Boaters who want to live on their boat may soon find open arms at the Gulfport marina. Last week harbormaster Denis Frain, at Mayor Mike Yakes’ request, presented information on how the city could go about allowing liveaboards at the marina.
Right now cruisers can spend up to two weeks in one of the city’s seven transient docks. Boaters who rent a slip on a monthly basis can spend up to 72 hours every 30 days on their boat.
“You don’t know how many people come in as transients and fall in love with this place and say ‘Can I stay here?’,” Frain says.
Frain has to tell them no, the city doesn’t allow liveaboard boaters.
By October, all that could change. When the council looks at the city’s budget for the coming year, it will consider Frain’s plan for allowing liveaboard boaters in 10% of the city’s slips.
When creating a proposed plan for allowing liveaboards, Frain used standards for marinas leasing state land as a guideline. As with those marinas, Gulfport would designate 20 slips as liveaboard-approved. Although Gulfport owns, not leases, the land under the marina, Frain said he looked at DEP guidelines to ensure the city marina minimized any possible environmental impact.
Although he expressed hesitancy in the past about allowing liveaboards, Frain says the plan in question allows the city quality control over the types of vessels used as liveaboards.
“It has to be done right. It can’t be half-assed,” he says. “I think if they (council) do this, they’ll make improvements to make this one of the more desirable liveaboard marinas in Tampa Bay. There’s revenue potential there.”
To make money, though, the marina will have to spend money. Frain estimates it will cost $233,000 for Gulfport to open its marina to liveaboards.
Of that money, $200,000 would go for a new building that included a laundry, day room, showers and lockers. It would also house a renovated ship store. Other improvements include additional sewer pumpout equipment ($22,000), mailboxes ($1,200), cable television ($5,000), safety ladders ($5,000) and enhanced wireless internet access.
On a regular basis, he says, adding liveaboards at the marina will cost about $55,000 year in staffing (that figure includes benefits and wages for one full time and one part time staff, including a nighttime security person).
The marina operates as an enterprise fund, meaning it takes no money from the general fund (the taxpayers) for its operation or improvements. Last year the marina subsidized the city’s general fund by over twice the amount needed to make the improvements, public records show. Once operational, income from liveaboards could recap the initial investment in two years.
Based on area rates, Frain suggests the city start liveaboard rates at roughly $500 per month, with boaters paying their own electric. If the city could fill all 20 slips – which Frain says he thinks he can – liveaboard boaters would add over $120,000 to the marina’s income.
“Realistically, are we going to fill all 20? Yes, because there’s that much of a demand,” he says. The Gulfport marina currently has 70% of its 195 slips occupied with a waiting list for smaller slips (30’ and under.) Even at 70% occupancy, liveaboards would bring in over $80,000, he says.
Frain’s suggested plan includes the following guidelines for liveaboards:
1. To qualify as a liveaboard, the boat must be 40’ or longer.
“A 40’ boat tends to have the necessary equipment to sustain liveaboards,” he said.
2. Only the boat owner and one other person may live on the boat. Although Frain said he isn’t hard and fast on the two person per boat rule, he doesn’t think subletting boats in the marina is appropriate.
3. Each boat may have a maximum of two vehicles parked at the marina. The marina has 85 spots in the Tifton Drive parking lot.
4. The boat must get underway every six months “to prevent the vessel from becoming part of the dock,” Frain says.
“Did you ever watch Pirates of the Caribbean when the crew comes out of the Flying Dutchman, where they’re part of the ship?” That, he says, is what he hopes to avoid.
5. Boaters must have insurance, a current photo of the boat, and, if the boat is over 10 years old, a current survey.
6. Liveaboards must submit to a visual inspection of the boat and get a voluntary US Coast Guard Auxiliary inspection.
7. Boats must have grey water holding tanks.
8. Liveaboards must meet minimum credit standards, pass a background check, and provide references.
The rules, Frain said, are to ensure only responsible boaters make the cut as liveaboard residents.
“We don’t allow junk on the docks now. It’s going to be a privilege to keep your boat here, not a right,” he said.
GULFPORT MARINA BY THE NUMBERS
Total Marina Income
2011 – $1,625,511
2010 – $1,564,374
2009 – $1,462,211
Fuel Sales
2011 – $797,446
2010 – $598,447
2009 – $538,556
Monthly Slip Rental
2011 – $671,326
2010 – $792,821
2009 – $786,150
Monthly Transient Boater Income
2011 – $30,000 (188 boats)
2010 – $33,000 (216 boats)
2009 – $49,000 (248 boats)
2008 – $29,000 (163 boats)
2007 – $19,000 (no record)
Money Paid to General Fund
2012 – $530,294
2011 – $620,247
2010 – $665,294
2009 – $556,615
2008 – $418,796
2007 – $236,849
2006 – $246,052
2005 – $291,571
2004 – $239,050
2003 – $217,589
2002 – $217,070
2001 – $216,670
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