True D.. but hopping in and untying a ~20 ft'r is still quicker than taking the big guy out.

I bet he would opt for a 20+ boat for some comfort over a sweet 16. As beautiful as the little Donzi is with a 350 and open exhaust... I don't think that is in the mix

Congrats GFC... looks nice!

Very nice. Ever get rain with a strong wind?

I was surprised to learn that the USCG was so far upriver.

Are you then under USCG/federal rules (flares, etc).

Is it fairly common then that the marinas have covered slips?

That's a real nice marina, GFC. The proximity to open water, I think, is what many folks overlook when choosing a place to slip their boats. I have a friend who keeps his boat at a Lake Michigan marina in WI and he has about a 10 or 15 minute ride from his slip to the lake proper, and that ride isn't much fun at the best of times. After seeing those pics of the Snoqualmie Pass you posted last month, even being located in the dry part of the state, I'd check the load rating of the roof and verify it could handle whatever Ma Nature decides to throw at it.

Covered marinas are getting fewer and fewer. With the Corps of Engineers rules and Dept of Fisheries rules about making a shadow on the water, things are getting tight. If you believe what Fisheries has to say, the predatory fish lie in the shadows and wait for the small salmon to swim by.

This marina (and the one I just left) are along the Columbia, but off the main channel by a bit. The salmon don't swim in these backwater areas so it's a little easier to get the permits to build covered docks. It's also easier when you're a government agency (Port of Kennewick) applying vs a yacht club or private marina.

Our retirement plans include moving up in size to a boat we can spend a few months aboard. This one just isn't big enough for long cruising. With that thought in mind we decided we'd find the bigger slip first. Most people find the big boat then look for the big slip. We didn't want to be scrambling around for a large slip after finding the perfect boat.

Derek, somehow I just don't picture myself in a Donzi. I like a nice quiet ride so the open exhaust part of that picture wouldn't work. A nice bowrider would, especially one in the 20' range but that probably won't happen either.

We're working on getting the finances arranged for retirement. So for right now I'm pumping up my 401k to max it out and saving the pennies. We're also sticking money aside for our wedding that comes up at the end of May. I don't want to go into debt for that so we're watching the cash flow situation.

Yes, we do get strong winds and rain here. I doubt the new roof will protect my boat from that as well as the old one did because the old roof was so much lower. I don't mind the rain and dust though...it washes off easily. And yes, we do get strong winds. I think this marina will be more open to the winds than the last one. That one had a large apartment building on shore that helped block the wind. Nothing here like that, so we'll have to learn new "wind rules" when coming and going.

Al, the USCG here mainly does nav aids maintenance but they also have a smaller boat that they can do rescue stuff with. There are two local sheriff's boats that mainly do law enforcement, equipment checks, DUI checks, etc. For 'after-the-fact' recoveries we have a great outfit in Columbia Basin Dive Rescue. It's an all-volunteer group that's available 24/7 for rescue and recovery work. VERY dedicated bunch.

Political comment alert!

For the record, I don't believe a thing the department of fisheries says. This is the same department of fisheries that wouldn't let my Dad put a seawall in to protect his place on Lake Chelan. Even though he only has 34 feet of waterfront and there is a seawall on either side of him. The reason? The little fishies need a place to hide in the rocks and shadows.

Then, they went and dumped 500,000 Mackinaw in the lake that proceeded to devour every little fishy that swims. No more trout, no more Kokanee, no more King Salmon. Morons. Absolute morons.

sweet looking setup.

GFC--great slip--like mine, it is so wide that Ray Charles could back it in. Is there some reason that you dock bow first?

Al. I think the USCG has jurisdiction over all the navigable waters of the US.

Yep there is a reason, from another thread......

"When we got to the new slip there was a bit of a breeze blowing. I backed it in but had trouble moving the boat port-side to the dock because of the wind. After we got it in place we found the new 50' shore power cord was about 5' short of reaching from the dock power box to my connection.

No problemo. I pulled the boat back out, turned it around and came in bow first on the port side.

20X60 hmmm. Readily availible guest moorage?

Aahubb, no problemo. Just leave the keys in the ignition so I can get mine out if I want to leave!

Hoboat, after all that initial maneuvering and getting it in bow first I think I'm going to have to change it around and back it in after all. The closed end of the slip points almost due west, and the prevailing winds are out of the SW.

To put it in bow first and be able to step off the port side it has to be against that upwind dock. Getting off on the far side means stepping over the dinghy davit mechanism and that's a pain.

So what I'll have to do is use two shore power cords end-to-end to make them reach. I'll back it in keeping towards the upwind (south) side of the slip and let the wind carry it to the downwind (north) side where we'll tie up.

It doesn't really matter to me which end goes in first. I suppose getting on and off and loading stuff would be easier if we backed it in, but it's not a big deal.

GFC,

Nice looking home. Quite a bit different from your last "cozy" slip.

Congrats on the great looking slip and Marina.

GFC - Thanks for the pics. Great looking marina w/all the amenities. Lots of room as well!

You might want to have cleats on the float to be able to move the boat either forward or deeper into the slip based on a given rain storm and the direction that it comes in at.