Dana Point Boaters Association drops dues

DANA POINT — Mandatory dues are a thing of the past for Dana Point Boaters Association (DPBA), which as of recent has been shifted to a donation-based fundraising plan. While the organization is 100 percent funded by boaters’ donations, the DPBA believes the boating community is best served when everyone has access to the right information and assistance, said James Lenthall, vice president of DPBA. “Every penny we raise will be used directly on protecting and advancing affordable recreational boating in Dana Point Harbor,” Lenthall said.“Our directors and advisors are volunteers who receive zero financial compensation or benefits. We don’t submit travel expenses and there are no free meals; our only rewards are the achievements we make on behalf of our boaters.” DPBA’s latest agenda item is to protect boaters’ interest through the harbor revitalization plan, which will remove the harbor’s current dry boat storage facility and replace it with a new, $30 million hi-tech dry stack storage facility. The building will hold up to 400 small boats in vertical racks, delivered to and from the water by an automated gantry crane system. “Within the overall plan, we’re focused on protecting affordable on-trailer dry boat storage and to ensure that waterside construction remains...