SBIA Boat Dock Rules & By Laws

(As approved by membership vote on May 8, 2023)

Shady Beach Marine Rules and Regulations Governing Boat Dockage and Ramp Usage

1. Boats and watercraft launching is permitted only at the boat ramp (kayaks, canoes and non-motorized inflatables can be launched over the sea wall or at beach park shoreline).
2. Boating privileges are provided for a fee for Association Members, and are not provided for the use of guests, houseguests or boarders.  There is a limit of one dock per membership.  When all dock space is filled, a waiting list will be established.  All dock assignments, reassignments and temporary assignments are to be managed by the Boat Dock Chairman and offered to the membership based on the Dock Assignment Priority Wait List maintained by the SBIA leadership.
3. Docks will be assigned to Association Members in good standing including all current year membership dues AND dock rental fee and any other related dues are current as March 31th.  A grace period will apply to dock renters until April 15th.  After which, the Association will send notification to the affected member, and the member can appeal within 48 hours to the board, otherwise the Boat Dock Chairman will reassign the dock of any unpaid Member, following the Dock Assignment Priority Wait List.  
4. Members shall keep the Boat Dock, Ramp and, and adjacent areas free of debris and anything that may cause fire or a safety hazard.
5. Boats and watercraft will be in a seaworthy condition and will not constitute a fire hazard or such boat or watercraft shall be removed from the boating facilities at the owner’s expense.
6. No swimming or diving will be permitted within the Boating Facilities.
7. Members shall not store supplies, materials, accessories, or debris on any of the walkways and shall not construct thereon any structures or improvements.
8. Use of any open flame device, toxic chemicals or any other hazardous equipment or supplies within the Boating Facilities is prohibited.
9. Member agrees not to place stored gasoline of fuel on the boat or watercraft or within any Boating Facilities except as contained in the boat or watercrafts OEM fuel tank.
10. Member agrees to comply with all the laws and with all the police, fire, and sanitary regulations.
11. Members shall be solely responsible for the care and the condition of boat and watercraft covers.
12. Member shall be responsible for the conduct of the Member’s guests on the boat or watercraft and within the Boating/Marine facilities.
13. Modifications to docks or shoreline are not permitted. Storage boxes or similar devices are not permitted. All other modifications must be approved by the boat dock chairperson.  Boat lifts are allowed as long as they meet the following guidelines and your request for a boat lift has been approved by the Boat Dock Chairperson. Boat Lift guidelines: Only Hydraulic using biodegradable oil only or Airdock type lifts are permitted. Cable lifts are not permitted.  Regardless of the type, boat lifts are not permitted to have canopies, side catwalks, corner poles, side rails or use wheel based (cable) lifting mechanisms.  For Hydraulic lifts, the foundation legs underwater may not exceed the center point line between the two slips or exceed the center point line of the dock, and may not exceed past the end of the dock.   Any power supply and related equipment for lifts must be contained within a box that is mounted to the lift or on a stand-alone pole augured into the canal floor and positioned in the front corner nearest your dock.  Boat lifts may not be stored on association land.  Hydraulic lifts may be left in the water year round, however the bunks must be lowered below water level by December 1st.
14. No boat or watercraft shall exceed 21 feet in length (as defined on the Boat’s Michigan Watercrafts registration) or 22 feet in length if the watercraft is designated as a pontoon as described on the Michigan Watercraft registration.
15. All boats and watercraft must be moored in a fashion so they do not hit or encroach on the neighboring boats, and no part of the boat, engine or accessory exceeds 24 feet in length as measured from the seawall.  Any boat found exceeding the 24 foot length must be brought into compliance within seven days of notice from the Boat Dock Chairman.  If the boat is not brought into compliance within the seven day time period, the out of compliance boat must be removed from the dock, at the owner’s expense, and the dock renter can either relaunch a new boat that does comply or may notify the Boat Dock Chairman that their slip may be Sublet, or forfeited.
16. All boats and watercraft shall be removed from the water by December 1st of each year.  Any boat or watercraft not removed from the facilities by December 1st may be removed by the Association and the cost of removal will be billed to the owner.
17. When requested, members shall provide to the Boat Dock Chairman a current Michigan Watercraft Registration for any boat utilizing the boating facilities (day use or docking).  The boat must be registered to the member at the SBIA subdivision address.
18. SBIA ramp usage is allowed to USL lakefront residents and legal lake access individuals, for a yearly fee (defined in the SBIA fee listing).  The boats or watercraft launched must be registered to the lake owner’s  lake access address.  The yearly fee covers all boats registered to the owner’s legal lake usage address.
