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OUR WATERWAYSPinellas County Considers MarinaPurchase, then Backs OutPinellas County, home to St. Petersburg, Clearwaterand several other waterfront communities, consideredthe purchase of the Tierra Verde Hi & Dry Marina, thenrecently backed out of the deal. When the county commissionersheard last fall that the marina was beingsold to condo developers, they stepped in to purchasethe property, entering a contractual period to investigatethe acquisition. Early indications were that themarina could pay for itself. The purchase price was estimatedto be about $23-million. Bonds would be put upto pay for the purchase over 20 years. Further inquiriesindicated that the marina’s wet slip and dry storagebuilding could mean at least another $4-million inrepairs and upgrades, shooting the price tag up enoughto decide against acquiring the property.Pinellas County has more registered pleasure boatsthan any other Florida county, with more than 50,000boats. In recent years, several marinas have been sold tocondo developers, and both water access and the numberof slips have been diminishing. The county commissionerswere hoping to at least maintain the currentnumber of moorings in the county with the purchase.Intracoastal Waterway’sDismal Swamp Canal FundingBy Walt McFarlaneCongress recently passed a $21-million appropriations billthat included $850,000 for maintenance and operation of theDismal Swamp Canal for at least another year. However,funding for this very popular Intracoastal Waterway routehas and still remains questionable.The Dismal Swamp Canal was opened in 1805 as acommerce route between Virginia and North Carolina, andtoday it also serves thousands of boaters a year who travelthe ICW.During the Atlantic hurricane season, this route offers asafer alternative for many. However, there are very fewanchorages along the route. There are a number ofovernight havens, which offer good protection on thePasquotank River north of Elizabeth City, NC.The U.S. Corp of Engineers is responsible for the operationof the canal that includes two locks located at DeepCreek, VA, and South Mills, NC. These locks are operatedeight hours a day, year around, weather permitting. Duringwinter, the canal is sometimes closed for maintenance, so ifyou plan to use this route, you may want to contact the U.S.Corps of Engineers Waterway Office in Great Bridge, VA.This canal is not just for boaters. It is a living piece ofmaritime history dating back to the birth of this nation,commissioned and built by the founding fathers. The cost tothe federal government for keeping the Dismal SwampCanal operational is not even a financial drop in the bucket.We all need to keep an eye on this. With more and moreanchorages, and public marinas being gobbled up into theprivate sector, we do not need to lose this waterway to neglect,private development, or because of someone’s ownpolitical agenda.For more information on the ICW, go to www.atlintracoastal.org.Whitley Bay Marina to PrivatizeUnder a Precedent-Setting SettlementBy Roy LaughlinIn November, the Florida Cabinet, led by Governor JebBush, approved new lease terms for Whitley Bay Marina inCocoa. The new terms give Dream Harbors LLC a 25-yearlease on the submerged state lands under the marina. The25-year lease passed in May 2005 will allow Dream HarborsLLC to operate a private marina with equity slip ownership.Prices for slips in the privatized marina are expected to bewell over $80,000 depending on slip size. For most boat ownersin working class central Brevard County, this cost is muchmore than the purchase price of their boats. This decision is asignificant loss for public access to waterways, although thechange will be buffered over a three-year period.The Florida Cabinet’s decision on Whitley Bay is part ofa complex lawsuit settlement involving both the state and32 January 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com