I am driving up the highway and the business report comes on...

"Sporting goods business's are reporting a big fall off .. "

Then the story; boats, it was about boats. Seems because of the cost of
operating [ motor boats, I'm assuming the story was more about motor boats ]
the boats are not leaving the docks. And when the boats don't go out the
marina's don't
sell gas, and all the etc's etc's..

The story went on to say that on any day the marina's have the feel, sound,
of a churchyard.

No one around, no activity.

Will someone tell the XXXX who are using us boaters as there ATM. Like the
towns along the coast.
The harbors, the local governments, the state governments.

In NH, to set a mooring the permit is about [ I might be off by a buck or
two ]
$250 per year. That is just the permit. For a mooring.

For the $250 per mooring the state does NOTHING. Absolutely NOTHING.

The money goes to the patrol guys who go around bothering people. The
harbor masters. The port authority.

There isn't even a true public dock in Portsmouth. Isn't that nuts?
Portsmouth, a city which takes great pride in being a
shipyard city. There is one very small dock near Prescott Park .. It is a
joke.

No public docks, no support for recreational boating. The river and the
current along and in the river can be problematic but
where does all the money go.

According to the NH Ports web site:
"The DPH is responsible for more than 1,500 moorings in 29 mooring fields."

At $250 per mooring per year... equal to = $375,000 and this is just
recreational moorings.. there is commercial shipping, fishing,

the shipping dock ..

So? Where and what is happening with all this money?

Say you are cruising up from Massachusetts .. you come to Portsmouth
harbor. Can you go up river and actually visit Portsmouth?

Not really. Along the river to your left is NH. No public docks or
moorings. On your right Maine and then the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. As
you approach Portsmouth there is are some docks to the left. These are
commercial fishing. Then, there is Prescott Park. A couple of very small,
not easy to get to, tired looking docks. Up river beyond the lift bridge,
all condo's and restaurants on the left until the commercial shipping dock.
Nothing .. no place for recreational sailors. All the way to Dover Point,,
nothing.

What an example of government waste. Mooring permits = money for nothing.