From ATM (www.appliedtm.com)  
 
Charleston, S.C. —  Over one-third (38%) of respondents to a survey of marina managers by Applied Technology & Management, Inc. (ATM) currently have at least some dockominiums at their marina. In addition, survey findings indicate that dockominium conversions are likely to increase.
 
Dockominiums, defined in the survey, “boat berths that are owned or leased for 50 years or more,” bring in significant revenue for marinas, but some have criticized the practice for its potential to drive middle- and working-class boat owners out of the marina market. For the most part, however, marinas that have converted to or added dockominiums are happy with the results. 
 
Among the survey’s findings:
 
•                    23% of respondents are considering adding (or converting to) dockominiums in the future.
•                    15% of respondents have rackominiums (owned drystack berths).
•                    18% of respondents have dockominiums for megayachts.
Another key finding of the survey is that a shortage of slips is fairly widespread. About 71% of respondents said there was a perception of a slip shortage in their area for at least certain-sized vessels. Most respondents were from the Southeast (34% were from Florida), but a number of marinas in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic area also reported local perception of a slip shortage.
 
“These findings highlight the need for communities to ensure that boaters continue to have access to the water,” says Sam Phlegar, Senior Vice President and Director of ATM’s Marine Division. “Many cities and towns will have to devise plans to expand opportunities for boaters to berth their vessels in order to accommodate existing and rising demand.”
 
For a copy of the full survey report, contact Linda Rodgers at lrodgers@appliedtm.com.

Budget Called a Blow to ICW Dredging 
 
The federal budget for 2009 released by President Bush last week is a discouraging step backward for one of the nation's most critical waterways, according to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association. The $2.2 million in the White House budget for the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the ICW through Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida "ignores serious navigation risks that commercial and recreational users of the 1,200-mile water highway face every day, and threatens its very future,” the association said, in a statement.
 
“The budget is a token amount, given that the Army Corps needs approximately $30 million to properly maintain the waterway,” said David Roach, AIWA chairman and executive director of the Florida Inland Navigation District. “The nation's waterways have been ignored for far too long, and the American people already suffer the consequences of neglecting critical infrastructure. The lack of maintenance funding will be catastrophic to the economies of every state along the waterway unless Congress steps in and dramatically increases the president's proposal as it did last year.” Roach said the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway brings over $18 billion annually to the state of Florida alone. Studies have shown that the four other states also gain tremendous economic benefit from the waterway, he said. (See the article in the 2/15/2008 Soundings site.
