What do cruisers want?
Knowing the answer to this question might not make you the ultimate boating guru, but it might indicate you know something about the marina business, and about what’s really important to boaters in this part of the world.
As a preamble, Salish Sea Pilot makes six e-book cruising guides that cover from Puget Sound to the Broughton Archipelago. Our guides include more than 165 marinas which offer moorage to transient customers. We update the services, prices and facilities of these marinas regularly, at least once a year.
That doesn’t include the many park and public docks which also provide moorage.
We list a lot of stuff, including moorage and costs, types of power and prices, laundry, pumpout, WiFi, toilets, not to mention gasoline, diesel and propane if they have it. We discuss restaurants and groceries, WiFi and fishing supplies, RV hookups, parking, boat rentals and showers. Lots of stuff.
What do marina folks most often ask us to add to their listing?
I scream, you scream… yes, it is ice cream.
I don’t think I’ve ever asked a marina if they have ice cream available, so anytime it appears in the listings it is because we have been asked to include it. And, of course, we know that if we didn’t say that fuel, pumpout or WiFi are available, which we do, those items would lead the list.
So maybe it has more to do with what we think is important. Ice cream doesn’t seem crucial to the safe or practical operation of a boat, though maybe that speaks to my naivety.
If you think about it, it can get very deep. It gets into your psyche, your desires from childhood.
Lynne thinks since so many boats don’t have freezers, or at least freezers that are adequate, that maybe it’s one of those treats that are difficult to carry aboard, so is in big demand at marinas.
It’s what the kids are asking for, and perhaps it’s availability makes a difference when deciding which marina you visit for overnight moorage or to fill the fuel tanks.
Stay safe.
