City of Stillwater is offering free boat docking this summer

Boaters on the St. Croix River looking to dock for the day or even overnight will be able to do so for free in Stillwater this summer.

The city is offering free dock space for transient boats (meaning ones that are traveling, there temporarily) at the St. Croix Boat and Packet docks – up to 16 boats, depending on their size, will be able to dock in the space for free, Stillwater Gazette reports.

The city is paying $16,000 for the space, with the goal of providing free docks and gaining experience managing a municipal dock, the newspaper adds.

Stillwater officials are currently exploring the idea of building a city-run dock for traveling boat traffic at the city's new Bridgeview Park, south of downtown Stillwater, the city's website notes.

These boat slips had been previously available to the public for $5 per hour, but now they will be free through the boating season, the Pioneer Press says. Electricity and water hookups will also be available for a fee.

Overnight docking – limited to three nights – will be allowed on four of the slips, the newspaper adds. This will be monitored by parking enforcement officials and the Boat and Packet Company.

Some council members weren't thrilled with the idea of offering free dock slips for the summer, with the Stillwater Gazette noting members weren't sure how much they were going to learn about managing a municipal dock.