snapperbait
Vice Admiral
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2002
- Messages
- 5,754
It a nice day today, unfortunately I won't be going boating this morning due to a shortage of parking spaces at all the local (and not so local) boat ramps.. This is not so much of a problem for the inland freshwater boaters, but for ocean access, it's a big problem... Folks, both residents and some in the marine industry, have been raising hell with the powers that be for many years to gain better access, but not much has been done.. <br /><br />About the only progress thats been made that i've seen is now the police will not issue tickets to those who park their trailers on the grass in the now designated area at Phil Foster park... This grassy area equils about 15 additional spaces.. A drop in the bucket... <br /><br />One ramp up the road from me in Stuart will be closed sometime in june (i think) for construction of a new bridge, or something.... This one handles a bunch of boat traffic with (i'm guessing) at least 50 parking spaces for truck & trailer..<br /><br />Uh-oh, it's turning into a rant.. 
<br /><br />I don't care to get up at 4am on a weekend so I can be to a boat ramp by 5 or 6 just to get a parking space.. I don't want to do the rat-race at the ramps and battle with the crowd.. Sometimes you can get a parking spot in the late afternoon or early evening after all the early-bird crowd has got pooped out an gone home, but it's a crap-shoot..<br /><br />There are plenty of empty docks all up and down the ICW, places where a boat has'nt been tied up to in years.. I've spent a while looking for a place to dock the boat for the weekends, but have'nt been very lucky in the search.. Made it clear that I'll make it very worth while to the owner of the dock if I were allowed to dock there.. Short of knocking on doors, I've done about all a person can (want ads, friends of friends, and such).. Not looking for a perminate place to dock, just two or three weekends a month durring the summer.. Splash the boat in on friday evening and haul it out sunday night or even monday.. That's the plan... <br /><br />Tried the marinas and the few where I'd even consider leaving the boat are "first come/first served", and that is IF they have an available slip, which seldom ever happens..<br /><br />What's a landlubber gonna do?..
<br /><br />I don't care to get up at 4am on a weekend so I can be to a boat ramp by 5 or 6 just to get a parking space.. I don't want to do the rat-race at the ramps and battle with the crowd.. Sometimes you can get a parking spot in the late afternoon or early evening after all the early-bird crowd has got pooped out an gone home, but it's a crap-shoot..<br /><br />There are plenty of empty docks all up and down the ICW, places where a boat has'nt been tied up to in years.. I've spent a while looking for a place to dock the boat for the weekends, but have'nt been very lucky in the search.. Made it clear that I'll make it very worth while to the owner of the dock if I were allowed to dock there.. Short of knocking on doors, I've done about all a person can (want ads, friends of friends, and such).. Not looking for a perminate place to dock, just two or three weekends a month durring the summer.. Splash the boat in on friday evening and haul it out sunday night or even monday.. That's the plan... <br /><br />Tried the marinas and the few where I'd even consider leaving the boat are "first come/first served", and that is IF they have an available slip, which seldom ever happens..<br /><br />What's a landlubber gonna do?.. 
