flowers, buildings, restrooms, etc. are there to
support the parking spaces for boats.
Fred Hunt, OH
Marinas need to multi-task with several
different profit centers, such as boat hauling,
maintenance, land storage, retail sales, etc.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
A good marina design engineer will help
educate the owner/developer by asking the
right questions before making any plans.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Plan for increases in boat size and services. In
the future, marinas will be totally involved with
the issues of sustainability.
Allen Wortley, WI
A dock buyer must know what they want and
write or receive from the builder a good set of
specifications with specific requirements. At
one time specifications merely called for certain
sizing and materials. Today’s best specifications
call for certain performances that can be easily
checked by the buyer. Typically, this would
include deflections at the ends of fingers.
Fred Hunt, OH
In addition to performances, certain qualities
of materials have become standard
particularly with floatation, including:
• Minimum thickness of float encasements,
• Maximum absorption of water in the foam,
and
• Actual tank testing results for listed
buoyancy.
The buyer must specify what they want and
expect to get, or they will have to accept
anything that the dock builder gives them.
Let the marina dock buyer beware, especially
from the small, less experienced builder.
Fred Hunt, OH
If there are strong objectors to proposed
expansion, they often come from neighboring
people and businesses within sight of the
marina.
It helps to be a good neighbor and to meet with
them well before proposals go public. Nothing
fires up a public hearing more than upset
neighbors who first learned about a marina
proposal in the newspaper.
Neil Ross, RI
MARINA COST
Buying a marina at an overpriced cost is a
sure way to lose money and the business. No
marina has enough income potential to pay off
super inflated prices (plus property taxes) often
associated with waterfront land.
Neil Ross, RI
If you must build a new marina, dredge it,
and add a breakwater, the cost of all three
will probably fail the business.
• The first owner builds the essential
infrastructure, and then goes bust.
• The second owner buys it below cost,
finishes construction, adds improvements,
and fails.
• The third owner buys the marina at a low,
distressed price, and has a better chance to
make a profit.
Anonymous marina owner, RI
The best dock systems often come from
companies who have been in business the
longest and have built the most docks. Dock
builders have more than one design - the old
good, better, and best. The better the dock
system, the more it costs.
Fred Hunt, OH
You will always be "shocked" by the cost of
up-dating your marina electrical system, and
your existing system will always fail to meet
electrical code in some way.
Dave Irish, MI
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 8
The cost of the materials to build a marina is
pretty much the same, no matter where you
are and what the market rates are that you’ll
be able to charge. It is best to develop
properties in strong rental markets. Jim Frye, VA
First class marinas can charge first class
marina rates; don’t scrimp on quality
construction and amenities.
Jim Frye, VA
MARINA ENVIRONMENT
Since the 1990s, the most critical issue facing
both new marina development and existing
operations has been the environment.
When the environmental awareness
movement gained momentum in the 1970s, the
large, heavy volume point-source polluters were
the main regulatory targets, including big
industry, smokestack factories, and failing
municipal sewage treatment plants.
In the mid-1980s the environmental
regulatory programs got up to planning speed,
and down shifted focus to stormwater runoff and
smaller scale non-point polluters.
Marinas and boating were targeted as highly
visible polluters. Yet, the boating industry in
general didn’t want to get involved and feared
having to make changes that would put them out
of business.
As pressure mounted in the 1990s, the marina
industry was the first to react. Slowly at first, the
top marina owners realized resistance was futile
and began proactive improvements to clean up.
By the end of the 20th Century, and more so
in this decade, marinas have embraced the clean
water philosophy and began taking positive
action with its Clean Marina and Clean Boating
programs. Marinas have discovered that going
clean is good for business and attracts better
customers.
Boaters have a closeness to nature that makes
them appreciate keeping the waters unpolluted
and environment clean. People are reacting
positively to the clean boating movement.
Boaters have become better stewards of, and
strong advocates for clean water quality.
