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Category: marina community
The name “Money Island Marina”
This post is intended to clarify some issues related to the name “Money Island Marina”:
The name “Money Island Marina” was filed as a fictitious name with the Office of the Clerk of Cumberland County
, New Jersey in 2012.We are aware that there is more than one “Money Island” in New Jersey and more than one “Money Island Marina” in the U.S.
“Money Island Marina Inc.” was previously used by two now defunct New Jersey business organizations not related to us.
“Money Island Marina LLC” was used by the immediate past management but is not authorized for continuity action after 2018. We anticipate that the entity will be extinguished by the state for non-payment of annual LLC fees.
Streamlined guest policy
Streamlined guest policy:
- Read and be familiar with the guest policy at https://moneyislandmarina.com/guest-policy/
- Identify yourself in a text message to Tony at 856-237-9199 (just one time)
- Text “I agree to the terms of the guest policy” (just one time)
- Let us know what/when/who you will be doing each time before you come. Give us advance notice when possible. (Example: “I’m coming with my kids tomorrow morning and we would like to use crab traps , bunker and the 3 passenger boat.”)
Well water test result 2021
Green head fly traps
Green head flies are a significant problem at the bay shore from late June until the middle of August. Around July 15 harmless dragon flies appear in large numbers and they reportedly eat the green head flies.
Rutgers University conducted research on green head flies and tested various types of traps to reduce their numbers. The study concludes that it is possible to reduce the local population of flies and they published the design of the trap that seemed to work best.
We took that design
, toughened it up, used materials designed for long life at the bay shore and even added tie downs to make them hurricane proof. (We haven’t actually had a hurricane but the traps have sustained 70+ mph windstorms).Our traps are made of plywood and treated 2x4s, with galvanized steel corner brackets, “lifetime” deck screws, and two coats of Sherwin Williams Super Deck stain. We think they will last a decade even in extreme weather conditions. Screen life varies from one product to the next so we are unable to forecast the screen life.
The glass bowls that collect the dead flies are heavy enough to withstand most weather and inexpensive to replace if necessary.
Almost immediately after setup they begin catching flies.
We are asking for a $200 tax deductible donation to Baysave and will be happy to deliver a trap as a thank you. See https://www.baysave.org/donate for online payment.
Money Island Water System
The Money Island Marina water well was drilled by Vance Skinner in 1948.
In a 1971 report by the NJDEP in cooperation with the US Department of the Interior Geological Survey the well is listed as a “semi-public system” operated by the Pollino family that ran the marina at that time. The well was 374 feet at that time and it was drilled to 400 feet more recently. It taps into the Cohansey-Kirkwood aquifer.
When I first arrived at Money Island that well served all of the houses from the Bayview Bridge to the cabins on Nantuxent and the commercial docks. Each home paid $100 each year to tap into the system. The lines for that system remain in the ground but are not used.
Over the years additional wells were installed but most are (or will be) eliminated through the Blue Acres buyouts.
After Superstorm Sandy we made major improvements to modernize the well, replace the pump, bladder and elevate the pump house. That work was performed by John Roesly of Cedarville. A new line was installed under the road to my cabin. The well was placed on a separate property deed.
In the past decade the Cumberland County Health Department began harassing the Money Island users of the semi-public system. That was likely a consideration of some property owners who elected to sell their homes to the state.
We briefly considered licensing the water system as a public utility but realized this was impractical in such a small community. Our inspection costs would be the same as a larger city system with many more users. I made some legal changes to bring the marina properties and my properties into compliance but didn’t have the resources to challenge the government on their claim the island’s water system was not grandfathered as legal.
Recent history of Money Island New Jersey
Money Island was built on the shore of the Delaware Bay in Cumberland County, New Jersey, from the 1930s to the 1970s mostly without the benefit of permits, surveys, licenses, etc. That led to regulatory compliance problems today because of the decades-old missing paperwork. We propose to address these paperwork deficiency issues with legal redevelopment that accounts for future use, higher water levels, frequent flooding, and increased wetland erosion. Research on sustainable infrastructure and restorative aquaculture is already underway here by a handful of educational and environmental groups.
Water level rise is a major factor in the redevelopment plans. While more water is good for the proposed future aquaculture uses, it is not good news for traditional human uses. It could also be devastating to the grass marshes that are washing away at an alarming pace. By 2050 Money Island will likely be completely underwater except for the reconstructed infrastructure designed with this expectation.
