Keep SC harbor hand launches free!

Lawnchair.  They also do that on summer Wednesdays "Beer Can" sailboat races, I think they charge $5 to get in that lot for the races, but I think the parking is included.

Its a small fee and trailer or not we still use the harbor. It takes money to maintain facilities. We as sportsman are never supposed to hesitate to donate money or spend a little extra cash from time to time in order to maintain the places we use and enjoy. Don't get me wrong it is hard to beat free launches but on the other hand is it really all negative?...  That's just my 2 cents. I have not looked into this enough to really say too much but I do know that if this does go through and people go out of their way to cause problems and clog the ramps then it would really be representing kayak fisherman and fisherman in general in a very negative way.....

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Maybe it's the way they went about this whole "new fee" that put everyone up-in-arms.  To me, I usually pay $10 to fish:  Monterey parking for the day to launch from Fishermans Wharf or MBK -- $10 .... SWS $10 @ 17 Mile Drive gate.  S.C. Harbor parking ... not sure of the cost.  IF the $10 includes parking, then maybe that is acceptable.  Maybe they should consider offering a '1 Year Paddle Sport Pass' for a flat fee per year w/ parking.  Would be an acceptable counter-proposal to the $10 per launch fee!  If we carpool, then is it $10 per craft?  Still feels like a little penalty for those of us doing the 'Eco-Thing' by paddling green ... facilities or not.

if it includes parking I am fine with it. the meters there only take coins. You need almost $10 change to cover a full day of fishing.

Its a small fee and trailer or not we still use the harbor.

What irks me is that the only legal access to the water in SC will now charge $10.  If they are going to do that, give me the option of dragging my kayak across sand and launching for free.   Access to our ocean is a right as far as our laws go, but if you limit access to it by making illegal all low costs methods and charge for the only remaining launch, that is similar to a gang controlled monopoly.  $10 doesnt sound like much until you think of someone who uses it every week. $520 should buy an awful lot of toilet flushes

I don't consider $10 a day a small fee. For the people that want to enjoy the ocean & launch every day that's $300 a month or $3650 a year. So people out for a quick kayak paddle or sail, maybe only an hour, should fork $10 for an hour & up to $3650 a year? I'm pretty sure that the California Coastal Commission has certain areas that must provide for free public coastal access all up & down the coast. Where is that access for kayaks in Santa Cruz?

From what I read it sounded like the Harbor's main beef was with all the SUP's & to my knowledge they can legally launch anywhere. So it really sucks that the kayaker's, who can't legally launch everywhere, are getting lumped in with the SUP's who can. I wouldn't have a problem if the Harbor banned SUP's or charged them $10. They have plenty of other places to launch & paddle.

 You can buy a year long parking permit...     might be the best course for us who use it regularly.

      Funny that it's acceptable for some  to pay 120 dollars / year in Licenses and fees,, but  THIS !!!

Funny that it's acceptable for some  to pay 120 dollars / year in Licenses and fees,, but  THIS !!!

You're ready to hang your rods up for the year over a one dollar fee increase from the dfg but cool with plopping down $10 per launch???


@Jason S

I pay $15 to launch my boat with no qualms, the ramp benefits greatly from: having people there to monitor the lot, collect money and make sure the launches go smoothly (especially when fishing is hot) ; having the shuttle to the overflow lot ; clean bathroom; power washing growth off the ramp, and free water at the washdown.

None of this is really available or necessary for the hand launch.  There's pretty much just a floating dock and parking spaces.

Imo, there should be a fee for launching at the main ramp, hand launch in the other lot should be free for the simple fact that the city has banned launching at any of the beaches.





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That's a good compromise in my eyes.

What parking spaces are you talking about Art? Every space in that lot is either metered or says something like 'boat slip use only'. Everybody that I see parks on the city street. It sounds like this fee was for launching only & not any parking. I don't want to pay for parking either cause it's free on the city street.

 No,  I'm not cool with paying a 10 dollar fee to launch, that's why I signed several petitions against it.     What I said was paying for year long parking permit might be a solution for some...    Your just trying to stir up s*^% !   
     At least the harbor has fresh water washdown  for that 10 dollars.   What's it cost to park in a dirt parking lot at the state park access points?  8 dollars / day?  ( unless you by a year long permit )

