Storage & Service
Yard policies
Our Clean Marina best management practices, and how we handle owners who like to do their own work.
Clean Marina
Best management practices
Eldean Shipyard is a Michigan Certified Clean Marina. These practices apply to anyone working on a boat on our property — owners, our crew and approved subcontractors alike.
- 1.No sanding or blasting work of any sort unless a vacuum system is used and the residue properly disposed of.
- 2.Spray painting, spraying of fiberglass or other chemicals is prohibited unless done inside of a designated shop and having management approval.
- 3.Painting outside of designated shops is restricted to brushes and rollers with proper use of tarps and tenting to protect the surrounding area, and having management approval.
- 4.Brushes, rags, paint cans, trays or any other material with paint or paint-related product must be dry before placing in the dumpster (loose material must be bagged).
- 5.Clean up the area when finished with any work.
- 6.Winterize safely: the use of ethylene glycol antifreeze is prohibited. Use propylene glycol antifreeze or another non-toxic antifreeze.
- 7.Waste oil and oil filters must be recycled — go to the ship store. Spill-proof oil change equipment must be used.
- 8.If asked, tenants will agree to an audit of their vessel in order to check “No Discharge” compliance.
- 9.Hazardous material must be labeled and dated in safe storage containers.
- 10.Lead batteries must be recycled.
- 11.Lawn clippings are to be composted.
- 12.Shrink wrap should be recycled.
- 13.Bag all garbage.
- 14.Do not dispose of fish cleaning waste in the bay. Fish waste must be double bagged and disposed of in dumpsters, or disposed of at the fish cleaning station.
- 15.Pets must be walked in the designated dog walk area only. All dog waste must be bagged and put in dumpsters.
- 16.NO DUMPING of any liquids or solids into the bay or into storm drains.
Do-it-yourself
Working on your own boat
Eldean Shipyard allows the do-it-yourselfer the freedom to work on their own boat — a rarity among modern boatyards.
As boat owners contend with more and more boatyard restrictions on what projects an owner can do, yard owners face pricing pressures from escalating taxes, labor costs and insurance premiums. Many yards have responded by mandating that all work is handled through the yard. We've chosen to keep the door open.
Boatyards sell labor, and profitability revolves around keeping craftsmen busy. A yard willing to let boat owners do their own work is in some ways constricting its profitability, and the owner who tries to sneak in a subcontractor is biting the hand that feeds. Our service charge applies to subcontracted work; owner-hired, incognito subcontractors are what have led many yards to clamp down on the DIY option entirely.
The win-win strategy is a good working relationship with the yard staff. The owner who hires the yard to handle repairs and installations beyond his own skill and ability, and who builds a friendly relationship with the crew, becomes a goodwill ambassador for all self-reliant boaters.
Well ahead of time, work out with the service manager which projects you want our staff to shoulder and which ones you will be doing yourself. Despite good intentions and prearrangements, most refits — even modest ones — lead to new discoveries and more work; seldom does one find less to fix than originally planned. Talking it through early keeps the schedule and the invoice predictable for everyone.
Portions adapted from “Do-It-Yourself Boatyards,” Practical Sailor, June 2009.
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