Do You Book Slips Online?

[ABfish]

Here's my experience-

Go to marina website. Fill out request for a slip with desired dates. Never get a response. After a few days, end up calling the dock master and repeating all of the info that I filled out online. May or may not get a slip.

This has happened to me at least a half dozen times.

Have even experienced it with Snagaslip.

Does anyone actually books slips online?

 

[CharlieO.]

I did once. It is way easier for us to just call them instead of waiting for them to call.

 

[Seevee]

I try to avoid the online third party slip reservations..... Snag, Dockwa, etc.
They certainly don't know the marina and local knowledge, and no help with finding a good slip. AND take way too long to respond.



I'll only do it as a last resort and only if absolutely necessary.



I don't like camp America for the same reason.


Overall, I've had pretty good luck doing without them.

 

[O C Diver]

I generally have had poor luck working through emails unless it's to confirm a phone conversation. I will say that having written (email) confirmation, PDFs for dock layout, rules, and features is more desirable than a verbal confirmation from a nameless person.

Generally, I like the booking sites (such as Dockwa) for reservations where I have been before or for booking moorings. The advantage to the booking sites seems to be the elimination of telephone tag or dealing with a dock hand as opposed to someone in charge.

Ted

 

[TJM]

Dockwa talks a good game and implies they "are the best". My experience and others at my dock say otherwise. We call the Marina and line up all of the details and then go online, because we are forced to.
Dockwa's response time is horrendous, sometimes 3-4 days. Gave an earful to the Dockwa reps (kids) at the Newport Boat Show a few weeks ago.

 

[rslifkin]

Response time with some services like Dockwa depends more on the marina than the service. If the marina is good about paying attention to requests coming in and responding, you'll get a response quickly and have everything set up nice and easily. But some marinas accept reservations through services like that, yet basically ignore them. Then it can be a real pain.

 

[Comodave]

Michigan has an online dock reservation system that sorta sucks. The problem is that the state docks don’t, or are not able, to book a slip over the phone before the day you want to stay. They force you to go online to book and the site charges you an $8 service fee.

 

[Iggy]

I book slips on line all the time. Here in the North East most marinas' want to to.

I use "Dockwa". No fees, good service. General, you make the request and anywhere from 12 to 36hrs you have a response.

 

[mvweebles]

San Diego city marinas and anchorages has a decent online reservation system. Even the anchorages need to be reserved online.

https://reservations.portofsandiego.org/boating/index.asp

There are other moorings and marinas but they do not have an online portal.

Peter

 

[O C Diver]

It's my impression that the Dockwa delays are on the marina end. I've booked moorings at Carolina Beach 4 or 5 times and usually have confirmation in a few hours, never more than the same day.

Ted

 

[SteveK]

I do when available. But if they do not reply quickly and I need to know, I phone

 

[Gdavid]

In my experience, some of the larger marinas seem to prefer the 3rd party booking apps because everything is documented clearly in a record versus a verbal communication and respond quite quickly to confirm the reservations. I believe this is because they have someone close to a computer at most times and monitors the requests from the booking parties, the employees at the larger marinas are also further from the finances and don't seem to care or think about the profit lost to the 3rd parties.

On the other hand, smaller marinas are better on the phone, you are more likely to speak to the dockmaster versus a dock hand and they are more aware of their bottom line.

I tend to call first, I'd rather see the money go to the marina but some will actually tell you it is easier for them to book online.

I also request a slip versus a side tie either via phone or online and can typically have this request met.

 

[rslifkin]

Even for smaller marinas, some make good use of the booking services. Some will call to confirm details after you've put in a request. The big thing for a small marina is that they may not have someone sitting next to a phone at all times (they might be off doing other things), but they can pop in to check for new reservations a few times a day without missing them.

 

[Bellakins]

I prefer making reservations over the phone and talking to the marina directly. I don't like using Dockwa, because they charge right away. Then it's a pain if you need to cancel. I call as soon as we know we'll need to cancel due to weather, etc. It's amazing how many marinas are very appreciative of someone calling if they need to cancel. I guess they get a lot of no-shows.

 

[twistedtree]

Never. Not even once.

 

[ABfish]

Wow. Based on the majority of the responses, I'll go back to using the phone.

Just reinforces one of my pet peeves about businesses that solicit contact by email but don't respond to inquiries.

 

[DC36Monk]

Never. If too remote for cell service VHS when close enough. No room, then I can always anchor. It’s a boat, not an RV that needs a hook up. It sounds like anchoring is a more limited option on the east coast and se,, but in the NW, BC and SE Alaska there are so many nooks, bays, inlets and coves that anchoring is usually way better than any dock.

 

[Prhugret]

Here's my experience-

Go to marina website. Fill out request for a slip with desired dates. Never get a response. After a few days, end up calling the dock master and repeating all of the info that I filled out online. May or may not get a slip.

This has happened to me at least a half dozen times.

Have even experienced it with Snagaslip.

Does anyone actually books slips online?

I have exclusively used DOCKWA (in the Northeast) without any issues. The downside may be that your CC is immediately charged upon confirmation from the Marina. A cancellation may result in less than a 100% credit if you are within the marina’s cancellation window. I always read the marina’s cancellation policy when making a reservation. This has resulted in my avoiding any penalties the few times I have cancelled beforehand.