Green vs. clean bottom line - Green colored
water usually is so polluted that algae grows
out of control.
What we really want is clean water, not
over fertilized green water. The US EPA, Fish &
Wildlife Service, and most states have agreed on
achieving clean water goals through clean
marinas and clean boating programs.
Let the earth be green, but keep the water
clean.
Neil Ross, RI
Environmental impacts from marinas and
boats are very small, but real.
• Pollution is a byproduct of human activity;
nature does not pollute, only people does.
• Harmful impacts can include damage from
toxic chemicals, turbidity, smothering, over
heating, low oxygen (anoxia), noxious
fumes, litter, and mechanical crushing.
• Pollution often can be easily prevented,
controlled, and cleaned up at reasonable or
low costs.
• Impacts can also be positive; some examples
are the creation of artificial fishing reefs
beneath the docks, on piles, and bulkhead
materials, and shading that attracts fish.
• Clean water is essential to good boating and
profitable marina business.
Neil Ross, RI
Marina operators are stewards of the
environment. They are the ones managing the
interface between the land and water, and in
many cases mitigating the impacts that are
coming from upstream flow into the marina’s
water.
Jim Frye, VA
A well-designed marina can actually enhance
the water front environment.
Jim Frye, VA
Always have a plan to present to the permit
agencies that is reasonable, can be scaled
back, and includes something for the public
benefit. The latter usually is added when the
agency has done the first or second push back of
your proposal.
Larry Halgren, WA
Environmental concerns and regulations can
become over bearing and nearly impossible to
live with.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 9
Always make the environment better when
you are done than when you started.
Larry Halgren, WA
Objectors will use environmental issues as
arguments against marina development or
changes. NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) is
often the real root cause for objection, but not a
valid argument; environment is. Always prepare
a good environmental assessment study before
formerly going public with the design permit
application
Neil Ross, RI
Involve your boating customers and staff in
environmental education about the marina,
and how they can play a key role in it’s
protection. Lead by owner/manager example,
and train your staff to do the same thing.
Larry Halgren, WA
Marinas that are managed properly will have
a very positive impact on the environment –
more fish, more birds & wildlife, and likely
more vegetation & green than from previous
uses.
Bill Munger, RI
Provide free pumpouts for regular customers.
Locate the pumpout so the service is very
convenient or it won’t be used much. The fuel
dock is an excellent location for pumping out for
smaller boats. Give pumpouts to all boats 45’
and longer in slips piped for this service. Staff
does the pumpout; customers just do not want
to; and the tips are big.
Neil Ross, RI
It is time for the United States to adopt
nationwide no-discharge, as has been done in
Canada. The Great Lakes and New England
states are leading the way. Let’s finally
eliminate boat sewage discharge in all waters of
the nation.
Neil Ross, RI
Boaters all want to recycle trash just provide
the containers. Provide clearly marked recycle
bins throughout the marina for glass, metal,
plastic, paper.
George Bassett, MA
Empty trash containers frequently, and
always before they overflow. Use containers
that have lids to keep birds and wind from
scattering litter.
Neil Ross, RI
Boating is good clean fun. Lets keep it that
way. National Clean Boating Campaign slogan
MARINA MANAGEMENT
Good marinas, well sited and built, only can
become successful businesses when they have
effective, trained management teams that
educate their staff and cater to customer service.
Managers must have good written guidelines,
emergency, and environmental contingency
plans, and provide wet/dry storage of boats.
Years ago managers were focused on caring
for boats, giving good repair service, and
keeping docks floating and charging a low price.
They did good work on boats, and tolerated
customers. Today’s market is service oriented
for boating families.
Marina success is more art than science.
Marinas are in the hospitality business that
must focus on servicing people who own and
use boats.
Neil Ross, RI
Every marina is site specific. Determine what
you can do better than anyone else and
concentrate on where you can have the most
control.
Tom Cox, MA
Education and training is essential for great
management. Hire an International Marina
Institute professionally Certified Marina
Manager (CMM), become one yourself, or have
your top manager work toward receiving CMM
professional recognition.
