In addition to it's exemplary pumpout system, Clearwater Municipal Marina also serves as an example of accessibility to other marinas in Florida, marina manager Bill Held said. The Clearwater, Fla., marina's "personal lift system," which allows disabled people to get on and off of boats, has attracted the attention of federal regulators, he said.
"Honestly, it's something I never thought about until a disabled person came in and asked how he was supposed to get on and off boats at the marina," Held explained. "Well, that person filed a grievance with the Department of justice saying we were not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act."
While federal regulators wanted the marina to install a floating dock, Held resisted. Finally, one of his employees discovered a device designed to lower people into confined spaces. Held said the device "looks kind of like a davit with a chair on it."
"When we found this device, I thought we could just go buy a davit and modify it," Held said. "But none of the davit companies would guarantee that their devices would lift a person. They will guarantee that they will lift a 1,000 or 2,000 pound boat, but not a person."
So the marina bought one of the personal lift systems and three mounting bases, which were strategically placed around the marina. "So now a disabled person who wants to get on a boat can notify us and we could lift the person from the dock to the boat or from a boat to the dock," Held said. "But what I really like about it is that it's not an expensive system. It cost us about $4,000 and we didn't lose any dock space. That's crucial in a marina. You don't want to have to lose any slips." (The lift is manufactured by Uni-Hoist of Winnipeg, Manitoba; 800/482-9244.)
Federal regulators not only approved the system, they photographed it and used it as an example for other marinas facing the same problem, Held said.
While Held and other marina staff thought the lift system would be their "monument to the ADA" that would never be used, Held said many people do use the lift to enjoy boating. "We have never had former boaters in here who developed a disability and haven't been able to get out on the water for years," he said. "Because of the lift they've been able to go out boating with a friend and they've told us how grateful they are to be back on the water. That makes it worth it for me."
When the Marina began remodeling the core marina building two and a half years ago with money set aside from operating surpluses, Held was also faced with the challenge of making the second floor of the building accessible to the disabled."We had about $100,000 to bring a building built in 1952 into the 1990's," Held said. "An elevator was going to eat up almost all of that. Instead, we installed a wheelchair lift on our existing staircase for only 28,000. That way, we met ADA requirements without spending the entire remodeling budget."
In addition to making the marina more accessible, the remodeling also included an exterior facelift, converting the building's 1950s ship like look into a modern "tropical seascape" design complete with uniform signage for business tenants of the building. A previously unused rooftop deck was refurbished and opened to marina patrons, providing patio tables, chairs and umbrellas for lunching with a view of the harbor and nearby white sand beaches.
The pumpout system and added amenities of the renovation are just extensions of the marina's private-class service, Held said. "Many people think marinas don't need good service," Held said. "As a municipal marina, we are not here to make money. We are here as a service to the community, so I think our service has to be better."
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