Best Marina You've Ever Tied Up At?????

[labatt]

RichH - forgot about Old Port Cove. They had nice docks and a great laundry, plus Tiger Wood's yacht (Privacy) was docked a short walk away. There were also a few good restaurants a LONG walk from the marina, but a walk nonetheless.

The thing I don't get about marinas is that they assume men don't want privacy in the shower. I mean, I'm not ashamed of anything, but when I'm drying off/getting dressed/etc. I'd prefer to have a private area to do this in. I also prefer to keep my possessions in a private area. Most marinas at least have shower curtains, but many don't even have these! The brand new less than one year old facilities at Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City (across from NYC) are enormous! You could fit ten more showers in the unoccupied space just outside of the 4 or 5 showers they do have - yet they didn't put private areas outside the shower. Pull back the curtain and you're hanging with the entire bathroom! I just don't understand this.

The one I love the most is at our current home marina. You actually have to walk through one shower to get to the other - and there's NO curtain on the first shower!

[jrd22]

For me it's a toss up; Cap Sante Boat Haven in Anacortes or the Port of Friday Harbor Marina on San Juan Island. Cap Sante is run by the Port of Anacortes and they do an exceptional job of running the marina. Cleanest rest rooms and showers I've seen, reasonable rates (especially in the winter) and more great restaurants and pubs within walking distance than you'll ever need and every marine service and parts supply you could ever need as well.
Friday Harbor doesn't have the services and parts availability that Anacortes does but makes up for it with outstanding docks, exceptionally friendly staff, typically helpful island people and lots of restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, etc. And it's right in the middle of the San Juan islands.
Honorable mention goes to Lagoon Cove in the Broughton's area of BC. Nothing fancy, not even sure if they have showers, but every night they have a pot luck type get together and Bill the owner supplies a five gallon bucket of fresh spot prawns that he caught that morning and afterward he will usually tell a somewhat true local story. Extremely friendly staff and a beautiful place.

[chrisncate]

I'm easy - Give me a good shower facility and a slip I can sail in and out of, and I'm happy.

[JiffyLube]

The best harbor/marina I found between San Francisco and San Diego was Monterey Harbor. It had the best transient facilities (laundry, restrooms, showers/dressing rooms), and kept very clean. The harbor master and staff were very helpful and friendly, and almost anything you wanted was in walking distance.

[SaltyGirl]

Take a look at River Dunes Marina. This marina was planned & designed by an experienced world-sailor (who is now the dock master) to be a 1st class marina. I believe that they hit the mark…and more. Stop by Wild Goose to say hi if you come this way.

View the pages under “The Harbor” to see everything that they offer.

10 minutes from Oriental, NC (via courtesy car), “The Sailing Capital of NC”…where sailboats outnumber citizens 3 to 1!

[Rick486]

Spicer's Marina, Greenport, NY

Snug, quiet, nice facilities, good service if needed, friendly staff, shuttle to Claudio's. Very nice.

[travlineasy]

They're all good--just some better than others. I love the one I'm at. Lots of parties, pool, shower, no bar or restaurant, but I keep a pretty good supply of food and booze on the boat, and the prices are better.

Cheers,

Gary

[malyea]

THANKS!!!!

My finger's cramped from taking notes....

Clearly - friendly, professional staff and clean, private showers turn a good marina (one with all the basics) into an excellent marina.

We'll see what the future holds...keep an eye on Eleuthera over the next couple years....

[liveaboardboater]

This marina falsly advertises many amenities that absolutely do not exist...no ships store, no restaurant, no bar, no parking on weekends (must park a block and a half away and walk), no cable TV, no ships lounge, no hard wire phone service, generally no WiFi service unless you come up to the office, no slip side pump out, grossly unhelpful and unknowledgeable dock hands (don't expect any dock help when landing your boat in windy and/or unfavorable conditions) and never expect anyone to answer a VHF call on the radio, fuel storage tanks frequently run dry because they can't afford to refill the tanks, low tide access is frequently restricted to 3 ft because of the shoaling and boats in slips at minus tides are frequently sitting in the mud (can't operate your air conditioning/heating system without sucking mud into your pumps). Restrooms and showers (2 each for men and women) are miserable and are known to back up with raw sewage, only 1 washer and 1 dryer (old and inefficient) for the entire marina, and a 4% surcharge for using a credit card!

The bank has taken over the Marina and is desperately looking for a buyer. The management company has now invoked a staggering $250.00 a month liveaboard fee for a 3rd rate marina without providing the most basic level of marina standards

[SVAuspicious]

I think there are two or three markets with some overlap of requirements: transients, long-term slipholders, and liveaboards (if those/we are in the plan).

Clean heads and showers are a must. If there are broken tiles or gobs of poorly applied caulk then keeping things clean will be hard - maintenance and repair of the bathrooms has to be a priority. I really like the two-compartment facilities where there is a dry, private place to towel off and get dressed. Give me a bench and number of hooks. The dry part needs a separate floor drain and better yet a floor grid so I'm not walking through the previous person's puddles in my dry socks.

Similarly clean laundry facilities.

Wifi. For real, with lots of bars.

I need local information. Transportation in and out, one-way rental cars, nearest airport, groceries, chandlery, auto parts, hardware, and restaurants. A map would be good.

A "Welcome" paper with a map of the marina on one side and contact numbers for service offered directly by the marina on the other side - oh and hours of service also.

Pump-out

Two 30s and a 50 for every slip.

Floating docks.

Full length finger on at least one side of the slip.

Dock carts (clean also)

VHF monitoring.

I've given up on dockhands and won't through a line to anyone ashore until I have the boat where I want it.

Good attitude and helpful staff will go a long way to make up for shortfalls from perfection.