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My marina

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5239 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/21/2021 : 20:49:32

I�d like to do a shoutout to my marina: Milford Boat Works in Milford, CT. I�ve found them after years of shopping around for a place that provides great service at a good price. I�ve been at more costly places and a few less costly places but these folks provide a level of service and accountability that nobody can seem to match.

� Milford Landing (City marina) - The least costly also provided the least service, but that�s to be expected. It was the town marina with floating docks in the harbor that are essentially a mooring with a platform. I had to dink out in my kayak to fetch the boat, then come back to the public dock to pick up my guests. It was about a quarter mile each way so guests would have to wait for me for at least 20 minutes.

The public docks are nicely kept and ample. They also have 30 transient slips that are busy all season. It�s a nice place and affordable for young families, but you have to dink out as there are no seasonal slips that you can rent.

Being a little older and less agile, I fell out of my kayak twice and ruined my smartphone once. I got saved by a guy on a jet ski.

The staff people there are great, but largely unaccountable except to maintain the docks and public toilets and pick up the trash. A good value if you don�t mind paddling out and back.

� Brewers - A full service marina, formerly known as Brewers Marinas, was nice. I happened upon a happy situation where the owner of a 45ft boat that was leasing an 80ft Tee-end dock and was able to sublet to me a 25ft end. It was out on the end of the dock, so I had a perfect unobstructed view of the marsh and bird sanctuary.
The marina people were great but the yard boss and general management of the facility were not terribly hospitable or informative. I always felt like an annoyance or at the very least, just another pesky customer to be dealt with.

Case in point: I like to keep Passage at the marina from Mayday until Halloween, then I sail up the river to a winter marina that�s about 1/2 mile from my house. I�ve done this since 2006 when I first purchased Passage. The marina told me that their standard policy is customers have to vacate the dock at the end of the first weekend in October. I was informed that if I wanted to stay throughout October for another 4 weeks, I�d have to pay the additional transient rate of $75 per day!, no bulk discount.That�s a perfect way to discourage a good customer. I appealed to her mgr, then to his mgr until I eventually complained to the owner of an 18 marina network. They each stuck up for one-another, so I was done! Buh-bye.

� I tried to rent a privately-owned slip, and the price was right, but I�d also have to become a member (at an additional fee) of a boat association. The total summer fee would�ve been about 2X $$$$ of what a standard marina would be. This was a non-starter for me.

� Milford Boat Works - That same year I found MBW and I was delighted. The slips were in very good condition, there is a chandlery with an excellent inventory and comparable pricing, a friendly and helpful marina staff and prompt and competent repair technicians, a gas dock, and the best location on the harbor just a short walk to the town green, shops, restaurants and watering holes.

The staff keeps up regular communication all year long: prompt January invoice for summer slips, welcome email in mid-April giving store and gas dock hours, a Memorial Day email with news of local events, a Fourth of July note to remind you of the fireworks and a covered plate social for all customers with complementary soft drinks and hotdogs, and as the season closes helpful info about gas dock hours and the closing of the marina in early December. We have lots of saltwater anglers who fish until Thanksgiving.

They treat you almost like family. One day when Passage was hit by another boat resulting in damage to the bow lights and pulpit, the dock staff immediately emailed me, sent contact information and arranged to have the other guy�s insurance cover the damage. The marina would have interceded if the fellow refused to pay by taking an imprint of every customer�s credit card each year as a term of membership. It was a great experience.

I just got a holiday message from the owner that was informative, funny and personable. Just really nice folks who go the extra mile.

They�ve done a great job over the past six seasons. The current owner is looking to retire and has identified another local boating industry person who I�ve know for years. I also worked with his dad who�s on the harbor commission to get the harbor dredged in 2014. A real family scene.

That�s my shoutout.

Not everyone will have the same story but I�d like to believe that most boat people are decent and you all have some good stories to tell.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 12/22/2021 09:02:19

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9017 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2021 : 14:37:04

I switched last year from a friendly, funky, family-owned, reasonably priced marina in Mystic (Masons Island Marina) to another because they sell and service Hondas (with Honda-trained techs), and I needed to repower. The management is helpful and responsive, but I won't bother identifying the place here since I'm sad to say they don't have (or allow) any sailboats. It's big Viking & Sea Ray country--they know all about big Cat diesels, but probably nothing about standing rigging... My "little" 27' down-easter with just one outboard astern doesn't really fit in. I'm not sure whether I do, either.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5239 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2021 : 17:14:26

Dave, that was a good move in case you needed support for you repowered engine. For the coming year do you expect to go back to Mason Island? A little insider information, there�s a wooden boatyard a little bit north of Willow Pt. It�s pretty much silted in however in 2022 some guy with means is purchasing a waterfront lot there by the Amtrak line and will be dredging that section for his mega yacht. Slips are very reasonable at the wooden boat yard right now.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9017 Posts

Response Posted - 12/22/2021 : 22:54:35

I know the spot somewhat... The little marina there is Willow Point Marina (north of Willow Point where the much larger Mystic Shipyard is). It has a dock, some pilings, a launching ramp, and that's about it. The only "waterfront lot by the Amtrak line" there is a little "resort" next to the marina and right by the tracks, called Harbor View Landing--I wonder if that's what this guy is buying. It's at least 300 yards from navigable water for a mega-yacht--right now about 1-2' depth at MLW. Odd choice for a "guy with means" and a mega-yacht.

Dave Bristle
Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT
PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired),
Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5239 Posts

Response Posted - 12/24/2021 : 06:38:33

Yes Dave, you know the exact spot.
I wasn�t aware that it was a resort or B&B, however, you�re right � Gmaps says it�s called Harbor View Landing.
In September they were building a concrete bulkhead and had removed the long finger dock.
Looks like a few acres at most but there are a few larger buildings on the plot. Could be developed into residential or a private club with parking.
Long story short, however, is there�s an active permit with the Army Corps and local environmental authorities to perform a dredge at some point over the winter. Should be a nice �hidden gem� for awhile.

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - Voyager on 12/24/2021 06:39:52

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1739 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2021 : 12:35:26

With my winter storage marina, albeit on the very pricy Connecticut Gold Coast, I have found that if you treat the staff nicely and show some flexibility you get far better service and some freebees. I have found that getting to know the individuals; management and lowest level employees, really makes the difference between a tolerable experience and a delightful one!

Peter Bigelow
C-25 TR/FK #2092 Limerick
Rowayton, Ct
Port Captain: Rowayton/Norwalk/Darien CT

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 12/29/2021 : 13:37:10

The operator of my marina for about 18 years just retired and sold the business. He and his employees had the skills to do nearly everything the big marinas could do, and, if I got stymied by a repair, they could finish it for me. But they went beyond being marine service technicians. They joined us when we raced across the bay for dinner, and they occasionally crewed for me and others in weekend races. When an elderly sailor passed away in his boat, the operator discovered him, called the emts and then helped his heirs clean out his boat so they could sell it. He and his employees treated us like valued customers during working hours and like friends afterwards.

Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.