Neil Ross, RI
Always improve yourself, your staff, and your
facility.
Tom Cox, MA
Hire GREAT employees, pay them well, and
TRAIN them before the season starts. I bring
all staff in two weeks before kick-off to make
sure they are trained and ready.
George Bassett, MA
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 10
Marinas are in the hospitality business and
our customers have many choices for their
recreational dollars. Treat your customers well.
Tom Cox, MA
Management by walking around is always a
top priority. Make an effort to walk the docks
each and every day -twice a day on the
weekends- just to talk to customers and address
any issues that may come up and keep the lines
of communication open.
Tom Cox, MA
Customer service is not very expensive and
can increase income and satisfaction. Send
staff to meet and guide each boat into its slip.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
HOSPITALITY is the name of the game.
Listen to their complaints thoroughly before
answering; then correct or take positive
action.
George Bassett, MA
Develop a Mission Statement with your staff,
make sure they are part of the process, and
“own” the document.
Tom Cox, MA
Two mission statements to LIVE by: • Create memorable experiences by
exceeding expectations.
• Show good S.P.I.R.I.T.
o S = Smile,
o P = Positive Attitude
o I = Initiate eye contact
o R = Remember the guest name (important)
o I = In a crisp and clean uniform
o T = Teamwork.
George Bassett, MA
Teach your employees to call your customers
by their first name. Set your point-of-sale
software to instantly bring up a persons name
when you enter a slip number, boat name, or
some other reference point. Larry Halgren, WA
Always remember to give the customer his
favorite slip back year after year. Anticipate
their needs.
George Bassett, MA
No one should ever “retire” into the marina
business. Jim Frye, VA
Provide a good Concierge Service, especially
in destination marinas. Give staff assistance on
and off the docks, including the fuel dock,
pumpout, immaculate bathrooms, clean shower
facilities, rubbish removal, and reservations for
restaurants, theaters, and car rentals.
George Bassett, MA
Management must make every effort to
maintain a friendly environment.
• Yes, we Can!
• How can we help you!
• Do it right the first time.
• Credit the billing hiccups with a smile.
• Your guests expect 5-star hotel environment
and service – aim high.
• Refer to customers as marina “guests” and
treat them as such.
Bill Munger, RI
Boaters expect more than just a place to dock
their boat in a marina; the marina has
become a social gathering place. There is a catch here though, most of the
marketing of additional amenities are targeted to
the condo dock and rack market, such as
clubhouses and pools, tennis etc.
In reality, these people have better facilities
at their homes than the marina can offer, and
will rarely use the marina facilities. The average
boater uses these types of amenities. It gives
them a higher social status, something they
typically do not have at home, or an alternative
place to enjoy these amenities.
Dennis Kissman, FL
Educate your customer. Every boat that
arrives gets a Marina Welcome Bag filled with
goodies, maps, and all the rules for recycling,
pumpout, environment, and town maps. VIP
packages go to the big boats and returning
guests. Hand written thank you notes go to select
customers, while all new customers get letters
before they arrive.
Managers should not hide; customers want to
see you. Make rounds every day throughout the
marina to say hello, meet, and greet all boaters.
George Bassett, MA
Know your customer. Boat owners are the
captain of their vessel, regardless of size or type.
Never place them in a compromising position
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 11
when operating their boat in your marina. Know
their limitations on boat handling.
Dennis Kissman, FL
Great managers can administer the business
while entertaining the customers.
Jim Frye, VA
Customer service – Not lip service. Teach
every employee how to be an ambassador and to
champion the cause for knock your socks off
customer service. Happy customers will be
willing to put up with a lot of things, including
higher moorage fees, and they will also tell all
there boating friends how great your facility is.
Larry Halgren, WA
Professional management often yields a better
marina experience, and a more profitable one
as well.
Jim Frye, VA
A great transient visitor service is to provide
quick, timely check in and check out.
