What is happening to our beaches, ports and marinas

[dolphinfrenzi]

BOX
I hope you do not mind if I borrow some of your space to share a story a good friend of mine put on kingfishconnection.com. Jeff Reid is a good friend of mine and Jerry Dilsaver is also. Alot of you may know Jerry from NC Sportsman Magazine.

*****************
Why one was Missing
Jeff Reid

When I wrote the article, last month, about tournament directors, I sent out a bunch of questions in order to put the story together. Lots of folks asked me why I didn’t put anything in there about the King of the Cape and Jerry Dilsaver. I can now let the cat out of the bag. Jerry called me shortly after he received the questionaire and told me that his tournament was having some problems and as soon as they were worked out he would let me know so we could print the story up. Knowing that Jerry is a man of his word, I assumed that in a few weeks I’d be getting my story, so to speak. After talking with Jerry several times over the past few weeks, I have come to realize the incredible scope that the tournament director’s job entails. Below is a letter I received from Jerry explaining the situation and why there will not be a King of the Cape in 2007.

Jeff,

I’m glad I didn’t try to respond to your questions about the disappearing waterfront yesterday. I went to the Oak Island Fishing Club meeting last night and Johnny Vereen, the Mayor of Oak Island, was there with a presentation on water access and disappearing working waterfronts. Mayor Vereen was appointed to the committee studying this and they did a great job recognizing the problems and offering some solutions and options. In fact, their study (47 pages) was recognized by Boat US as the premiere document for saving working waterfronts coast wide. I haven’t had time to study the report, but one of the high points (rapidly increasing coastal property values) coincides with what has happened with the King of the Cape Classic.

It is no secret that coastal property in general and waterfront property in specific has dramatically increased in value over the past 10 years. Here in Brunswick County our most recent tax reevaluation showed an average increase of over 200% and that is from a similar reevaluation just 4 years ago. My personal property increased just over 400%--and I have no water frontage or water access.

Part of this is a basic inflation increase, but part of it is an increasing desire to live at the coast and especially to be on the water. In last nights meeting, Mayor Vereen said their research showed that over 50% of the US population lives within 70 miles of the coast.

The increased competition for coastal property, especially the prime properties has driven the property values alarmingly skyward. Many of the waterfront properties were family owned and passed from generation to generation. The fish houses and early restaurants were family businesses and provided stable incomes if you worked hard, but weren’t gold mines.

Now, with the increasing desire for waterfront property, a piece of land is suddenly worth more than the business will make in 20-plus years. Some of the families have tried to hold out, but who can blame them for taking their security now and investing it wisely. As more businesses and property owners made the decision to sell, the surrounding property became even more valuable and there was increasing pressure on those persons to sell.

I certainly can’t throw stones or call names because I believe I would have probably done the same thing. The problem though, is our working waterfronts have all but disappeared. Coast wide, there are condos in many locations that used to hold fish or shrimp houses, small family businesses and restaurants and more are coming.

In the meeting last night, Mayor Vereen said the last shrimp house at Sneads Ferry had just been sold and the working waterfront there was now gone. In Oak Island, there are several seafood markets, but none are on the water. The last one succumbed several years ago. Fishermen must transport their catch over land to get it to these stores.

As a kid in Southport, I remember three fish or shrimp houses on the Cape Fear River, two railways on the river and seven fish or shrimp houses in the Southport Yacht Basin. Now there is one small family fish and shrimp business hanging on and one fish packing business that offloads boats there, but stores the fish at a different location. Two restaurants, one of which is in one of the old shrimp house buildings, are still operating, but the condos are beginning and plans have been announced for many more.

While all this has been happening, the values of the marinas have also increased dramatically and most remain full or at near-capacity. Marina rates have risen and their customers expect more for the extra fees. Many marinas are even becoming boat-a-miniums, where the slips are purchased rather than rented and an owner’s board makes policy decisions. These boards are often tougher to convince to host a tournament as they tend to focus on the inconveniences rather than the benefits.

I have been told that with marinas at near-capacity, their facilities are somewhat strained and the inconveniences of hosting a tournament often outweigh the benefits. When slip owners and year-round renters can’t find parking, have to maneuver through boats waiting to weigh or check out, have to wait in long lines to purchase fuel, find their toilet and shower facilities overrun and left messy and find their garbage receptacles overflowing and sometimes with odorous things, they become irritated and complain—and rightfully so. The marina management must first cater to their primary clientele and business decisions are made to that affect. This may prevent, or at least limit, the possibility of a marina hosting tournaments.

