This blog has been created by concerned boaters who have witnessed the gradual, steady and consistent decline of Outer Harbour Marina over the course of more than a decade. Anyone who shares the same concerns is welcome to comment.
We want OHM to achieve a level of excellence in maintenance and management that its spectacular location merits but its current and past management seems incapable of delivering. We will attempt to be objective as possible in our comments.
We will not name names only point out management practices and shortcomings. When at all possible we will document with pictures. We all share a love for boating. That's why we are here. We have a very well located marina in a beautiful natural setting which is unfortunately run by an entrenched, hierarchical management team who could care less about anything remotely resembling positive customer service and adequate maintenance.
This blog hopes to point out the obvious flaws and short comings in management who in any other company setting would surely have been "reassigned" to non management and non front line tasks ages ago.
The hope is by pointing out the obvious as opposed to privately grumbling about all of the problems, that management will actually start managing OHM for the benefit of their customers.
We all spend a lot of money on this pastime we love called boating and we deserve to be treated accordingly by anyone working at OHM.
From the filthy bathrooms to the surly and arbitrary treatment we get from senior management at OHM we will expose it all in hope of provoking positive change from a management bureaucracy that has a service ethic which is remarkably similar to the old Soviet politburo.
OHM has deteriorated dramatically in terms of service and maintenance. Enough is enough. The Toronto Port Authority owes us better. Please post your comments or contact us directly at: ohmboaters@gmail.com
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
AN OPEN LETTER TO MARINA MANAGEMENT
It is apparent that marina management completely forgotten what it is that keeps the marine industry going. It isn’t the marina management or their competition. It isn’t the suppliers, surveyors, brokers, mechanics, technicians or yard workers who depend on the industry for whatever share of the business that happens to come their way.
It is the boat owners, because without the boat owners there would be no marine industry. There would be no marinas, no yard workers, no labor employed in maintaining, building, upgrading, docking and storing the boats.
Ultimately, the entire recreational boating infrastructure from new boat construction, to marinas, to sail makers, to accessory vendors, to all the miscellaneous labor associated with maintaining and upgrading boats is paid for by a large group of silent individuals.
Outer Harbor Marina management needs to remember it is the vast, silent, group of owners who pay for their salaries. Their money and their desire for recreation on the water: that’s what enables every last person employed at Outer Harbor Marina to be a part of the business of boats.
These owners neither have protection nor representation. But that can change very quickly. In our view is that in all matters relating to the aforementioned issues, the management of Outer Harbor Marina needs to remember who ultimately picks up the tab. Please clean up the marina. Please treat us with the respect we deserve. Please do your job.
The management owes this vast majority of owners, without whom there is no business, to care about us.
It is the boat owners, because without the boat owners there would be no marine industry. There would be no marinas, no yard workers, no labor employed in maintaining, building, upgrading, docking and storing the boats.
Ultimately, the entire recreational boating infrastructure from new boat construction, to marinas, to sail makers, to accessory vendors, to all the miscellaneous labor associated with maintaining and upgrading boats is paid for by a large group of silent individuals.
Outer Harbor Marina management needs to remember it is the vast, silent, group of owners who pay for their salaries. Their money and their desire for recreation on the water: that’s what enables every last person employed at Outer Harbor Marina to be a part of the business of boats.
These owners neither have protection nor representation. But that can change very quickly. In our view is that in all matters relating to the aforementioned issues, the management of Outer Harbor Marina needs to remember who ultimately picks up the tab. Please clean up the marina. Please treat us with the respect we deserve. Please do your job.
The management owes this vast majority of owners, without whom there is no business, to care about us.
Boats, On Blocks, In Parking Areas, All Summer
The boat on the left was parked in the "A" dock parking lot ALL summer.
This was extraordinarily hazardous especially on the weekends when the parking lot was crowded.
It would have been very easy for a car to have brushed up against this boat and knocked it over possibly injuring (or worse) customers in the process.
