31st Harbor Fest
 

Sounds like a plan, man.

Whoa.. Free slip and admission for boaters?!? In Chitcago!??!


http://www.brandandmortar.com/wp-con...1254-mind-.jpg

Don't get ahead of yourself, big guy! It says for CHICAGO slip-holders, doesn't it? Trailer trash like us has to pay.

Anybody want to join us there ???

Figures.. knew there had to be a catch.

Last night my buddy wants to launch his scarab. I tell him I will meet him at 31st, as he wanted me to tune his engines with some new parts he installed. Anyhow, I get to 31st, tell the security guard I am going to help a buddy for a little bit down by the launch ramp, he lets me in with my car, and I go sit and wait by the ramp for my buddy to arrive. My friend gets down there shortly after with his boat he trailered from Palos Park after sitting in 1.5 hours worth of traffic, and they tell him, "Sorry, Launch Ramp is closed". He's like WTF do you mean its closed. "sorry sir, special event today, you need to check the website before coming". So, rather than accept the 27 dollar or whatever launch fee they charge now, they send him away, for really no reason whatsoever as far as launching is concerned. No wonder why this city is broke.

Meanwhile, I'm sitting at the launch ramp that is wide open, nobody there, nothing in the way, everything looks normal. So now, he has to leave, drive over to Burnham, which was another nightmare as their was a soccer game at soldier field, took 30 minutes to get from 31st to Burnham, which is like 2 miles, . We get over there, and were able to use their launch, as nobody from the harbor system was even around.

It sucks, it seems like everytime you go down to 31st, there is a problem. Whether its the launch ramp closed, no parking for trailers, no parking for guests cars (they change their parking rules daily), the automated pay/entry system isn't working, or just some general nonsense. Chicago is by far the most boater unfriendly town, mostly in part by the combination of politicians, park district dildos, or Westrec, the company that manages the harbor system, which outsources a private security company that hires degenerates, which is a complete joke itself.

Man, I can see why the launch ramp was closed down. SO much going on here. :picard1:

As if its any better in Hammond. The last couple years, if you were spending the night in a slip, they allowed you to launch your boat for free. Apparently not the case this year. Let's turn the screw another notch, right? So...$35 launch fee (cuz I've got THREE axles), PLUS the fee for the slip overnight. Stupid.

On a positive note...East Chicago/Pastrick now has TWO beautiful paved AND lighted overflow parking areas. And it's $20 to launch.

I gave up on Hammond , after they chained my boat to a piling on a saturday afternoon , when i pulled up to an empty dock to go say hi to friends on the next dock over. Wasnt there 15 min and they chained it, then took them 45 minutes to come unlock it after I called the harbor office.

Don`t forget the $25 Skyway toll for 5 miles of road on the way to Hammond.
I gave up on it last year.