Before I ended up living on the water, I spent years berthed in semi-enjoyable marinas. I say marinas (Plural) because you never knew if they would be in business the next year. I once had to steal my boat back on a cold February night by cutting the lock on a razor-topped wire chain-link fence with signs that warned, “No Entry!” Entire establishment, equipment, and vessels under court receivership! Violators will be prosecuted! Freak that buddy! It’s MY boat in there and I’m getting it! And I did. I had to borrow one of their trailers to do it. There was no sense in returning it. Besides, if you’re gonna do something. Do it big!
Marinas were different then. Let’s just call them haphazard! Floating docks were half-sunk because the flotation was mostly gone. Nails stuck up everywhere. The water on the docks came out of the hoses brown because it was well water drawn from a sledgehammered-down pipe that only went down 47.5 ft. at most. Parking lots were gravel and mud and the guy who ran these places was always named “Chet.” ‘’Hi, I’m Chet. You have dock number 37 next to that houseboat that sank during Doria 20 years ago. Her railing that sticks out of the water makes it easy to grab on to when getting into your slip. Oh! And be careful when you climb the ladder from your boat. It’s the same ladder my grandpa put in in “37”. Been meaning to get on that.
Let’s move it up to the present day, when marinas are much more businesslike, which is good and sometimes not so good. Today, everything is plush. Fishing boats excepted; most boats today are at least 50% vinyl. Seats are oversized vinyl and even the gunnels are vinyl-covered. To maintain this looking new, you need a marina that has a “Vinyl maintenance specialist” on the premises 24 hrs. Boats are wider in the beam these days, so you can’t just fit in any slip. You need to find one of those marinas that advertises “Big Ass Slips Available”. Of course, you’ll pay a premium, but that’s what happens when you buy a “Big Ass Boat”! Make sure the marina you pick has a large black topped parking lot. It adds class to the marina and the runoff no longer creates mud, it just takes all that tar, oil and spilled gas right into the bay.
You have to check if they have a lift big enough to lift your boat and make sure it doesn’t look like they got a rusty deal somewhere.
Ask them about the quality of their mechanics! I’m sure these newer marinas will be honest and tell you they are experts on all brands of outboards, inboards, I-Os, bow thrusters, props, electronics, radar, gelcoat, and fuel tank replacements. You get it. Hal and his 16-year-old summer jobber can handle it all at only $450 per man-hour, parts, haul and re-launch extra. If you pay cash, the rate is reduced to $442 per man hr. So, all your worries are covered for sure.
Does the Marina have a nice swimming pool with water that isn’t quite green yet? That’s a plus if you have kids. Dock electric power? Water? WIFI? Bathrooms and showers that are clean and don’t smell like stable camels were kept in them during the winter. Naturally, you need a finger slip. The question is which finger they used for a size guide? Is there a serviceable gang plank that you don’t have to use with your body sideways? And how about a little deck where you can have a small table, grill and umbrella.
Let’s not forget the thing true mariners desire! Where is the TIKI WIKI BAR? Gotta have that. After a day sitting at anchor at Hemlock drinking all day, what’s better than putting a few down to an overloud Calypso band and treating the wife to real ahi tuna tacos or going to the marina’s Italian seafood restaurant “Bernie’s Authentic Sicilian Seafood”
Now we get down to the nitty-gritty. The thing that keeps the entire boating industry well-oiled. MONEY! You got your summer dockage, fall haul, pressure wash, blocking, winterizing engine (s), shrink wrap, and Christmas gift for the staff. Then comes spring. Remove shrink and pay for its disposal, cleaning and polishing fiberglass, cleaning and rejuvenating all vinyl and canvas, painting the bottom, engine check and repair any issues, replace bronze props stolen during the winter, clean out fridge and fumigate from the rotten rib eyes you forgot were in there in the fall, then launch.
So, you clean out your account, but you’re on your boat, summer’s almost starting and you’re in a really nice marina and have a lot of really nice friends there. Is it worth it? It’s all relative, according to how many relatives you have to invite during the summers and get them to at least shell out for fuel. Besides, is it worth the sunsets? I say yes.
Copyright 2025 by Mark C. Nuccio
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