Our member JMA recently opened a discussion on 'another network' concerning the wisdom of having some protection at the water's edge around the marina for children playing at the nearby marina park playground.
http://www.ludingtontalks.com/forum/topics/playgrounds-next-to-marinas
JMA was pretty much ridiculed by most posters, some insinuating she may be less than responsible herself for allowing her few kids the opportunity to get even close to the water's edge. With the three recent deaths in the area over the last month, a couple involving falls off of the breakwater, I think JMA's concerns had some validity to be researched, as unfortunately she had not the opportunity to actually detail/defend the problem pictorially. I did that on Friday.
This picture is taken looking back at the playground from the marina's peninsula. The safer to walk area nearby, has rocks to keep junior from doing his lemming act before intervention. The other areas may be nice to park your boat, but scary to have your kids nearby. Most of these areas are about 10 ft from the sidewalk, where our kids walk to and fro, and thus there is only about a second or two where a non-secured kid could bolt and find himself in the drink. This metal seawall extends for a long distance without any guardrails at all. After all, a tied-up boater would be inconvenienced by having to climb over it.
This is the view opposite of the first one. On the opposite side of the peninsula, the fencing is intermittent, so the danger is still there, only worse, because a parent may feel more safer in the fenced areas and it is usually rougher seas there.
The new transient docks, as has been noted before, feature an open 'sidewalk' on the marina's edge which is also open to the public. Notice how a single misstep can put a tourist or their kid over the edge and into the skanky water.
Along the walk loop, they have taken all the fun and danger out of enjoying a walk, by putting up inoffensive, sturdy blue railings to prevent a spill from happening. Of course, this isn't City property, this is private property where they have to be concerned about liability issues. The (former) US Coast Guard area also has this fencing about, even between them and their rescue boat.
In my opinion, JMA has a very valid point, and concern about future accidents which may happen along the marina area. The question is do we accept this risk, or do something about it?
Tags:
© 2025 Created by XLFD. Powered by