There has been a lot of discussion about a possible boat travel lift for Cobourg boats. Most of the discussion has been about the need for it for economic reasons versus who should pay (see links below). There is also concern that it’s related to additional boat slips on the West side of the Centre Pier. But in a letter to Councillors, the Willow Beach Field Naturalists (WBFN) raise another issue. To gain entry to the harbour, a ramp is proposed west of the current boat launch which would reduce the size of the small beach there which the WBFN says is “the main gathering area for the impressive number and diversity of waterfowl and gulls for which our harbour is famous and which attracts nature-lovers daily”.
It would also spoil the view of the harbour. WBFN says that:
Many Cobourg townspeople love to gaze year round over this small beach at the unimpeded and dramatic view of the harbour with its breakwater, lighthouses, west headland and Lake Ontario beyond. The view will not be improved by another boat launching area, especially as the footprint of any new launch would have to be very substantial to serve the travel lift presently proposed.
Further:
We have always maintained that if the town should decide that a travel lift is a warranted expense, it should be placed east of the current boat launch in front of the Yacht Club, especially if the small beach is to be included in any future natural-use park, as suggested so often in so many studies.
The issue will be discussed at the March 14 Budget meeting since there is $20K requested for the Parks and Recreation Capital Budget for “Detailed Engineering design of travel lift well.” The forecast cost in 2020 would then be $700K.
Richard Pope and Margaret Bain finish their letter with the statement:
We hope that the Town will be well aware of the size of any new boat launch, the significant amount of dredging necessary to maintain it, and the problems associated with its placement before deciding on its desirability.
This subject seems to be a sore point with some people in the Town. A report on what Council decides about the $20K will be on Cobourg News blog shortly after the March 14 meeting.
Links
- Full letter from WBFN
- Busy Council Meeting Feb 19 – 19 Feb 2019 – fourth item
- Marathon Council meeting dominated by Waterfront Study – 5 June 2018
- Waterfront Studies Appendices – Business Case for Marina is on page 273 of the 455 page pdf – hosted on Town Portal
- 2019 Capital Budget estimates – subject to approval – this document may later be removed from Town’s web site. $20K for Engineering for Travel lift is on page 76 of the 98 page document.
Addendum
Response from Town per Ashley Purdy – March 11 – 4:00pm
On behalf of Paul Gauthier, Manager of Attractions and Facilities [This line added 13 March]
Error #1: Travel Lift Image is not to scale
The travel lift shown in the article is an exaggeration of the visual impact the travel lift would have on the waterfront. The travel lift pictured in the article is a 200 to 300 ton machine. It is capable of lifting small ships the size of HMSC Goose Bay. The equipment required is a much smaller 35 ton machine. It should also be noted that this equipment would only be visible while in use. The remainder of the time (90 to 95%) it would be parked in the storage compound. The remainder of the time the lifting well would obstruct the views of the harbour no more than the existing paver stone walkway or launch ramp.
Here’s a lift that is more appropriate:
Error #2: WBFN Letter
In the article:
To gain entry to the harbour, a ramp is proposed west of the current boat launch which would reduce the size of the small beach there which the WBFN says is “the main gathering area for the impressive number and diversity of waterfowl and gulls for which our harbour is famous and which attracts nature-lovers daily”.
TOWN Note: The Waterfront User Needs and Detailed Assessment report shows, on page 104 the proposed location for the lifting well and its east of the existing launch ramp and NOT west as stated in the letter. It would therefore not reduce the size of the small beach.
– See the report: (pdf) FINAL Cobourg Waterfront User Needs Assessment and Detailed Design Plan
– See page 104 and see item #4 on the map on both page 104 and 105.
Further:
We have always maintained that if the town should decide that a travel lift is a warranted expense, it should be placed east of the current boat launch in front of the Yacht Club, especially if the small beach is to be included in any future natural-use park, as suggested so often in so many studies.
TOWN Note: We are proposing that it IS placed east of the current boat launch.
Print Article:
Oh, and who would operate a Travlift…a parks worker when not cutting grass, someone who clears snow in the other season, one of the students who man the office in summer? A rental carne comes with an operator, that Travelift doesn’t.