Our Brunswick County State Representative Bonner Stiller was also at the same meeting. Representative Stiller gave a short presentation on how the state has been working to improve existing water access and noted several visits to local ramps and suggestions for increased docking and parking at these highly-used facilities. He also expressed his displeasure with current policy and use of Southport Marina, which is owned by the N.C. State Ports Authority but leased to a private business.

I should also point out that a bill, sponsored by Representative Stiller, to prevent the netting of menhaden within 3 miles of Brunswick County beaches between May and October, has passed two committees (unanimous in one committee and only 1 opposing vote in the other) and has been referred to the House Floor. He said he expects it to pass there and the Senate version will be sponsored by his counterpart, Senator R.C. Soles. He asked for all of us who support this to contact our local (NC) representatives and senators. The web site at www.ncleg.net will provide the contact information for all the NC congressmen. Fishermen from out of state, who visit the N.C. coast, can also e-mail, write or call to offer their support.


We can also look at fishing piers along our coast. They are a perfect example of the rapid rise of the coastal property values. It is one thing not to invest more money to rebuild a pier after a hurricane, but several (Long Beach Pier in Oak Island—Iron Steamer Pier in Pine Knoll Shores—Sportsman Pier in Atlantic Beach—Triple S Pier in Atlantic Beach) have been dismantled because the property was more valuable divided into lots and sold or as a site for condos, than it was as an operating fishing pier.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO OTHER TOURNAMENTS:

I would recommend to other tournament committees to go to great lengths to become good partners with the marinas that host their tournaments. Offering to share in the cleanup of the facilities during and after the tournament is a good step. A good relationship with the marina owners and management is the cornerstone to marinas continuing to host tournaments. As water access becomes even more limited, the options for tournaments will become more limited also.

Considering using municipal facilities for tournaments is another option. We have seen this some with a few tournaments using city-owned marinas and with the SKA hosting their national championship at a Fort Pierce, Florida city park. Not all coastal cities have water access and not all are receptive to the idea, but having a good presentation of how the event will benefit the area is an eye opener. In N.C., all money raised from the sale of fish caught in a tournament must be donated to a non-profit civic or charitable group. I can’t speak for the other states, but don’t hesitate to promote who the proceeds will be benefiting.

I appreciate you allowing me the opportunity to be a part of the KingfishConnection.com site and hope our experiences will help other tournaments improve their rapport with their marinas and facilities and continue a long relationship.

Thank you,

Jerry Dilsaver
King of the Cape Classic King Mackerel Tournament

[MakoMike]

Sadly, it's happening up and down the coast.

[JD5652]

Scott-

Thanks for taking the time to provide us with a good dose of reality...it's a crying shame for sure.....soon the NC welcome signs will bear the logo.....Welcome to the Waterfront Condo State....

[cape_fisherman]

I wouldn't be so fast to condemn developers, or individual home owners for that matter. If you were in the position to buy a beachfront lot and build your dream home (assuming you want oceanfront property), would you? If you had money to invest in a few acres, build some condo units, and double your investment...would you? Of course you would! That all the developers are doing and that's all the individual home owners are doing. They are well within their rights to do so. But in the process (this didn't start six months ago...the coastal areas around us all have been developing for decades) the public is losing access. Yet all people can do is to BLAME the person who put in a driveway, built a house, and said, "this is mine...stay off."

In my opinion the state and local governments are the ones who should carry the brunt of the blame! It is their fault our public access has dissapeared. It isn't the fault of some shmo who decided he wanted to build a house up on a dune. The government let it get too far gone! They allowed all the land to be sold, and resold, and resold, and resold, and built upon, and resold some more until the property value is so high they can't afford to buy it for a public parking lot and beach access! We don't have more public access NOT at the fault of a developer or a private home owner...there isn't public access because our elected officials DIDN'T BUY LAND FOR PUBLIC ACCESS!!! How hard is THAT to understand?

Now everyone wants to sit back and blame the people who own the waterfront property...all the while letting their elected bozocrats get by with not looking after the public interest. Place the blame where it belongs.

And be honest with yourself...if you could own a waterfront home, you would...admit it. To say you wouldn't is a lie.

When waterfront land goes up for sale EVERYONE has an opportunity to purchase it...even the local and state government. Why didn't they buy up some of the working waterfronts when they had a chance? Why didn't they buy some waterfront (oceanfront, soundfront, creekfront) property while they could? Actually, THEY STILL CAN! Where are they? Why aren't they buying land? Sure it's expensive...do they think the price is going to drop?

