If you boat, your goal for the Memorial Day holiday weekend may fit in somewhere between catching the “big fish” and taking in the scenery, while cruising the waterways.
It is no coincidence that National Safe Boating Week (May 20-26) is just ahead of this holiday to remind boaters to inspect their vessel to make sure all equipment is in good, serviceable condition and that life jackets are on board.
Among the things to keep in mind before heading out to launch, is that this popular boating weekend, can easily translate into long lines, long waits and lack of parking.
To avoid delays, the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department urges boaters to first contact its marinas for updates on important information, such as:
• Best time to launch in order to avoid delays;
• Updates on traffic and parking conditions, and
• Availability and affordability of short-term wet slips for the holiday weekend.
Boaters also are encouraged to sign up for free Miami-Dade Marina SMS Alerts. This service keeps boaters up-to-date on such issues as hazardous weather conditions and boat ramp closures and re-openings via text alerts to their email or mobile phone. For registration details visit the Miami-Dade website.
Miami-Dade Parks’ six full-service marinas offer exciting resort-like amenities, such as wet slips, dry storage, boat ramps, transient dockage, fuel, bait and tackle, boat rentals, diving, and landing facilities.
Remember, calling ahead and advance planning is best. For a complete list of Miami-Dade Marinas visit the Miami-Dade Parks Web page.