#1 One of the real benefits of a Travelift is that boaters are not restricted to designated launch times when a crane can be rented and trucked in. Currently boats are launched, or hauled out, at the same time on a couple of weekends. In an emergency a boater has the choice of renting the crane himself or getting the boat to a location that does have a Travelift. What this means is what might have taken a couple of days can now be spread out over a longer period, and it can be used on request at just about any time. Disruption to the neighbourhood through noise and activity and loss of parking can happen at any time, and for extended periods.
#2 Storage must be arranged nearby and an easy route made to the “well”, the channel that boats would drive into to be lifted out. The current boat storage is full so new space will need to be prepared, and for additional boats that a Travelift will attract, and make necessary to help pay.
#3 They are very expensive pieces of equipment to purchase and to maintain. In order to be certified they need to go through regular inspection and maintenance. Unlike the Marie Dressler dredge, this cannot just be put on a truck and taken to another community as a rental for use there. While it is mobile it cannot be driven on a road without arranging closure. This means the full cost would be borne by the Cobourg Marina and the boats that reside there or boats that are brought to Cobourg for haulout and storage. The only way to mitigate the expense of purchase and maintenance would be through expansion of the storage area and/or additional dockage.
#4 Most marinas that use these vehicles are more commercial and have considerably more space. The town of Cobourg needs to take into consideration the overall impact this activity will have on the aesthetics, other users, the environment and tourism.
#5 In order for this vehicle and launching of boats to be able to happen the current “well” will need to be rebuilt to hold its weight and to have sufficient size and depth to accommodate all boats that the vehicle would be capable of lifting. It could make more sense to do the work of rebuilding the “well” to allow for conventional crane lift out at this location instead of on the pier so boats and their cradles do not have to be trucked back and forth across the full width of the harbour. A new mast crane replacing the current one by the pier could also be incorporated.
Relocate the whole thing, storage area and all, down to Willmott St.
Jim, you should get a 100% realty tax rebate this year for offering a perfect compromise. Great to see someone thinking out of the box.
No one would then have to look at boats shrink wrapped for the winter. The yard capacity could be quadrupled. The town could fill all of the existing slips, haul, store and launch boats all in Cobourg. No doubt that would make the math would work.
I’m pretty new to the area – is there room at this Willmott St location for the parts and repair, ales/service, equipment and accessories shops that could be developed around this kind of infrastructure? I mean the Town wants to bring people in to use the place and services and grow its businesses and tax base – is this an opportunity? It seems to fit with how the town sees itself.
Just a Thought
as we are all naturalist and against the single use plastic products
Do you think we can stop wrapping these huge boats in plastic ????????????
WHY DON’T WE JOINT VENTURE WITH PORT HOPE ON THIS
THEY NEED ONE AS WELL and do it wright !
Then we could find a spot between the Towns to store all these boats thats secure
and less obtrusive to our waterfront for the 6 months of Drydock . Where people could actually work on their boats in the off season .
The fact is many of the local larger boat owners take there boats to other locations to have them hauled out
and stored I they found the new Travel lift to be a safer and worthy method as it is in other marinas
we would hopefully recapture that additional business and income . may be a seasonal service are
boat motors need the oil changed as well .
I would rather have a seasonal travel lift than all those ugly plastic covered boats stored on our water front
at the base of Hibernia St in front of the Legion and all those Condo’s
Great idea on the shift of locale! That won’t sit well with the boaters though as they want the ‘lift’ to be their toy.
There is no suitable area between the two towns. There is a reef hazard called Peter’s Rock between the two towns and a very shallow shore. Land side would require roads to be built, a harbour to be built, storage area, bridge over rail tracks, result in habitat destruction etc, etc.
Travelifts can’t just be driven from one community to another which is why all rental boat lifts are cranes.
That being said, plastic shrink wrap is a total waste.
Does anyone have any figures comparing the cost of renting a crane twice a year vs. buying, maintaining and storing a boat lift that is there year round but only used twice per year for the most part.
First step in reversing the decades-long de-industrialization of our harbour.
Yes, yes, and climate change disaster is just around the corner. Three cheers for textcessive exaggeration.
