Safe Harbor Water Magazine 2024-2025

V I C TO RY L A P

ALL IN THE FAMILY

The inspiring story of the first American woman to circumnavigate the world alone.

Crews, captains, and owners meet as family in a world of timeless harbors.

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SAFE HARBOR WATER MAGAZINE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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A LETTER FROM THE HELM A message from Safe Harbor’s Chief Executive Officer, Baxter Underwood.

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ALL IN THE FAMILY Crews, captains, and owners meet as family in a world of timeless harbors.

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VICTORY LAP The inspiring story of the first American woman to circumnavigate the world alone.

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HERE FOR YOU Safe Harbor Membership Concierge makes navigating the network a breeze.

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LOWCOUNTRY CHARM Unlock the splendor of Charleston on a one-of-a-kind Safe Harbor Water Suite.

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SALTWATER SHOWDOWN From modest beginnings to a global event, The Big Rock tournament has impacted a community for generations.

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THE PERFECT WEEKEND A front-row seat at the Safe Harbor Experience in South Florida.

Photography on front and back covers by Onne van der Wal

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NEW ENGLAND TREASURE Discover the pristine beauty of the Connecticut River, a cherished cruising destination along the East Coast.

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NAVIGATING THE NETWORK A boater’s guide to world-class amenities and diverse attractions at locations across the U.S.

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COMMITTED TO SAFETY Training and environmental efforts are at the heart of Safe Harbor’s safety culture.

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MAP & DIRECTORY Explore Safe Harbor’s network of over 135 premier waterfront destinations.

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SALT OF THE EARTH Josh Hester embodies hospitality and service at San Diego’s Safe Harbor Sunroad.

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ISLAND RETREAT One Member’s story of how the boating community fosters warm welcomes and lifelong friendships.

Safe Harbor Water Magazine Volume 5 was produced in partnership with the AIM Marine Group.

For more information, email JCRAIG@AIMMEDIA.COM SAFE HARBOR MARINAS

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A LETTER FROM THE HELM

A LETTER FROM THE HELM

The joy emanating from Cole Brauer’s smile is contagious.

Her innate electricity sparked the world’s imagination as she raced more than 27,000 miles of open ocean during her four-month journey around the world.

We felt her wonder. We held our breath as she panned down from atop her rigging. We shivered and thought of tales of old as she rounded the windy waters off Cape Horn. Our blood pressure fell with the orange sun as it sank from First Light’s view behind the Azores.

In this fifth edition of Safe Harbor Water Magazine, you’ll find stories like Cole’s from around the network.

We hope they inspire you to throw off the lines and push out into adventure. Wherever you’re going, we want to be there for you. The world is yours by way of water.

Explore and cherish her and the memories you make along the way.

With gratitude,

Baxter Underwood, CEO

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VICTORY LAP

Photograph by James Tomlinson

27,000 miles. 130 days. 1 unstoppable sailor.

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arly in 2024 in northwest Spain, Cole Brauer tied off the 40-foot yacht First Light and became the first American woman to sail solo nonstop around the world.

At 29 years old, the only woman—and youngest skipper—to compete in the inaugural Global Solo Challenge, Brauer’s voyage captivated the world, inspiring spectators with each nautical mile of her historic journey.

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JUNE - SEPTEMBER, 2023

Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard hosted Cole and her team as they prepared First Light for the inaugural Global Solo Challenge, a race that sent 16 sailors around the world via the three Great Capes, starting and finishing in A Coruña, Spain.

The team at the marina believed in the project from the start and was eager to be part of the journey. “Being based at Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard was the best experience with the best people. Whatever we needed, they made it happen,” Cole says.

Photograph by James Tomlinson

COLE BRAUER | SAILOR

“

Being based at Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard was the best experience with the best people. Whatever we needed, they made it happen.”

Photograph by Richard Mardens

O C TO B E R 2 9, 2 02 3

After months of prep work and anticipation, Cole’s team pushed First Light off the docks in Spain for a four-month, 27,000-mile voyage. This endeavor would make Cole a member of an exclusive club, with fewer than 200 people in the world having attempted the feat before her.

COLE BRAUER | SAILOR

Photograph by James Tomlinson

“

It would be amazing if there was just one other girl that saw me and said, ‘Oh, I can do that, too.’”

Satellite technology kept Cole’s social media online, enabling her to provide near real-time access to First Light’s path around the globe for the 500,000 Instagram followers she amassed in just a few short months.

M A R C H 7, 2 0 2 4

Following 130 eventful days at sea–sailing through challenging conditions, nursing injuries, fighting dehydration, and making high-stakes routing decisions— Cole arrived back at A Coruña.

