This month's Marina of the Month is Fremantle Boat Park, in Fremantle, Western Australia. We recently caught up with Emma for a quick chat...
StorMan: Tell us a little about the team behind Fremantle Boat Park?
Emma: Cale is the Manager of the Fremantle Boat Park. He has a number of Yard staff including qualified forklift drivers and general yard hands who all hold RST’s (Recreational Skippers Ticket) to help assist our clients on return from a great day in the Swan River, Rottnest Island or Carnack Island. FBP also has a sales brokerage operated by Mark Denham (our Sales Manager) for anyone interested in buying a new or second boats. I do the accounts and assist with new move in and moves outs.
StorMan: Tell us a little about the facility & the units...
Emma: Starting out with temporary racks and 50 boats, Fremantle Boat Park now has over 250 boats ranging in size from 18ft to 38ft LOA. We have 10 wet pens which have been 100% occupied since we opened. The occupancy rate is now over 98%. Fremantle Boat park has 22 on site storage units that range in size from 3x1.5m to workshop size that clients can rent.
We have also had to recognise the need for client to store their trailers. We have trailer storage facilities in South Fremantle that our clients can store their boats for a small monthly fee.
StorMan: Besides storage, what other products or services do you offer?
Emma: We have small units for our clients to put such things as crab nets, fishing equipment, tenders etc. We also have an off-site trailer storage facility in South Fremantle available to anyone who requires trailer storage. We have ice and bait for sale that clients can add to their accounts and pay when they get their monthly account.
We have a vending machine with a range of cool drinks, chips and other snacks for a very reasonable price. Through Mark Denham we have a brokerage service so clients who wish to sell their boats have direct access to Mark- there is no need to remove your boat for a sale. Non-client lifting and hardstand for maintenance can also be arranged.
StorMan: How long have you been using StorMan for?
Emma: We have been using StorMan for about two years now and find it simple and effective to use.
StorMan: Anything interesting about your area, or the building itself?
Emma: Fremantle Boat Park is the leader in boat stacking in Western Australia, being the first company to undertake a designated large scale boat stacker in this state by developing the Fremantle Boat Park. Using experience gained from over a decade in general domestic self storage, coupled with extensive construction knowledge from the last 40 years, the Parsons Group took the bold step to tackle the problem faced by WA’s growing recreational boaters: "Where do I put my boat?"
The Fremantle Boat Park is located in the heart of Fremantle between Mews Rd and the Fishing Boat Harbour, a 2 minute walk from the famous Freo Café Strip. The park offers unsurpassed convenience to boat owners who want quick access to the ocean. Fishing, diving and ocean cruising are only minutes away from this world famous harbour. The Fremantle Boat Park occupies Lots 1883, 1884 and 1885 Mews Rd in Fremantle, which immediately adjoins the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour providing sheltered waters and direct access to the Indian Ocean.
The Fremantle Boat Park began in 2005 after the acquisition of three adjoining Lots on Mews Road in Fremantle (Fishing Boat Harbour). Unlike many projects of its type undertaken around the world, Fremantle Boat Park had to be developed over three lots each exhibiting the remains of various land use, rather than from a "clean" site.
The stackers and building itself has been built by the Parsons’s family who have been in the building industry for nearly 50 years. Parsons Group have recently been involved in building Self Storage units in Bibra lake, Cockburn, Wangarra and Lansdale.
StorMan: How has StorMan made things easier for you?
Emma: The ability to have a centralized admin branch where we can operate StorMan for two sites – we also run Port Bouvard Marina helps keep wages cost down. Also the ability to run all of the necessary reports, letters, daily transactions at the click of a mouse.
Controlling the daily running of the office completing the opening and closing procedures are hassle free – not having to think about who is due to pay today and who is overdue or who’s insurance is expiring. I can easily find what I need to.
StorMan: And finally... what's your favourite StorMan feature?
Emma: Not having to remember everything – the section for notes helps me keep track of what I have said to each individual client, what I have quoted, when they are moving in/out, what type of boat they have or even the story they just told me so I can make reference to it next time they come in – clients love it when you remember them.
I don't need pieces of paper around the office with notes on them trying to remember everything about everyone. The ability to email all of our clients helps keeps office running costs and down not to mention the time it saves. We are also looking at new software designed to suit our stackers – we are hoping to have online software that allows clients to book their boats in online again reducing running costs, improving safety and efficiency.
Regards,
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Hi there - I'm Darran, one of StorMan's Technical Support Agents. Each issue, I'll trawl through the deep depths of the internet to find you a funky piece of software, hardware or other interesting technological trinkets. 
