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The HOW-TO's of DRY RACK STORAGE
Waterfront marinas are disappearing. This isn't some fancy illusionist's trick
like making the Statue of Liberty disappear but the outright sale of marinas
to condominium developers or to yacht clubs who enlarge the slips and sell
them for big money.
Florida, one of the biggest
states affected by this trend, has commissioned a two-year, $1.5 million
study on the loss of boat slips and ramps. Why? Because in Tampa Bay, boat
owners wait in quarter-mile lines to use the remaining ramps. In Daytona
Beach, police officers help annoyed boaters "keep the cool" while
waiting for ramps. And California isn't any better. They recently did a similar
study and found there will be a need for 800 new boat ramps by 2020.
So what's a boater to
do? Some marinas are using a storage solution that's been around since the
1950s: dry stack storage.
HOW DID DRY STACK
GET STARTED?
Dry rack storage began in the 1950s when various marina owners realized they
could make better use of storage space by vertically stacking light boats on
racks with forklifts. The racks were homemade wooden structures and the forklifts
were regular warehouse forklifts. This storage solution was ideal for year-round
boating and lake marinas where light boats were stacked for winter storage.
In the 1970's the dry
stack storage industry improved as manufacturers started building forklifts
and racks designed specifically for the shape and weight of boats. These
new forklifts had a "negative lift," a feature that
allowed the forklift to lower a boat below ground level and launch it in the
water. Also steel building manufacturers started constructing large steel barns
to hold enclosed racks that were four, five, even six levels high.
In the 1980s and '90s
these steel barns took on a more "aesthetic" look
as buildings were combined with restaurants, boating supply stores, hotels,
and, eventually, condominiums, where the rack space would be sold ("rackominiums")
instead of rented.
HOW ARE DRY STACKS DESIGNED?
There are three basic designs to dry stack storage:
1. Conventional dry stack
buildings. Often referred to as a "barn" since
they are big steel structures, they have racks on either side of the building
with an aisle in the center for the forklift. Racks can be either free-standing
or rack-supported, where the racks are part of the support system for the roof
in case of high wind conditions. Most dry stack buildings can handle boat sizes
from small runabouts to mid-size boats (35-40 feet) while some of the newer
buildings can handle much larger boats (like up to 80 feet)!
2. Sheds. These aren't
the wooden structure that housed your dad's mower. They are usually a Three-Sided
shed, basically three walls and a roof, or a Roof-Covered shed, "back-to-back" three-sided buildings with the boats' bows facing
each other in the center and the sides open for the forklifts to access the
boats. Sheds tend to hold boats up to 36 feet in size.
3. Free-standing storage
rack units. Each unit has columns that support boats three to four racks
high. Some have roofs and most are adjustable to fit different boat sizes.
These units can also be portable, easily picked up with a forklift and moved
to various places on a marina's lot. These units usually hold smaller boats,
some not able to hold boats more than 30 feet long.
HOW IS THIS GOOD
FOR ME?
There are many benefits in using a dry rack storage facility:
First, ease of use. You
call ahead to have your boat brought down and even fueled. Then you arrive,
hop in, and go. When the day is over, you return to the marina, dock the
boat in the designated area, and leave. The marina washes it down and puts
it back up on the rack.
Second, it saves money.
Since you don't have a trailer, you're not spending money on gas, launch
fees, or upkeep on the trailer. Also, because your boat isn't sitting in
the water, you won't have to clean off the marine growth or bottom paint
the hull every year.
Third, it keeps your boat
in better shape. If your boat is sitting in a big steel barn and not constantly
being bombarded by the sun's UV rays, you are lessening the possibility of
gelcoat damage. However, keep in mind that if your boat is in a three-sided
shed or a rack with just a roof, some sunlight might get on your boat.
Fourth, it's good protection
for your boat. Most buildings have security measures like electronic security
systems to stop vandalism and outright boat theft. Many of the newer buildings
have fire suppression systems from sprinklers to even synthetic fire retardant
foam systems. Also, many buildings in hurricane-prone zones have been built
according to local hurricane codes and have survived the ravages of the last
few years unharmed. If you keep your boat in a hurricane-prone area, check
to see what kind of protection the rack facility offers.