Greet every arriving boat at slip-side, assist
with lines and power hook ups. Provide check-in
onboard their boat using their credit card and get
a signature. In ten minutes their vacation starts.
Customers do not have to check out as we
have all their information, and will mail them a
bill copy.
Keep in mind Nantucket Boat Basin is 70%
Transient, 30% seasonal. In the boating season
we change over an average of 40 boats per day;
that is 40 leaving and 40 coming; so it is actually
handling or servicing 80 boats on a daily basis.
Sometimes we get upwards of 60 coming and 60
going per day. George Bassett, MA
We like some liveaboard boaters for giving
extra security measures. In addition, I trade off
one off-season slip to one guy who cleans the
heads all winter! We have three winterized
bathrooms for use.
George Bassett, MA
No matter what your position is in the marina
organization, be observant of your
surroundings and take responsibility. When
something is not right do not ignore it. Either
correct it immediately if you can, or bring it to
the attention of someone that can. For example:
• Litter; if you see trash, you own it then take
care of it. • If you see a loose or frayed dock line on a
customer’s boat, take care of it.
Dennis Kissman, FL
Have a solid License Agreement for
customers and outside venders, update it
frequently, and stick to it.
Tom Cox, MA
Select and train good employees. Each
employee represents you and your company and
usually gives the first impression to the guest, so
make it positive the first time.
George Bassett, MA
Good practices and rules are great, but you
need full buy-in from management and
training of employees.
Pam Rubinoff, RI
Know when to fire a terrible employee, and
don’t ever think it will get any better than it
is today.
Larry Halgren, WA
MARINA SOCIAL VALUES
Boating is a social activity that involves
safely using a vessel on water bodies. Boats are
the means to many ends, e.g. cruising to
interesting places, fishing for fun or food, racing
competitively, taking the family with friends to
deserted islands, swimming in clean water away
from crowds, sleeping aboard a weekend cottage
that floats and moves, and more.
Recreation is to escape from routine life,
work, and everyday demands for time to recreate
oneself. In the process of boating, people gain
important unique benefits of recreation,
relaxation, challenge, thrills, escape, pride,
therapy, and time to think alone.
We tend to think of recreational boating as a
20th Century invention, but it is not. Court
documents in a Maine legal case, circa 1640,
found that the public has a right to access tidal
shores for purposes of harvesting seaweed,
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 12
fishing, and recreational boating.
While I find it hard to imagine Puritans and
early settlers having any fun time, the court
decided it important enough to rule that people
can get shore access for recreational boating.
Beyond benefits to individuals, boating gives
wider social values that can help many
communities and millions of citizens. Marinas
are the gateways to the water and thus the key to
positive social values.
There is a natural basic need for people to get
back to the sea. People get many benefits from
being in, on, or just seeing water. Water is
interesting, relaxing, exciting, challenging,
therapeutic, and natural to people.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Mankind needs leisure. Water access is
essential for mankind, be it seeing, smelling,
fishing, sailing, ice skating, swimming, diving,
and on and on. Leisure!
Allen Wortley, WI
Enhance the access – you are the gate keeper
– make it nice & friendly. Do the very best you
can with what you have.
Bill Munger, RI
Marinas are the hourglass of boating access.
Like the narrow neck of the hourglass, people
with boats go out onto waterways and return
back through marinas. As marina capacity
increases, more people get boating access, but if
it shrinks, so do the number of boaters and
guests decrease.
Neil Ross, RI
Marinas are gateways to the nation’s
waterways and marina operators play host to
the boating experience.
Jim Frye, VA
I believe very strongly in public access. Every
boater in the marina provides opportunities for
the public to enjoy the marina and nearby
boating waters.
Larry Halgren, WA
The average boat takes out 30 or more
people, one or more times per year. Multiply
the number of boats in a marina by 30 for an
estimate of the total number of people who go
out on boats from that facility. Example: 250
boats = 7,500 people.
