It broke my spirit today to tell long time neighbors and marina members that the bayshore would not be affordable to them again. They don’t understand. They just want to be able to enjoy their passion in their retirement years. They don’t see the big picture. They don’t see the greed and corruption of powerful men in far away cities that rob them of their heritage on the bay. They said the boat is siting in their backyard this year. I don’t have the heart to tell them that’s where it will stay. They don’t see that our region is much less expensive than any other part of the state and that boat slip fees doubled this season and would at least quadruple at a Money Island if I paid state extortion fees.
Over 70% of the recreational boats in our poor rural part of New Jersey are sitting in backyards now according to the Marine Trades Association. It will only get worse. Retired people who can afford the boats and finally have the time to use them don’t have the physical ability to ramp launch them. Without options, this couple must abandon their boating passion that I know means so much to them.