Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Take Part

(1:01) Make sure that your marina is an active part of the ActiveCaptain community. Taking part sends the message that you care about the boater's experience and are striving to make it better.

(0:57) Of course, you need to keep your marina information up-to-date so boaters can easily find what they need. Not having your data current can show an, "I don't care" attitude. Or worse, that you have something to hide. But it is more than that.

(0:49) It's important that you contribute the local knowledge about your area that you and your staff possess. Make sure to enter what you know about hazards, bridge restrictions, and other local knowledge that is important to a transient boater. You should be staying on top of this information already to ensure you can assist boaters coming into your marina. Use that same knowledge to help promote your marina's surroundings.

(0:37) Your dockmaster should have an ActiveCaptain account with the captain name of, "XYZ Marina Dockmaster" and add comments to hazards regularly to let boaters know what to expect. I know of several marinas who do this very well. It's a free way to promote your facility.

(0:30) When a comment is written for a nearby local hazard, boaters will see your marina listed as the author of the information. This shows boaters that you care about their safety, want them to have a good experience, and have good, local knowledge for the area. It's a simple way to receive some extra positive exposure.

(0:21) Don't leave it to chance. Discover the people on your staff who are knowledgeable about the area. It should be someone who regularly boats in the waters nearby or has access to others who are familiar with the issues. Get involved with boating or yacht clubs in the area. Become friends with the local towing services. Do whatever it takes to understand what lies in the waters around you.

(0:09) Let boaters know that you are going the extra step to make their cruising safer and more enjoyable. After all, if you take such great care of boaters outside your facility, it tells me I'll also be treated well when I bring you my business.

(0:02) And that's the marina minute.