Jay

[dolphinfrenzi]

u know everyone is to blame and u r right CF the government has a part in this also. I am telling you now, NC beaches are going to have the same thing happen I have seen happen in Myrtle Beach and NMB, us as fishermen and women will sit back and talk about the days. I live less than 2 hrs from MB, SC. the fact we are a hop skip and jump from MB I gre up in that area and I lived down there for several years. I will not go there now. It is MISERABLE to go there, depressing and traffic is hell. I see the exact same thing happening to Morehead City and other places and it is so sad. They talk about global warming and how the hurricanes are getting stronger, no they are the same hurricanes we just build more shyt in their way so prices go up because the dayum insurance companies say so but yet again people that own condos are being dropped from policies insurance will not cover them. Trust me I know this as a fact. My uncle's one with condo in NMB and one at N Topsail both have had their policies dropped by insurance companies and the homeowners assoc can do nothing. Our access is a problem. And u r right there is not a person that would not want to make a good investment. I do not blame the piers for selling, I do not blame the fish houses. As a guy told me in Sneads Ferry last year that owned it, he said they offer me 12 million, hell I will never make 12 million working here. We would all do the same I agree, it is just sad. really sad. they days my dad took me on Long Beach pier, the long cold nights I was out there with him learing how to fish as a kid. And now it is all changing which is fine. But the local governments and state need to step in. We need access for boaters. Well I will end here. Just thought you all would be interested in seeing what happend to a great run tournament by a great person and nothing anyone can do. trust me Jerry tried to make it work.

[Capt. Brian Daley]

Its worse than a sign of the times here in Jersey we have lost most of our
marinas, that is what brings in our income boating fishing etc. the waiting list
gets longer and longer there will soon be know place to dock. states like Florida do it right build around them and dont disturb the economy that keeps
every thing going and paying for water acts do what you can now so that
you dont end up like NEW JERSEY Breille was once known for its GBF & fishing
captial of the world now its gone politics rules and distroyes know getting away from it pull the trigger now

[ocnslr]

We had been living in a nice townhouse in an upscale area in downtown Norfolk. Our boat was in a wet slip at a large marina with three piers and a 250-boat dry store. But the handwriting is on the wall for all the working marinas on the north side of Little Creek, so we made a big change.

In 2003 we signed to purchase a condo in a new community. We were the first residents, moving in on 16 June 2004. We bought the smallest of five floorplans (1880 sq.ft.), and the largest boat slip (17' x 35'). The slip has gone up 25% in price, and the condo has gone up 50%.

I used to have a seven minute drive to work, and a 30-minute drive to the boat. Now I have a 25-minute drive to work, and a three-minute WALK to the boat.

All the posts above are correct. More than enough blame to spread around for the loss of working waterfront and water/beach access.

Oh, this 17-acre property wasn't working waterfront. It was a badly run-down trailer park, and there a bridge with four-foot clearance preventing access to open water. The bridge was replaced with a new one with 20-foot clearance, the trailer park was condemned by the city, and the condos and docks followed closely behind.

Still a great opportunity. http://www.harborwalk.net

And I have no financial interest. Just looking for good neighbors who like to fish!!!

Brian

[rich]

well if anyone wants to save some waterfront from developers my family has 20 acres with deep water access on 2 sides bring offers.

just messing around.

We do have 5 acres with fairly deep water access that we are trying to sell to the NC department of wildlife so there will always be a small place for the locals and every day people of the state and visiting people to have access to the water. But most people do not think this way. Granted we are not giving this land to the state they are purchasing it at a fair market value but it will always be open to the public.

[hotrodmarlin]

That sucks for Jerry- He is such a good guy. I gotta tell my story.
Some years back we decided to go after some african pompano 35miles offshore at frying pan tower. We jigged up some live cigar minnows and drift fished. There were 8-10 boats around us hooked up and catching fish and we couldn't get a bite. After about an hour a guy called us on the radio and asked us if we had any live menhedden for bait and we said no. He pulled up beside us and tossed us a bucket with 12 live pogies and we immedietly hooked up. I never knew who this stranger was until a few years later when I saw Jerry Dilsaver give a seminar. I thanked him again for helping us out!!
Dolphinfrenzi- if I can do anything to help him out just let me know. I would like to return the favor!

[rich]

I have a real problem with Mr. Dilsaver's letter. He talks about how the working fish houses and seafood markets are disappearing in one paragraph and how that is a bad thing. Then several paragraphs later he is trying to get part of their fisheries destroyed? Or am I missing something?
The fish/shrimp houses he speaks of make a living on not only the products you eat but the ones you use for bait as well. Also without those menhaden 99% of the blue crab everyone loves so much will not be caught because menhaden are their choice food.
The paragraph sounds very hypocritical to me as far as the fish and shrimp houses go. I agree completely that there needs to be water access for the public that is not super rich. But the senate is in the process of passing legislation giving the wildlife commission more money to buy waterfront property and they have already been instructed to buy all water access they can. So if you have waterfront property you want to sell go to them first but get your own appraisal to offer to them.