The moral of these boaters’ experience is GET IT IN WRITING! Telemar Bay Marina guards the Banana River’s easterly banks, just north of the Eau Gallie fixed bridge and Dragon Point.

My husband and I rented a month to month slip for our boat at Telemar Bay Marina for 3 months during the period of November, December 2014 and January 2015. I had communicated with the manager Karen of Telemar Bay Marina many times by email and phone before we arrived indicating to her what we were looking for during our 3 month stay and she explained their rules and we were told that if we did not stay on the boat more than three days at a time we would not be considered live-aboards and would NOT be charged the additional fees. The Marina was very willing to rent us a slip for month to month and required a deposit.

We returned to the boat 3 or 4 times and never stayed over the 3 day limit. We always followed all the rules of the Marina even though the staff changed them verbally each time we came to check on our boat and stay overnight. We were never given written rules. We always checked in at the office each time we arrived to stay overnight. We were told that the owner was watching all activities at the marina by camera and from his condo across the street from the Marina. We were fully aware that we were being watched and had no issue with that as we were following all the rules that we were given.

We checked out with the Marina manager Karen on our departure and was told everything was good and they would mail us our deposit.

After we left in January 2015 we called numerous times inquiring about our deposit. We were told over and over it would be returned soon, or our deposit refund was in the mail.

After more than 3 months and many phone calls, we were told that they were keeping our deposit because we were LIVE-ABOARDS. The reason they determined we were live-aboards was because THEY gave us a bathroom key when we first arrived. This was not the case because when we left after setting up the boat at the marina and then we returned we checked in at the office and they took the bathroom keys back. When I contacted the marina before we arrived I was told we could use the bathroom during business hours. Later that changed and we were told we should use the head on our boat, and that the bathrooms were for live-aboards or transients only. I guess this is why we witnessed several people urinating off the docks. They seem to change the rules to suit their needs, and in this case a reason to keep our deposit. The Marina will no longer answer our phone calls (caller ID).

Since leaving I have read other bad reviews about Telemar Bay, so we are not the only people that the Marina treated this way. We will be headed South again next year and we will avoid Telemar Bay Marina. There are plenty of other marinas in the area. My advice is to avoid this dishonest business.

We did try resolving this issue with the Marina about not returning our $460 deposit in many different ways including the Better Business Bureau and the Marina would not respond. This is one of the reasons they have a D+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. We are also working with Boat US regarding this matter and plan on taking this issue to small claims court. At this point it is on principle and protecting other boaters from being taken advantage of. We plan on continuing our warnings to others and in many different ways and until our deposit is returned. Thank you.
Vivian

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