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ThePlut · 07-12-2006, 11:37 AM

I had valet last year at Meredith Marina, they wouldn't take my larger boat for this year, so I have a slip at Parker Marine.

Meredith is a great operation and I really liked them. That said, if you get back after 5:00 or so, you have to leave your boat tied up, and there are only so many dock spaces available for that. I was ALWAYs worried, therefore I was always back around 5 or 5:30. Now, it wasn't a big deal, because my youngest was only 4 months old at the start of the season, and didn't tolerate a long day anyway.

This year, the slip has been great (aside from the high water causing my year to start late, but it impacted everyone I'm sure). Boat is ready to go, we stay up on the lake later, and it's nice to have a place to just hang out. In a valet, they want you out of the boat, and the boat out of the water, ASAP.

So, this is my list based on my experience with the two places I'm at. Possibly not all valets have the same concerns?

Valet Pros:
- Boat stays MUCH cleaner
- Cheaper
- Less worry/work (proper tie up of the boat in the slip, less worry about wind/waves/weather, etc...)
- Can have them fuel the boat prior to launch.

Valet Cons:
- Possible limitations on hours (both launch and retrieve)
- No place to hang out, clean your boat, have lunch, etc...
- Support of boat in a rack (At Meredith, I kept her on her bunk trailer, and they launched and retrieved on the trailer, so really, that seems no worse to me than what you're doing now by trailering all the time, you just cut out the wear and tear of driving the trailer around)

Slip Pros:
- No hourly limitations, it's your own little hole in the water for the season
- Place to hang out, place to sleep on the boat, no rush to get unloaded/out of your boat.

Slip Cons:
- More expensive
- Boat gets much dirtier
- Somewhat more worry about the boat (bilge pump fails during a rainstorm, or something similar)

Personally, I prefer this years slip over last years valet.

07-12-2006, 11:37 AM	#15
ThePlut Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 150 Thanks: 1 Thanked 13 Times in 11 Posts	My $0.02 I had valet last year at Meredith Marina, they wouldn't take my larger boat for this year, so I have a slip at Parker Marine. Meredith is a great operation and I really liked them. That said, if you get back after 5:00 or so, you have to leave your boat tied up, and there are only so many dock spaces available for that. I was ALWAYs worried, therefore I was always back around 5 or 5:30. Now, it wasn't a big deal, because my youngest was only 4 months old at the start of the season, and didn't tolerate a long day anyway. This year, the slip has been great (aside from the high water causing my year to start late, but it impacted everyone I'm sure). Boat is ready to go, we stay up on the lake later, and it's nice to have a place to just hang out. In a valet, they want you out of the boat, and the boat out of the water, ASAP. So, this is my list based on my experience with the two places I'm at. Possibly not all valets have the same concerns? Valet Pros: - Boat stays MUCH cleaner - Cheaper - Less worry/work (proper tie up of the boat in the slip, less worry about wind/waves/weather, etc...) - Can have them fuel the boat prior to launch. Valet Cons: - Possible limitations on hours (both launch and retrieve) - No place to hang out, clean your boat, have lunch, etc... - Support of boat in a rack (At Meredith, I kept her on her bunk trailer, and they launched and retrieved on the trailer, so really, that seems no worse to me than what you're doing now by trailering all the time, you just cut out the wear and tear of driving the trailer around) Slip Pros: - No hourly limitations, it's your own little hole in the water for the season - Place to hang out, place to sleep on the boat, no rush to get unloaded/out of your boat. Slip Cons: - More expensive - Boat gets much dirtier - Somewhat more worry about the boat (bilge pump fails during a rainstorm, or something similar) Personally, I prefer this years slip over last years valet.