soggy_feet
Senior Chief Petty Officer
- Joined
- Oct 10, 2009
- Messages
- 713
With a boat too big to trailer anywhere without a full size commercial rig, I've thought I was stuck storing my houseboat at the marina for the winter.
With just a few choices, and all their rates about the same, and their lots all pretty much full, I stayed with the marina the previous owner used. This is season 3 for me.
Season 1, they lost my brass drain plug, launched it anyway after I told them they had lost it. Soaked the bilge of my steel hulled boat, which I can otherwise keep pretty damn dry.
Pulling the boat at the end of the season, they set the boat inches off the ground, and blocked the lower unit in the raised position. I objected, they re-set it.
Season 2, Someone cleaned out a bunch of garbage from their boat, including a mini blind, and left the pile on the ground. All the boats around me were launched, and no matter how much I asked and asked, my boat was not touched for weeks. It finally comes out that they wont touch my boat until I pick up MY garbage. I told them it wasn't mine, and the owner got right in my face about how I was a liar, because the miniblind fit the length of one of my windows. I have the same window treatments as the day I bought my boat. I did clean it, just to get it done, and in the mess found a checkbook ledger, brought it to the attention of the office, found out whos boat it was, but no apology from anyone to me.
End of the season, they blocked my boat up just inches off the ground again. I pulled the drive to replace the bellows, so I didn't complain, since there was no concern for damage.
Here we are, season 3. They're one of the last to start launching due to flooding swamping the parkinglot, they've got me blocked in, even though for 2 years I've told them that since I live on the boat, I want to be in at the earliest date possible.
That whole deal about blocking it too close to the ground and me not complaining bit me in the ***, until I got fed up with it, and took it into my own hands. Couldn't install the lower unit from the raised position, so I dug a hole in their gravel parking lot so I had room to work.
Don't worry, I filled the hole in when I got done, so nobody would get hurt.
Also found a marine repair shop a half mile from the lake with a big trailer, and room to store. Their rate is comparable to my 'discount' rate I get at the marina for paying cash, so they, I assume, can alter their books to look like they made less.
The beauty is, this other place says they can launch me as soon as the snow and ice is off the public launch. Splash in march, instead of june? I'll take it. Oh, and maybe I'll bring some other boats with me. Lets see where that 'Customer is second priority' business model gets ya....
With just a few choices, and all their rates about the same, and their lots all pretty much full, I stayed with the marina the previous owner used. This is season 3 for me.
Season 1, they lost my brass drain plug, launched it anyway after I told them they had lost it. Soaked the bilge of my steel hulled boat, which I can otherwise keep pretty damn dry.
Pulling the boat at the end of the season, they set the boat inches off the ground, and blocked the lower unit in the raised position. I objected, they re-set it.
Season 2, Someone cleaned out a bunch of garbage from their boat, including a mini blind, and left the pile on the ground. All the boats around me were launched, and no matter how much I asked and asked, my boat was not touched for weeks. It finally comes out that they wont touch my boat until I pick up MY garbage. I told them it wasn't mine, and the owner got right in my face about how I was a liar, because the miniblind fit the length of one of my windows. I have the same window treatments as the day I bought my boat. I did clean it, just to get it done, and in the mess found a checkbook ledger, brought it to the attention of the office, found out whos boat it was, but no apology from anyone to me.
End of the season, they blocked my boat up just inches off the ground again. I pulled the drive to replace the bellows, so I didn't complain, since there was no concern for damage.
Here we are, season 3. They're one of the last to start launching due to flooding swamping the parkinglot, they've got me blocked in, even though for 2 years I've told them that since I live on the boat, I want to be in at the earliest date possible.
That whole deal about blocking it too close to the ground and me not complaining bit me in the ***, until I got fed up with it, and took it into my own hands. Couldn't install the lower unit from the raised position, so I dug a hole in their gravel parking lot so I had room to work.
Don't worry, I filled the hole in when I got done, so nobody would get hurt.
Also found a marine repair shop a half mile from the lake with a big trailer, and room to store. Their rate is comparable to my 'discount' rate I get at the marina for paying cash, so they, I assume, can alter their books to look like they made less.
The beauty is, this other place says they can launch me as soon as the snow and ice is off the public launch. Splash in march, instead of june? I'll take it. Oh, and maybe I'll bring some other boats with me. Lets see where that 'Customer is second priority' business model gets ya....