a day ago
Proposal would charge boaters a fee for docking at the Flats East Bank
CLEVELAND (WJW) – A proposal that would charge boaters a fee to dock at the East Bank of the Flats was on the minds of many mariners out for a Friday night cruise on the Cuyahoga River.
The dock fee would be based on the length of the boat and how long it's docked: $1 per foot for every hour.
Longtime boater Ed Neugebauer, who owns a 30-foot speedboat, said with the docking meter running all night, the proposed fee would force him and others to reconsider the East Bank as a destination.
'You have boaters that can't afford it,' he said. 'I mean, I'll pay $40, whatever it costs to park over here in a parking lot, but I'm not going to pay over $200 to dock here for the night and then spend $200, $300 at the clubs and restaurants. It's just too much money.'
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The proposed docking fee would help fund a nonprofit organization called Argonaut that would manage and maintain the East Bank docks and promote safe travel on the river.
The fee would also allow boaters to reserve a spot on the docks.
'You don't have to show up in a 50-foot yacht and see a kayak and two jet skis taking up 60 feet of dockage. It's about managing it properly,' said Argonaut CEO Captain Drew Ferguson.
The goal of the Argonaut program is to train young Clevelanders for jobs in the maritime and aerospace industries.
Among other things, an Argonaut crew operates a marine safety boat called the Phastar 2543, which guides lake freighters up and down the 'Crooked River.'
The program also provides hands-on education for younger students who will maintain the East Bank boardwalk, dock the boats and make sure they are secured.
'You know, obviously when you talk about a fee up front, people are like, 'oh my God, I have to pay a fee,' but our hope is people will come down here and they'll see the difference. There's a welcoming face. There's a young person that says, 'hey, welcome to the Flats,'' Ferguson said.
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The docking fee would support young students like 14-year-old Odis Rhone, who is a student at Cleveland's Davis Aerospace and Maritime High School.
On Friday night, Odis was learning how to tie nautical knots so that he can work on the East Bank docks. His goal is to someday get his captain's license.
'The average 14-year-old doesn't really get this experience very often, so I think it's pretty cool that I'm able to have this job,' he said.
Currently, just 300 feet of docking space is permitted along the East Bank, but the Argonaut program is asking the U.S. Coast Guard to increase the dockage to 900 feet when permitted by traffic on the river.
'It's all about maximizing the use of the space,' said Ferguson.
While some boaters said they admire the goals of the Argonaut program, they are now weighing merits of the noble cause against the additional cost of the dock fee.
'Another added cost that now you have to really think about when you come down here. Whereas I think they made and built this up to be able to come down here and relax and have leisure,' said T.J. Carrie, who is a relatively new boater.
In response to the criticism from the boating community, Ferguson said, 'you know, if you have a boat, if you have all the stuff, you're not on hard times.'
Ferguson concedes that the status of the docking fee is what he calls, 'a very fluid situation.'
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