Money Island is primarily a seafood landing port. Money Island is New Jersey’s second most productive seafood landing port worth millions of dollars to the local economy every month in oysters, crabs, and fish. The larger regional seafood companies have proposed expanding here and are quietly acquiring more of the waterfront space. Eventually Money Island will be the primary site of the region’s expanding oyster nurseries. A growth in Delaware Bay oyster production of 1,000% to 2,000% is possible within a decade. In 2019, however, some of the commercial watermen moved out of Money Island because the state closed their docks.
The residential houses are disappearing. This is a voluntary choice of the owners based primarily on the observed effects of water level rise. Buyouts are exacerbated by threatened government legal actions against homeowners. Most find it more economical to move out than to spend the money to meet government demands. Less than 10 houses are currently occupied on a regular basis. Some of the few remaining residents stayed because they can’t afford to sell and relocate to a new location, especially not a waterfront location. As of mid 2020, almost all of the remaining residents state an intention to remain here.
The recreational marina had such a low level of utilization in the past decade that continued operation as a commercial entity was impossible. From 2016 to 2018 the marina averaged just one customer per day. The marina accumulated more than 10 consecutive years of financial losses and had to obtain supplemental funding by local nonprofits organizations since 2010. The property owner kept the marina business open without charging rent to help accommodate the recently deceased marina manager. Despite the low usage, both public and private interests are committed to maintaining public access to the waterways here. Now the marina is a private use facility.
The local government and community groups created a redevelopment strategy for the bayshore region that specifically focused on a sustainable redevelopment plan for Money Island as the region’s premier aquaculture center and seafood landing port. That plan has not yet been formally supported by state policy makers. The business of saving one storefront community for economic reasons while abandoning other communities as the water level continues to rise will continue to be politically difficult. Still, we expect that the need for seafood production increase will eventually win in this political struggle.
Results of research by The Nature Conservancy and its partners is encouraging. We’ve shown progress on restoring species diversity, preventing shoreline erosion, rebuilding elevated infrastructure, and moving toward energy independence.
The government consultant for the Money Island Marina community met with officials at NJDEP in May 2019. They report that an agreement in principal has been reached to allow proposed restorative aquaculture and sustainable redevelopment. Meanwhile
, however, permit approvals to make the necessary improvements to current infrastructure are currently stalled by state government actions.
The mayor of Downe Township government reports publicly that 30 million of dollars of private and public funding required for permitting and rebuilding of Money Island has already been identified but that these proposed sources are contingent on state government action of releasing property liens. The township passed an ordinance authorizing the purchase of properties at Money Island though eminent domain. While that action and timeline is outside of our local control
, most doubt that government will be able to raise the money required for this redevelopment. We believe that a public/private partnership will likely be required. Money Island is now in a ‘waiting pattern’ for the state government action to complete past purchase contracts and halt current litigation over the remaining properties. That will trigger the availability of new funding to address these other issues and launch a new era of environmentally sustainable redevelopment.
Private redevelopment action is led by Nantuxent Corporation. The company’s focus is on built-to-suit commercial dock sales.
A book about Money Island was released in November 2019 and a follow up film is anticipated. No production schedule is established.
Blue claw crabs
No New Jersey fisheries products were used in the production of this social media publication. Money Island Marina is pleased to be a host site for New Jersey crabbers but does not offer the sale of crabs within the state. We do not buy , sell, barter, trade or advertise New Jersey fishery products but rather offer our site and resources to these independent businesses. This information is published as a convenience to shareholders but is not an offer to buy or sell crabs.
This is typical non-holiday cooperative pricing for live local blue claw crabs from local harvesters:
HARD SHELL under 5″: From $.50 to $1.00
HARD SHELL over 5″ but under 5 1/2″: From $1.00 to $2.00
HARD SHELL over 5 1/2″: From $2.00 to $3.00
HARD SHELL over 6″: From $3.00 to $5.00
SHEDDER: $1.00 to $2.00
SOFT SHELL: typically $4.00 to $5.00
Why prices change
Crab pricing varies daily. Supply and demand are the biggest factors affecting the price and these are mostly outside of our control. But there are some pricing factors that you can control. Our commercial crabbers typically harvest blue claw crabs in smaller quantities
, often in response to specific orders or expected demand. We sell live ‘swimming crabs’ at the marina in a tank individually. Crabs are then bagged or boxed for live transport. Marina members may use on-site equipment to cook and clean their crabs but most transport them live.How to order in advance
Call or text with the quantity and date needed. We will forward the message to a crabber who will respond with an electric invoice of crabs are available. Price quote is good for 30 minutes. The crabber will confirm receipt of payment and confirm the order. Once paid, the order is confirmed and you are protected from any price change. Occasionally, rarely, a paid order is not filled due to circumstances outside of our control. In that case you receive a full refund and an apology, but no seafood fulfillment system is 100% perfect.
