DUNEDIN, Fla. — Boaters at the Dunedin Marina are able to bring their boats back to the marina for the first time since last year’s storms.
Officials with the city said they are working on designs and construction of the large-scale repairs.
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Slip holders were able to return to the marina about a month ago.
Thursday was moving day for Carol Elwood.
“We’re bringing the boat back to the Dunedin Marina after a nine-month absence,” Elwood said.
That absence was due to the damage at the Dunedin Marina from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
“I was in total shock because our boat was not damaged,” she said.
Elwood has been sailing for more than 40 years and said she didn’t want to miss out on time on the water, so she immediately began looking for a new slip.
“It was not hard to find one at an exuberant price, and it was hard to find it at a reasonable price, and I had my name at five different marinas,” Elwood said.
She decided to dock her sailboat at a private marina in Clearwater, but going from a public to a private marina came with a price tag roughly three times higher.
“It was not only frustrating, but it was a financial hit on our budget, to the point that I decided to put the boat up for sale,” she said.
The boat was for sale for about six weeks and Elwood said she had a couple of interested buyers, but when she found out the Dundein Marina was re-opening to its slip holders, she took the sailboat off the market and was eager to return to her old boat neighbors.
“If you need help doing something, you just go down to the dock and ask somebody. It’s almost like a little family,” Elwood said.
The city said stabilization of docks A and B is done. The installation of new power pedestals is in progress. Construction of a new seawall is supposed to start at the end of the summer, and the city is projecting that to be done early next year.
Thursday morning, Elwood and her crew pulled into the Dunedin Marina for the first time in months.
“I feel like I'm home,” she said.
The sailboat is all tied up in Dunedin and ready for Elwood’s next adventure.
The marina’s boat ramp will remain closed to the public until the slip renters have the opportunity to get their boats back in the water. The city said after the marina is operational and construction on the most damaged areas has started, it will reevaluate when the ramp can be reopened.
The design and permitting process is also underway for the city’s fishing pier.
The city said it expects demolition and construction will start on the pier next summer.