Key West Bight Marina — Attraction in Key West

Lack of kindness: We are actually Great Loopers and boaters since 1990. This is our first Marina review and we have done it in order to improve the management of this Marina and avoid other boater disappointment.

In the morning, I called this City Marina to get a 2 nights slip and I was told that there were many slip available that we could choose upon arrival (bow in or stern in for a windy of 20 knots). To finalize the reservation we were asked to submit our request on their website and the employee said that somebody would call us. I took the time to fill all the requested information (first time in more than 100 marinas during the Great Loop that we were asked that much information including boat registration and boat insurance).

We were now near the Marina with our boat (less than 1nm) and I realized that we did not received a feedback from the Marina. So I called them and I was being told that our reservation was refused for December 20th&21st because we had to reserved for 5 nights minimum for the holidays (we had already reserved to Marathon after). I was told that this was their request and that there was nothing they could do; even if I called them and that there were many available options for the size of our boat. We had a buddy boater who confirmed that there were many slips available.

I was very sad and my wife even more because she doesn’t like anchoring and that we had planned the visit the city (plus shop and dine).

I am personally an addict of rigour but not of rigidity… that refusal was tough for us … apparently it was an employee error that they could not fix … it is hard to believe that the dock master “work” for the city … they probably need more autonomy (for judgment call) or a basic training on customer satisfaction and management or any other appropriate solutions to keep that Marina more efficient and welcoming.

Happy...

I was on business in KW in my boat so I picked the Bight for location, price and the advertisement that they had the best internet service.   Started off by waiting 30 minutes to check in (computer problems), then wasted hours trying to get the network working and finally talked to their "tech support" people who said that it really hadn't worked for a while and that they had told mgt and nothing had been done, then I got charged for having my dingy tied to the outside of my boat (First time in 20 years  to be charged for a dingy that did not take up dock space).     ALSO, note they have NO PARKING and NO SECURITY GATES so people can wander the dock all night long. (Secure your valuables)  and you have to fight for parking and feed the meter daily. So at the end of the day, it turned out to be the MOST EXPENSIVE with the LEAST services since I had to run up several hundred dollars on my cell data and they charged  me...

Since my dinghy is 4 inches too long for the public dock, I am forced to pay $10 an hour to tie up at the fuel dock. On this last occasion I tied up where I was directed. I tied the boat somewhat tight to the rubber bumpers on the dock in an attempt to avoid the excessive amount of exposed barnacles on other parts of the dock. When I returned, after an hour, I saw that my boat had been moved. No attempt had been made to keep the boat off of the barnacles. The starboard aft corner had been damaged. The Dock Master is tall, grey, somewhat skinny, and always disgruntled. When confronted with the fact that he had damaged my boat, he said "If you don't like it, then don't bring your boat here"... No accountability.... Not even an "I'm sorry".... He then tried to flip it around on me like the damage was my fault for returning a few minutes late... I wish there were more dinghy...