A travelift would be a perfect complement to a coal pile and fuel storage tank!
Let’s hope that the Marina grounds will have decent-looking trash cans this year. Cobourg has an opportunity to go creative on these rusted-out graffiti-laden trash cans. Will they? Who has the creativity to design unique trash cans? Will the Battle-of-the-Brushes do the same old same old as every previous year – canvas stretched on a frame?
Ms. Purdy appears to be guilty of a bit of exaggeration regarding HMCS Goose Bay. According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMCS_Goose_Bay she is a Kingston Class ship, weighs 990 tons and is over 181 feet long. Does Ashley seriously believe that the travelift originally pictured would lift that? Besides, visually the two pictured lifts are equally offensive!
Good call on Ms Purdy, but those travel lifts are no more an offensive sight that the crane that currently does the job, and would probably be on the scene for around the same length of time.
Yes the travel lift is more offensive solely for the reason that the concrete to support the lift will remain as will the lift (stored somewhere close I sure). The crane does its low cost, unobtrusive job and moves on.
Have you ever seen one of these gerinator?
Any concrete structure would be at ground level elevation and not much more (if at all) of a visual obstruction than the current boat ramp.
Why would anyone store the lift itself somewhere close if they could store it in the storage compound or over at the old works yard on King St.? It’s not like they are going to use it very often.
You want an offensive view? Try this from Durka:
“That parking lot is a bigger eyesore and environmental disaster than the boat lift would ever be. Especially for the people who leave their vehicles running while they enjoy “nature”.”
Ha.
I don’t think many people appreciate how big this machine is. A Travelift is U shaped specialized crane made of structural steel with a diesel motor (75-100hp), multiple winch motors, multiple runs of thick steel cable and tires 4 feet high. A 35T travelift measures 22-25′ high, 22-25′ wide and 22-25′ deep and would not be easily hidden behind a few bushes.
In Google satellite views of a marinas, you will generally find the TL at or near the lift-well. The TL could not be stored at the old works yard because it is too wide and tall to travel on city streets. Clearance under traffic lights and overhead wires is typically less than 20′ and the TL is over 22′ tall.
The lift-well may be near ground level but it is still a large cement and steel structure about 30′ wide and 40-50′ long. The wall tops are about 3-4′ wide to allow the TL to drive out over the well and also provide room for staff to walk around the TL.
Good points Fact Checker. Consider also, why would such a piece of valuable equipment be left out in the open when stored away from the lift well. It will need a secure shed.
So if the lift is 22-25′ high, wide and deep, then it will require a housing structure to exceed those dimensions. The shed height is likely to be approx 30′ high, the size of many a house. When the travel life comes out of its shed, the view will be encumbered with two objects. It’s a 2 4 1 deal.
They are not stored indoors.
…but could be, like in a garage attached to the Yacht Clubhouse, which is not a small building itself.
…but could be? What kind of an argument is that?
If your Aunt had cajones she could be your Uncle.
… but could be? sheesh
Frenchy says “They are not stored indoors.”… but they could be! (says me; it IS an option) …if you built a garage to house them when not in use… get the connection now, Frenchy? 🙄
My reply Frenchy is what ‘Fact Checker said below’. Yes I’ve seen several versions of a travel lift in the Caribbean (Trinidad and St. Lucia) and in southern Europe. They are all huge, noisy, smelly (gas, diesel fumes) and importantly located in an area suited to free, safe movement of the Lift, working on and storing of big boats NOT a beach.
Wait a minute, I didn’t know they wanted to install it on the beach!
I’m definitely out now!
Thank goodness that (huge) crane doesn’t emit noise and smelly gas or diesel fumes.
“…this equipment would only be visible while in use. The remainder of the time (90 to 95%) it would be parked in the storage compound.”
I would like to know how a towering piece of industrial machinery such as this suddenly become invisible just by moving it 200 meters away.
The politics of envy in our Feel-Good town.
Why is it that the boat owners are the elite, wealthy money-bags who are the targets of all this sniping.
And not the owners of expensive RV vehicles parked by the beach, or Cadillac drivers, or cottage owners, or people in monster homes, or golf club members, or patrons of restaurants with table cloths, or those who spend the winters in Florida?
