Marinas offer facilities for small boats and recreational boaters, with amenities such as mooring, dry storage, refueling, repair facilities, and dining. They charge a fee based on dockage length and may offer security services.
A marina is a facility that caters to small boats and recreational boaters. Marinas consist of sheltered basins or harbors that are equipped with equipment suitable for the use of small boats. They can include a variety of amenities. Marinas can be run by municipalities, private organizations, or even individuals. Using the marina usually comes with a fee that can vary depending on the types of amenities someone wants to use. Some marinas may have special hardship rates or may donate some berths to charities, such as groups that take underprivileged children on sailing trips.
One of the key services in a marina is the mooring. People may lease space along a dock or buoy for the purpose of mooring a boat when not in use. Some marinas offer related services, such as dry storage for times when people won’t be using their boats for a while, slipways or cranes to get the boats into the water, etc.
A marina also commonly has services such as a refueling station, stores that stock basic marine supplies, repair facilities, and related businesses. Marinas may also have dining and recreational facilities for member and visitor use, and some even have features like rental car agencies that can connect visiting sailors with rental cars, concierge desks that offer services like boat reservations, hotels and restaurants, dry cleaning, etc. forward, along with medical clinics for basic medical needs.
People who want to dock at a marina are usually required to pay a docking fee that is based on the length of the dockage. In some cases, marinas may have agreements with facilities in neighboring areas; a member in good standing of Yacht Club A, for example, could dock at Yacht Club D for free for one day. Services such as dry storage generally cost extra, reflecting more work by marina staff.
Marinas also often offer security services. The facility may be guarded and typically has cameras and other security features designed to protect marina members. This can be a welcome benefit for people who are concerned about theft or vandalism, and people who sleep on their boats at night may also appreciate the presence of a guard who can act quickly if a security threat arises. At the very least, a marina is usually secured with gates to which only members have keys, to keep unauthorized access to a minimum.
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