Hey all. I need your help.

RiddleStorage · #1 05-17-2009

Hey all. I'm brand new to the sailing community. I have only been a handful of times.

I come to you guys with a request. I am looking to open a new dry storage facility in Southern California for ALL types of recreational vehicles, trailers and boats.

In a quest to acquire a list of clientele, i wanted to ask the people themselves what they would be looking for in a storage yard, so please, post your suggestions here. (What would it take for you to store at a dry lot as opposed to a harbor? Monthly cost? Free transportation? Cleaning service? Maintenance stations? Security?)

Thanks for your help,

Riddle Storage.

scottyt · #2 05-17-2009

i would think electric and water around the site. also for boats you would want a good hard pack surface, maybe even with some tie down points in some areas. and security cameras would be mandatory.

RiddleStorage · #3 05-17-2009

The basics are as follows:

-Wash station
-Dump station (for RV's)
-Wall/Fence/Barbed Wire
-Motion sensitive security cameras
-Land manager on-site 24 hours

There are several other elements being incorporated in this storage facility but this is just a short list of amenities that will absolutely be available.

Any other suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

sailingdog · #4 05-17-2009

For boats, proximity to the water would probably be an important feature. No real sense in owning a boat if you can't use it.

scottyt · #5 05-17-2009

you might want to pm the mods, i see your screen name has a company name and they have strict rules here for commercial stuff. in the mean time you might want to put a disclaimer in your sig stating who/what you are

RiddleStorage · #6 05-17-2009

The yard will be within 20 minutes of Ventura and Channel Islands Harbors.

I'll send the mods a PM now.

nightowle · #7 05-18-2009

price would be a considerable factor particularly if I wanted to use it for off season storage.

sailingdog · #8 05-18-2009

Unless the facility is right on the water, there's no way I'd even consider it for in-season storage.

Sailormann · #9 05-18-2009

People with boats are going to spend a lot of time in your facility working on their craft. Make sure there are WASHROOMS for general use or else maintain a calm demeanour when you notice someone relieving themselves in amongst the hulls.

After that, the first thing I look for in a yard is electric power. Lots of outlets ! I don't care if it's ten or twenty bucks a month more than another yard.

Then there needs to easy access to running water to clean the boat AND a convenient way to get rid of that waste water.

There needs to be somewhere to dump old fuel/oil/antifreeze.

Enough space between boats/trailers/whatever to stand on a ladder and work on the boat, and enough space to rig a dropcloth so that surrounding tenants are protected from sanding dust and paint spray.

Depending on the location of the yard - security needs to be either good or exceptional.

Don't try nickel and diming people. Charge enough in your basic rental to cover all the services you offer.

Good Luck

DrB · #10 05-18-2009

Fenced in property with access gate with a card
Water Electricity available prevalent throughout sit. The more hook up locations the better. My last yard had only a few, which was a pain. The yard that I previously used at a outlet and dual spigot for every two boats
Dumpster and Waste Fluid Collection site like Oil and AF. Not super critical for Waste Fluids, but a nice to have
Clean Bathrooms 24/7 - both Men and Women - with TP and some good hand soap/hand cleaner. Bathrooms are worthless if they have no soap or TP.
Security lights around the yard
Hard surface to put boat stands. Make at least fine gravel. No hard pack mud or grass
On-site repair shop
Site manager during the day
Close access to water. Doesn't need to be on water for off-season storage, but does need to be near by water
Close to hardware stores and convenience stores. Tool, part, and food runs are common during a day of work.
Clean site that doesn't have crap everywhere
Enough room between boats, RVs etc to allow work all around boat. My last yard had me 1 inch away from next boat and I couldn't wash and wax hull in that location until the boat was moved. On the other side, I didn't have a lot of room either.
If you are going to have sailboats a protected rack to store masts.
Jack stand rental. Not everyone has a their own stands or trailer

As far as in-season dry storage, I wouldn't do it as It would be cost or time prohibitive to me as I have a 7 ton, 33 ft boat with a 50' mast. If I lived 2 h away from the water and I had a powerboat that I didn't tow back and forth, I would consider dry storage. For off-season storage, I would consider your site for my sailboat if you had relationships with folks that could haul/launch and demast my boat that was affordable.

DrB