HELP! My Boat is too long!

[So Cal Cat]

I just purchased a 1980 Catalina "27" that had been stored in a 26 ft. slip.
I moved to another 26 slip at a dock in Dana Point Harbor because I have friends there. They allow up to 28.3 LOA. I just got a certified letter that claims my boat is too long for that slip at 30.3 ft LOA! They suggest I remove the front rail of all things. that would make the boat unsafe. I am going to remove the outboard for sure during this "hazing" process. Modifying the front rail is just spending money to reduce the value of the boat. The existing rail extends the boat 2 feet! Is there some way I can get an older model front rail that might take the place of the existing? My other quandary is how does an oversize boat get away with being too long for 30+ years yet get scrutinized when I move it? Even with the outboard removed I am at 29'

 

[caguy]

What a hassle! It's a nice harbor but they do seem a bit fussy. When I called to see about anchoring the harbor patrol said it was ok for up to 7 days but that I could not leave the ship unoccupied not even for dinner.
I've noticed that there is a big difference on the bow rail between different C27's. The double rail on my C27 doesn't stick out that far, however the single rail that I picked up for the Luger really over hangs the bow. I am keeping my eye open for a different rail with less over hang. Here are some picts of both. I am always amazed at the variations of the same models that Catalina put out. It usually makes me appreciate what I have in my C-27.

 

[fstbttms]

My other quandary is how does an oversize boat get away with being too long for 30+ years yet get scrutinized when I move it?

This is not a quandry, merely a fact of life. You are not good pals with the harbormaster. Maybe the previous owner was. I had a similar situation years ago with a previous harbormaster at Alameda Marina. I had an (admittedly) over-size (according to the marina slip rental agreement) dock box. One of my dock neighbors came over one afternoon and commented on what a great dock box I had (Rubbermaid Deck Box.)

Well, a couple of days later, I got a phone call from the harbormaster (who really was a little Hitler), telling me that the dock box had to go. He admitted that it was the guy who had asked me about it who complained and that there was nothing the harbormaster could do (even though I pointed out there were many technically oversized dock boxes in the marina and even the guy in question was using two 55-gallon drums for storage at his slip!) Well, it turns out my neighbor and the harbormaster were drinking buddies. So I got to eat my $225 dock box.

Marinas are not exempt from a**holes and politics.

 

[Don Guillette]

So Cal Cat: I had a similiar problem at Down Town Marina in Long Beach, Ca. My live-a-board dock neighbor had financial problems (I bought a lot of good stuff from him) and he also had a nice set of davits. One day a passing boat clipped one of the davits and the harbor patrol agent, who took the accident report, in addition to taking the report, cited him for being too long for the slip. He removed the davits and I made him an offer for the davits, which he accepted, and then I proceeded to install them on my Catalina 30 BUT so they could easily and quickly be removed.

Then the games began with the marina. I knew most of the agents and it became a joke with them. I'd get a letter indicating I was too long for the slip and I'd remove the davits and request a measurement. Finally, they gave up.

I had a C25 kept at Down Town marina. I was on a waiting list for Los Alamitos and finally got there in a 30' slip. I then purchased a C30 and even though there were vacant 30' slips (one right next to me) they made me move back to Down Town and go on a waiting list to move back. What morons!!

Here's what I think the deal is in So Ca -- if you're too long for the slip you've got problems. They hold all the cards and if you get the wrong marina agents they'll make you their lifes work!!

 

[anchorclanker]

If boaters ever joined forces and had the guts to make hard choices, like taking theyre boat/business elsewhere or even out of the water completely, and the marinas began to starve, policy would change. They only act as they do because they can. Because they know that for every one person who complains, 10 more will accept the abuse.

Think about it. If boaters pushed hard enough, we could have the marinas operating like time shares. You pay your slip rent at XYZ marina in anystate USA, but if you cruise off somewhere after filing a cruise plan with the governing body, you can use slips at any other member marina as though it were your home marina. Wouldnt that be cool?

 

[allen-deckard]

it's a 26' slip
they are allowing up to 28'
so your suggesting they allow 30'? maybe 35'? heck why not 50 or 60.

