Canadian Yachting May 2021 - 44

BOATING LIFESTYLE | INDOOR BOAT STORAGE

A MAIN COURSE OF
BOATING CONVENIENCE

served up with a side of Environmental Goodness
By | Andy Adams

The exterior of Bay Port's indoor storage building is attractive considering the huge size and height.

here are powerful reasons why we
are seeing more marinas offering
indoor boat storage - just consider
the case of Bay Port Yachting Centre.
The backdrop is Georgian Bay, a simply vast body of water that includes the
30,000 Islands and an area 80% of the size
of Lake Ontario. It's 120 miles long and
up to 50 miles wide, yet there is a wealth
of sheltered, small boat cruising, amazing
parklands and what many would claim are
a lifetime of anchorages to explore.
The Bay Port Yachting Centre is on
Georgian Bay in Midland Harbour, close
to both Midland and Penetanguishene;
basically, in the middle of both towns.
Along the shoreline are many cottages as
well as year-round homes. This is both a
great summer cottage area and also a popular retirement community offering a picturesque, walkable downtown, plus lots
of nearby outdoor recreation spaces and
of course, some of the world's greatest
fresh-water boating.
It makes perfect sense that Bay Port

would be a very successful marina
anyway, but several years ago, Ken
MacDonald who was the manager there
for many years, saw the opportunity to
build an indoor storage facility for the
marina's customers and their boats.
This huge new building was a big
investment and a pioneering move given
the relatively short season in the area.
The Bay Port facility would be worthy
of a prime location in perhaps Miami, or
Fort Lauderdale where boating is a yearround business. Recreational boating in
Georgian Bay basically runs from May
24th to Thanksgiving; a much shorter
window of business opportunity. But, it
was a brilliant call.
The 'main course' is that Bay Port's
indoor storage building delivers one of
the most convenient and complete boating experiences on Georgian Bay. Right
now, it is full, but people come in and
out as their personal situations change, so
new customers can usually get in. We visited last August and got the tour through

CANADIAN YACHTING | MAY 2021

this great facility. The Bay Port Yachting
Centre is part of the Maple Leaf Marinas
group, operating seven major marinas
in Ontario. Steve Goddard is now the
General Manager at the Bay Port Yachting
Centre.
We learned that the big rush comes in
June from those who want summer 'in
and out' storage services; the boat is stored
ready to go in a pigeonhole. Phone ahead
by just a little and when you arrive, your
boat is in the water, ready to go. When
you return, the team lifts it right out, often
washes the bottom clean, and puts it back
into the pigeonhole for the next time.
That's great service, but an even better
move is to book your slip in this building year 'round. You receive a lower rate
across the 12 months and overall, this is
actually less expensive for the owner of a
good boat in many different ways.
First, let's assume your boat is valuable.
Perhaps it is new. It could also be a classic,
but for many families, the practical value
of their boat is really the replacement cost.

Canadian Yachting May 2021

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