Placing 2nd overall and setting a new around-the-world speed record for a 40-foot sailboat, Cole made her mark on what has historically been a male-dominated sport.

While reflecting on the inspiration she has provided young women across the world, she can’t help but smile.

“It would be amazing if there was just one other girl that saw me and said, ‘Oh, I can do that, too.’” ▪

Photograph by Alvaro Sanchis

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LOWCOUNTRY CHARM

There’s no better way to enjoy the Holy City than as a guest at a Safe Harbor Water Suite.

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f you’ve paid any attention to travel news in the last decade, the emergence of Charleston, South Carolina as a global destination hasn’t escaped your attention.

There are few more beautiful, beguiling and culturally significant cities than the moss-draped, saltwater-infused Holy City. But unless you’re on your own boat or have a friend with a dock, there are few places where you can float atop the city’s waters. That is, unless you reserve a Water Suite at Safe Harbor Charleston City. It’s a Members-only experience unlike anything else the city has to offer.

The 60-foot-long Water Suite was designed and constructed by craftsmen at Safe Harbor New England Boatworks in Rhode Island. A spacious floating villa built atop a catamaran hull, it offers plenty of stability

for rest while still leaving no doubt you’re vacationing on the water. Inside are two separate suites. Each includes a bedroom with bath, a living room with pull-out sofa, a kitchen, and an open-air upper deck where you can take in Charleston Harbor.

It’s a good place to stay if you’re visiting the area without your boat. A property teammate will help you with transportation, dining, and entertainment. They can arrange everything for you, from reserving an electric Moke to take you downtown, to booking a harbor cruise aboard a captained Hinckley or Boston Whaler through Barton & Gray Mariners Club.

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Each Water Suite includes a bedroom, a living room with a pull-out couch, and an open-air upper deck.

Charleston is a 350-year-old port city with so many options for travelers it can be tough to know where to begin. The most storied attractions are on the historic peninsula, where the Water Suites are located. One way to get your bearings and a sense of Charleston’s history is to book a tour with Tyler Page Write Friedman, founder of Walk & Talk Charleston. She offers a maritime-curated tour that winds through the French Quarter—including the iconic Rainbow Row—and the stunning neighborhoods south of Broad Street. You’ll cover about two miles in two hours.

After seeing the lower Charleston peninsula, head for the city’s other great sites. Among them is The Battery.

Strolling here in front of White Point Gardens is a top todo for first-time visitors. Folks have been walking this spot

for centuries, watching as mariners switched from sail to steam to petroleum. Portions of The Battery are newly elevated to protect the old city from storm surge, providing even better vantage points for sightseeing.

Take an hour to wander the old market area. Dozens of vendors sell locally produced art, from painting, sculpture and photography to Charleston’s hand-sewn sweetgrass baskets. You can’t find these sturdy West African carryalls anywhere else. There are also generational clothiers in this part of town, and the century-old, family-owned Croghan’s Jewel Box. Nearby, George C. Birlant & Co. is one of the largest and oldest antiques establishments in the Southeast. The Saturday Charleston Farmer’s Market at Marion Square is also enormously popular.

Experience the Aiken-Rhett House in Charleston, a remarkable testament to antebellum architecture and history, providing visitors with an immersive journey through the home of its former inhabitants, both free and enslaved.

For generations, the experiences of African Americans weren’t a focus of Charleston tourism, leaving their stories seldom told. This aspect of the city’s history, thanks in part, to the new International African American Museum.

It chronicles the enduring journey of millions of Africans from their capture to their arrival in Charleston, where they reshaped the world through resilience and ingenuity.

Through innovative storytelling and interactive exhibits, the museum aims to foster empathy, inspire action, and empower visitors with a deeper understanding of the past.

The museum has been enormously popular since it opened in 2023, so buy tickets in advance.

Safe Harbor Charleston City

The Battery is a local landmark, both a historic defensive seawall and promenade for pleasant strolls.

With its diverse array of attractions, Charleston invites visitors to embark on a journey through centuries of history and culture, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

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A Taste of Charleston: C U L I N A RY H OTS P OTS & H I D D E N G E M S

VA R I E T Y S T O R E Located at Safe Harbor Charleston City and one of the peninsula’s most venerable restaurants. Enjoy a steaming bowl of locally sourced shrimp and grits while perched over the harbor. It’s open for breakfast too: Try a crab cake benedict or a homegrown benedict made with fried green tomatoes.

T H E M E R C AT O AT S O R E L L E Housed in a neoclassical building that dates to 1800, the restaurant has served a great variety of tenants, from bankers to tailors to Charleston’s Hebrew Society. But few back then could have imagined a zucchini frittata or expertly crafted macchiato to accompany it.

