Marina Fee Research

As you may recall, at this time last year, the Parks Board claimed that we were 30% below market rates, thus justifying an 8% rate increase for 2018, with further increases to follow. The graphs supplied in the presentation to the Board did not name any marinas, and several Freedom of Information Act requests were needed to get further information. Even then, the picture of how they arrived at their conclusions is still not complete. 

Our own research as of Dec 2017 showed that Burrard's rates were already 19% higher than the Lower Mainland average rates, or 10% higher than the average of all comparable marinas within 10 km of Burrard Civic.

The key is "COMPARABLE". The BCMCA applies simple criteria to what should make a "comparable" marina, namely:

• Not an "exclusive" club requiring additional membership fees (e.g., RVYC, False Creek YC, etc)
• Not a co-op that requires a large fee to buy into (e.g., Spruce Harbour Marina)
• Provides moorage for vessels under 30' in length (excludes marinas like Bayshore, whose minimum slip size is 46 feet)
• Not a brokerage where boats for sale are rafted up and packed in like sardines. (e.g., Granville Island Maritime Market Marina)
• Within a reasonable distance of Burrard Civic (10 km). This would include some marinas on the North Arm. Confusingly, the Parks Board includes Milltown, but excluded others nearby, and also included Reed Point Marina, which is over 18 km away, and Thunderbird Marina, over 13 km away.

Using the above criteria, the BCMCA has again researched marina rates to see now where we stand. Our findings as of Nov 1, 2018, now show we are 13% above this market average. See graph below.

Note: Heather Civic's fees are always based on Burrard's fees. Heather's fees also went up by 8% last year.