Delivery
We offer delivery when a driver is available at approximately the same rate as Uber. We will cost-match the lowest cost current option and confirm the price with you in advance. An online calculator of delivery cost is available here.
Get the best deal
These factors affect your price that you can control:
1) advance payment (reduces price more than any other factor)
2) pickup or delivery details (time and location).
3) number of crabs (discounts possible over 50 crabs)
4) day of the week (crabs are more expensive on Friday and Saturday)
Quantity needed
Most people plan to serve 3 to 6 crabs per person. Your guests may be different but this is our experience in hosting dozens of crab dinners for a variety of groups of dinner guests.
Numeric Grading
Crabs are traditionally graded numerically (#1s, 2s, 3s). We do not use that system because that grading varies between sellers and locations and even recently changed here in the local commercial crab market. In other words, the term “#1s” doesn’t have any precise or widely agreed upon meaning so it has limited value to crab buyers.
Bushel pricing
Crabs are traditionally packed and sold in bushel baskets. We do not use this method but will accommodate a customer request for a bushel basket. (We do sell crab baskets, new or used, with or without crabs). If you buy a bushel of crabs from anyone, be aware that it includes some dead crabs. The industry standard is up to 20% dead crabs.
Crab cleaning
We only sell live crabs as required by food safety laws but is is common for crab customers to hire an independent local dock worker to clean crabs in exchange for a tip. We can usually help make this connection on request but the details of the arrangement are up to you. Cleaned crabs should be kept on ice or refrigerated.
Last minute deals
We often offer special daily deals on mixed sized crabs or unsold quantities at he marina. In most cases the price remains the same but the offer includes an extra number of crabs. Those deals are posted on social media and are valid only until those specific daily crabs are sold on that day. These deals are short-lived
, sometimes as short as 30 minutes before unsold crabs must be shipped to a wholesale dealer.
Ticketing for Sunday August 12 Event
On Sunday August 12 at 7:00 PM we will host a meteor show watching event for our members and quests at the marina. Because the event has the potential to attract more attention than we expected, we are implementing these ticketing policies:
- The event will be limited to 40 adult ticket holders. Children don’t need tickets.
- Marina members can obtain tickets for themselves and guests.
- If you are not a member and don’t know any marina members
, call and ask to speak with our membership manager.
- Ticket are offered for a $15 donation per adult donation to Baysave
, a 501(c)(3) and NJ registered charity.
- Tickets are cancellable in writing via text message up until 10 AM on the day of the event. After that you are on the hook for the amount of the donation.
- If we cancel the event for weather or other reasons, the donations may be refunded.
- Payment can be made electronically (we can sent an electronic invoice) or paid later at the door. (As with all marina transactions
, members can use ‘house charge’ and settle later).
- Tickets will be issued via text message.
- To get tickets, fill out the secure registration form here. and look for text message confirmation. Use the text message as your ticket.
OTHER INFORMATION:
- State law requires children to wear a life jacket when on docks. The best option is to bring your own. We have a limited number of loaners and some available for sale.
- Plan to wear bug spray at dusk and night-time at any event on the water. Bring your own or we have it available if you don’t.
NJ Clean Marina Program
In 2013 through 2015 Money Island Marina went through an intensive internal training
, planning and implementation program under the guidelines of the NJ Clean Marina program. It took us many hours and cost thousands of dollars but the resulting change in operational procedures was well worth the effort. This program led us to cleaner and more sustainable business practices. It also provided benefits to other stakeholders.
In the spring of 2015 we completed our final on-site inspection for certification with program Director Mike Danko. After some months when we did not receive the promised plague indicating completion of the program
, I called the program administrator. He said that the program had run out of funding and he hoped that funding would be restored.
Now, three years later the program is still apparently still unfunded and idle. The web site is still up but hasn’t been updated in these past few years. Our application is still pending.
At the July 2018 NJ Sustainability Summit I had time to consider our position on this and made a decision to promote the NJ Clean Marina program in hope of drawing public attention to the fact that this program despite our marina’s status.
In August 2018 the program administrator for the state of New Jersey said that NJDEP has blocked our acceptance into the program but refused to name the official who took this action. We believe that this is part of a larger series of moves taken by the NJDEP to specifically target this Money Island marina community. We are now working with our elected officials on a legislative solution. Unfortunately the NJDEP has a long history of murky internal governance and avoidance of influence by elected government.