Update from June 30, 2009: The new marina will open as planned tomorrow, July 1, 2009.

Original text: The long awaited opening of the new Middle Bass Island State Park Marina is anticipated to be on July 1, 2009, assuming that everything goes smoothly in a last-minute meeting on June 30 to resolve a few issues. The Middle Bass Island web site at www.middlebass.org will post an update as soon as the marina is open.

The marina was scheduled to be opened on June 19, but the state fire marshal's office apparently determined that some pipes that were supposed to be 4 inches in diameter were only 2.5 inches wide (or 3 inches; the stories vary).

We have heard different stories about whether a fire suppression system of the type supposedly required is needed at all at a marina of this type. We have also heard that the fire marshal may give in, in recognition of the fact that water to deal with fires is available at the marina. But the items in this paragraph are unverified rumors.

All the initial dates for the marina were based on contractor estimates, not taking into account that construction on Middle Bass Island has a strong history of not being completed on schedule.

Electricity at docks is not anticipated to be available until the end of August, and water connections will not be available this year at all.

In the next few weeks, some additional dredging will occur just outside the marina entrance. To a boat coming from the south, it may look as if the marina entrance is blocked, but the entrance will be open.

I was surprised at the nice items for sale at the state park marina office. There are Middle Bass Island State Park t-shirts, sweatshirts and much more, including some limited edition shot glasses.

As we were standing in the marina today chatting with a few Middle Bass Island Yacht Club friends about the status of their docks, we were surprised to see a Port Clinton Police boat pull into the new, and closed, C dock. (see picture below). It was the very first boat I have seen in any of the closed docks, so they may have just set a record for being the very first boat in the public docks. The ODNR boats have only docked at the west wall, where the docks are open to ODNR and seasonal dock holders.

An ODNR officer walked up to the 4 policeman as they came off the dock and told them the dock was closed, and they said they were just going to use the restrooms and leave. And that's what they did.