Public vs. Private

Across the state, boaters are worried about dock space evaporating under the heat of rising land costs that are pushing waterfront property toward high-rise residential space. In Broward County alone, the number of marinas dropped from 19 to 13 in five years. Fort Myers-based Yacht Clubs of the Americas has converted marinas in New Smyrna Beach, Tampa, Naples, Sanibel, Stuart and Key West into "dockominiums," where boaters buy their slip or dry storage space and then pay monthly maintenance fees.

Other strategies include boat manufacturer Brunswick's February partnership with Marine- Max to buy Great American Marine, on Boca Ciega Bay near St. Petersburg. Brunswick owns the 95-slip marina; MarineMax owns and operates the service portion of the property.

Local governments are getting in on the act, too. When Jacksonville Beach's Beach Marine owners Rose and Ken Taylor faced the expiration of their 20-year submerged land lease in September, the couple courted a developer who planned a condo development at the site.

The city of Jacksonville Beach, spurred on by resident concerns, granted the Taylors a twoyear lease extension that ensures continued public access to the basin, docks and boat ramps. The city imposed terms that specifically prohibit the land from being used for condo development. Although the city does not own the land and cannot prohibit the owners from developing a condo project there, it does own the basin and can deny use of it.

And slip space is just part of the problem. Another is that marina conversions often do away with fuel docks and repair facilities. That puts added pressure on the ones that are left and makes getting fuel and service more inconvenient for boaters everywhere.

Tags: Around Florida