Fifth, provides alternatives
to keeping a boat and trailer sitting in their driveway. Due to homeowner
association by-laws or city ordinances, some small boat owners can't keep
their boats in their driveways. In addition, dry stack storage is good for
owners who find themselves being kicked out of marinas to make room for larger
yachts.
Last, it's environmentally
better. According to Delaware State Parks' Indian River Marina, dry stack
storage "Minimizes need for dredging, minimizes
water quality and flushing concerns, and reduces the amount of contact time
between pesticide-containing bottom paints and the water."
Of course, as with everything,
there are some downsides. Most places only allow you one launch and retrieval
per day. That launch time can get long if the dry stack is extremely busy
that day. Also there usually isn't any place at the facility to park your
boat in the water and use it overnight. Also, you can't just show up at the
facility and tinker around on your boat. Most dry stacks don't allow boat
owners to work on their boats in the facility because it can be a fire hazard.
HOW MUCH?
Much like a regular marina, rental rates are based on length of stay (month,
season, or annual), boat length, or sometimes a flat fee. Rates are obviously
influenced by location and need. Loggerhead Club & Marina of Riviera
Beach, FL, charges $17 per foot/per month for the year while Delaware State
Parks' Indian River Marina only charges $9 per foot/per month. Some places
sell the rack slip as part of a membership to a yacht club or as if it were
a piece of real estate like a condo. Sebastian River Yacht Club & Marina
of Sebastian, FL is currently selling second and third level dry stack storage
for $59,995 and bottom level for $69,995.
Beyond the initial rent
(or purchase price), there can be additional charges. Boats over a certain
height (nine feet, for example) or width (eight feet) might get an extra
surcharge. Most marinas usually include washing the boat for you in the rent
however some might charge extra for washing out the tanks or flushing the
engine. In the case of a rack slip that you bought, there may be extra charges.
HOW DO I PICK THE
RIGHT PLACE?
There are a few things to consider when picking the right facility. First,
find out when it was built. If you are in Florida, look for places built in
the last decade. The lessons of 1992's Hurricane Andrew were that Florida needed
a uniform building code. So in 2002, the Florida Building Code was enacted,
combining about 400 local codes from around the state.
Next, see what kind of
racks they offer. If you live in a year-round boating area with no worry
of hurricanes, then a free-standing storage rack might do you just fine.
If you want a little more protection, a three-side shed might be better.
But if you live in a hurricane zone, your best bet might be having your boat
in a steel barn.
Last but not least, find
what kind of security and fire protection systems the building has. Ask if
they lock the building when not bringing boats in and out.
HOW ABOUT INLAND?
Recently, a few companies have taken the idea of dry rack storage out of the
expensive and dwindling waterfront and placed it further inland. Most of
the facilities are within 15 to 30 minutes from the water and cater to not
only boats but RVs also. The idea is the same: you call ahead and the boat
is ready for you. Only in this case, you will need to have a boat trailer
and a vehicle to tow it to the water. These storage facilities store your
boat on the trailer, sometimes sitting on racks three stacks high. They offer
much of the same amenities: washing the boat down, fueling it before hand,
and some even have a ship's store on the premises.
HOW ABOUT THE FUTURE?
The future can be glimpsed right now in Ft Lauderdale. Vertical Yacht Storage
Systems took a rundown marina and turned it into a state-of-the-art bridge
crane boat storage facility called Port Condos and Marina. For starters,
the Vertical Yacht Storage System can handle any boat up to 80 feet or weighing
100,000 pounds, storing it in a climate controlled, dust free building that
can withstand up to 140 mile per hour winds. Haul and launch times are as
short as six minutes. Also, it can hold a lot of boats because the system
has no height limit and aisle space is reduced up to 50 feet because instead
of using forklifts, the system has an overhead electric bridge crane that
picks up boats in a "one size fits all" cradle using a computer
that "sees" with photo eyes, lasers, and proximity switches. This
takes valet parking to a whole new level!
-By Raymond Rose
BoatU.S. Consumer Protection Bureau
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