Press Room >Dry storage could strike gold at Gold Key Boathouse (Soundings Trade Only Today -- Article)

Dry storage could strike gold at Gold Key Boathouse
Dry-stack storage — fairly common along the East Coast — is starting to make inroads in California to alleviate long waiting lists of people looking to store their boats.

By Melanie Winters -- Soundings Trade Only Today
Published June 5 , 2006

Dry-stack storage — fairly common along the East Coast — is starting to make inroads in California to alleviate long waiting lists of people looking to store their boats.

A severe shortage of boat storage exists around Folsom Lake at the base of the Sierra foothills in El Dorado County. At Folsom Lake Marina, the only marina on the lake, wait times for a wet slip run anywhere from four to five years for boats smaller than 22 feet, and up to 10 years for larger boats, according to Tracy Campbell, vice president of marketing for Southfork Management Co. Even for dry-stack storage, the wait can be as long as one or two years.

Southfork executives say the company’s new Gold Key Boathouse in El Dorado offers the perfect solution.

“Dry stack storage is simply a good idea,” says Brian McCarthy, president of Southfork. “It makes good sense for the boat owner as well as the community.”

Owners call ahead to arrange for a pickup and arrive to find their boats parked by the exit and ready to go. Also, stackable storage makes better use of land by requiring a fraction of the acreage needed to store the same number of boats at ground level, says Campbell.

The boathouse opened just last week. It features a four-story boat storage, as well as an onsite marina ship’s store, Watermark Marine. At nearly 80,000 square feet, the boathouse can hold 440 boats up to 42 feet. Additional services include delivery and return (for trailer hook-up), cleaning and detailing, maintenance and care, food, drinks and supplies.

“Added extras like our valet, cleaning and maintenance services are designed to allow owners to thoroughly enjoy their limited recreational time,” says McCarthy.