Half of Cobourg citizens have above average incomes and pay above average taxes and are entitled to have their recreation choices respected.
The travel lift will pay for itself through user fees, just as the marina does.
Does the marina have an MPAC EVALUATION for town, county & school taxes…if it does, then presumably the slip users are paying their way…however if the marina is not on the tax role, they are probably getting a nice bargain on their slip fees….versus RCYC and other clubs who own their total facility.
I vote for this https://youtu.be/vHCFHihSjQo
If they put a travel-lift well in where they are proposing to, the scene from that viewpoint won’t change. The waterfowl might or might not cooperate though.
“If they put…”
Typical speculation, nothing definite.
“…might or might not …”
More ambivalence.
YAWN.
A boatlift used by a few wealthy people should be paid for by the Marina profits not taxpayer dollars. They can recoup the cost through user charges.
Not sure if all those who might use that boatlift are “wealthy”, but other than that, I think that is exactly what they are proposing. Recoup the cost through user charges. It seems to have worked so far with the rest of our Marina’s capital projects over the years, although I have yet to be convinced that this project will fly.
Go ahead and get the travel lift if there is a good business case for one. I haven’t seen one yet, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. The lift doesn’t have to be a 35 ton one (or more), just a suitable size for our harbour and potential customers. Don’t worry about that 65 foot yacht needing to haul out and spend the winter in Cobourg. That ain’t gonna happen. Those few boats on Lake Ontario already have their plans for winters.
Any reason why we can’t get an amphibious travel lift that does not require a well? Just an improved ramp, maybe a little larger than we have now, and in the exact same location.
If we think we need one that requires a well, why not combine the well and a ramp in the same spot as the current ramp? If it must be bigger, have it spread to the east instead of the west.
The travel lift itself would only be on the scene for about as many days as the crane is now. If business picks up, maybe a couple of extra days per year. It would be stored (almost out of sight) during non-use in the current storage compound or out of sight over at the town yard on King St where Public Works used to be.
Go ahead and get the travel lift if there is a good business case for one. I haven’t seen one yet, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. The lift doesn’t have to be a 50 ton one (or more), just a suitable size for our harbour and potential customers. Don’t worry about that 65 foot yacht needing to haul out and spend the winter in Cobourg. That ain’t gonna happen. Those few boats on Lake Ontario already have their plans for winters.
Any reason why we can’t get an amphibious travel lift that does not require a well? Just an improved ramp, maybe a little larger than we have now, and in the exact same location.
If we think we need one that requires a well, why not combine the well and a ramp in the same spot as the current ramp? If it must be bigger, have it spread to the east instead of the west. Those wells don’t look a whole lot different that the structure of the existing boat ramp now.
The travel lift itself would only be on the scene for about as many days as the crane is now. If business picks up, maybe a couple of extra days per year. It would be stored (almost out of sight) during non-use in the current storage compound or over at the town yard on King St where Public Works used to be.
Ester seems to have a grasp on the situation and manfred s’ post below makes some sense.
Durka’s post was the one that hits the nail on the head and made me smile; “That parking lot is a bigger eyesore and environmental disaster than the boat lift would ever be. Especially for the people who leave their vehicles running while they enjoy “nature”.
