Want to keep a kayak on the Gig Harbor waterfront? Here’s how to reserve a spot downtown
Getting on the water will be easier for some Gig Harbor paddlers this summer.
Kayakers, canoers and stand-up paddleboarders can apply for a spot in the new boat-storage facility at Ancich Waterfront Park in Gig Harbor.
The city is taking applications until Feb. 28 and “recognizes there may not be enough racks to meet demand,” according to a news release.
If the city gets more applications than it can accommodate for space in the building at 3557 Harborview Dr., spots will be determined by a lottery.
Several applications had been submitted as of Feb. 9.
Most of the racks are for 11-foot or 14-foot boats. There won’t be much space for ones longer than 17 feet.
Only non-motorized, hand-powered boats are allowed, and they’re supposed to be actively used.
“The public storage racks are not intended to be used as dormant boat storage,” the news release said.
The building will be accessible during the hours the park is open: from dawn until dusk or 6 p.m. (whichever is later).
The city plans to rent out spots for six months at a time. Then everyone would have to reapply. The application is available at cityofgigharbor.net and requires a $5 fee that’s not refundable.
The city will take applications each November for the January through June rental period, and each May for July through December.
However, the first wave of renters would get to use the facility early, possibly as soon as May 1.
“The City will notify each person approved for their application at least 15 calendar days before the start of each rental period,” the news release said. “Approved applications will then be required to submit payment for their rental and sign the rental agreement.”
Renters will have to provide their own locks to secure their boat to the rack.
Besides boat storage, the facility will have small lockers for rent to store clothing and other gear.
The cost to rent storage space will depend on the type of boat, the length and whether the renter is a Gig Harbor resident.
For example, an 11-foot stand-up paddleboard would cost $189 for a resident to store for six months, a 12-foot kayak would be $216, and a 17-foot canoe would cost $285. It’d be $264, $300 and $384 for a non-resident, respectively.
How many boats could fit in the space depends on the mix. There’s room for about 65 11-foot paddleboards, but it would hold fewer boats with longer kayaks and canoes in the mix.
The storage lockers are $60 for six months, regardless of residency.
Construction on the building finished this winter. It is next to the Community Paddler’s Dock, a new public float system at the park that’s expected to launch this spring. The contractor did demolition on the old Jerkovich Pier float system last month to make room for the new project.
City spokesperson Laura Pettitt said the budget for the Paddler’s Dock is $934,000. The budget for design, permitting, and development of Ancich Waterfront Park as a whole, including the storage building, is $8.5 million, and the storage racks were $47,000.
The Paddler’s Dock will be open to the public to launch hand-powered watercraft and will also be used by the Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak team.
“It’s right there and provides just a really excellent and affordable way to get out on the harbor,” Pettitt said.
