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When I took delivery of my brand new fishing boat, I was
thrilled to see it parked on its trailer in the driveway in front
of my house. Six months later seeing it there drove me crazy.
So I moved the boat to davits behind a friends house on a
nearby. Stored there, I convinced myself, I would use it more
often as now all I had to do was turn on the davit motor to lower
the boat into the water, detach the stern spreader bar and bow
sling and I'd be on my way. What I didn't consider at the time
was that a suspended boat couldn't be covered with a tarp as
thoroughly as a boat sitting on a trailer. And the owner of the
house firmly refused to let me to install a boat canopy that
would cover the boat, but block their waterfront view. So, I
found myself spending more weekends scouring off leaf stains from
nearby trees and Jet-A fuel sprayed on my boat by the airplanes
landing at a nearby airport than I did actually putting the boat
in the water and taking her out as planned.
Five long months later, during which I became a self-taught
expert in the uses of cleaning products containing oxcylic acid
(and wrote several first-rate boat cleaning articles), after what
I vowed would be the final three-hour cleaning jaunt (the articles
were finished and so was I), I unequivocally decided that the
first of next month the boat was moving to a stack and rack.
I cautiously shared my decision with my husband Bill, my
expression clearly warning him against challenging my somewhat
sudden plan. He, to my great pleasure, whole-heartedly agreed as
he'd just spent the entire morning scrubbing the deck and bobbing
on the floating work dock cleaning the hull with the complete line
of StarBrite cleaning products to restore the boat's natural beauty.
At the recent Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, I'd run into Bill
Jackson Jr. of Jackson Marine who described high and dry storage that
was completely enclosed and sprinklered. The fact that the building
doors were routinely shut each night further reducing my anticipated
cleaning. The boat would be hosed down after each outing by them
before they put it away (this held a great appeal to me). And they
had covered work racks for me to do special tasks, such as buffing
off the accumulated oxidation and reapplying the protective polymer
coating that was wearing thin from the constant sun exposure -- and
all for the same $95 I was now paying to hang my boat out in the open!
The deal sounded extremely enticing, even though the marina was
an hour from the ocean which meant I'd have to get up to the boat at
6 a.m. for a the 7 a.m. start of most fishing tournaments. Still
there was plenty of scenery en route to the ocean including Fort
Lauderdale's millionaire mile mansions, and there was a nice selection
of New River waterfront restaurants nearby to take friends to by boat
when I wanted to show off with an evening cruise.
But this was my boat we were talking about, and like a mother
selecting the finest nursery school for her youngster, I was determined
to do my research and settle only for the best.
At this point, my husband Bill stepped back from the discussion
and stated that the entire decision was up to me. He wore one of those
smiles that says he already knew what I would end up doing, but he also
knew there was no point in sharing the information with me now because I
wouldn't believe him until I came to the same decision all by myself.
I took a calming breath and refused to allow his smugness to irritate
me as I dragged out the Yellow Pages from beneath the kitchen sink and
began to call around for local High and Dry storage rates.
The first place I called, the marina just down the road from my
current dockage, wanted what I considered a ridiculous $116 a month to
store my boat in a rusty-roofed stack and rack with minimal side protection
and no sprinkler system.
I knew I could do better for my floating baby and called on.
The next marina I called was even more outrageous, wanting $140 a
month for a location that crossed beneath a low bridge. I passed.
The third marina down the Dania Cut-off Canal, the one nearest the
Intracoastal, had a 22' boat minimum price of $155. At that price, which
I quickly worked out in my head to equal $1,800+ per year, I didn't feel
the need to question them about their hours or storage facility.
When I first considered buying a boat I was very proud of myself, for
unlike most first-time boat buyers I kept in mind future fuel and
maintenance costs and even figured in $27 per year for a boat tarp and $3
for line to secure it down on the odd chance the boat didn't fit under the
carport behind my house (which, of course it didn't). Right now I felt
more like a first time home buyer who finds out that they've built on a
swamp and it's going to take countless unexpected dollars to drain their
land to keep their house from sinking into the ooze.
I was highly tempted to call Jackson back and secure their cheap
rate before it disappeared, but refrained from what I saw as giving in too
easily There were still several viable marina listings in the phone book.
Plus, I wanted to be as close to the port as possible. Surely, there
was someone reasonable near there.
I decided to go one cut south and call marinas by Haulover Inlet in
Dade County, where I hoped that things might be cheaper. My hopes were
succinctly crushed when the first marina I talked to quoted me $185.31 per
month. The storage area was completely enclosed and completely secure,
the salesman assured me. For over $2,000 a year, I expected...I expected...
I don't know what I expected, because I found it inconceivable to consider
spending that amount for storing a 20' boat.
I politely ended the conversation and gave into the neurosis that
urged me to call Jackson to confirm that I hadn't gotten an incorrect rate.
I hadn't, $95 it was. The $1,140 plus tax a year, which I'd first
considered astronomical -- until I backed out the cost of monthly cleaning
supplies and the worth of my back-breaking cleaning time -- suddenly seemed
quite reasonable.
Bill returned to the kitchen at that point, ostensibly to get a glass
of water. He casually asked how things were going. I, in turn, casually
mentioned PMS and sent him running from the room, and dialed on.
The next marina I spoke with, which was somewhat east of Jackson
Marine on the New River, quoted me $126 a month. I made an appointment to
visit the facility, while trying to work out in my head if the gas savings
would make the additional $31 a month worthwhile.
Next, Dry Marinas in the Port of Fort Lauderdale quoted me a very
reasonable $120 a month for a three month minimum stay in a completely
enclosed storage building with a work area where I could do exterior boat
work.
I called back and canceled my other appointment.
I dragged Bill along with me to inspect both marinas -- Dry Marina
and Jackson. Both facilities were clean, secure and well run, with
forklift operators who were patient enough to allow me to watch them work.
The forklift operator at Jackson seemed to understand my motherly boat
concerns and took the time to explain his credentials and answer my lengthy
list of questions, while Bill stood beside me and tried not to look
embarrassed as the very thorough interview lengthened.
One of my main concern was about Zyrex, a speed-enhancing bottom
coating that we planned on applying to our hull to increase fuel
efficiency, which would make the hull very slick. My heart stopped
beating at the thought of my Dusky baby accidentally sliding off the
forklift, her hull crushed. Thankfully, I learned that the rubber-covered
bunks of the boat-moving forklift were specifically designed to hold even
the slipperiest boat completely secure.
A half hour later, Bill forcibly dragged me out of the marina. On
the drive home, I whipped out the calculator and tried to weigh the nearness
to the ocean that Dry Marinas offered against the friendly, homey
atmosphere of Jackson Marine, not to mention the $300 a year savings. In
my heart, I knew that I wouldn't use $300 in gas annually to trek the short
distance along the New River to the port.
And so I opted for the fiscally responsible decision and chose
Jackson, who I knew would take very good care of my beloved boat. My
interim decision still leaves me the option to agonize again in three
months when my contract with Jackson is up. But, then again, there's also
the 5% discount Jackson offers if I renew for 6 months and pay in advance...
And the 10% discount I'd receive if I book for an entire year... And
besides, the forklift operator says my boat is the best-looking in the rack.
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