Where do you boat? More accurately, where are your access points to the water? If you are like many boaters, there is a local marina in your life that serves as the launch off point for your adventures. Regardless if they are on the Big Rideau Lake, in the Thousand islands, or anywhere else in the world, they can be a home away from home for you or at least a gateway to your favourite body of water. Hopefully if up they are a good one, they have great facilities, secure mooring, well trained staff, safe equipment, and nicely kept grounds.
How is it that they maintain those? You may feel that any fees you may pay cover that off. In all reality, that is highly unlikely. Most marina dockage fees barely cover the insurance, property taxes, cost of the docks/maintenance, water lot leases, and basic administration.
The real key to a marina's success is in the additional sales (service, boat sales, gas sales, parts sales). Given that that marina exists, and the fixed costs don't change much with these additional service offerings, the revenue in those areas is often what gets re-invested back
into the marina you love (or at least call home).
The next time you decide to buy fuel, parts, services, or a boat somewhere else, ask yourself if that establishment will be re-investing in your boating enjoyment? What benefit will you and your fellow boaters get from the "profits" of that purchase? Does the money made at a box store or stand alone chandlery further benefit you going forward?
Most good marine facilities have excellent selections of the products and services you need. If they don't, ask them if the can arrange or order it for you. They are likely to be very helpful, local knowledge and have the added benefit of on-site return or warranty for what you buy. If the pricing seems out of line, ask them to consider being more competitive with the market. There are other real benefits to buying at your local marina that I will cover off in another article.
Ultimately the choice is yours where you purchase goods and services; you are free to shop as you like. Let me suggest though that you may want to consider how your purchases can be an investment in your future boating enjoyment. You and your fellow boaters have everything to gain when we work together. Many of you do just as I have suggested above, and for that the marina thanks you, and your fellow boaters thank-you. Recommending your local marina to your friends also has the same benefit as their spending has the spin off effect of ultimately helping you as well. If you want your local marina to invest in your enjoyment, you will need to return the favour. The old axiom rings very true: "You get what you pay for".
