MUMBAI, Oct. 15 -- The closure of Jetty No. 5, opposite the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, is straining the finances of yacht owners. After the Mumbai Port Authority (MbPA) declared it "structurally unsafe and dangerous for use" in August and put an iron gate restricting access to it, operators and their guests have been compelled to access their boats through a privately managed floating pontoon, paying Rs.92 per person per day to the Royal Bombay Yacht Club (RBYC). The pontoon, operational since last year, was earlier optional, with operators using the concrete slipway at Jetty No. 5 to access for free. However, the closure has made the pontoon their only access point. While five other jetties at the Gateway of India -- numbered 0 to 4 -- continue to serve tourist boats, yacht operators attempting to use them have alleged resistance from those who regularly use the facilities. Ritesh Kank, has been in the business since 2013, manages five boats and hires additional ones when required. He said: "We earn around Rs.3,000-4,000 per slot (trip). Now, we end up paying Rs.500-600 every time we access the pontoon. Customers who are already paying for the boat ask why they should pay extra just to access it." Delays from using alternative jetties are hurting customer experience and boat operators' reputations. Operators fear losing business over additional access fees or having to absorb costs themselves. Siddhesh Warang, founder of Dreams Sailing Club, who has used the jetty for over 25 years, challenged the safety rationale. He noted that the floating pontoon and ladder were installed on the very structure MbPA declared unsafe. Covering access costs for his guests and 12 employees to avoid alienating clients, Warang called the charges an unfair burden. Yacht Getaway Mumbai owner Prashant Jadhav stated that operators receive no extra facilities or safety measures for the fee. He highlighted that access to five other jetties costs only Rs.5, alleging discrimination against private yacht owners and recalling a previous incident where the pontoon's ladder broke. Chetan Rane, joint secretary of the Yacht Operators Welfare Association (YOWA), criticized MbPA for failing to conduct repairs on Jetty No. 5 despite servicing others in March 2025. He urged immediate restoration instead of an indefinite shutdown, questioning the safety claim entirely. YOWA filed a petition in the Bombay High Court on October 3. The association demands documentation justifying the safety ruling, removal of the access gate, and restoration of free concrete slipway access. It also challenges the pontoon tariffs, RBYC's management role. RBYC declined to comment beyond stating that MbPA initiated the closure and tariffs, while MbPA's spokesperson did not respond to inquiries....