Often marina owners and government agencies
do not understand and only count the number of
boats as mistakenly representing access
numbers.
Neil Ross, RI
Provide activities or playground equipment
for kids to have fun as well and to get them
away from the parents so they have a break
as well.
Larry Halgren, WA
Think of how the marina can link into the
community needs for public access. For
example, how can the marina help accommodate
for local livelihoods and artesianal fisheries.
Pam Rubinoff, RI
Emphasize the social value - that marinas
provide access by members of the public to
the public waters. As launch ramps do for the
public who own trailerable boats, so do mooring
fields and docks also provide public access for
bigger boat users.
Dave Irish, MI
Marinas... an important part of your
waterfront.
Marinas... communities of families and
friends.
Marinas... gateways to recreational boating.
Marinas... access to a variety of recreational
activities.
Marinas... providers of a variety of important
services.
Marinas... stewards of the environment for
future generations.
Marinas... partners with governments across
the country.
Marinas... forces of economic growth and
stability
Marinas... employment opportunities for
local citizens.
Marinas... an important part of your
waterfront community!
2008 National Marina Day
https://www.marinaassociation.org/nmd/
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 13
BOATS & BOATERS
Who goes boating? Nearly every segment of
society goes boating on a wide variety of craft,
ranging from small kayaks to mega yachts, fast
speedboats to slow sailboats, sport fishing boats
to wind surfers, canoes to wakeboards. They go
on lakes, oceans, rivers, bays, and ponds. Fresh
and salt water is really a matter of location and
taste. Males have traditionally dominated boat
ownership, but more and more women are
buyers.
Age is not a determiner of who uses boats.
Small children float rubber boats in the bathtub.
As they grow, kids play with toy sailboats at the
beach, and then later drive radio-controlled
motorboats on a pond. Scouts master the
rowboat and canoe. Many teens take sailing
courses and learn to solo. Older teens drive
dad’s outboard boat. As we mature and earn
salaries, we buy trailered boats, gradually
upgrading to ever bigger boats. Then in our
elderly years, we go back to smaller, easier to
use boats.
One need not be rich to own a large boat
(mega yachts are an exception). A study of
southern New England boat owners found that
many people who could afford large yachts,
instead owned small boats. Relatively lowincome people owned bigger boats than
expected. Statistically there was no direct
relationship between income and boat size.
The diversity of the types of people who go
boating is huge.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
People like to own boats. However, as cost of
ownership increases, multiple owner boats
(partnering or fractional ownership) is
increasing, while renting and chartering boats
will grow.
Neil Ross, RI
Boating is an expensive hobby that can be
hard to justify on an economic basis.
Nevertheless, the social values of being aboard
the boat make the cost worth the time and
experience for people. Many just enjoy puttering
around their boats, while others enjoy the
challenge of a good regatta race, fishing,
cruising, and even riding quietly at anchor.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Boating isn’t easy or cheap; it’s hard work
and requires a significant commitment of
time and resources.
Jim Frye, VA
If boat owners ever compared the total
annual cost of ownership to the actual
number of days used per year, they would be
aghast. This is especially true for sport anglers
on the basis of cost per pound of fish caught,
Anonymous marina owner in 1969, MA
No boat can enter or leave a slip without an
audience watching. If you want a good laugh,
go to a launch ramp to watch what happens
there.
Anonymous marina manager
When operating a boat, always remember
that go fast things happen fast --- go slow
things don’t happen! This applies also to using
a forklift, car, airplane, lawn mower --- you get
the point.
Larry Halgren, WA
Beginning boaters can have difficulty.
(Professionals can too occasionally.) Help them.
Make them look good.
Bill Munger, RI
Better boater education is needed to teach
owners to handle their own boats. Most boat
owners never learn to drive or sail their boat
very well. They get little or no boat handling
training from boat dealers, that consequently
results in frustration, fear of use, scared families,
boat damage, some injuries, gradual decreasing
boat use, eventually quitting the sport, and
selling the boat at a loss.
