NATCHEZ ON THE WATERFRONT 21


likely to go away anytime soon – increased regulation. In fact, it will most likely get worse. There is just no getting around the reality that the more services you provide, the more ongoing regulation you are likely to encounter, which leads to more staff/time/expense to deal with it, often including more equipment to purchase and run, more disposal costs and a greater risk of getting on the wrong side of the rules at some point, whether due to a fuel spill, injury to an employee or lead in your topsoil. Next on the list would be real


estate. You need the space to haul and store the boats and to do the work, and increasingly the work is taking place either indoors or in some form of controlled outdoor environment – say on a concrete pad with its own specialised drainage system and with portable screens or tarps attached to the boat, essentially walling off the boat being worked on.


For many marinas in more urban


settings, the facilities have virtually no or little upland for such service buildings and related upland activities or the land they do have is considered too valuable to be used for servicing boats. In fact, in many areas the value of the upland and waterfront access is rising faster for residential development than the revenue increases from operations, so developers have been paying premiums for the desired locations for residential and mixed uses complexes. Combine this with property taxes, regulatory compliance, labour costs and market conditions, and it is no wonder that many feel that the facility is worth more dead than alive.


Yang Of course, not all is gloom and doom, for where there is yin, there is also yang. The more services a


The full service marina typically has trained


staff that can help their boaters handle everything from the small to major problems, thereby facilitating positive boating experiences.


facility provides the greater the potential for additional profit centres and revenue streams. That overall revenue also typically will be less seasonal than simply renting berths, though the types of work may vary with the seasons, with big projects ideally scheduled for the off season, Spring and Fall


No service is available at this berth rentals only facility.


commissioning/decommissioning, and with ongoing maintenance, repairs and fixing things for the boating season. The full service marina also typically has trained staff that can help their boaters handle everything from the small to major problems, thereby facilitating positive boating experiences. At a berth rentals only facility, there is a much greater likelihood of a faulty spark plug or loose battery connection ruining the entire day or weekend and while it’s commonly felt that rental rates tend not to vary greatly based solely on a facility being full service or no service, those facilities with full service have tended to have more loyal customers and higher occupancy rates, especially when times are tough. It’s no great mystery that one of the most profitable marina chains in the world built its reputation on quality


MARINA INDUSTRY • APRIL 2020


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