 

[danderer]

I have exclusively used DOCKWA (in the Northeast) without any issues. The downside may be that your CC is immediately charged upon confirmation from the Marina. A cancellation may result in less than a 100% credit if you are within the marina’s cancellation window. I always read the marina’s cancellation policy when making a reservation. This has resulted in my avoiding any penalties the few times I have cancelled beforehand.

Same as my experience. I was skeptical at first but it has worked out very well for us the past couple years.

Never any problems with timely refunds from any marina.

 

[mtreels]

Love Dockwa

Started using Dockwa about 8 years ago in WA state, and now dozens of times on the East coast. We are actually on a Dockwa mooring in NY writing this!

Frankly I am quite surprised at the negative response. Most of my estimated 40+ experiences have been positive, with a very fast response. Far faster than the web forms on the website at less organized marinas, who scoff at Dockwa..
For those complaining about slow response times, be aware that it is 100% up to the marina to respond. Dockwa does not respond to space requests-the marina does.

Like your weather app, it may not be perfect all the time, but it is another valuable online tool for cruisers, that I don't drop the lines without.

Here are some Positives:
-Instant price comparisons
-Identify whether they have docks or moorings or both
-Provides details on depth, approaches and max boat sizes the marina can accommodate
-Identify the distance to marinas from your current location
-Provides vicinity maps of the marina.

Try getting all that info from a marina at 9pm when you are planning the next day's route!

 

[Capt Ray]

I prefer to call.
However, there are two systems that I have come to trust if I MUST use them:


Michigan's State DNR website system. Dockmasters are very responsive.
AND
Dockwa.com (which I really don't like in case of a cancelation due to weather or other disablement... SO: "unfriendly terms" IMO, though some marinas vary in this setting).

Other, more independent, marina websites are just not used by us unless there is zero alternative.

Ray
Shellerina.com

 

[fgarriso]

Call them directly.

 

[twistedtree]

Wow. Based on the majority of the responses, I'll go back to using the phone.

Just reinforces one of my pet peeves about businesses that solicit contact by email but don't respond to inquiries.

You and me too, brother. It's the same with "Contact us" pages on web sites. It might as well be an "ignore me" page. And email might as well be ignoreme@company.com.


Companies try all sorts of crazy things, and dump enormous amounts of money into "lead generation" trying to drum up customers. Yet here are two ways in which customers have hit you over the head trying to get your attention, yet you ignore them.

 

[twistedtree]

Never. If too remote for cell service VHS when close enough. No room, then I can always anchor. It’s a boat, not an RV that needs a hook up. It sounds like anchoring is a more limited option on the east coast and se,, but in the NW, BC and SE Alaska there are so many nooks, bays, inlets and coves that anchoring is usually way better than any dock.

Agreed. This past summer from May through Sept we only docked 3 places. Ketchikan to pick up a package, Wrangell to leave the boat for 6 weeks, and Juneau to pickup/drop off our son. Oh, one more. Prince Rupert, because you have to for customs.

 

[ranger58sb]

We've used Dockwa more and more over the last several years, decent enough results.

At first, we'd contact a marina directly, get docked... and then they'd fill out the Dockwa stuff. I finally broke down more recently and started doing it online myself, partly because our home marina (annual contract) and several of our typical destination marinas have switched to Dockwa too...

At least once, I augmented that with a call to the marina first... IIRC, that was about some kind of special circumstance I wanted to learn about in advance...

-Chris

 

[NCheaven]

Phone is a lot easier. Maybe more practice on line will balance that out.

 

[Duetto]

we do it pretty regularly in fl & ne

 

[ScottC]

In general, no -- with one BIG exception:

During our Mediterranean travels, it has been a pure pleasure to use an app called NAVILY. www.navily.com Based in France.

While they have a web presence, all the power is in their app.
We've used Navily with great success in France, Spain, Italy, Malta and, to some extent, Greece. Even where you can't use Navily to book a marina, you will find information about that marina/harbor/anchorage and often, many frank, informative and accurate user reviews of that spot. Further to this, Navily will show you and rate the favorability of conditions at an anchorage for the night. It shows and rates the conditions at that exact spot for the coming 72 hours or so (forecast wave direction/changes as well as forecast wind direction and changes.)
All this and no booking fees. Pay the "premium" membership fee of €20/year and enjoy extra functionality and no ads.

For those traveling in the Med, I could not recommend Navily more highly -- and no, I don't work for them or have any investment in the company ;-)

Edit/add: There is a great feature in Navily that I'm coming to use more and more. Chat. You can see members berthed at various locations and you can send them a private chat message prior to your arrival to ask, for example, is the water at the dock drinkable? Or, do the electric poles actually work as advertised? (rarely!) Or, how often does the fuel or water truck come by? etc.

 

[jkleins]

We use the apps a lot on the East Coast and don't seem to have any of the problems that are mentioned here. Never had a non-response and usually complete the process online without ever having to call. I just wish more marinas would use them. I do usually plan on staying somewhere a day or two ahead though so maybe it is just me.
I do call if I am on my way to the marina and want to pull in that day but then not many of them have a system of real time reservations. I have even received quick refunds as well for cancellations.
I am actually surprised at all the negativity.

 

[jbinbi]

Here in the NE, huge percentage of the marinas are now owned by Safe Harbor. I am surprised that they don't have their own app yet!