22 NATCHEZ ON THE WATERFRONT


repair service, not only for the engines and mechanical systems, but also for the boat hulls too, both exterior and interior. In fact, owning a marina, even a


full service marina, still has an allure for many, from the old salt to those successful in other businesses and seeking a life change. I recently had the opportunity to


renew a conversation with a couple who had left their former jobs and purchased a marina three years ago, with “lots of opportunities”, as they described it. The first year was a year of “reality, clean-up and understanding the business,” the second year was the year of “direction and decisions” and their third year was starting to “reap the rewards” of their decisions. One of the major decisions they struggled with was being full, partial or no service. They elected on full service. For their location they had the upland and buildings, and their clientele has been changing to those of the new millennium, who have expectations of having everything taken care of for them. Their decision was coupled with a major face-lift of the facility, becoming more efficient in providing service and charging fair, but meaningful, rates. They also embarked on bringing the staff into the fold, both in terms of decisions and implementation, appearance and how to deal with customers. The results are that their employees feel part of the decision-making process and take pride in what they do. Not a bad outcome! The decision as to whether to


provide service or not all depends on one’s business plan and how it fits into the site-specific issues. The world is changing and so is the marina business. For facilities in relatively remote


locations where no other services are available, the provision of maintenance and repairs really becomes more of an obligation, a cost of doing business, since without it there would be no viable way of having a functioning boating community, and that points to the bigger problem or question. As more facilities opt out of providing maintenance and repairs, at what point is boating in the area


MARINA INDUSTRY • APRIL 2020


Full service marinas tend to have higher occupancy rates.


hindered, crippled or reach a tipping point where boating stops being viable altogether? In the automobile industry, auto


dealers have in large part taken over the bulk of the service industry, with the exception of body work, which seems to be thriving with independent business. Part of the reason that dealers were able to pick up the maintenance work was the change to longer and multi-year extensions of warranties, as well as the leasing of vehicles. That helped set the tone for customers to rely on them for service, which severely hurt many independent businesses. Needless to say, most boats do


not come with the types and length of warranties that most new cars come with these days – and boat leasing in its various forms, while growing, is still a small percentage of the market. In addition, unlike the automobile industry, the boat manufacturers do not annually


sell the volume of boats that auto dealers sell. These factors hurt the economic models for the dealers to take over the majority of the service industry for boats, so the current reality is that we really do need at least a certain density of full service facilities, as there really is no particularly viable alternative on the horizon. This, of course, is good news for full service facilities, but in many areas some help may be needed to maintain that density and to overcome the yin.


Standardised parts One way boat manufacturers and trade associations can help is by getting together and agreeing on standardised parts. There are hundreds of parts that could be standardised between manufacturers without losing the individual boat design and performance identities. This has been undertaken in other industries.


One way boat manufacturers and trade


associations can help is by getting together and agreeing on standardised parts. There are hundreds of parts that could be standardised between manufacturers without losing the individual boat design and performance identities.


It reduces the inventory burden, delays in response and frustration on the part of the boat-owner.


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