Poll: Should process of obtaining boat slips change?

Obtaining a dock at a public marina on Long Island can be a trial -- especially in Smithtown and Oyster Bay, where wait times can last decades.

In the 10 towns with public slips, 9,657 people are waiting for a chance to rent one of 4,355 docks, town officials said.

And the rate of turnover at some marinas is as low as one person per year, officials said. Oyster Bay's Roosevelt Marina has a 503-person waiting list for 26-to-31-foot boats, and an average of one slip per year, out of 22, changes hands, officials said.