Marina Winke's Boat Storage & Landing, a full-service marina, storage, & repair facility located on Catawba Island, Port Clinton, Ohio, adjacent to Lake Erie.

History (continued) In Business for Ourselves
Several gentlemen rented spots for small campers from my grandfather. They kept their boats for dockage and storage (outside) at Gem Beach, about a 1/2 mile away, but due to rain, which seemed to fall almost everyday that spring, the men were unable to get their boats ready. Dad began to think how all of this might work; how to store the boats, how big the building(s) would have to be, how to move the boats so far up the road, etc.. Eventually, a prolonged illness and lots of bed rest gave him the time to formulate his plan of attack. The permit for building #1 was issued July 11,1962, but constructing the building would not be that easy. First, the bank would not loan him the money for it; They were rather skeptical that anyone would want to put their boat inside. A family friend stepped in and loaned the money. Then, on August 5th, with all the framework up, a storm front blew it all down. Mom recounts that "...he didn't go near the building, or what was left of it, for a week...". The following weekend though, two of his brothers, a couple of brother-in-laws and several fellow EAD workers and friends came out and pulled every nail from every timber, and started the building again. From here things went a little smoother. Dad and Grandpa Hees then built a rig for transporting the boats, and used the farm tractor to pull it. Winke's Boat Storage was up and running. Each year another building would go up, and more peach trees became firewood. To date, nine storage buildings have been built, along with three shops, (wood, fiberglass, and mechanical) and an office addition. As the business grew, so did the family; I was born in 1966, my younger sister Renee, born in 1968 rounded out the pack. Being around boats naturally lead to owning a few. The first boat to bear "WINKE DINKEY" was a 27', 1952 Chris-Craft, completely refinished, she was a true beauty! The first summer we voyaged as a family north, up the Detroit River, across Lake St.Clair to Metro Beach. After a few days of fun ashore, we traveled further up the St.Clair River, under the Blue Water Bridge, into the clear, cold waters of Lake Huron. Several boats followed; a 26'Lyman, a 33'Colonial, a 31'Chris-Craft Sea Skiff, a 42'Chris-Craft Corsair, followed by a few more Lymans. As a young child it seemed a grand adventure, as an adult, cherished memories. In retrospect, I think boat ownership gives us, that is my father, brother and myself, the ability to realize what is important to other boaters, and helps us provide better service in the long term to all of our customers. It is a connection we attempt to keep even today. Dad has a small runabout, as does Mike for his family, and with four children of my own, a cruiser is all but required. However, when the marina was acquired in the mid-seventies, boat ownership took a back seat to it's development. Marina Years Web Site Design, Hosting, and Programming by Key to the Web, Ltd. © 2003

History (continued) In Business for Ourselves

Several gentlemen rented spots for small campers from my grandfather. They kept their boats for dockage and storage (outside) at Gem Beach, about a 1/2 mile away, but due to rain, which seemed to fall almost everyday that spring, the men were unable to get their boats ready. Dad began to think how all of this might work; how to store the boats, how big the building(s) would have to be, how to move the boats so far up the road, etc.. 1st storage building at Winke's Storage Eventually, a prolonged illness and lots of bed rest gave him the time to formulate his plan of attack. The permit for building #1 was issued July 11,1962, but constructing the building would not be that easy.

First, the bank would not loan him the money for it; They were rather skeptical that anyone would want to put their boat inside. A family friend stepped in and loaned the money. Then, on August 5th, with all the framework up, a storm front blew it all down. Mom recounts that "...he didn't go near the building, or what was left of it, for a week...". The following weekend though, two of his brothers, a couple of brother-in-laws and several fellow EAD workers and friends came out and pulled every nail from every timber, and started the building again. From here things went a little smoother. Dad and Grandpa Hees then built a rig for transporting the boats, and used the farm tractor to pull it. Winke's Boat Storage was up and running. Each year another building would go up, and more peach trees became firewood. To date, nine storage buildings have been built, along with three shops, (wood, fiberglass, and mechanical) and an office addition. As the business grew, so did the family; I was born in 1966, my younger sister Renee, born in 1968 rounded out the pack.

Being around boats naturally lead to owning a few. The first boat to bear "WINKE DINKEY" was a 27', 1952 Chris-Craft, completely refinished, she was a true beauty! The first summer we voyaged as a family north, up the Detroit River, across Lake St.Clair to Metro Beach. After a few days of fun ashore, we traveled further up the St.Clair River, under the Blue Water Bridge, into the clear, cold waters of Lake Huron. Several boats followed; a 26'Lyman, a 33'Colonial, a 31'Chris-Craft Sea Skiff, a 42'Chris-Craft Corsair, followed by a few more Lymans. As a young child it seemed a grand adventure, as an adult, cherished memories. In retrospect, I think boat ownership gives us, that is my father, brother and myself, the ability to realize what is important to other boaters, and helps us provide better service in the long term to all of our customers. It is a connection we attempt to keep even today. Dad has a small runabout, as does Mike for his family, and with four children of my own, a cruiser is all but required. However, when the marina was acquired in the mid-seventies, boat ownership took a back seat to it's development.

Marina Years