Long Island Officials Racing To Repair Marinas Damaged By Winter Ice

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The winter freeze and thaw not only ruined roads, but huge chunks of ice also damaged boat marinas.

As CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported, residents of the quaint village of Bellport recently clambered down to the docks eager to assess winter damage to its cherished marina.

"It's an amazing amount of damage you wouldn't think could be possible by something as innocuous seeming as ice," said Bellport homeowner Leslie O'Connor. "But it is a real problem."

"Wherever there is no movement of water, the ice can adhere to the piling and lift it as the tide goes up and down," Bellport Village Trustee Michael Ferrigno explained.

Across Long Island's South Shore, bay constables and national park service rangers snapped photos of docks being swallowed in ice. Pilings were crusted in 13 feet of frozen water, only now thawing.

And that is dislodging and lifting poles right off the sandy bottom, sending them floating away.

"It is definitely a navigational hazard," said Jason Crane, Bellport's highway superintendent. "It could sink a boat."

The village is using contraptions called "ice eaters." They cost $567 each, and Bellport purchased 20 of them.

"The village put in ice eaters -- we call them 'bubblers' -- and ... they just bubble all winter, and it stops the ice from forming," said Bellport Mayor Raymond Fell.

Fell said its money well spent, saving most, but not all, of the marina.

Brookhaven town and village officials told CBS2 they are working fantically to make sure marinas open next month in time for Memorial Day weekend.

So far, total repair estimates for marinas on Long Island are running higher than $500,000, McLogan reported. That kind of damage from a harsh winter has not been seen in decades.