Fender benders happen all the time in parking lots don't they? Repeated complaints about this hazard to management went unanswered.
Why did management not move this boat? Has management ever left the office over the course of the summer to inspect the grounds? We'd be surprised.
Potholes anyone?.......anyone?
We are talking potholes big enough to damage your suspension and perhaps swallow a Smart Car.
These potholes normally get filled by June or July. This year they simply didn't get filled.
Why can't the OHM management fill them in the spring before the season starts? Don't they have to spend the same amount of money regardless of timing?
How hard is it to pick up the phone to the road repair guys in the springtime?
These potholes normally get filled by June or July. This year they simply didn't get filled.
Why can't the OHM management fill them in the spring before the season starts? Don't they have to spend the same amount of money regardless of timing?
How hard is it to pick up the phone to the road repair guys in the springtime?
Pump Out Problems
Pump out station often not working adequately? You bet. The topper was the last long weekend of this summer 2008.
Apparently, one of the two pump out stations broke down two weeks before the last long weekend of the summer. Of course nobody thought to get it fixed immediately as there was a "back up".
Well sure enough the long weekend rolls round and the "back up" pump out machine fails as well. Countless boaters pulled up to the pump out dock during the course of the long weekend to have their holding tanks pumped out as most were expecting guests etc for the long weekend, only to be told the BOTH pump out machines were broken.
Firstly, with professional and competent management, this never should have happened in the first place, especially on a long weekend. How hard is it to schedule repairs and service when you have TWO pump out stations?
Secondly, no notice at the front gate was given to boaters that the pump out station was out of order. Common courtesy would dictate that boaters be notified of the failure of this essential service as they enter the marina, so they can:
1. Make contingency arrangements to pump out at other marinas, BEFORE, their guests show up
2. Don't go through the time and trouble of embarking, going to the pump out dock, docking and then being told there is no essential service, only to have to return to their slip or make other last minute arrangements to have their holding tanks pumped out.
When if not the weekend, especially a long weekend are boaters of an 650 slip marina supposed to have this essential service performed? What was OHM management thinking or doing about this? Did they care? Not likely.
Having the BOTH pump out machines in an inoperable state during any weekend let alone a long weekend is completely unacceptable.
This is yet another example of the complete disregard and contempt OHM management has for their clients.
Of course not a single OHM management staffer was on site during the long weekend or ANY weekend for that matter, and the hapless summer students take flack for something that is completely beyond their control and totally out their area of responsibility.
Apparently, one of the two pump out stations broke down two weeks before the last long weekend of the summer. Of course nobody thought to get it fixed immediately as there was a "back up".
Well sure enough the long weekend rolls round and the "back up" pump out machine fails as well. Countless boaters pulled up to the pump out dock during the course of the long weekend to have their holding tanks pumped out as most were expecting guests etc for the long weekend, only to be told the BOTH pump out machines were broken.
Firstly, with professional and competent management, this never should have happened in the first place, especially on a long weekend. How hard is it to schedule repairs and service when you have TWO pump out stations?
Secondly, no notice at the front gate was given to boaters that the pump out station was out of order. Common courtesy would dictate that boaters be notified of the failure of this essential service as they enter the marina, so they can:
1. Make contingency arrangements to pump out at other marinas, BEFORE, their guests show up
2. Don't go through the time and trouble of embarking, going to the pump out dock, docking and then being told there is no essential service, only to have to return to their slip or make other last minute arrangements to have their holding tanks pumped out.
When if not the weekend, especially a long weekend are boaters of an 650 slip marina supposed to have this essential service performed? What was OHM management thinking or doing about this? Did they care? Not likely.
Having the BOTH pump out machines in an inoperable state during any weekend let alone a long weekend is completely unacceptable.
This is yet another example of the complete disregard and contempt OHM management has for their clients.
Of course not a single OHM management staffer was on site during the long weekend or ANY weekend for that matter, and the hapless summer students take flack for something that is completely beyond their control and totally out their area of responsibility.
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