Nanaimo, Moby Dick Lodge and Marina
December 9, 2009
_______Plans for major renovations and upgrades at Nanaimo's Moby Dick Lodge & Marina have some longtime marina users on the defensive. The 35-year-old business was bought last month by Nanaimo's Sirri family, who also own the Grand Hotel in the city's north end. The family is planning major restoration projects for both the deteriorating hotel and marina as part of their plans to build a state-of-the-art facility on the waterfront. Boaters who moor their vessels at the marina were told in a meeting with the family in October that they would have to find new moorage by the end of January so major work can begin at the site. However, at least three who live on their vessels at the marina say they have leases with Moby Dick's previous owner, Paul Yun, to moor their boats there well into the new year and feel they are being unfairly forced out of the marina. Inga Morris, who has lived on her 83-foot vessel at the marina for six years, said she paid Yun more than $2,000 to moor her boat until the end of May. She said she has also been informed that her power will be cut off as of Dec. 15. But Odai Sirri said Yun's lease agreements with the live-aboards was not part of the sale of the Moby Dick to his family and are not legally binding on the new owners. Yun could not be immediately reached for comment. "It's a sad story involving a lot of issues with the old ownership," Sirri said. Sirri said Yun's deals with those using the marina were not part of the sales agreement for the facility. He said the family made their intentions "quite clear" to all those who use the marina at the October meeting and most have found other moorage. "All we're trying to do is clean up the run-down area and make it into a first-class waterfront facility that the city can be proud of," Sirri said. Sirri said B.C. Hydro has ordered the power to the marina be cut as of Dec. 15 after a small fire at the site last month. He said B.C. Hydro pointed out a number of fire hazards that must be addressed to keep the power on, but the family decided to wait for the marina's major renovations to begin to deal with the concerns. Morris said the situation has left her "stressed out." "I have no other place to live," she said. "Boaters have no rights." © Copyright (c) Canwest News Service |