Tia Clark (right) hosts a popular experience at Safe Harbor Bristol on the Ashley River.

When you’re ready to get back outdoors, book a meet-up with Tia Clark. She operates a one-of-a-kind experience right out of Safe Harbor Bristol on the Ashley River. Give Clark just an hour and she’ll show you how to catch, clean and eat blue crabs, and how to throw a cast net for shrimp—a vital skill here in the Lowcountry. Her crew will leave you with a deep understanding of the creatures that live literally in the shadow of downtown’s buildings and boats.

If you do a dayboat excursion, head up the Ashley River, where there are three historic plantations in a row—Drayton Hall, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens and Middleton Place. You can’t disembark at any of these spots, but a cruise up this oak-lined, moss-shrouded river can give you a sense of what life was like here 200 years ago.

C O S TA Serving Italian cuisine, Costa is a 10-minute walk from Safe Harbor Charleston City. It’s located at the new waterfront Jasper complex. The menu includes locally caught shrimp, scallops, oysters and swordfish, plus vegetables sourced from Charleston’s pioneering Vertical Roots farms.

1 6 7 R AW Load up a plate of local oysters or Clammer Dave’s littleneck clams and chase them with a Poke the Bear pale ale. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to shellfish heaven. If sushi is more your thing, 167 Raw Sushi serves soft shell crab maki rolls that are the stuff of local legend.

HUSK Charlestonians have long been partial to Husk, where chef Raymond England seeks out only southern-sourced food for a menu that might include grouper caught by famed Charleston fisherman Mark Marhefka or South Carolina shrimp and choppee okra stew.

B OW E N ’ S I S L A N D This old southern fish camp and bar is one of the best spots in the Lowcountry for downing a fresh local peach and vine ripe tomato salad, peeling boiled shrimp and sipping a margarita while dolphins frolic.

Moss-shrouded pathway to the Magnolia Plantation

Explore Charleston with Tia Clark’s hands-on crabbing experience, followed by riverside cruises and serene beach hunts for sharks’ teeth.

Cap it all off with waterfront dining and an incredible sunset.

You can also take a boat over to the beach along Charleston Harbor between Fort Sumter (birthplace of the Civil War) and the Fort Johnson Marine Laboratory.

The beach is often quiet and you can hunt for sharks’ teeth. If weather and tides cooperate, ask the captain to drop you at Cummings Point at the north end of Morris Island, where there are miles of empty shoreline to explore, including the now empty site of Fort Wagner, the location of the Civil War battle depicted in the film Glory. Sharp eyes might still find musket balls rolling in the surf.

After day’s end, indulge in the city’s celebrated fine dining scene that’s just minutes from your marina, then enjoy a nightcap on the rooftop of your Water Suite under the warm glow of a coastal Carolina sunset. ▪

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4th Annual Race Weekend August 9-11, 2024 | Newport, Rhode Island

LEARN MORE

Photograph by Onne van der Wal

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Captains, crews and owners are cared for like kin within Safe Harbor’s superyacht network.

n our fractious world, families are not overrated institutions. They can be problematic at times for sure, but they generally provide a safe, restorative haven when things get crazy outside.

Superyacht captains and crew function as family units, confined to relatively small spaces, often working under high-pressure conditions, especially when owners, guests or charterers are on board. Yard time, while often busy, can serve as a respite from that pressure. Safe Harbor Marinas’ superyacht facilities strive to create an environment that provides captains, crew and, in some cases, yacht owners a comfortable experience during downtime and service periods.

“The whole organization is centered around people serving people,” says Christian Denhard, Safe Harbor’s Senior Vice President of International. “We have and will continue to invest a tremendous amount of time and capital into crew. We provide fun experiences for them, and we keep them safe. As an example, at Safe Harbor Rybovich, we have six transportation shuttles that operate from 6 a.m. until 2 a.m., to run them all over town, up to 12 miles away.

At Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard, we have vehicles available, so the captain and their crew don’t have to rent cars.”

Safe Harbor’s hospitality toward captains and crew extends beyond transportation. Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center in Florida recently unveiled new recreational amenities that cater to the health and wellness of captains and crew during their stay. These additions include a state-of-the-art gym, an expansive outdoor patio and swimming pool.

The rapid expansion of Safe Harbor’s superyacht network began in October 2019, with the acquisition of Rhode Island’s Newport Shipyard. The network now has 20 locations serving superyachts 150 feet to 455 feet from Maine to Puerto Rico. Seven of the locations offer varying levels of service. Among them are Safe Harbor Rybovich in West Palm Beach, Florida, offering haul-outs and major services. Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard is a full-service facility for yachts up to about 300 feet, with three marine lifts. Safe Harbor Savannah Yacht Center in Georgia is the heavyweight, capable of hauling and servicing yachts up to about 450 feet.

