Dry stack has become a big part of Australian boating, especially for the trailerable and mid-size powerboats that dominate the market. Instead of a wet berth or a trailer in the driveway, the boat lives on a rack in a shed, and the marina launches it when the owner wants to go fishing. For the operator it is high-density recurring revenue; for the owner it is boating without the boat ramp queue. The operational challenge is the busy Saturday: dozens of launch requests, one or two forklifts, and no room for confusion.
This guide covers what dry stack software should handle for an Australian operation and what to look for.
- Dry stack suits Australia's powerboat-heavy market and scarce waterfront.
- The core needs are rack management, launch bookings, and recurring fees.
- The forklift schedule is the bottleneck on busy weekends.
- Launch requests should come in ahead of time, not shouted across the yard.
- A rack is the same recurring-fee, assignable space as a berth.
#Racks, boats, and dimensions
The foundation is knowing every rack, its dimensions, and which boat sits on it. That is the same assignable-space discipline as berth management, stacked three high. Matching boat length and weight to the rack keeps the shed safe and the space fully used.
#Launch bookings and the forklift schedule
The heart of dry stack service is the launch: the owner wants the boat in the water at 7am Saturday, and so do forty other owners. Taking launch requests ahead of time and scheduling them against forklift capacity turns a chaotic morning into a queue that works. Owners get their boat on time, and the forklift drivers work a plan instead of a shouting match.
#Recurring storage fees
Dry stack fees are monthly or annual, predictable, and ideal to automate. Invoices should issue on schedule and collect automatically with GST handled, the same engine described in marina billing for Australia. Steady collection is what makes the density of dry stack pay off.
#One system with the rest of the marina
Many Australian dry stacks sit inside a larger marina with wet berths, a fuel wharf, and a service yard. The racks belong in the same system as everything else, so a customer with a rack, a fuel account, and the occasional antifoul is one record, not three. Our general guide to dry stack storage covers the model in more depth.
#What to look for
- 1Rack management with dimensions and boat assignments.
- 2Launch bookings scheduled against forklift capacity.
- 3Recurring storage fees collected automatically with GST.
- 4Customer records shared with the rest of the marina.
- 5Visibility of the day's launch queue for the yard team.
Marine OS is built for marinas first and is in early access. Its engine, assignable spaces, launch and haul tracking, and recurring billing, maps onto dry stack because a rack is the same kind of asset as a berth. Book a demo and we will show you the fit honestly rather than claim a finished dry stack product.
Run your dry stack on bookings, not shouting
Marine OS manages racks, launch requests, and recurring fees in the same system as your berths. It is in early access with a 7-day free trial, no credit card required.
7-day free trial. No credit card required.
#Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Related reading: marina management software in Australia and dry stack boat storage software.
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