As the weather warms, boaters are eager to get out on the water, enjoy the wind in their hair and cool ocean spray on their skin. It’s on the land where things get interesting. In New Hanover County coastal areas, demand greatly exceeds supply when it comes to boat storage. Prices for boat slips are high, and there are delays in getting boats out to sea due to impediments to production and repairs. 
 
As was the case in 2021: Most boat slips are taken. Though it’s early in the season, Chris Capone, vice president of Off the Hook Yachts, reports that the two marinas he manages are already at 95% capacity – the highest either has historically seen.
 
Other marinas report that they, too, have already filled their wet slips and all but one or two of their dry slips.
 
“Demand is high,” said David Christopher, manager and dock master for Masonboro Yacht Club. “I get a dozen calls a day from people looking for wet or dry slips.”
 
Though some marinas did away with waitlists last year, saying they were impractical given the extraordinary demand for boat slips and the fact that slips weren’t moving, they are back. The waitlists are still long – sometimes two to three years, but they do give boat owners a glimmer of hope.
 
“I’ve got a waiting list,” Christopher said. “I’m trying to help them out. Occasionally a slip does come available here now, and then I make one phone call and it’s gone.”
 
The high prices boat owners paid for storage last year still linger, plus, in many cases, a hike of 10% or so. The latest increase is needed in large part to cover the cost of doing business, which has gone up significantly, according to Jon Crews, general manager of Bradley Creek Yacht Club. Inflation has affected everything, from insurance to supplies, he added.
 
What a boat owner actually pays for a berth depends on the marina’s location the size of the slip, its location, and the price a boat owner is willing to pay. A 22-foot slip can cost anywhere from about $3,450 to $6,730 a year, and 33-foot slips are going for $7,000-$8,200 a year.
 
A few marinas, such as Wilmington Marine Center, are keeping prices at pre-pandemic levels. There, a 20-foot slip costs $3,600, the same price the marina has charged for 15 years, according to Chuck Connor, the marina’s project manager.
 
Other marinas are also keeping price increases to a minimum. Atlantic Marine, which has a number of long-term customers, hasn’t bumped up boat storage fees since March of last year. Business manager Jordan Davis said when the marina does, it will keep the increase as modest as possible.
 
Despite hefty price tags for boats and storage, boat sales are skyrocketing. The National Marine Manufacturers Association reports that there were 415,000 new boat owners in 2020, and the upward trend in boat ownership is expected to continue.
 
Even backlogs of six months to three years for a new boat aren’t deterring customers from buying. If the lengthy wait or the price of a new boat does pose a problem for a prospective boat owner, a used boat will do just fine. But even used boats are so popular they are appreciating in value.
 
“People are selling used boats for more than what they paid for them,” Christopher said. “It doesn't happen often, but it’s happening now.” 
 
The delays in boat repairs, caused by missing parts or the shortage of qualified marine technicians, aren’t dampening enthusiasm for boat ownership either.
 
Given the predictions for robust boat sales well into the future, the shortage of boat slips in the area won’t go away any time soon. The problem is compounded by the fact that many marinas are unable to add docks or additional parking due to space constraints and waterfront land scarcity.
 
However, there is a bit of relief on the horizon. Off the Hook Yachts recently purchased a boatyard, which will allow it to consolidate and improve customer service. As part of that effort, the marina will undergo expansions and renovations, including more room for boat storage, according to Capone.
 
Also, Wilmington Marine Center is building a new dry storage facility that will primarily serve the boat storage needs of the new Cape Fear River community, Riverlights.
 
Meanwhile, Bradley Creek Yacht Club is converting some of its dry storage racks to handle 30- and 31-foot boats, as Crews is seeing more customers requesting slips for larger boats.
 
There is also another solution for boat owners looking for storage – boat-sharing clubs. Through these organizations, boat owners share their boats with other club members and get dock space for free. For a fee, they can also use any of the club’s boats.
 
“Most people want to join [a boat-sharing club] because they can’t find a place to put their boat,” said Martin Forrester, owner of Sea Gate Boating, one of the region’s boat-sharing organizations. “By joining a club, they have a place for their boat, and they don’t have to pay for a slip.”
 
That’s just one of the benefits boat-sharing members receive. The club takes care of all boat maintenance, cleaning, detailing, waxing, trailer storage and hurricane haul-outs. Boat owners that join clubs can also be paid a yearly set amount for their boat being in the fleet.