Pumpout Costs

[Cruisingdad]

Originally Posted by MarkofSeaLife

Do you want to apply that to a $500 per month cruiser thread?

Of course it's ridiculous. If the price is too high people won't use the facility ie they will pump into the waterways. So it's needs to be a free service. All marinas and fuel docks should be obliged to pump out for free. Then there's no excuse for not using the service.

Right on, Mark. Right on! That is exactly how I feel. Now, I don't think they should do it for me for free, but they can at least have the facilities for me to do it. And those facilities should be operational, which many are not.

Brian

[RobGallagher]

Originally Posted by Cruisingdad

Right on, Mark. Right on! That is exactly how I feel. Now, I don't think they should do it for me for free, but they can at least have the facilities for me to do it. And those facilities should be operational, which many are not.

Brian

Often, they lie. Kids lie. 16 year old kid working the dock don't want to go near that thing.

The pump out boat in my harbor seems to be run under contract. No fee, I can schedule a pump out online, I don't even have to be there when it's shite hits the fan. (I am there as I would want to know if anything broke, but it's an option).

Transient slips are over 4 bucks a foot and moorings start around 40 bucks around these parts so I guess you gotta take the good with the bad

[wingNwing]

Wow - I've never paid more than $10 for a pumpout, and most places it was either free or $5. Many states provide grant money for the pumpout operation and as part of the agreement they make the fees zero or minimal. You're right, at $25 a lot of people will have "incentive" to be dumping overboard at midnight.

[chef2sail]

$5 in my club fuel dock. $10 if they come to your slip and do it ( liveaboards and PB take this option usually)

I have never been charged 25....thats scandalous and counterproductive if you want people to do it. Is he the only game in town? what do others in the area charge?

When we go to the LI Sound I was so happy to see that they take thier clean harbors so seriously, that every town for the most part had mobile boat pump outs which were free.
Mmost boats are on morring up there so it makes sense. They are truly commited to their clean harbors and walk the talk by making it easy to do and no charge.

Dave

[hellosailor]

Brian-
Your pumpout surprise reminds me of a hot dog cart outside the Javitts Center )convention hall) in NYC. One day I came out of a trade show, saw a cart with no prices posted on it, but asked him for a dog because veryone knows, dogs are a buck or a a buck and a quarter in NYC. Nope, he wanted mearly $4. I said what? I'm a native, I'm not a tourist, I walk up a block toward the subway and every cart is a buck, take it or leave it. He says no, he's $4. I said goodbye and left him holding the dog.

Folks that don't post a price (which is in fact often REQUIRED) and then ambush you afterwards are simply robbers. I'd suggest you write to the town fathers and let them know the marina is being doubly offensive. First by failing to post a price, second by charging twice what is reasonable. Nonsense like that is why franchises are sometimes revoked.


Dave-
"When we go to the LI Sound I was so happy to see that they take thier clean harbors so seriously," Were you on the CT side, or has the North Shore of LI finally gotten their act together? And don't even ask how many of the EPA-listed pumpout stations in NYC proper either don't exist, or will take four hours to reach.

[Cruisingdad]

Originally Posted by RobGallagher

Often, they lie. Kids lie. 16 year old kid working the dock don't want to go near that thing.

The pump out boat in my harbor seems to be run under contract. No fee, I can schedule a pump out online, I don't even have to be there when it's shite hits the fan. (I am there as I would want to know if anything broke, but it's an option).

Transient slips are over 4 bucks a foot and moorings start around 40 bucks around these parts so I guess you gotta take the good with the bad

Well, the kids on the dock are getting screwed. I will tell you that. This is how it works: You pull into the slip, the kids help tie you up. They ask if you need a pumpout too? You say sure, what the heck, I am in a marina after all that I just paid $100 to stay at for a few hours. SO they pump you out and you walk up to the office to pay. Then the office hands you a $125 bill plus tax. You realize there is some mistake and she tells you that you got a pumpout and that is $25.

It was at that point my wife, who was paying, asked if they could pump it back in and give us back our $25?? Humor not well received.

