So far, the North Hatley marina hasn’t been very busy. No doubt the weather hasn’t helped boaters settle in at the dock. On the other hand, if you count the number of boats at the marina, the occupancy rate looks worrying. On a rainy day when boats are rarely on the lake, I counted 11 boats, including a rental boat belonging to Location des Quatre Lacs, I believe. The weather isn’t helping, and no doubt many boaters will be arriving for June 24.
The North Hatley marina has 47 dock spaces. That’s a good income for the municipality when all the docks are occupied. This represents at least $98,700 and possibly more, as the price of a non-resident dock is normally higher. This is the case in Ayer’s Cliff, at least.
On the other hand, it’s a good idea to keep the place clean for boaters. I have experience of several marinas, and I can tell you that most are very well maintained. What’s more, there are ways of increasing revenue by offering electricity, water, a bathroom and even a small lounge to tenants.
Unfortunately, North Hatley’s pedestrian bridge, and even the concrete bridge in certain circumstances when the water is very high, put the passage of boats at risk. Indeed, the current can become very strong under the concrete bridge, putting both motorboats and non-motorized watercraft at risk. This represents a risk of accident and injury. In fact, many boaters I know don’t want to return to the North Hatley marina for fear of going under the bridge. Everyone who has a pontoon boat doesn’t want to go under the bridge anymore. Note that there are few or no pontoons at the marina. It’s not suitable for pontoons because of the bridge.
Only small boats with small windscreens can pass under the bridge, even when the water is very high. All other boats, and especially pontoons, have difficulty passing under the bridge or at the end. In fact, I’ve noticed that more and more boaters are passing through at the end of the bridge. The risk of accident and breakage remains very high, since the bridge pillars always remain in the bottom at this point. There are also a lot of rocks in addition to concrete on the pedestrian bridge. I speak from experience, as I pass by almost every day and break my boat and equipment constantly. This situation could be corrected and allow all boats, even pontoons, to pass through in all seasons.
Renting a dock and passing under a pedestrian bridge don’t mix. Especially in recent years, Mother Nature has been dropping a lot of rain and raising the water several times during the summer season. In my opinion, if the municipality of North Hatley wants to continue renting docks at $2100 +taxes, it will have to look into solutions. The master plan probably already provides for this.
On that note, take care when crossing the bridge.