19. If an assigned Boat Dock is not used by the Member for a period of two years (although paid for), upon 30 days written notice from the Boat Dock Chairman, the boat dock shall be deemed abandoned and may be reassigned to a different member by the Boat Dock Chairman, following the Boat Dock Assignment Priority Wait List.  The Member, whose dock is being reassigned, will not be reimbursed for the unused portion of the current year’s usage or any past year’s expense.
20. If a dock renter’s boat is not in an assigned slip by June 1, the Boat Dock Chairman can sublet the slip, unless the dock renter has worked out an arrangement with the Boat Dock Chairman prior.   If an assigned Boat Dock is not being used by the Member due to their boat being unavailable (currently being worked on, in storage, etc.), or they are not planning to moor for any period greater than two weeks, the Boat Dock Chairman shall review and may proceed with the Subletting rules.  A boat dock renter may choose to make their dock available to be sublet for a maximum of two consecutive years.  In the third year, the renter must either place a boat in their dock or relinquish same.
21. A member may give up their assigned dock for reassignment, at any time during the yearly season, for any reason, however the member will not be reimbursed the season’s fee.  Additionally, the reassignment will be handled by the Boat Dock Chairman, following the Dock Assignment Priority Wait List.
22. Resident Members who cannot use their assigned dock due to extenuating circumstances (examples could include financial hardship, health, a temporary leave of the neighborhood–house fire, temporary job change, etc.) while they are still a member, may petition the SBIA Executive Board to allow them to maintain their dock.   If the petition is granted, the temporary open dock must be reassigned by the Boat Dock Chairman following the Dock Assignment Priority Wait List.
23. Members are allowed to have two approved boats in the lake and/or canal at any time, however members may have only one boat moored at any time (either at their dock or at the day docking area of the sea wall).  Boats being day docked must be removed daily (no overnight mooring).  Members that routinely disobey this rule risk losing their ramp and docking privilege for the rest of the season.  All boats launched must be owned by the member resident.
24. Failure by any Member (or Member’s family) to adhere to these rules and regulations or any other rules and regulations promulgated by the Officers and Directors of Shady Beach may result in forfeiture of their boat dock privileges.
25. Subletting  Rules
    1. No Association Member with an assigned boat slip may Sublet the slip to any other Member or non-Member.  Violation of this rule will result in the loss and reassignment of the boat slip, and the member will have to re-apply to be added to the boat dock wait list.  The Boat Dock Chairman will follow the Dock Assignment Priority Wait List for reassignment.
    2. If an assigned Boat Dock is not being used by the renting Member by June 1, or for a period of time (week(s), month(s), or a season) for a particular circumstance (i.e., boat at mechanic, a long vacation/out of town, etc.) during the season, the said dock will be sublet to a member on the Boat Dock Waitlist. 
    3. The Subletting process is performed by contacting Members on the Boat Dock Waitlist in accordance with seniority (refer to Bylaw 25). 
    4. The subletting Member must be current on their dues and day dock fee to be considered for subletting.  The subletting fee  (as defined in the SBIA fee listing) must be paid prior to mooring their boat.  
    5. The sublet term will be flexible and determined by the Boat Dock Chairman, dock renter and subletee.
    6. Once the Subletting Member’s boat is ready to be launched and moored, the subletter shall be given notice and will have 48 hours to remove their boat.  Failure to do so will result in removal by the Association and the cost of removal will be billed to the owner.
26. Boat Dock Waitlist 
    1. The Boat Dock Waitlist (Waitlist) shall be maintained by the Boat Dock Chairman.
    2. The Waitlist is a seniority-based, ordered list of Members, who are in good standing with their dues, that are in line to become a Boat Dock Renter. 
    3. The Member shall pay a one-time fee to be placed on the Waitlist (as defined in the SBIA fee listing) and their seniority is based on the date in which the Member paid the fee to be placed on the list.  
    4. Failure to pay dues for the year, and becoming a non-member, shall result in removal from the Waitlist and will forfeit their seniority. If the Member rejoins the Association, they shall pay the Waitlist fee again. 
    5. Once a dock becomes available for rent, the Boat Dock Chairman will send a notification to the Members on the Waitlist. The Members will have two weeks to respond, and the granting of a dock rental shall be based on level of seniority.  
27. Members must not leave the boat launch ramp left unlocked. 

Failure to comply with the rules covering use of boat dock rentals, and Subletting rentals, may result in dock forfeiture. Any dispute that cannot be settled between the Boat Dock Chairman and any person regarding the use of facilities and boat dock rental shall be referred to the President and Board of Directors for review. The forthcoming decision will be final.

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