The kids on the dock don't get anything. Well, not true, I tipped them for both line handling and pumping me out (which I think is a thankless job). Of course, all that was before I got the bill. I would have still tipped them. They don't make much anyways. But I might have had them cycle the tank a few times if you know what I mean??

BTW they hit ever one of the cruisers I was with for a $25 fee too. I was not the only one. Nor was I the only one that was pissed.

Brian

PS I doubt I will ever go there again. I felt hosed.

[Cruisingdad]

Originally Posted by wingNwing

Wow - I've never paid more than $10 for a pumpout, and most places it was either free or $5. Many states provide grant money for the pumpout operation and as part of the agreement they make the fees zero or minimal. You're right, at $25 a lot of people will have "incentive" to be dumping overboard at midnight.

Yep. We agree.

Brian

[CalebD]

I don't think that anyone who is in their right mind would disagree with you Brian. A $25 fee for pumping out is a DISincentive to anyone, rich or poor.
It is a state regulated thing though.
NY state and Connecticut provide pump outs for free to encourage people to use them.
In Maryland I've had to pay around $5 per pump out but the pump out boat in Annapolis is technically free. I always feel that the pump boat driver still deserves the $5 as a tip though.
Florida has an amazing bunch of state legislators. These are the same guys (and gals) who voted to drug test all welfare recipients; a program that cost more to implement than the 'savings' they thought they might get by discouraging drug users. It would not surprise me one whit if they allow marinas to charge $25 or more per pump out in order to create an incentive for the marina operators to install the equipment. Do you ever read Carl Hiaasen's Sunday column in the Miami Herald? The Florida state legislature provide him with plenty of material for his column.

[Cruisingdad]

Originally Posted by chef2sail

$5 in my club fuel dock. $10 if they come to your slip and do it ( liveaboards and PB take this option usually)

I have never been charged 25....thats scandalous and counterproductive if you want people to do it. Is he the only game in town? what do others in the area charge?

When we go to the LI Sound I was so happy to see that they take thier clean harbors so seriously, that every town for the most part had mobile boat pump outs which were free.
Mmost boats are on morring up there so it makes sense. They are truly commited to their clean harbors and walk the talk by making it easy to do and no charge.

Dave

I'm not sure what everyone else charges Dave. It is sad that I may have to start asking!!!! I have decided a nice letter to Boat US, the City Council, and a few other places is in order. I may even put an article about this in Mainsheet and see if Boat US wants to pub it.

As we seem to all agree, and I have said several times, when they charge that much to pump you out, ESPECIALLY when you are already paying outrageous docking fees for a transient, it is counter-productive to what they want to achieve. Not to mention, they don;'t tell you how much it is to begin with. It's a nudge-nudge, wink-wink, oh yeah, by the way....

Brian

[Cruisingdad]

Originally Posted by CalebD

I don't think that anyone who is in their right mind would disagree with you Brian. A $25 fee for pumping out is a DISincentive to anyone, rich or poor.
It is a state regulated thing though.
NY state and Connecticut provide pump outs for free to encourage people to use them.
In Maryland I've had to pay around $5 per pump out but the pump out boat in Annapolis is technically free. I always feel that the pump boat driver still deserves the $5 as a tip though.
Florida has an amazing bunch of state legislators. These are the same guys (and gals) who voted to drug test all welfare recipients; a program that cost more to implement than the 'savings' they thought they might get by discouraging drug users. It would not surprise me one whit if they allow marinas to charge $25 or more per pump out in order to create an incentive for the marina operators to install the equipment. Do you ever read Carl Hiaasen's Sunday column in the Miami Herald? The Florida state legislature provide him with plenty of material for his column.

I agree with paying the guys that actually do the service a tip.

Hey, I got an idea! How about if I talk the FL state legislature to start doing drug test on the pump out material? Good way to catch those bad guys. Then I can get all my pumpouts promply done for free.... and by the Fish and Wildlife too!!

THanks for the idea, Caleb!

Brian