Kirkland Weblog

Calling all Kirkland Boaters (in my quiet voice, so I don't get in trouble)

 There is a proposal that is going in front of city council THIS Tuesday, March 6th that could impact boating in Kirkland.  The recommendation is that we amend our watercraft regulations so that 3 or more boats can no longer tie up together ("rafting") and that we use new guildelines around public noise disturbances.  Violations of these new codes would range from $150 up to $450 depending on the number of infractions.

 Who are the party poopers that think this stuff up? 

 If you have a boat and it's a sunny day and you're tied up with a few friends, I think you deserve to blurt out a few "Woooot-woots"  and whistle a happy tune.  We live within earshot of Juanita Bay and sometimes the music is a little loud or I hear some big horsepower boats racing or even people's conversations (sound really DOES amplify over water).  But that is what we love about living near the lake- the sounds of the lake!  If I bought a house near the airport, I don't think I should be complaining about the sound of airplanes, right? 

How can Kirkland be a destination waterfront city if we start enforcing vague rules that discourage boaters from coming our way?   These are the same boaters that come use the public moorage and shop in our stores and eat in our restaurants.   I realize having 12 boats tied up with lots of skin, empty tequila bottles and Mardi Gras beads might be a recipe for disaster.  But that is not every case-- we've tied up with a few friends and acted responsibly when it would have been much less safe to have us constantly navigating around each other in circles.  And heaven forbid, I may have even laughed loudly. I'm not saying the waters should go unregulated, but that we should be reasonable and not create ordinances that are ripe for being abused. Or run the risk of being grinches that take the whos out of Whoville.

 

Here's some of my favorite verbage from the proposal re: noise...

 

 (c) Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing, particularly

between sunset and sunrise or at any time and place so as to

unreasonably disturb or interfere with the peace, comfort and

repose of others, including owners or possessors of real

property;

(d) Sound from any audio sound system operated at volumes

so as to be audible greater than 50 feet from the watercraft

itself; or

(e) Sound which unreasonably interferes with the peace,

comfort and repose of others, including owners or possessors

of real property

 And here's a rafting tidbit:

......In addition, any three (or more) motorized watercraft

drifting or anchored within 25 feet of each other for the purpose of

having a party or rafting-like social exchange shall be deemed to be

rafting;......

If you enjoy boating in  Kirkland  (and like to hoot, whistle or be near your friends on occasion) you may consider going to the meeting on Tuesday night around 7:30 (agenda here). You can also always email your city council members. ~j

 

Attention Hungry Boaters!

I read a statistic recently that said one in four residents in the Seattle area owns a boat.  I wonder if that includes rowboats and kayaks because that 25% number seems high.   Anyway, the point is that there are lots of boaters and water around here.  Where do they all go when they need to tie up and eat?  Day and visitor moorage isn't always so clear--especially in Kirkland.

Not only is it confusing, you need to remember that any bozo can buy and operate a boat.  No qualifications or special boater's license needed.  Just a checkbook and a line of credit.   I could tell you a story about how I discovered what the word "shoal" means, but why voluntarily embarrass myself?  (if you have to know, email me at kirklandweblog@gmail.com ).  Even above-average clowns like ourselves don't know where all the visitor docks in Kirkland are located or the exact protocol to follow.  Many docks are not clearly marked and one can't easily decipher the do's/don'ts of hourly mooring around Kirkland either. 

Then we heard about a book called "Cleats & Eats, a boater's restaurant guide" that does a great job of summarizing and illustrating all of the public tie-ups, complete with descriptions, photos and drawings that even tell you which side to tie on.  It's like a local 'boating for dummies' book that also includes a guide to all of the restaurants near the public tie-ups (this must be difficult to keep current!).  There's a section on Kirkland which includes Carillon Point, Clancy's Dock, Marina Park, Second Street Dock and Settler's Landing.  You'll also read about other secret finds in and around the Seattle area. 

The author, Lorena Landon (pictured right, on her 22' cuddy cabin runabout) is a Kirkland resident and WA native.  She and her husband have been boating for over 30 years, and often other boaters ask them:  "Can I tie up here without getting yelled at?"  "Is this public or private?" "How long can I stay here?  Where is the restaurant?" She told her husband there should be a guide book and he encouraged her to write it herself.  She's working on her fifth edition now!

You can find these great guidebooks at a variety of locations around town (no on-line sales yet) which are listed on their website www.cleatsandeats.com .  The easiest place to grab one is probably Yarrow Bay Marina or the Downtown Association (on Lake St. next to Jalisco's). They run about $12 and are the perfect size to stick in the glove box of your boat next time you need it.  For long term moorage, check out our blog post: Kirkland Moorage...what is the best marina for you?    Enjoy the rest of these sunny summer days on your boat.  Or better yet, somebody elses!      ~Janis