So I've had my boat at Naples Marina for, oh, about 5 weeks now. I get a letter saying the marina has been sold to "Yacht Clubs of the Americas" and they're going to be renovating the facility and selling "Dockiminiums".

Before - $450 / month storage for 5 months / year that I have the boat in FL during the winter from PA. Clean, easy, no problems....

After - $138,500 + $250 / month. But they'll knock $8,000 off if I buy within 30 days...

So, anybody know a good, cheap marina around Marco Island that I can keep the boat at for 5 months next winter???

Yes!
Cedar Bay Marina on Elkcam Cirlce, Marco Island. Nice people, friendly service, dryrack....blah blah blah...
I've had my boat there for 2 years...no complaints!

www.cedarbaymarina.com

CB.. You still going to have the boat in Pittsburgh this summer? Looking forward to running into you on the water.

Dude, its happing here in Tampa too...125,000 to 185,000 and 275.00 a month maintence fee.. Only 15 will be wet the others are dry storage. Trailered boats are going to be a premium around here soon. Their eating up the marinas for condos everywhere......Its getting nuts...Soon the ramps will be gone, just watch.

HOLY CHIT! Is that the norm for that area? I assume you own the slip now just like a condo? I'm not familar with that type of arrangement. Would the boats mainly be the yacht types at those prices?

Guess that $2300/yr covered slip rental I have to mail in this week aint so bad after all.

Good luck in your search

My mom up in Jax said there was an article in the paper called "Disappearing Marinas". These Condo guys are buying up every single piece of land along the water, even if something's there. There was this great restaurant off of Beach Blvd on the east side of the ICW.............SOLD!!! New Condos. They paid 6.5 Mil for 6 acres.

That's what happens when the property is worth more than the business.
Sucks, doesn't it?

Rockstrmkr - thanks for the heads up on Cedar Bay - I'll check it out later this week when I'm down in Naples.

Jason - I relocated to State College, PA for work, so I won't be down in Pittsburgh full-time, but I plan on bringing the boat down a few times this summer - mainly June 15-18 for the Fox Chapel Poker Run weekend...I'm going to keep the boat at Lake Raystown this summer...

US1Fountain - Yes, I would own the slip just like a condo - only it wouldn't be a slip - it would be space on a rack! Due to the shallow entry to my marina, there are only 5 or 6 boats over 30' at my place. They could dredge the river, but the big problem is low overhead at the bridges at Route 41...So they'll never get any large cruisers into the marina because of it...

I heard it was happenning elsewhere...Hopefully it doesn't happen to you guys!

Happened here to at Gulf Harbor Marina but the prices are not quite that astronomical. They are also having trouble selling them. They switched over probably a year ago or longer and people are just not buying them.

Trailer sales however are up.....

Naples Marina Has made a fortune in the last ten years and now they are cashing in large with these dockaminiums.It sucks they have you over a barrel and they know it.This is the first i heard of it going to dockaminium.My father keeps his boat there,he will probaly sell it at this point since he doesn't want to deal with the trailer issues.