Loggerhead Club & Marina-Riviera Beach and
Saybrook Point Marina named
2007 Marinas of the Year
By Jerome A. Koncel

A hurricane-resistant, environmentally-friendly dry storage marina in Florida and a historic resort marina in Connecticut were named the winners of Marina Dock Age’s 2007 “Marina of the Year” awards.

This year, for the first time in 20-year history, Marina Dock Age will present two “Marina of the Year” awards. One will be given to marinas with 250 slips and more, while the other will go to a marina that has fewer than  250 slips.

Large marinas
Loggerhead Club & Marina –Riviera Beach (Florida) is the winner in the 250 slips and larger category. The facility is the first new marina and boat storage facility in the area for several decades, and serves as the north anchor for the city of Rivera Beach’s City Redevelopment plan.

Seven Kings Holdings, Inc., which is a developer and owner of nine other marinas under the Loggerhead umbrella, bought this property in 2001 after three other developers had tried and failed to bring the project to fruition. It built a hurricane-rated building that is located in the heart of South Florida’s boating waters.

The marina provides sheltered indoor storage for 300 boats up to 46 ft. in length and weighing up to 52,000 lbs. It uses two of the world’s largest marine forklifts to lift and move boats, and it is rated a safe spot from hurricanes.

The marina is a complete resource/referral center for marine-related service, repairs, refurbishing, and maintenance. It offers a ship’s store, full-service fueling station, and virtual office for slipholders.

All Loggerhead Club & Marinas employees are trained on how to use the Dale Carnegie principles espoused in the book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” The goal of this training is to make the Loggerhead Club & Marina the best experience in the marina business.

The marina attracts new and existing boaters along the east coast of Florida through an active, yearly advertising and marketing plan, educates boating enthusiasts through seminars and newsletters, and maintains several web sites to promote boating, sustainable practices, and environmental causes.

Seven Kings Holdings is a private real estate and development company that emphasizes environmentally viable and sustainable development. It strives to make each of its marinas become Clean Marinas under the state of Florida’s designation, while at the same time serving as a safe harbor for watercraft of differing sizes, resources, and requirements.

Loggerhead Club & Marina-Riviera Beach takes its environmental responsibility seriously. It provides a safe and clean environment for customers, creates environmental awareness programs for its customers, and created the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Fla., which serves as an educational center and rehabilitation facility for sea turtles and other marine creatures.

We will provide more details about Loggerhead Club & Marina–Riviera Beach in our cover story in the March issue. READ ARTICLE [PDF]>>

Smaller marinas
In the category of marinas with 250 or fewer slips, the winner is Saybrook Point Marina in Old Saybrook, Conn., which calls itself “The Number One Stop on the Connecticut River,” is the winner. The Number One designation stands for its spot on the mouth of the Connecticut River, as well as for the marina’s commitment to its customers, the environment, and the community.

Located on a spot where the first settlers in the state of Connecticut came in 1623, the family-owned and operated marina can accommodate up to 140 boats and is integrated with a resort and spa that combined has won a Five Bells designation from the Atlantic Cruising Clubs, as well as awards from the New York Times and AAA. The marina itself received ValvTect Marina’s 2006 “Marina of the Year” award.

What separates Saybrook Point Marina apart from its competitors is its environmental stewardship, satisfied customers, and commitment to the community.

The New England marina is a recognized leader in green practices, offering the first pumpout station in the area in 1995, obtaining the first Clean Marina Award issued by the state of Connecticut in 2003, and receiving a coveted Energy Star rating from the Environmental Protection Agency in 2007. The Connecticut Dept. of Environment has given Green Circle Awards to the marina for everything from its energy-efficient water system to its clean boating practices.

Saybrook Point Marina works hard to make marina guests feel part of a special boating community. It holds parties at the beginning and end of the boating season and provides a “Boater of the Year “ award to  the marina customer who best exemplifies good marina citizenship. The owner and dockmaster walk the docks daily, talking and listening to customers, striving to identify needs and deliver on them. 

And most of all, the marina is an integral part of the community, participating in community events and striving to keep boating front and center in Connecticut. The marina celebrates National Marina Day, promotes Safe Boating Week, and hosts the Coast Guard Auxiliary for free boating inspections. 

The marina goes that extra mile to involve kids in boating. It boasts a “Deck hand in Training Program for youngsters between 12 and 15. The program teaches the children the many facets of becoming more knowledgeable dockhands.

Marina Dock Age will provide a full profile of Saybrook Point Marina and all of its activities in its April issue. READ ARTICLE [PDF]>>