Discovery Bay boat owners in silent protest over marina’s plans to terminate berthing permits and memberships
Liveaboard families ‘face a crisis’ after Discovery Bay Marina Club tells them they have four months to relocate their boats
Hundreds of residents and boat owners – many of whom live aboard their vessels – marched across the private residential enclave of Discovery Bay on Sunday in silent protest at the local marina’s abrupt plan to clear out its berths for renovations at the end of the year.
Clad in white, and flanked by throngs of supporters, they marched from Discovery Bay Marina Club on Lantau, Hong Kong’s largest outlying island, to the community’s North Plaza with children, friends and pets in tow.
Last month, they were told by the club that memberships and berthing permits would be terminated by December 31 for “extensive renovations” and they had four months to relocate their boats.
With a severe shortage of mooring places in Hong Kong, owners said four months was not enough time to search for a new berth. Without moorings, their vessels would lose most of their value, as few would want to buy them.
Between 150 and 200 families live on boats in the marina, according to local residents.