Neil Ross, RI
Marinas are the best places to train people
how to operate boats. Offer a Boating Pro
service and profit center, like golf pro, ski pro,
scuba pro, that gives hands-on training in the
owners boat, by a paid, licensed, professional
captain.
Neil Ross, RI
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 14
Linking with local non-profit educational
groups for mutual assistance can make a
great opportunity for public outreach. Use
boater education as a way to engage in larger
environmental and social issues surrounding the
marina environment in the region. This can
include working on policies related to fishing,
boating, and marine protected areas and issues.
Pam Rubinoff, RI
The first year of experience operating a boat
becomes the owner’s baseline for how
crowded the waterway is.
Neil Ross, RI
Boaters are a fickle group that may come and
go with the breeze.
Jim Frye, VA
The boat is no longer just a boat. For many
owners it is their palace on the water.
Bruce Tobiasson, MA
Most of the boating goes on at the dock.
Jim Frye, VA
Most boats sit empty and unused most days of
the boating season/year.
Neil Ross, RI
Don't forget who owns the marina. Seasonal
renters will colonize THEIR slip and resist your
governance of their use. Be prepared to fire an
unsatisfactory customer.
Dave Irish, MI
Be certain to provide a space for boaters to
work (includes tinkering) on their boat. It is
often the most important part of their boating
experience. Jim Frye, VA
Some seasonal slip renters actively prefer to
have their boat moored in a working
boatyard environment instead of a quiet
marina-only location. Dave Irish, MI
A boat can be a source of pride or frustration.
Often a good marina operator can influence
which result.
Jim Frye, VA
WHAT’S AHEAD FOR
MARINAS?
MARINAS ARE CHANGING
A business fact of life is that every marina is
in a continual state of being rebuilt. Older
marinas, when doing major repairs over time,
will be near totally rebuilt just to keep up with
new market demands, safety, and environmental
standards.
Almost all new and rebuilt marinas will have
their smallest slips starting 45’ to 50’ length and
above. This size change will push smaller boats
off the water, decrease availability to the less
affluent, and reduce the total number of boats
kept in any marina that cannot expand its water
use area.
SHORESIDE LAND COMPETITION
Sky rocketing coastal land values in most
states are making marinas less competitive for
new land purchase when faced with
condominium development that typically can
pay the highest price.
Positive note: The current recession,
however, may bring redevelopment pressure and
coastal land prices down, temporarily.
Older marinas and boatyards are more likely
to be bought out for land redevelopment.
As the second and third generation of family
owned marinas approach retirement over the
next 10-20 years, will a fourth generation take
over, or sell to the highest offer?
I predict a loss of many small, older marinas
for conversion into primarily non-boating uses,
resulting in significantly less boating capacity,
unless government regulatory agencies do
something different to protect water-dependent
marinas.
WHERE WILL ALL NEW BOATS GO?
As boat slip size increases, fewer boats can
be berthed in the same size marina basin. If the
number of marinas decrease and limited new
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 15
marina capacity is forecast, how can boating
grow significantly?
Possible answers include:
• Increase the number and size of public launch
ramps,
• Dry stack/rack storage of small trailerable
boats 25 to 40’,
• Dry land storage for boats 40’ to 70’+ on
trailers or special racks.
GROWING MINORITY BOATING
Afro-American blacks have long been an
important but small segment of some urban
boating markets. Increasing numbers of them are
buying greater numbers of boats.
Women will become a much larger part of
the boat owning and using public, but probably
will not reach 50% for several decades, if ever.
Hispanics/Latinos are the new and expanding
national market for boating and marinas well
beyond the southern Border States. In response,
the BoatUS Foundation has four Spanish
language brochures designed to bring safety and
environmental boating messages to the fastest
growing minority in the country. They recognize
that Spanish is now the second most common
language in the US and on boats.
Other immigrant groups, such as Southeast
Asians, Koreans, Africans, and others will
eventually want to fully participate in American
way of life that can include boating and fishing.