They made a cut off possibly the harbormaster has changed in the last 30 years and the previous boat grandfathered in maybe it was his boat at one time maybe...maybe...maybe.. Fact is someone allowed someone to put it there and let it slide.
Then next guy comes in has a rule book in front of him and doesn't.
It's not rocket science to me unless you really pissed him off at some point and it's personal but I'd say it's just someone trying to do there job.

Maybe someone else came along and said "hey he's got 30' I should be able to have 35' or whatever it's just guessing.

Personally in our marina the previous owner of the marina let things slide on a lot of this and boats were hanging out all over cause he was trying to keep the business going and was letting things slide eventually it slid enough people were tying boats up behind there boats and things were sticking out 15' or more behind there slips making getting into your slip a nightmare.

Point being they made a cut off they either stick to the cut off or move the cut off for everyone at which point where is the cut off.

 

[LuzSD]

We're in DP harbor also and have our family c27, I think it is 1979 or 80, in the east basin, with lots and lots of other 27s. I think its in a 25 slip actually. Is your boat now on the west basin? If so, that could be your problem.. those slips are a bit different sized and their rules are also a little different.
Admittedly I know nothing of different sized C27 but this seems really odd that you measure 30+.

It does seem pretty inconsistent though.... we have boats all around us who either tie a dink up tight to their stern (winter) or during summer, float dinks behind their boats, extending their length by a great deal , which makes getting out of and back into slips a real challenge at times.

Something sounds fishy to me... Hope you can resolve it!

 

[So Cal Cat]

I moved my c27 from west to east basin. It was originally a gas inboard and is now a Mercury 8hp outboard. The pulpit on my mine is beautiful but I would rather have a motor so the pulpit has to go. I don't take any of this personally and don't want to get into what others are getting away with. It's just a matter of the dock master doing his job and my fault for being unaware of this over length possibility in the first place. They were good enough to give me a re-measure date so I will have the railing completely remove that day as I try to find someone to build me a pulpit that doesn't extend 1.5 ft. I think it's mostly about being in compliance initially and then maybe I can put the original pulpit back eventually. I knew it wasn't just me they were concerned with when a guy came down our dock looking for a slip because his was recently measured and they want him to move his oversized 21 ft into a 25. The agonizing thing about this is that I have to spend money to do something that decreases the value of the boat. Boating isn't pure bliss after all......

 

[foolproof]

All I can say is thank god I sail in Missouri!! It would be unheard of at Stockton Lake for this kind of behavior to occur. They figure "if you want to put a 22' boat in a 40' slip, go ahead...but it does cost more".

I've never heard of anyone being pushed around because they're too long.

 

[FastOlson]

I sympathize with the OP, but when it comes to "true overall length" the marina can indeed be hard nosed about it.
Up north of us in BC waters, it's not uncommon for boats pulling in to arrange for a slip to have to tie up to the temp. dock, which is marked off with graduated length markers, and have the person in charge come down and observe it directly. Truly, "it is what it is."

If, for example, you have a boat with a transom-mounted OB, and any sort of bow pulpit, most "twenty-seven" foot boats actually occupy about 31+ feet of side tie.

It's nice to catch a break, but you can't expect or demand it.

 

[Old Skool Neil]

The other side of this is being able to walk down the dock without zig-zagging to avoid anchors, pulpits, sprits, etc. while at the same time not having the unfortunate skipper with a handling problem snagging outboards, ladders, dinghies and BBQ's as he bounces from one stern to another on his way in or out of his slip.

My previous boat was a Westsail, 32 feet on deck, 42 feet overall (bow sprit, pulpit, outboard rudder and boomkin). I could have squeezed into a 40 foot slip legally according to allowable overhang but I opted for a 45 foot slip instead. In a 40 foot slip I'd have 6 inches clearance on each side due to my beam, in the 45 foot slip I had about 2 feet on each side plus a 3 foot buffer zone from my stern to the end of the slip and channel traffic. For me, it was well worth the extra money.

 

[shipwreck66]

My C27 with the bowsprit does tend to greet and say hello to those on the dock when I come in, I have to walk it back several feet to get the snout back over the water.