| History (continued) The Marina Years |
|---|
In mid-1976 one of the guys working for dad came
to him with a small problem. There was a house down the street
he wanted to buy, but it had a bunch of extra land with it back
on the harbor.  Business had been good, but highly seasonal with
a "storage only" operation. A marina would not only
provide expansion through dock rentals, but remove our dependency
on other marinas for "access" to the water. Dad took
one look at the property and was on his way to the bank. What
he saw was largely undeveloped; just seven wooden docks, a
ramp, a dirt pier, a couple of cottages.
The first year very little was done. The next several years were dedicated to massive amounts of construction. Each year dad has sought to make improvements to our facilities, it's been like that since day one. To give the customer what they want, and to do so in a cost effective way has been a cornerstone upon which the business has been built. As a family, it's not simply because our name is up front that we strive for excellence, but it is for the satisfaction of the customer, our future success, and because of our past. It is our history.   Return Key to the Web, Ltd. © 2003 |
The 100 series docks were installed along with the hoist and a thousand feet of steel wall. Then came the big ditch; for the area where the 200 and 300 series docks now sit was dry land, and a long trench had to dug, 12' to 16' deep, a hundred plus feet wide by a thousand or so feet long, by anyone's measure, a lot of dirt. With the completion of the 200 and 300 series docks, the marina gained the general appearance that it has at this time. The walkout pier was added along with the 400 series docks on the north pier. 
The last "major" feature to be added to the marina was the "Gas Dock", which became operational the summer of 1988. The 12000 gallon fuel tank rests in a concrete and steel vault, as a safeguard against environmental damage, that would rival that of any bank. Today, the marina as it is, with several thousand feet of steel sheet piling, a hoist, gas dock, restrooms and showers, and dockage for 450 boats is a far cry from what it once was, it has been made into one of the finest marinas on Lake Erie. However, just because it looks finished does not mean that it is.