Ding Dong the Martin is Dead!

After 15+ years the infamous Martin 242 is finally gone from it's slip.

The now infamous Heather Civic Marina Martin 242 is finally no more!

This boat was known far and wide for symbolizing the worst aspects of boat ownership and marina management. There are as many myths about the Martin as mussels clinging to it's festering hull.

The Martin 242, a fast little one design 24ft race boat built by local naval architect Donny Martin, has been moored at Heather Civic Marina in Vancouver for at least 15 years. The boat became famous for never, and I mean never being used, and it's epic state of disrepair.

When I began coming to the marina in 2005 the boat, Fast Tack, was tied to the dock with filthy over sized lines and mussel encrusted fenders. The vessel was permanently healing over with seepage filling her bow. It had no forestay and it's rigging was barely keeping the mast up. Anything of value had long been stripped off of it and it's gel coat was pitted and stained.

Whenever I enquired into it's history I got a different story. Some of my favourites were:

• A Chinese business man had purchased the boat the same year he made a big business deal and now kept the boat as a lucky charm.
• The owner had a sailing school and kept the boat as a tax right off
• The owner had bought the boat for his daughter who left the country for work and never had returned to use the boat which lay dormant.
• The owner had another boat at the marina and was no longer interested in maintaining it.

Whatever the history someone had spent nearly 50k in moorage fees over the years to keep a boat that was never used unless you count the family of otters that lived in it for a season. It was this lack of use and care that represented the worst in boat ownership. Not only was this vessel a inconsiderate waste of space in a era of huge moorage waiting lists it was a risk to the boats around it. If it sank it is likely it would have made some contact with the neighbouring boats.

Sadly this vessel reflected poorly on the marina's management. It is well known that the marina staff have made little effort over the years to have the vessel removed. All vessel's are required to carry marine insurance and it verified each year. This had not been done. The vessel was uninsurable as any carrier would require a survey which the vessel would fail. Instead they collected the cheques each year and turned a blind eye.

In recent years the boat became such a source of contempt some of the boaters in the area took to using it as a latrine pissing into it. It was also used as a garbage dump and was littered with empty beer cans. Finally a neighbouring boat owner called the staff at the marina on the insurance issue rightly claiming the vessel was unsafe. When the staff required the owner to prove insurance he simply did not pay for the slip and the staff were required to have it removed by a bailiff.

In the end this boat finally received the bullet in the head it deserved. It is a pity it's thoughtless owner did not follow it to the scrape heap. Now there are about 20 more boats like it to go next.