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Inaccessible yachts


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I fondly remember the days when marinas were still accessible to all and you could go for a walk and discover different yachts and dream of what might be and it was great to talk to the owners on their boats and pick up a tip or two. 

 

These days yachts are pretty inaccessible to the general public either out on moorings or locked up behind gates. Far easier to look at a fizz boat or a jet ski and think "I could have one of those".

 

Yes, I know there were some security issues regarding theft from time to time but have we helped encourage people to think about owning a yacht or discouraged them?

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GH marina recently went down the locked gates route. Catastrophic decision that the bertholders were majority against but management over-ruled the vote. Worse still, they didn't learn from Westhaven who were progressive enough to install sliding gates - GH went for the cheap slam gates option which makes it a bitch if you've got hands full of stuff and a trolley (when did you last hear Westhaven described as progressive). Berthed at GH for 15yrs with never a problem and never heard of one. I went into the office to ask for my swipe pass to be enabled for all piers not just my allocated berth and they said "No sorry we can't have people wandering around all over the marina." What - you mean like you did for the last 20-odd years with no deaths or world crises arising?

 

Yes, strolling the marina berths dreaming about the next upgrade used to be one of lives joys - especially on a maintenance day when the weather sucked. No more at most places.

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About this time last year my elderly sailing mate and i went ashore for a few days while some dodgy weather passed and during that time took a walk around the marina at nelson. As you do got chatting with an old salt  who was tinkering with his boat and ended up spending a very enjoyable few hours listening to some pretty neat stories covering all sorts of things from logging and deer culling down the west coast through to sailing on the Nile overloaded with oranges - where else do you bump into people like that?

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Sorry to hear about GH. Spent some quality time wandering there just last year. When you're in the market for a boat it's a helpful way to get a sense of what's around. Picton was also open when I was there 2 years ago to look at a boat.

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Humans are so damned weird the only creatures that lock all their junk up.

Crikey I have keys  remotes and codes for damned near everything I own excluding my partner kids grandkids and pussy.

When I go anywhere I usually check out the local marinas and this absurd walling off free access has always stuck in my craw.

Nothing more relaxing than to walk a marina and talk to the locals and garner ideas from other sea creatures and their craft. 

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Sorry to hear of your ill-fortune Mr. BP. 

 

It's the same in North America, I think. You can put in all the heavy-duty gates and razor wire you want, and the skillful bad guys will just come in around it via the water. 

 

Just like your communities, the best defense is nosy neighbors. 

 

Which is yet another reason why I just love our live-aboards 

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Nelson has a maximum of three liveaboard boats per finger for passive security reasons as I understand it....no gates but also still run via a Council CCO, not a private company. They have a clear mandate from Council … I mean where

else can you get a 10 metre berth for 220 a month. 2 year wait list though

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GH marina recently went down the locked gates route. Catastrophic decision that the bertholders were majority against but management over-ruled the vote. Worse still, they didn't learn from Westhaven who were progressive enough to install sliding gates - GH went for the cheap slam gates option which makes it a bitch if you've got hands full of stuff and a trolley (when did you last hear Westhaven described as progressive). Berthed at GH for 15yrs with never a problem and never heard of one. I went into the office to ask for my swipe pass to be enabled for all piers not just my allocated berth and they said "No sorry we can't have people wandering around all over the marina." What - you mean like you did for the last 20-odd years with no deaths or world crises arising?

 

Yes, strolling the marina berths dreaming about the next upgrade used to be one of lives joys - especially on a maintenance day when the weather sucked. No more at most places.

 

I suspect it's small comfort but I only know of one gate at westhaven that's sliding. The rest are all old school "slam gates" as well.

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The GH locks are a pain in the ass. Especially when your 10 year old son manages to drop the access card in the piss, grrrrrrrrrrr!!!

 

Caused in the main by members of the public making a pain in the ass of themselves on a pier looking at the stingrays and king fish fed by the charter boats. 

Progress eh. 

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Sulphur Point marina is open during the day and locked at night. Which in my opinion is the best way to have it.

 

Agree, nice to have people drop in and say hi rather than stuck behind gates ringing ya phone saying i can see you but not get to you.  

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Years ago had a teacher who said if you ever want to crew on a yacht just walk down the marinas and you will get a ride,guess thats all gone now??

Do people crew on yachts?

 

Sounds like a thing of the past. Evidenced by the rise in popularity of short handed / solo sailing.

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Do people crew on yachts?

 

Sounds like a thing of the past. Evidenced by the rise in popularity of short handed / solo sailing.

 

They've been locked out. Yachting is an elitist activity  ;-)

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