In 30 to 50 years, the boat owning population
will look more like the general population,
instead of primarily those of white European
descent.
Renting boats by the day, week, or month can
become as common as renting a car in Florida or
other tourist destinations,
A newer option is to partner with others in a
group purchase of a vessel (called fractional
ownership). This is similar to time-sharing a
condo apartment. Partnering can significantly
cut the upfront and annual cost to each family.
In both renting and time-sharing, the annual
costs are significantly less than owning, while
per use day costs are greater.
In the real world of boating, most boats sit
empty and unused most days during the boating
season. Nevertheless, just as each American has
a love for owning a car, we also like owning my
boat.
Future cost realities, with limited entry
boating, may well force many current and future
boaters to reconsider the wisdom of owning a
high cost boat that may only be used a few days
per year.
Many millions of people never own a boat,
but they do go boating aboard a charter fishing
boat, harbor cruise, ferry, charter boat, or least
expensive of all, a friend’s boat. It is estimated
that one third of the US population goes boating
each year, but most do not own the vessel. They
are very much part of the hidden boating market.
ARE MARINAS GOING TO SURVIVE?
Some will close, but not many. In fact, the
vast majority of marinas, particularly full service
ones, are the most solid part of the boating
industry. While marinas are generally not great
profit generators, their income is reasonably
steady even in recessions, and they have proven
stable through the tough years.
NON-OWNED BOAT OPTIONS
Today the vast majority of boats are user
owned. However with increasing cost of buying,
maintaining, storing, and operating boats, in an
industry facing greater waterfront space
competition, escalating regulatory costs, slowing
growth, less slip room for small boats, there are
other options for future boaters.
“I would predict that every marina that
exists today will have had at least one more
remodel before 2034. We will continue to have
problems with dredging, and the few
remaining sites will become extremely difficult
to develop into floating marinas.
We have seen a unique concept being
applied here in the Northwest and that is
storing really large boats, from 30 to 70 on
shore on large gravel parking lots with ramps
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 16
they back up to for the owners to go up and
down stairs to access the boat while dry land
boating. This has also had a large impact on
boat sales with brokers now opting to keep
boats hauled out so the prospective buyer can
see the entire boat and when he is ready for a
sea trial they launch the boat in about 15
minutes on special self propelled hydraulic
submersible trailers on a large boat ramp.”
Larry Halgren, WA
MARINA FUTURE IS BRIGHT
I believe recreation boating will always be a fun
part of our lives, it will continue changing, be
subject to wide economic ups and downs, and
have escalating costs.
Boating is so important to public recreation
that it will never go out of business. However, it
will likely cost much, much more to enjoy.
Where there is boating, there will always be
marinas. Marina history clearly shows that
technology, services, costs, and management
keeps improving, and that will continue.
However, one constant is that marinas are the
prime gateways to boating waterways. Marinas
are vital to our economy, society, recreation, and
they are good businesses now and in the future.
FINAL THANKS
Congratulations to the University of
Wisconsin-Madison and it’s Professor C.
Allen Wortley for helping to spread marina
professional technology worldwide.
Several thousand marina professionals
have learned new approaches to old problems
here. Many marina experts first met in Madison
and later collaborated to create new concepts,
studies, programs, and improved technology that
made marinas better.
As a result, many millions of boaters have
benefited globally and the marina industry is
more sophisticated and stronger thanks to The
University of Wisconsin’s well organized and
very effective Department of Engineering
Professional Development.
JOB WELL DONE!
My very special personal appreciation to Al
Wortley. It has been a pleasure and honor to be
part of this fun process since 1976, sharing it
with you and the many marina friends and
colleagues you’ve brought to Madison.
Al, you have been a valued collaborator,
helpful educator, encouraging colleague, and
great friend. Thanks.
Neil Ross
2008
Neil Ross, Fundamental Truths About Marinas, Past, Present & Future -- -- page 17