Jump to content

Westhave Nazis Strike Again


Recommended Posts

Latest Westhaven newsletter says they have imposed a 2 hour time limit for parking in the white spaces. If you need longer then you have to go to the office and get a pass. Are they mad. How are they going to handle the volume of people on a Wednesday night who are struggling to get there in time. What happens at 7.00 qm when we have an early start so we can go race down the harbour. These guys will kill yacht racing at Westhaven if we let them.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well that stuffs it for all racing. Even rum races take longer than 2 hours once getting to the boat and setting up the boat is taken into account. 

 

Westhaven and whoever is pulling the strings behind the scenes is making it abundantly clear that yachting is to be milked for all it's worth before it slides quietly away and becomes a piece of our past. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

We don’t tow after 4pm so race crew will still be able to park on Wednesday and Friday nights, like they always have done, and on weekends.

 
In fact, the only change to the way it has been for the last several years, is that we have decreased the time limit from three hours to two, and we are enforcing towing where we had stopped it for a time. 
 
We need parking restrictions. Without them, the carpark will very quickly become full of CBD commuters and others taking advantage of free parking. 
 
The northern wall where the clubs are is a pinch point for carparking at peak times, but the western carpark has a great deal of available capacity, and does not have time restrictions on it at present. If you are stuck, please use it.  
 
More than half of yachts racing in NZ start at Westhaven, and we recognise this and support the sport in quite a number of different ways.
 
In terms of carpark management and monitoring, we take aerial photos of Westhaven and count carparks regularly, and we have a good picture of where it is at, and how much capacity we have on peak and non-peak times. Over time there will be a more user-friendly carpark management system introduced that can prioritise marina customers in particular berth holders and their guests who are there for boating, but until that time, our only options are time limits, and enforcement, to ensure that the carpark can in fact be used by boaties to go boating.
 
Thank you for bearing with us.
 
Link to post
Share on other sites

As much as I am against parking fees,on Wednesday/Friday night race days or weekends.Why not have issue a permit for a minimal fee and if displayed outside those times or exceed parking time limit then tow away becomes enforceable?

 

Just as a means of stopping CBD all day parkers.

Link to post
Share on other sites

As much as I am against parking fees,on Wednesday/Friday night race days or weekends.Why not have issue a permit for a minimal fee and if displayed outside those times or exceed parking time limit then tow away becomes enforceable?

 

Just as a means of stopping CBD all day parkers.

Except for boaties who want to be all day parkers.  Human nature being what it is.  Down here in Tauranga the marina society have a really cool boat ramp for users of the harstand, which is only accessible by swipe card.  On a good fishing day there are more trailer rigs parked in the car park outside the fence than boats in the compound.  Ergo, boaties are sharing their swipe cards with their mates.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I may upset some with this comment, but I'd be happy to pay an annual (token) fee for a permit as a crew member. If it were say $60-80/yr or similar to cover the cost of administration, and allowed parking in any area, then I think that's a reasonable outcome. 

 

One of the issues faced is that parking is expensive in the CBD, and getting worse. We have a deal with Britomart for $200/m, but have had this in place for a couple of years. New users are paying $320-340/m and more. Because of this, city parkers are parking at Westhaven. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

ScottiE, we are working with clubs around carparking and have done for some time. Black Panther, the guy who wants to go for a midweek sail with friends simply needs to contact us to discuss parking arrangements. We recognise it's not a perfect solution, but it is part of a solution for the time being to what is a complex issue. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

just back from the RNZYS weekend at kawau

 

(what a great event!)

 

parked at westhaven at 2pm to help prep the boat

 

saw all the 2hr limit warning signs and was worried about leaving it there for the weekend...

 

so left sign on dash with; mobile #, which boat, which club, where going

 

but what does a towie care about that?

 

was very happy to get back to westhaven this morning at 4am and find the car still there

 

would NOT have been happy to be standing there

 

tired, with a big heavy bag, low cell battery, looking for a taxi

 

with a crap sunday ahead of trying to find the car, retrieve it and pay some exorbitant tow charge 

 

highlight of return trip was ducking, diving, weaving, dolphins in the dark

 

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I can understand the frustrations form both points of view. But I do have to say I am leaning in favor of the Westhaven team for two things. Firstly, the communication. It is so easy to read the wrong interpretation into changes and it is always much more helpful when the reasons behind the whys are explained. A lot of other Marinas around the country would have a lot better PR by doing similar.
Issues in Marinas today are ever growing and the solutions are not always easy to find or to take when implemented.
I remember many years ago when the Marlborough Marinas banned the use of Mussel floats being used as stops on the ends of berths. Basically some people would nudge the bow into the float to stop the boat when entering the Berth. The Marina simply said all mussel floats are now banned and need to be removed. Problem was, they never explained the reason why. So those using floats were all up in arms saying it was nazi rules and so on. But in actual fact, the reason was that the floats would eventually leak and sink. These things held several hundred ltrs of water and so would eventually start to twist the wooden dock over and wreck it. Completely understandable if you understood why. They would have got far better understanding from everyone if they explained in their news letter. Of course this was also when many new changes came in, like Power cords and so on and so the tension between Marina and Berth Holders grew.
      Anyway, good on you Westhaven for at least coming on here and giving an explanation. Maybe that could be improved somewhat further by explaining changes before or as implemented, instead of when someone makes such a complaint like this thread.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...