By STEPHEN L. SWANN
Was October one wet month or what? Even so, the Port of Poulsbo Marina has been successful in attracting yacht club visitors and individual boaters.
BOAT GUY IN FEBRUARY. Still on track is a repeat visit for the “Boat Guy” in February. The port and the entire city hope to make Chip Hanauer’s visit an annual event.
POULSBO BOATERS ASSOCIATION. In recent weeks, the newly formed Poulsbo Boaters Association has met to discuss key issues of interest to our marina community. The association plans to meet monthly to discuss port-related topics, which may include: budget, Comprehensive Scheme amendments, maintenance and capital projects, boathouses, and liveaboards.
Creation of the association, encouraged by Port Commissioner DeSalvo, is expected to serve to assist commissioners and staff in port planning, both long- and short-range. Look for a Facebook page and association newsletter in coming months.
PORT EMPLOYEES’ UNION. Port commissioners have welcomed the opportunity to work with the Teamsters in its new role as advocate for our office and dockside employees. To better educate ourselves on the mechanics of unionization, the port has scheduled collective bargaining training for commissioners and staff in advance of the first meeting with union representatives on Dec. 1.
BOATHOUSES. Readers of the North Kitsap Herald are well aware of recent challenges arising from removal of a boathouse from the marina. The Zetty boathouse now sits at anchor (as of Nov. 5) in the middle of Liberty Bay, awaiting action by its owner and the Department of Natural Resources.
Credit for successfully avoiding even greater damage to marina boats than what actually occurred (and reported by the Herald) clearly goes to Richard Stice. Richard, a long-time employee of the port, remained on-scene with the port’s skiff to fend the underway boathouse away from other boats in the marina.
Boathouses are becoming quite rare in our area, with the demand increasing. The port is seeking bids this month for a replacement boathouse. Once finalized, it is expected to take a couple of months for its construction and delivery to the marina.
LIVEABOARDS. Readers of the Herald are also aware of the port’s efforts to expand our liveaboard population at the marina.
Currently, 12 boat slips are assigned to permanent tenants entitled to live onboard year-round. By law, up to 10 percent of the marina’s population may include liveaboards, and the port is seeking authorization from the city to assign 13 additional slips for this special and highly-desirable status.
The first of several meetings with the city was held about seven months ago, prompting an extensive review of the liveaboard question by the Poulsbo Planning Department.
On Oct. 22, Poulsbo’s Economic Development Committee met with port commissioners in a public meeting at City Hall. At this meeting, the new procedures for processing a shoreline conditional use permit application were explained by the planning director. Unlike before, where the final decision resided with the City Council, the liveaboard permit request now will be decided by an appointed Hearing Examiner.
Another meeting serving as the official “pre-application” session between the city and the port is scheduled for Nov. 18 at City Hall.
The port and the city remain optimistic that a permit will be eventually granted in 2015. The two major hurdles to be overcome — parking and environmental — remain. For the most part, limited parking on Anderson Parkway is the greater concern. Since ths matter was last investigated in the 1980s, the port has added more than 50 parking spaces at its large lot on Jensen Way, a short walk from the marina and Front Street shops. Assigned parking at this port-owned lot will reduce parking congestion on Anderson Parkway.
M/V AMERICAN SPIRIT TOUR BOAT VISITS. The final scheduled visit in 2014 to Liberty Bay by the M/V American Spirit is set for Nov. 7.
American Cruise Line has completed its second year of seven-day trips out of Seattle, ending in Poulsbo on Friday mornings. Visitors from all around the United States have checked out Port Townsend, Anacortes, Port Angeles, and Poulsbo on these upscale voyages.
Visits to Poulsbo will start up again on April 3, 2015; 24 trips are planned by American Cruise Line next year.
PORT QUIZ: In October, Poulsbo’s old salts were challenged to identify the distinction between a vessel’s “gangway” and its “brow.” There were no responses, unfortunately. This was a simple query: the “brow” is the ramp from the dock to the vessel; and the “gangway” is the area aboard ship where the brow permits personnel to board. However, it is not uncommon to erroneously refer to this ramp as the gangway.
Ever heard the term “chewing the fat?” Its derivation is from seafarers’ lingo … so what did it originally mean? Send your best “guess” to commissioner.swann@portofpoulsbo.com. The first correct response will be recognized in the next Scuttlebutt.
PORT COMMISSION MEETINGS. Mark your calendar for the first and third Thursday, 1900 (7 p.m.), and come down to the port’s floating conference room to find out what’s going in the Poulsbo Port District.
