Cape Marina — Attraction in Cape Canaveral

This review is just for the yard .....but the same people run the marina so....This was the third time our boat was hauled at Cape Marina. The prior owner hauled there once and was wet sandblasted with no issues, then we had it done five years ago, with no issues, this time they blasted all the way through our barrier coat, gel coat, pitted the fiberglass and exposed the fiberglass mat and then said "sometimes that just happens" at $165 an hour....even though they had done it twice before without issue....I spoke to TWO wet sandblast equipment companies and TWO fiberglass companies that completely disagree with the "it just happens" theory.

They have a lot of "Dockmasters" on staff which leads to a very disjointed communications process. Most of them are very nice, like Brenda, however, the most senior dockmaster doesn't seem to care if customers return or if they are satisfied with the services in any way. Brenda offered to pay for all of fiberglass and the barrier coat repairs but as a compromise I paid for the materials and I thought that was the end of It. Then, when I went into the office (the "lead dockmaster") advised that I would be happier if I had my next bottom job done elsewhere. That's some real customer service right there. The situation was completely resolved but apparently it couldn't be left alone. So, YOU may even be advised to go elsewhere if THEY damage YOUR boat !!! I also heard that happen to two marina customers while waiting in line....."You'd be happier or safer at another marina"...what business does that ??? Then, when we were launched, they failed to block the straps out and pushed bottom paint onto the topside paint ruining the perfect line made by the bottom painter (who is very good) and deformed our new $400 vinyl boot stripe. But according to their reply that was my fault too, Because I rushed the launch ??? The paint had been drying for two days. I emailed them about the boot stripe and got no response. An apology would have covered it but since they didn't care enough to even respond I felt a review was in order. This review apparently got their attention.

Avoid this yard....the responses from the business says it all.....no responsibility ....no apology.... and blaming customers is the perfect snapshot of the attitude there ... "impossible to please" ......when you damage my property, don't acknowledge it and follow it up with rudeness? I won't be pleased ....no one would.... The "additional response" is even better ......more customer blaming ....it was all my, the customers, fault ....clearly.....Everyone should just take whatever damage they dole out and foot the whole bill for the repairs .....and be thankful that they can do business with Cape Marina .....there must not be enough competition in the boatyard realm these days ......don't worry, we will never be back and I'm sure your replies will discourage others from making that...

I was in the process of moving my boat from Stuart, FL to Barnegat, NJ via the ocean when I had a failure of an exhaust elbow. Not knowing the area and taking the advice of the local Sea Tow franchise, we made a reservation at Cape Marina to assess the situation and gain assistance. When we arrived, we knew we were going to be unable to make the repair since the part is custom and would be a minimum of 4 weeks away.

After realizing the scope of the problem I spoke to the male Dockmaster (Brian, maybe?) and advised him of our situation (being stranded in FL bound for NJ). I inquired about having the boat hauled and stored until a shipper could be found. He told me that nothing could be done because the service manager was out until Wednesday (we arrived on Sunday) due to the holiday (the service team was actively hauling boats). He advised us that they could not haul the boat out without $1mil of liability coverage. While I understand some marinas ask for this amount, this is truly an unheard of ask to have for a simple haul and block.

The Dockmaster showed no empathy and overall seemed very smug about the situation, like it was an inconvenience. He offered no additional assistance such as calling the service manager directly, reaching out to management, providing us with information regarding other marinas that could assist, etc. He was happy to accept our $407.45, or $4.24/foot for a 3 night stay as we navigated our situation without assistance.

As a "family oriented business" asking the public to help them maintain their existence due to port pressures, this was not a good display of assistance that those on the water are accustomed to. The other staff that I dealt with were friendly as were most of the owners we encountered. The grounds were well maintained other than A Dock which its deck is all aluminum and in sad shape with aluminum diamond plate covering most of the original deck surface. The transient slip was easy to access.

If you are a boater in trouble and don't have $1mil in liability coverage, I would avoid this place and go to Harbortown Marina on Merritt Island. After searching and calling all over, they were able to assist us in a very timely and...

Professional, friendly and thoroughly honest.

This is how I would describe this business. I docked my boat here for a year and a half and every time I used the boat, it was nothing but friendly and prompt service.

And more importantly, honest. They damaged my cowling while putting the boat away one day. They took ownership of the mistake and fixed it right away. They never tried to dispute it or send me on a run around. When I moved my boat to a different marina, they gave me every penny of the deposit back, promptly. I can't remember any other times that has happened.

I'm leaving here because I decided to dock my boat on the other coast for a while. But if I come back to this beach, this marina will be the only one that gets my business. Trust is the most important part of doing business; and they seem to understand that. It's a rare thing these days.

I hardly write reviews. But I feel compelled to let potential customers know of this marina. For boaters, our vessels represent years of hard work, commitment and a lifestyle that has become a source of joy. Wouldn't you want to entrust that symbol to a place and a group of people who you know respects it the way you do?

I...