You got that right Chuck! "Our" infrastructure is in poor shape as it is,
and it seems the Fed couldn't care less. Between fuel prices, and lack of
pump out stations (All the area "public" stations are out of order.) shallow
waters due to lack of dredging, and withal no dock space, I am finding
boating less and less pleasurable. The Julington Creek channal was due to be
dredged in 2004, but is now canceled. My home dock at Julington Creek is so
shallow, I am squatting in the mud at low tide. My Air-conditioner pump is
ruined from inhaling nasty bottom trash.

The restoration dredging of Mill Cove has been placed on indefinite hold
too. (Army Corps of ENgineers used it as a silt trap for the river's
shipping channal, and the once pristine, 50 foot deep, white sand bottom,
redfish capitol of the world is mere inches deep.)

I am wondering if all the funding is being re-directed to pay for Mr. Bush's
war effort.

Yep it's time for "We the boaters" to get on our high horses and make a lot
of noise. Its an election year, so maybe someone will listen.



Capt. Frank


"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
I have now heard a few reports from boaters in our region who say they are
finding
many mooring buoys just "gone" from state marine parks.

One boater found zero buoys at a park that previously had three.
He asked the park ranger about it, and was adamently informed that the
park had
just as many mooring buoys now as ever. The boater asked the ranger to
show him
where the buoys were, and the ranger then backed down to admit they were
"temporarily out of service."

Offical excuses seem to vary between "the crane on the buoy service boat
is
broken" to "we can't get the permits needed to reanchor the buoys once we
have
removed them for servicing or repair."

There aren't enough boaters to get anybody in government to give a serious
rip
about maintaining infrastructure, dredging areas not frequented by
commercial
vessels, etc. One version of the federal budget this year called for the
elimination of funding for dredging the ICW, (don't know whether that was
the
version that finally passed), so it isn't just a regional issue.

Our sport and the boating industry depend on maintaining a certain
infrastructure.
This may not be the right economic environment to expect sweeping
improvements,
but IMO we should all sing out when we notice the loss of existing
services.