In article WmmCg.4039$Pp1.1839@trndny04,
"Thomas Wentworth" wrote:

Jere,,, it just occured to me ... if less people are using their boat, and
the boat market gets really soft due to fuel costs ... then the component
suppliers will start to hurt as well..

By this I mean: the diesel re-power people. The equipment people. The ...
you can see where this is going.

Do you think that eventually the market will actually start to change the
way the marina's charge? I think that one of the huge problems up here in
the Northeast is the availble space for moorings, dockage, and the overall
rippoffs that the marina's have become.

I don't know any rich sailors. Yet, the marina's act as if all sailboat
owners are rich. Go figure.

If boating as a market gets soft, I wonder if we will start to see a change
in the way us peons are treated.

I believe that the laws of supply and demand will prevail. Unluckily, I
see it going the way of FL. Waterfront property will become too valuable
to clutter with marinas if things keep up and boaters cut back on that
discretionary spending. That will make the remaining marinas more
expensive, driving more people away. Eventually, it'll become a rich
owners' sport again, but for the dropouts living aboard the boats that
no one else wants.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Larry wrote:


Here's what happened to Ashley Marina in Charleston, SC....

http://www.theharborageatashleymarina.com/

They think all boaters are billionaires...a LOCKER, the only property
they can sell, is around $125,000 with the PROMISE of a slip to put the
damned boat into.

Sure is pretty after the investors poured money into the new docks and
rebuilt the building....but there's LOTS of lockers coming up for sale in
the Charleston newspaper (www.charleston.net).

The transit rates are reasonable. For example, 50 amp is $100 / month.
It seems to me that $1,200 / yr is darn cheap for that space. IIRC, I
spent more per week for the two weeks I was at the City Marina three
years ago. I had to put in due to some injuries sustained in a a bit of
a blow.

I got to REALLY like Charleston.

-paul

Paul Cassel wrote in
:

I got to REALLY like Charleston.


Me, too. Navy sent me here in 1966. I moved away 4 times to various parts
of the planet, including Tehran, Iran, but always gravitated back to
Charleston.

Our little group of sailors populate a good part of J-dock at City marina
on the way to the North Entrance. They all moved from Ashley when it was
condo-ized, unwilling to put up $120K for a locker just to get dock space
where the condo operator could set regime fees and do as he pleases.

It looks cheap at Ashley until you add in the monthly principal and
interest on $120K for 15 years....

Paul Cassel wrote:
The transit rates are reasonable. For example, 50 amp is $100 / month.
It seems to me that $1,200 / yr is darn cheap for that space. IIRC, I
spent more per week for the two weeks I was at the City Marina three
years ago. I had to put in due to some injuries sustained in a a bit of
a blow.

That's just the electric fee, the slip will be a bit more! Actually
the published rates at the City Marina seem only a little bit higher.

I got to REALLY like Charleston.

Yes, we stayed there 3 weeks (mostly at the City, but some at Ashley)
and loved it. If we move South, Charleston is on the short list. (My
first choice is Key West, at least for the Winter, but my wife prefers
a bit more sophistication.)

"Bob" wrote in news:1155231608.995998.35340
@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com:

I stayed with my dart. The joke was... Yep, that Dart is older than my
wife and twice as reliable.



1973 Mercedes 220 Diesel...I still have it. It's my favorite car. I did
a ground-up restoration from the guys who have been caring for it all
these years. 57 hp....0-60 in "a few minutes"...(c; About 38mpg around
town, including leaving the diesel running around 1000 RPM pulling the R-
12 air conditioner while I'm shopping....It has a manual throttle control
that stays where you put it.

'73 was the year advanced electronics crept into Mercedes cars. It has a
quartz clock, but a mechanical regulator on the firewall for the
alternator. The engine has no electrics, except the glow plugs which
take a full minute to heat up in winter so it will start. You get to
hold the starting knob out against a big spring until it glows in the
dash. Glad I live where it's warm.

Yeah, it's been making that awful knocking noise over 33 years, now. I
gotta get that fixed some day. I may trade it on a Mercedes Smart Car,
the tiny two-seater Europeans have been driving for a couple of years
before it comes to the states, as usual. Oil company control of the US
Government keeps out fuel efficient cars like the Smart so profits remain
high. Talking them all into a big SUV was a sheer stroke of GENIUS!

http://www.smart.com/
about 6600 British pounds but Californicate dealers want $28-30K for one
in the states. They won't import the simplest, most economical of them
Europeans are buying. Unlike my 220D, however, you'll have to hire a
computer analyst to repair it. ANY mechanic instantly knows what's wrong
with my old diesel Benz....(c;

BMW Minis are way too big and expensive....

