Boaters were hogging spots at Beaufort’s day dock. Here’s what the city is doing about it
A three-hour parking limit has been imposed at Beaufort’s day dock to prevent a few boaters from hogging spots and blocking access for others hoping to visit the city’s downtown.
The 200-foot Day Dock, accessed by an aluminum gangway, opened in 2018, allowing boaters and paddlers to tie up and visit downtown Beaufort at no cost. It’s located at the east end of the seawall at Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park. At the time, city officials said it would be another way to draw visitors from nearby communities to shop and eat downtown.
But Linda Roper, director of the city’s Downtown Operations and Community Services, said a few boaters are parking their vessels too long and blocking access for other boaters looking to visit shops and restaurants, which prompted recommendations from city staff and police.
“It wasn’t a huge problem,” Roper said. “We’re just trying to make it so it doesn’t become one.“
City code already regulates the Marina Day Dock — a second city dock located next to the city’s marina — but the newer Day Dock wasn’t covered.
City Council approved the changes Tuesday.
It is now illegal for any vessel to tie up to the Downtown Day Dock for more than three hours in a 24-hour period.
Another change is vessels can’t be moored in the Beaufort River within 500 feet of the seawall of Waterfront Park or a public dock. The distance had been 200 feet.
Fines of $100 a day may be imposed for violations. Park cameras have coverage of the waterfront.
“We’re not going to be just sitting there staring at a camera,” Roper said. “A complaint will have to be investigated.”
The City Council also voted to amend the code to state that no vessels are allowed between 1 and 6 a.m. at either the Marina Day Dock or the Downtown Day Dock. That’s not a change, Roper said, but rather a clarification of the current overnight ban on use of the two docks.
Some boating web sites, Roper said, have Beaufort listed as having free overnight docking. Using the docks is free, but not overnight.
The only exception to the overnight rule is that a dinghy may be tied to the north or inland side of the Marina Day Dock. A dinghy is a small boat or inflatable raft used to get to larger watercraft. No dinghies are allowed at the Day Dock.
The $100 daily fine for violations of the three-hour limit, mooring distance and overnight boat ban replaces a $500 daily fine that had been in place solely for violations related to using the docks overnight.
While the Beaufort Downtown Marina earns revenue from larger boats, long-term guests and those stopping in for fuel or other provisions, the Day Dock serves those seeking shorter trips.
“The dock is very busy during the weekend, so it didn’t allow turnover,” Roper said of boats that remained tied up too long at the dock.
