How to book the perfect boat berth? How to choose between different marinas and different boat berths? Certainly booking the ideal berth for a stay of several days or weeks is not always very easy, just as choosing a permanent, seasonal or annual berth is not. This is because each marina has different characteristics, and within it each boat berth in turn differs more or less significantly from neighboring ones. Let’s therefore see what to consider when booking the ideal boat berth.

Booking the perfect boat berth: elements to evaluate

• The depth: let’s start with the depth. Certainly the discussion varies based on the boat’s draft. Generally speaking, those who own a motorboat can look towards boat berths with depths that are not particularly deep, not having to deal with bulbs or centerboards. It should also be said that those who move by motorboat or dinghy do not even fear docks that require passing under bridges or suspended structures to be reached. The discussion is different for sailboats, which cannot tolerate cables or suspended elements, and which cannot accept just any depth. One should also not forget to ask port managers, in case of long-term mooring, whether the seabed is subject to silting or not.

• Space: obviously the boat berth must be of sufficient size to contain our hull with a certain comfort. But be careful: when you want to book the perfect boat berth, you must not think only about the dimensions of the boat berth itself, but also about the maneuvering space actually offered by the docks and neighboring berths. Is there sufficient water to exit and enter comfortably? This answer must be given taking into consideration both your own boat, your own skills, your own patience, and obviously the presence of crew on board ready to lend a hand. In short, it is really worth thinking about the space element from the most general point of view.

• The type of dock: not all boat berths are the same. Leaving aside the option of mooring to a buoy or to dolphins, there is usually a distinction between floating pontoons and structural pontoons. Well, floating pontoons are obviously designed for medium-sized and even better small boats, for the simple fact that a large boat, in the long term, could only end up uprooting the floating structure. It should also be said that even the owner of a small boat might want to spend something more to not have to deal with a floating pontoon: think of the inconvenient access to the boat, the tendency towards a shortage of services, the continuous rolling (with consequent greater wear of mooring lines), the never properly perfect anchoring, and so on. Structural docks are a completely different matter, from concrete to wooden ones, more comfortable, safer, richer in services. Finally, the solution of a boat berth on the main dock is increasingly rare, which has many undoubted advantages, but also a drawback: typically the height difference between this and the boat is considerable.

• Distances: we refer to the distances of the marina to our destinations. Think of a tourist marina that we want to choose to visit a city or location: it would be good for this to be close to the center, as for example the boat berths of our Marina Porto Antico are close to the center of Genoa: once you leave the dock, in fact, you are already a stone’s throw from the historic center. Those looking for a permanent berth for their boat will instead think mainly about the distances between the boat berth and their home, so as not to have to travel too many kilometers each time, consequently reducing the time that can be spent on board the boat itself.

• Protection: the safety of the boat should come first, for an emotional but also, obviously, economic reason. So it is good to choose a berth in a protected port, where the boat does not have to withstand storms or rough seas. Certainly the “old ports” in this sense, built in the best positions, have great advantages. Let’s think again of our tourist port of Genoa, which is protected by the breakwater of the Port of Genoa, so as not to fear storms.

• The position on the coast: the position on the coast cannot be overlooked, that is, the destinations easily reachable from the chosen berth. The interest will obviously be to choose a tourist port that offers the best range of possibilities in terms of short crossings or cruises. Certainly having a boat berth in Liguria, in our Genoese port, gives the possibility to look at many interesting destinations, from the Côte d’Azur to Elba Island, from Corsica to Tuscany, not to mention the beauties of Liguria itself.

• Services: and we come to the chapter on services. These can be practically non-existent or particularly rich. One thing is certain: everyone must book a boat berth based on their actual needs. There are those who, for the use they make of their boat, do not need either an electricity column or fresh water, nor lighting, and there are those who absolutely cannot consider docks that do not offer services of this type. However, there is no doubt: a good tourist port nowadays cannot claim to fully satisfy its customers if it does not present water and energy columns on the dock, WiFi network, waste collection service, fire service, toilets and showers, lighting and catering services.

• Port maintenance: before moving on to the price factor – which obviously derives largely from all the factors seen above – it is good to also evaluate the care and aesthetics of the port, especially for those who intend to spend a good portion of time on board their moored boat. A marina is not just a garage for boats, it is also a place of life, a place where hours and days are spent: so it will be good to opt for clean ports, designed with taste.

• The price: the rate for mooring essentially depends on all the factors we have seen so far, as well as other elements, such as tax impositions, which can obviously be different from marina to marina. When evaluating the price of a berth in a tourist port, when booking the berth, it is good to take everything into consideration, from the position to the type of dock, from the list of services offered to the presence of dock hands, to arrive at safety and available space.

These are the factors to keep in mind when choosing and booking the perfect boat berth. We assure you: our tourist marina of Genoa Marina Porto Antico can pass any type of test, even the most demanding!