Shared, Safe Access to Gulfport Waters a Must We

Can All Share the Waterfront

By David Kanter and Shaheen Mamawala

Many people say that you don’t find Gulfport; rather, Gulfport finds you. In our case, one of us (Dave), a third-generation Floridian who found Gulfport as a teenager, stepped away to explore the world, and was called back to home waters. The other (Shaheen), raised in the Midwest and Northeast, was sold on Gulfport’s whimsy, charming Tuesday market, and the feeling of that extra-deep breath you take while strolling Beach Boulevard and remembering, “I actually live here!”

Part of Gulfport finding us meant becoming part of a small welcoming community – of artists, pirates, native Floridians, transplants, and more – who want to live well, create together, and enjoy sunshine. For Dave, who had begun lessons through the 501(c)(3) sailing school TASCA before our 2018 move, it also included boat life and finding a sailing community. That’s why we were initially excited to become members of the Boca Ciega Yacht Club, enticed by its moniker, “Florida’s friendliest sailing club.” While we experienced a kind, welcoming environment in our initial engagement with BCYC as visitors, things quickly shifted after we joined.

Within weeks of becoming members, Dave was threatened by a member of BCYC leadership and told we were not allowed to speak directly with any City officials. The reason? A while before joining, we’d reached out to the city about issues getting a slip for our boat at the Gulfport Municipal Marina.

At Club events, we experienced an environment full of negative commentary and behaviors; this both eroded our hopes for finding community and contrasted significantly with our other early experiences of Gulfport. In spring 2019, we also read in the Club’s 1965 Articles of Incorporation a clause about membership eligibility that used the language “[a]ny white person of good character, over 18 years of age.”

We recognized that outdated documents could exist – but were also shocked that these Articles were still in use, and insisted on more inclusive language. Six months later, nothing had changed. At that point, we had to vote with our feet and wallets; as individuals of Indian and Jewish heritage and leaders who have spent our careers in social change work, we knew the right decision was to terminate our membership.

We vulnerably share this with the discomfort that accompanies it – and regardless, we do not oppose BCYC staying in our community. Rather, we seek a path that moves us collectively forward into the future and ensures that everyone who seeks access to our beautiful municipal waters can have it, equitably, without having to join a club that doesn’t represent all of Gulfport.

We can all share.

We promptly urge council to consider the following points:

• Safely accessible bathrooms for all are a basic requirement. As marina slip renters (and the parents of a toddler), it’s unacceptable that the nearest bathroom is a 1.5-mile walk down an active road.

• Dinghy storage and boat ramp. Gulfport is a seaside community founded by sailors. Everyone should have access to storing and launching these types of vessels at our marina.

• Shared space for sailing enthusiasts. Multiple formal and informal entities should have a designated space to gather, not just a 501(c)(7) private club.

Let’s continue to build a Gulfport that serves everyone.

David Kanter is a sailor and local marine business owner, and Shaheen Mamawala works as a director at a national nonprofit. They rent a slip at the Gulfport Municipal Marina.