Larry wrote:
"Bob" wrote in news:1155231608.995998.35340
@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com:


I stayed with my dart. The joke was... Yep, that Dart is older than my
wife and twice as reliable.




1973 Mercedes 220 Diesel...I still have it. It's my favorite car. I did
a ground-up restoration from the guys who have been caring for it all
these years. 57 hp....0-60 in "a few minutes"...(c; About 38mpg around
town, including leaving the diesel running around 1000 RPM pulling the R-
12 air conditioner while I'm shopping....It has a manual throttle control
that stays where you put it.

'73 was the year advanced electronics crept into Mercedes cars. It has a
quartz clock, but a mechanical regulator on the firewall for the
alternator. The engine has no electrics, except the glow plugs which
take a full minute to heat up in winter so it will start. You get to
hold the starting knob out against a big spring until it glows in the
dash. Glad I live where it's warm.

Yeah, it's been making that awful knocking noise over 33 years, now. I
gotta get that fixed some day. I may trade it on a Mercedes Smart Car,
the tiny two-seater Europeans have been driving for a couple of years
before it comes to the states, as usual. Oil company control of the US
Government keeps out fuel efficient cars like the Smart so profits remain
high. Talking them all into a big SUV was a sheer stroke of GENIUS!

http://www.smart.com/
about 6600 British pounds but Californicate dealers want $28-30K for one
in the states. They won't import the simplest, most economical of them
Europeans are buying. Unlike my 220D, however, you'll have to hire a
computer analyst to repair it. ANY mechanic instantly knows what's wrong
with my old diesel Benz....(c;

BMW Minis are way too big and expensive....

The first 'Smart' cars arrived here in September 2004. I see lots on
the lot. Come on up...I believe they start at about $18,000.00
CDN..(approx $16,000.00 US?)
http://www.oregans.com/dealerships_smart_centre.asp

On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 07:54:32 -0400, Larry wrote:

Our little group of sailors populate a good part of J-dock at City marina
on the way to the North Entrance.

We stayed at City marina for a couple of days last spring on our way
north. I was very impressed with both the marina and the town. Our
primary generator needed some work when we pulled in, and the marina
staff conjured up a first rate diesel mechanic with virtually no
advance notice. I think his name was John, a tough wiry guy who had a
mobile van loaded with spares, excellent skills and reasonable rates.

On Fri, 11 Aug 2006 08:08:10 -0400, Larry wrote:

I may trade it on a Mercedes Smart Car,
the tiny two-seater Europeans have been driving for a couple of years

I'd like to see a picture of you in a Smart car. :-)

larry wrote..." Oil company control of the US
Government keeps out fuel efficient cars like the Smart so
profits remain
high"

But also wrote... " leaving the diesel running around 1000
RPM pulling the R-
12 air conditioner while I'm shopping""

Anybody else see the irony in this?

Scotty





"Larry" wrote in message
...
"Bob" wrote in
news:1155231608.995998.35340
@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com:

I stayed with my dart. The joke was... Yep, that Dart is
older than my
wife and twice as reliable.



1973 Mercedes 220 Diesel...I still have it. It's my
favorite car. I did
a ground-up restoration from the guys who have been caring
for it all
these years. 57 hp....0-60 in "a few minutes"...(c;
About 38mpg around
town, including leaving the diesel running around 1000 RPM
pulling the R-
12 air conditioner while I'm shopping....It has a manual
throttle control
that stays where you put it.

'73 was the year advanced electronics crept into Mercedes
cars. It has a
quartz clock, but a mechanical regulator on the firewall
for the
alternator. The engine has no electrics, except the glow
plugs which
take a full minute to heat up in winter so it will start.
You get to
hold the starting knob out against a big spring until it
glows in the
dash. Glad I live where it's warm.

Yeah, it's been making that awful knocking noise over 33
years, now. I
gotta get that fixed some day. I may trade it on a
Mercedes Smart Car,
the tiny two-seater Europeans have been driving for a
couple of years
before it comes to the states, as usual. Oil company
control of the US
Government keeps out fuel efficient cars like the Smart so
profits remain
high. Talking them all into a big SUV was a sheer stroke
of GENIUS!

http://www.smart.com/
about 6600 British pounds but Californicate dealers want
$28-30K for one
in the states. They won't import the simplest, most
economical of them
Europeans are buying. Unlike my 220D, however, you'll
have to hire a
computer analyst to repair it. ANY mechanic instantly
knows what's wrong
with my old diesel Benz....(c;

BMW Minis are way too big and expensive....

Wayne.B wrote in
:

I think his name was John, a tough wiry guy who had a
mobile van loaded with spares, excellent skills and reasonable rates.



John's Marine Electric....he's around all the time. Great service guy,
even at night.