It’s finally spring and most of us are either already enjoying our boats or getting ready to enjoy them. I thought this would be a perfect time to remind everyone to remember and be kind to your friends who work in the marine business. Why would I choose now to remind everyone? Let’s see what’s going on.

Spring is the “other” busy season for marinas. (Fall is the other one.) We generally set the deadline for getting the last boat out – long after some folks have even thought about their summer toys. But up north, everyone wants to be in by Memorial Day. What this leads to is a shorter time frame for the spring busy season. Fortunately, putting them back in is generally a bit faster than taking them out.

But spring also brings its own set of problems. First, every boatyard is chock full of stored boats that have been there all winter, plus whatever gets dropped off for us to work on. Translation: There’s hardly enough room to breathe or move. So when folks stop by and just drop something off (generally without an appointment) and expect it to be pulled inside every night for safe storage, it probably isn’t going to happen. And if you expect that same boat to be done the next day … Oddly enough, this generally happens with the same folks every year. “You mean I need to make an appointment?” “Uh, yea. Just like we’ve told you every year for the last 20 years.”

Second, even if you do make an appointment, please don’t come in with a list of twenty things you just happened to think of over the winter for us to do in addition to getting you back in the water. To say that even the most organized marinas are “semi-organized chaos” this time of year would be an understatement. Believe it or not, you’d be far better off bringing it back mid-summer when things slow down just a little bit. Not only will your work probably get done faster, it will also stand a much better chance of getting done right the first time. And trust me; we don’t like rushing things when our quality and reputation are on the line.

Third, think before you ask for something. I actually had a guy ask me if I could move his 28’ cruiser (on blocks) “a few feet to the left” so he could have better access to wash and wax it. “Sure, not a problem. Let me just move the 6 other boats on either side of you – for free.” Words fail me.

Fourth, don’t abuse some of the services offered by your local marina. Most marinas will offer a free “courtesy cleaning” as part of their unwrapping and recommissioning process. If you left your boat trashed last fall (full of Twinkies, chips and empty beer bottles), please don’t expect it to look like brand new for free. And believe it or not, the condition of your boat does make a difference in how it’s handled. If you bring a nice, clean, well-cared for boat in, we do notice that and take extra special care of it. On the other hand, if it’s a roach …

Finally, just say thank you every once in a while. As tired as we are, we still love our customers. The ones we really love are the ones who take the time to say a few kind words before they take off for their first boat ride of the year. We have one customer who buys the whole crew lunch one day every spring. Want to guess what kind of treatment he gets? No, you don’t have to do anything like that, but even a couple of kind words go a long way when you’re dead tired.

Please don’t get me wrong. Those of us in this business love this business and (almost) all of the customers that walk through our doors. We live, eat and breathe boats and keeping you and your boat happy. But while you’re out popping a tall cold one (or three), we’re popping Advil by the handful and working 12 hour days six and sometimes seven days a week. To say that we’re tired, aching and maybe a bit cranky would be an understatement. We don’t like it or want to be that way, but we’ll gladly work our tails off to keep you happy. Remember that next time you stop in. And we’ll be glad to see you too!

Yup. I've always made it a point to maintain a great relationship with my marinas. A little goes a long way.

No truer words spoken!

Being in the marine business since 1967 I have to agree, by the way I can't wait till labor day.

Tom, your yard looked full today!

Couldn't have said it any better. I do all my own work but our marina works their tails off. They rush out to help us tie to the fuel docks every time and we always have conversations. The guys and gals are great and we cant thank them enough. They have treated us VERY well in the past by just having good relationships with them and not being the normal weekend ass hat.

Nicely written.

Donzi ZX,

Yes, found your boat in the parking lot this morning. I personally moved it back for the guys to work on, then moved it to a safe spot out front while we wait for a part. You can be assured that we're taking good care of it. Nice boat!

Then there was the guy who dropped off a boat sometime Sunday after we closed. He completely blocked the north entrance to the parking lot, plus he put a lock on his trailer. Words fail me.

Amen Tom!

I was wondering when you'd stumble onto this thread and what you might think. Hope all is going well at your marina!