for starters, our harbour is the subject of three ‘tri-metrically’ opposed user groups, boaters, water sports enthusiasts and nature lovers. Ultimately the objectives of these groups are in significant conflict and I would say, irreconcilable under the present circumstances. The discussion and arguments over what should and shouldn’t be the desired (optimal) uses of that space will never lead to a solution that will give all three groups enough of what they want to keep the issues at bay for a long time. You can’t squeeze 14 eggs into a 1 dozen carton, no matter how passionately you argue the prospect. Therefore, it seems to me the only path to any kind of satisfactory resolution is a physical separation of sorts, of the current activities and supporting amenities. My suggestion is to create a truly unspoiled natural habitat beyond the outer confines of our “human-built” harbour which was meant to accommodate boating traffic of all kinds, and nothing else. The two distinct-purpose areas would be physically linked by water channel that would allow the movement of passive users between them, yet be attractive to natural use(er)s. There is a significant shoreline to the west of the built harbour to allow for a protected nature zone or even better, a nature preserve requiring little or no maintenance. Nature’s creatures would be free to choose their preferred habitat and humans would be free to enjoy both at any time. No more conflict over use, boatlift notwithstanding. The Yacht Club building could be redesigned and replaced by a multi-purpose building that would house the kayak and paddle board users as well as a boatlift all year, which would be brought out only in the event that a boat requires removal and replacement outside of the semi-annual 1 week lift out/in time. An attractive, well designed and landscaped parking lot could be moved to the open space between the condos and the street and the current parking lot would be repurposed as a parkette for harbour watchers. The winter boat storage would be in the trailer park which sits virtually empty during that time. Anything this concept has failed to address would have to be dealt with but the lion’s share of issues that currently dominate the waterfront discussions can all be met head on with some rethinking and common-sense, inclusive planning.
Congratulations to the WBFN for raising this issue.
I would like to add one more condition:
“That funds for designing the well for the boat lift, and any other town expenditures required for any boat lift, should not be be considered until the proponents of the boat lift have raised sufficient funds for the purchase, installation and operations of a boat lift, and that such funding should not require any expenditure by the town of Cobourg.’
The marina is owned by the town of cobourg and therefore the travel lift will be paid for by the town of cobourg. Much like the dredge was paid for by the town of cobourg. The marina is not a private business or owned by the yacht club.
you mean purchased and ammortized into the user fees, I presume.
No. I mean purchased and paid for. The money has to be real, and could be borrowed, but not from the town, and with no guarantees from the town
I’ve enjoyed the experience of owning a boat and having her rest in Cobourg ni the past…its true, it is an elite group who have the means and more importantly time to enjoy the hobby. There was no one around to help me with my boat and it wasn’t an expectation of mine that someone would be. I backed-up a dual axel trailer with my own vehicle and with the support of my wife and brother, launched her (30 foot aft cabin power boat). At the end of each season I pulled her out myself, winterized her and stored her offsite. I think the boats look amazing, add to the attraction of the waterfront and if you are able, I would recommend it as a lifestyle; But there should be no expectation that this lifestyle is subsidized by those who can’t or don’t, in my opinion. Threats, like Old Sailer’s, are meaningless and empty. The boats are here to stay but those who choose to engage in this boating lifestyle need to pick the tab.
What’s so ‘elite’ about owning a boat?
The price of a boat is a fraction of what it costs on average to buy a lakefront property in the East Kawarthas – $560,000.
Because Albert, the average person doesn’t own either a lake front property in the East Kawarthas or a boat – not simply because of the initial cost of purchasing a boat or cottage but the ongoing time and expense to maintain these two luxury items. Most people are trying to (figuratively) stay afloat, pay for extracurricular activities for kids, are dashing from work to soccer/dance/baseball and trying to grab a Tim Horton’s wrap somewhere in between. So yes owning a boat in the Cobourg Marina is a luxury that most people can not afford therefore considered “elite” IMO … keeping in mind I maintained my boat in that marina for a couple of years.
Cobourg Harbour Beach during the boating season/summer.
http://harbourbreezecondos.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Cobourg-Amenities-12-of-451-1024×617.jpg
The small beach there which the WBFN says is “the main gathering area for the impressive number and diversity of waterfowl and gulls for which our harbour is famous and which attracts nature-lovers daily”.
Impressive!
Cobourg’s ‘vision’ now : “a progressive vibrant lakeside community, honouring our past and embracing our future.”
Cobourg’s ‘vision’ to be: “a vibrant inclusive community where everyone has access to meaningful opportunities and experiences.” Look what
Seems that Council is sharing the ‘vision’ of the No-Frills-Cobourg folks that being a ‘lakeside’ community is more of a liability than an asset.
Next thing to go? The sailboat in our Town logo?
Seems to me to be an issue of “who” pays for a boat lift. There is no question of need , for all valid reasons stated by others in this column. As a former boater before coming to Cobourg, I have used boat lifts, sometimes in mid-summer to do a repair enroute . Thankfully, they were available. But I do think that the dock fees in Cobourg are very low; so maybe that should be adjusted asap to start a fund to help offset taxpayers cost in eventually getting one. We should have one and be proud of it BUT making sure current and future boaters pay their fair share. Increase those year-round fees NOW!
