Marin wrote:Phil Fill wrote:I would be so glad if they changed by the square foot as we are 59 ft 9 inches long, and 13 ft 10 inches wide.* Use to piss me off having to pay the same as an 18 to 20 ft beam boat.
*Phil--- Don't for a moment think that if they change the moorage to square footage that you are going to get a lower slip fee.* I have been told by the marina folks in Belingham that when the calculation changes, EVERYBODY's fee goes up no matter what dimensions their boat may be.* It just means they can charge even more for the widebody folks.* Also the length of the slip is still part of the overall formula but the actual boat size is based on square footage, not length alone.
Bottom line is it is simply another way to get more money for every slip.
Port of Edmonds went to square footage quite a few years ago, and as Marin states, it was "simply another way to get more money".* There is some discussion that they are considering going back to a straight length formula, but this just presents another opportunity.* Then, in a few years, they'll want to change back.
My moorage expense model is no longer in step with the port's revenue model, as my moorage rates have gone up over 2500% since 1974.* And this does not include inflation!
The latest is that there is a $25/mo fee added onto any sublease amount.* It is getting very hard to find subleases during the summer, and this just about kills it.
So for my covered 40' x 15' berth, it's about $700/mo.** The marina was significantly rebuilt in 1997 after the old one collapsed in a snow storm.** There was a rather large moorage increase then, as well, even though the pre-1997 rates produced a surplus of over $3 million that was meant to rebuild the marina when needed (old one was new in 1968 and 1974).
So, yes, my button has been pushed.* And, I'll be voting with my check book and looking for new moorage early next year.
Sorry for carrying on.