Here's a mental picture for you.
UP NAPA RIVER WITHOUT A PADDLE
a visit to the Napa Valley Marina
Recently, masks coming off, Covid mutations fighting back against non-vaccinators,
changing times, miles of something new: miles long stop and crawl traffic, no
accidents, just sheer volume on the north bound road into Sonoma. It was Steve
who suggested looking closer to home.. On a Saturday took the Element east into
Napa County and south onto a long straight and then winding rural road out back.
Sighted masts and cruised a stretch lined with large yachts perched on their keels.
Turned into the marina, straight-off found an open-door men's room and a marine
flea market in progress. Went into the store and found it shared a door with the
marina office. "Come back Monday." said the skinny guy behind the counter.
Ambled into the huge yard with huge dead elephants waiting for god. One or two
pickups parked in the casual groupings, no ladders against hulls. Altho it was a
Saturday there were no radios blasting and not a single sander, dead quiet.
After a doctors appt, arrived back at the marina office just before noon, to find
what appeared to be the yardmaster sipping soup at his desk. Came back at 12:30
and this happened:
Showed him, a large balding power figure, an image of Litlgull on my phone. He
brought out a green colored sheet of paper covered with 3 columns of price lists.
My boat would be charged daily lay days of $40 for 15 days, then $300 per month.
But if I was working on the boat, the rate jumps to $500, but longer than 3
months the rate jumps again to $750 (for a mono-hull to 44').
My brain Overflowed. Wanted a place to work, not punishment.
One item on a list of services for moving boats stands: $30.
Another was a "corkage fee" for paint not bought at the marina store: $10 a ft.
A fine of $260 for Litlgull using an open qt of Epifanes -- or a gallon of bottom.
As I turned to go, he said, "September x is when we can fit you in.." That was two
months away. I flashed, three marine ways are virtually empty, looked unused,
there's one 30' yacht parked on the floats, two live yachts on the hard gravel at the
head of the ways, no human activity. I got the message and left. The marina
looks historic and pleasantly incredibly neat, like a movie set.. waiting for the actors
to show up.
I drove past the elephants.. never to return.
Reasoned: the traffic problem wld soon return to something like normal.
This sleepy yard of money games is NO PLACE FOR THE LIKES OF EBB.
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