The boaters will be paying for the travel lift. It won’t be free to use it. The Marina already makes a profit and so has the funds to cover the cost of the travel lift. The marina is owned by the town of Cobourg as is the trailer park and beach. They are all under the same umbrella of our waterfront.
Please, Please leave the West Harbour as it is. Leave it for the many, many folks who don’t have Sail Boats etc. We just want someplace to be able to drive, park our vehicles and enjoy the view. Please don’t take that away from us.
That parking lot is a bigger eyesore and environmental disaster than the boat lift would ever be. Especially for the people who leave their vehicles running while they enjoy “nature”. The whole area fronting the lake should be planted with native vegetation.
Until now, I have always believed the question of a travel lift revolved around one question: Do I as a homeowner want to subsidize an elite group in pursuit of their hobby? My answer has been a resounding No.
Now the WBFN have raised a further significant and well-reasoned objection largely based on aesthetics.
When I first came to Cobourg, the waterfront was still largely industrial. The installation of a travel lift will be a return to that bygone era. As Miriam Mutton pointed out, the re-industrialization of our waterfront will not only effect the visual appeal of our waterfront, the noise will also be a disincentive for civic enjoyment of our beachfront asset.
If I am wrong and a travel lift is necessary to make the Town a tourist hub, then why don’t we consider selling the marina and waterfront access to the people who will benefit from the services offered: the Yacht Club and businesses that will profit from tourist dollars. Let those who benefit pay and not get a free ride on the backs of Cobourg homeowners.
Are you talking about the boat lift or the CIP grants from another thread?
: )
The same logic applies.
The cobourg yacht club doesn’t benefit from tourist dollars. It also doesn’t own any property. It is strickly a social club. Also, the boat lift would be paid for with Marina funds and boaters would be charged to use it, much like at any other marina that has a travel lift. I’m not sure what you mean by selling waterfront access? The marina, beach and waterfront are all owned by the town of Cobourg.
If the Cobourg yacht club hasn’t benefited from tourist dollars then they’re not doing it right. That clubhouse with deck on a fabulous piece of property could be a great little money maker for them..
” The travel lift would be self sustaining and would not cost taxpayers money as it would pay for itself from fees charged to the boaters who use it.”
If that is the case why doesn’t the CYC finance the boatlift?
“How are boats supposed to get in and out of the water? “
By using a professional crew hired by the properly insured crane operator who would come to Cobourg, twice a year, and be paid by the owners.
The Cobourg Yacht club is a social club. it doesn’t own any land or even the building. The Marina owns all the docks and yacht club members pay the same dock fees as non members. There is no advantage in terms of fees at the Cobourg Marina for Yacht Club members.
The entire area of land base between the centre pier and current boat storage on the west pier/headland, and back to condominium fence line, needs a detail design before a budget is approved for a travel lift. The master planning to date is still a high level concept and, for example, did not seem to include view lines or possible use for lands north of the current Third Street loop. And, $700,000 seems to suggest the construction of major walls as well as the purchase of a travel lift. How does this fit into the scheme of things?
Concurrently, the engineering study for the east pier could also include the option of a travel lift incorporating an existing wall. A disadvantage for an east pier location is that use would be limited by other uses on the pier especially in summer.
I visited the Newcastle Marina and watched their travel lift in action. The machine makes lots of noise, lots of beeping similar to trucks backing up but much more often as the machine moves back and forth while slings are adjusted. And, why is a lift preferable to a contracted crane with expert crew? Is there a need for a boat repair yard for sailors in Cobourg and those travelling by? What is the bigger picture here?