      Secondly it isn't a one dollar increase  the way I see it.  We're the Cash Cow !  It's an attempt to grow their budget to use that money for more controls.    It's gotten to the point where now it's a license / stamp/ report card, for every species.   Sturgeon populations are growing to record levels since the new size limits went into effect.  8 dollars for a report card ?    This is nothing more than an attempt by DFG to increase their budget... so they can afford more $200K boats so two wardens can play on the water all day outside the harbor, checking fishing licenses of citizens out on their boats in lawful activity.   It's akin to cops randomly knocking on your door to investigate what your up to in your house...  " any crimes being committed today ?  thank you have a nice day".     I think they could just as easily ask to see your license and catch at the harbor or launch areas.    How would you feel about CHP randomly pulling over drivers  just to see their drivers license ?     
    Nice that some can easily afford 120 dollars to be allowed the basic right to harvest from the ocean waters... but the guy making minimum wage has two days wages TAXED for that right. Watch out,,, next it'll be a Halibut report card,  Then LingCod,    They take a bite at a time... at this rate by 2020 it should top 200 dollars just to dip a pole in the water.
      I'd hate like hell to not be able to fish.  But I hate like hell to see taxes go up randomly too.   MLPA's randomly chosen by those who don't seem to know squat.    Like the Govrernment agency trying to shut down the Oyster Farm at Drakes Bay... using bogus studies to fill an agenda.   
   Not to worry though, the days of banding together in unity seem to be long gone.

   yeah,,,  I know, this should be on the other thread...   Call it a twofer.

   

Well about this money for stamps and what not... I couldn't disagree more. I buy all of my tags stamps and everything else every year even if I don't target those species that year just to contribute money. The reason why all these fish and animals are returning is because of what you are complaining about. As far as wardens checking us out there I wish they did it more often. There is to many people abusing our resources and if you don't have anything to hide then who cares if they check us out there. I clearly have a different standing on conservation and what not compared to alot of people on this form and I wish that wasn't the case. More of us need to be willing to do and pay a little extra from time to time if we want our wildlife and right to enjoy it to be around for future generations..... I know this is going to get a few guys worked up but I don't care I have seen way too many people that take and take from the forests and ocean but never want to put back.... Look into what our money goes to before you say it's all bad.

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Well about this money for stamps and what not... I couldn't disagree more. I buy all of my tags stamps and everything else every year even if I don't target those species that year just to contribute money. The reason why all these fish and animals are returning is because of what you are complaining about. As far as wardens checking us out there I wish they did it more often. There is to many people abusing our resources and if you don't have anything to hide then who cares if they check us out there. I clearly have a different standing on conservation and what not compared to alot of people on this form and I wish that wasn't the case. More of us need to be willing to do and pay a little extra from time to time if we want our wildlife and right to enjoy it to be around for future generations..... I know this is going to get a few guys worked up but I don't care I have seen way too many people that take and take from the forests and ocean but never want to put back.... Look into what our money goes to before you say it's all bad.

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Okay, so after some e-mails with Lisa Ekers (Santa Cruz Port Director) here are some findings:
1- There are 3 launch areas within the harbor-the Main ramp, A dock (Aldo's) and FF dock (by the Coast Guard office). Launching is not allowed anywhere else.
2-There has been a $10 car top launch fee in place since the 1980's that applies to all vehicles bringing vessels or boards into the harbor, and does not exclude any launch ramps. This fee includes parking for the day.
3-The $10 car top launch fee applies only to car top launches. Walk-ins will not have to pay this fee.

I guess the question is: Why is the Port Commission enforcing the car top fee now at A/FF docks, when it has not been enforced since it was implemented in the 80's?
I think it's a combination of SUP traffic, and of course, $$$. In recent Port Commission meeting minutes, there has been mention of the increase in the number of SUP's in the harbor. Some SUP use/classes restrictions have already been proposed, including possible SUP launch fees (why would these be different from car top launch fees?)--(Port Comm. meeting minutes Sept 12/12 Page 7) .
Understandable, I've noticed many SUP'ers are newbies and don't stay out of traffic lanes. Maybe they don't know the rules of the harbor, or are just unable to stay out of the way. I've seen many milling around the Main launch area causing problems for boaters coming and going. Sorry if I'm throwing SUP'ers under the bus, but I think this is where this new enforcement started. Most kayakers are using the harbor as a launch point to leave, then return to the harbor, not stay inside.
And then there's the $$$ issue. Opportunity for new Port revenues. Enough said.
I love my harbor and all the improvements that have been made since the Tsunami, and don't object to some fees for use. But I think it's the way they've gone about it: unexpectedly posting A/FF docks with hand written signs and imposing this fee where historically it has not collected it. Seems like a change in policy, although that is denied. The Port Commission decided not to impose these fees during the summer, and I can only guess it's because it would cause less of a furor when fewer people are using it.

Please try to attend the Port Comm. meeting tonight. 365 A Lake Ave - 7pm, just down from Bayside Marine.