The Marine OS blog
Field notes from 650+ marinas
Operations playbooks, compliance deep-dives, and industry research. Written by people who actually run marinas.
Marina Insurance: The Complete 2026 Coverage Guide for Operators
What marina insurance actually costs in 2026, the 9 coverages every marina needs, how policies get priced, and the underwriting questions that move your premium $50K either way.
How to Fill Marina Slips: 11 Marketing Tactics That Actually Work
Slip occupancy is the single biggest lever in marina P&L. Here are 11 marketing tactics — ranked by ROI — that turn empty slips into long-term annual contracts.
How to Increase Marina Revenue Per Slip: 12 Levers That Actually Work
Twelve concrete tactics to raise revenue per linear foot in 2026: dynamic rate cards, transient mix, fuel attach rate, service penetration, ancillary revenue, and the boring ops fixes that compound.
Marina Staffing in 2026: Hiring, Training & Retaining Dock Hands
The marina labor crisis is real — average dock hand turnover is 67% per year. Here's the operator's guide to hiring better, training faster, and keeping the people who keep your marina running.
The 2026 Hurricane Preparation Checklist for Marinas (and How to Run It in 90 Minutes)
A practical 18-step hurricane prep checklist for marinas and boatyards: storm berths, mandatory haul-outs, customer cascade, post-storm assessment. Adapted from Clean Marina program guidance + AMI best practices.
EPA SPCC Plan for Marinas: When You Need One and How to Build It
The federal SPCC rule applies to marinas with 1,320+ gallons of aggregate oil storage. Here's the threshold math, the 4 plan tiers, what an inspector looks for, and how to stay compliant year-over-year.
Marina Business Plan & Valuation: The 2026 Operator's Playbook
How to build a marina business plan, model the P&L, value an acquisition, and structure financing. Real numbers from 2026 deals — what marinas trade at, where the upside lives.
Dockmaster Alternative in 2026: A Side-by-Side Comparison
If you're running Dockmaster and looking to switch in 2026, here's how Marine OS compares feature-by-feature. Cloud vs on-prem, UI, mobile, integrations, pricing, migration cost.
Smart Marina IoT Guide: Sensors, Tracking & What's Actually Worth Installing
The 2026 guide to marina IoT — fuel tank monitors, slip sensors, vessel tracking, smart pedestals, weather stations. What works, what costs what, what gives real ROI, and what to skip.
Marina Chain Consolidation 2026: What Safe Harbor, Suntex, and IGY Are Actually Buying
The 2026 state of marina M&A: who's acquiring, the multiples they pay, what they look for during diligence, and how to position an independent marina for premium valuation in the next 18 months.
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Monthly briefing for marina operators. New regulations, industry M&A, hurricane prep timelines, and product updates from Marine OS. No fluff. Unsubscribe anytime.
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