A travel lift would allow for boats to be safely placed in and out of the water. It would also allow for emergency lifting of boats with mechanical difficulties or the odd boat that has had an accident. It helps make Cobourg a safe harbour for traveling boats on Lake Ontario. Currently boats are lifted in and out by volunteers from the Cobourg Yacht Club. This includes all boats, not just boats owned by members. The volunteers are getting older (average age is 65) and thank goodness no major accidents have ever happened. The Town of Cobourg owns the marina and enjoys promoting the beauty of the harbour in all it’s advertising. How are boats supposed to get in and out of the water? The travel lift would only operate during certain times of the year (much like the voluteer crane crew does now) It would be stored in boat yard when not in use. The travel lift in Newcastle is also not stored permenently at the harbour. The marina brings in alot of money in tourist dollars each year. It is run at a profit for the town of Cobourg. The travel lift would be self sustaining and would not cost taxpayers money as it would pay for itself from fees charged to the boaters who use it. The town of Cobourg has had a good run having volunteers do the work of moving boats in and out of the water. Now it is time for the town to step up and decide if they want a marina or not. With a marina comes the job of moving and storing boats in the off season, not just having them in the water in the summer for photo opportunities.
Still not sure why the taxpayers have to pay so u can enjoy your toys, time for u to step up and put your big boy pants on , if u can’t afford the cost of your toy sell it and buy a dingy as that sounds more to their financial position.
Kind of makes u long for the days when citizens would go down to the harbour to enjoy the lake now u need a pocket full of change for the meters, if there are any spaces left !!
Ester, your comments are the only comments so far that make any sense. Cobourg has had a longstanding love relationship with boats in the harbour and a longstanding disdain for the owners of boats in the water.
Unfortunately many individuals and special interest groups, who contribute zero dollars to the operation of the marina and do not understand how boating works on Lake Ontario, complain endlessly about boat owners and their needs. No one (except you) defends boat owners. And the complainers have not done their research on comparative fees charged and services provided by other marinas between Pickering and Cobourg. They just call boat owners an elite group at the public trough.
As I have said before the best solution may be to remove the marina and boats from the harbour and let the boat owners relocate to friendly marinas or exit boating. Choose which vegetation should be allowed to flourish in the harbour to replace looking at boats. See what happens to tourism and Cobourg’s reputation. And then see what it would take to get boaters back to Cobourg harbour. They would not come back.
Whether a travel lift is justified for Cobourg’s harbour and the harbour’s location on the lake, the lift and related facilities must be better planned in context of other uses in the same space including public access and enjoyment. For example, the concept plan referred to in the Town’s reply above indicates that two multi-use paths meet at the ramp/lift location and an adjacent gravel path/boardwalk also crosses in front of the ramps/lift facility. How is this not an accident waiting to happen when drivers with trailers or a lift with a boat will be backing up in the same space as pedestrians and cyclists flow through on designated paths? This is prime waterfront parkland which includes a downtown marina. Multi-layered, year round considerations via a detailed plan is warranted.The WBFN request pertaining to wildlife and related ecological systems (which could help protect the harbour too) also needs more attention before a significant change and expense, like a lift and related works, is approved.
The aesthetics, environment, impacts to softer side of the quality of life mean nothing to these ‘boaters’. Its a 2 pronged assault on the public purse and the beauty that are the east/west/natural beaches: Firstly – Get the Town to fully own the Marina, thereby in the future they can claim to be taxpayers and demand further changes/upgrades on the public purse; Secondly – Get the taxpayers of Cobourg to purchase that awful boat lift just so the ‘boaters’ can promote to their elitist comrades that Cobourg has some sort of modernized marina. The lift solution already exists but the ‘boaters’ don’t like it. I dare the town to put this question to a referendum, the answer shall be what folks, studying the Waterfront Master Plan and the Parks Master Plan over and over, have told the Town Staff – NO BOAT LIFT.
I’m not sure what you mean by get the town to fully own the marina. The town already does own the marina. The marina actually makes a profit and would be using that profit and charging boaters to use the boat lift. That would cover the costs of the lift.
Why should the Marina, which owns the area provide a service to the boat owners which only benefits the great majority of the CYC. The CYC and the members,own the boats, it should provide the liftout service be it a lift or a crane. It is not up to the Marina to do this. It is a service for the CYC – they should pay for it!
It’s what Marinas do. They own the docks and services and sell/rent them to boaters.
Some of the boaters at our Marina are members of the CYC, some are not.