“Across those properties, you can find all types of service, from fully managed to do-it-yourself,” Denhard says.

Safe Harbor’s aspiration is to have superyacht captains, crew and owners view its operations as a network, with value derived from loyalty. When you become a loyal customer, according to Denhard, you become part of the Safe Harbor network family. And for family, the company makes every effort to deliver on time and on budget. “We’re not only helping keep yacht owners in yachting, we’re also supposed to keep captains happily employed for yacht owners,” he says. “We understand the stresses of being a captain. We know if the captain’s happy, the owner is too.”

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Dean Pilatti is captain of the 60-meter, 1,634-gross-ton Abeking & Rasmussen yacht Arience, which carries a crew of 17. She keeps a busy charter schedule during the Med season and returns to Safe Harbor Rybovich from November through April. Except for some light charter duty in the Bahamas, the yacht generally stays close to the marina. The yacht’s owner lives close enough where he can come by and enjoy the boat and use the marina’s amenities.

“The boss just lets us go off and do our thing, and we pretty much leave the boat for him to use,” Pilatti says. “He loves coming here because he gets his parking spot and just drives up, and he’s got the gym there and he doesn’t mind being on board in the marina. It’s a good balance and it works well for the crew.”

“I’m very family-oriented with the crew, so I strive hard to pick the right people and maintain a family vibe on board,” Pilatti says. “At Safe Harbor Rybovich, with the gyms at the marina, the bars, the pools, everyone just stays within the community. That just helps to fill that family orientation and creates a sense of security. Everyone’s looking after each other.”

For inspections or major service, Pilatti prefers to take the boat to Savannah, which generally is not under the time pressure that the busy Safe Harbor Rybovich yard sometimes is. But it’s still in the family. “It works for us on that side of the world,” he says. “It’s perfect.”

Of Safe Harbor Rybovich, Pilatti contends it’s a unique place. “There is no other marina like it in the world—none I’ve found anyway in the 30 years I’ve been yachting. And everyone at Safe Harbor goes out of their way to do things for you. They’re super friendly. It’s also a pretty slick organization when it comes to moving boats around.”

Pilatti also appreciates the fact that many staffers have been working at Rybovich for a long time; in fact, many were employed here before Safe Harbor acquired the property. “It’s good to see the same people. When you pick up the phone and call the marina office to make a reservation or whatever, they know who it is on the other end of the line. You don’t have to explain any history.”

Longtime captain Tommy Gurr manages a fleet of yachts for a high-profile American owner. He’s kept boats at Safe Harbor Rybovich since before it became part of the Safe Harbor network. The biggest boat in the owner’s current fleet is a 74-meter CRN called Andrea. Gurr says his boss prefers to spend his money with an American shipyard and create American jobs versus having work done elsewhere. Gurr echoes Pilatti’s enthusiasm for the continuity of personnel.

“It’s very nice walking into Safe Harbor Rybovich and seeing the same people that were here before,” he says.

Those personal relationships have been maintained in other Safe Harbor locations. “I haven’t been to Savannah [since the Safe Harbor acquisition], but I can’t imagine

Safe Harbor’s aspiration is to have superyacht captains, crew and owners view its operations as a network, with value derived from loyalty.

DEAN PILATTI | CAPTAIN, ARIENCE

“

Everyone at Safe Harbor goes out of their way to do things for you. They’re super friendly. It’s also a pretty slick organization when it comes to moving boats around.”

they’ve changed too much,” Gurr says. “Safe Harbor has been very clever in maintaining existing personnel.”

Gurr does have one complaint though, albeit tonguein-cheek.

“The crew gets upset if we go somewhere other than a Safe Harbor location, because they don’t get the same amenities and they expect them,” says Gurr. “They’re enabled by the restaurants, shuttle services and tickets to sports events. So, Safe Harbor Rybovich has a lot to answer for, but I love the place and I love the fact that I can walk my owners around it. For the crew, there’s nothing to fault.

Safe Harbor’s desire to provide for crew above and beyond has always been second to none.” ▪

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By having a slip/storage agreement with Safe Harbor, you’ll receive:

U N LI MI TE D COMPLI M E NTA RY TRANS IENT NIG H TS FU E L AT OUR COST MEMBE R E XPE RI E NC E S & D IS CO U NTS MEMBE RSHI P CONCI E RGE

Access your Membership benefits and plot your next adventure with the Safe Harbor Water app.

E X P LO R E

Safe Harbor Membership

D OW N LOA D

Safe Harbor Water app

HERE FOR YOU

HERE FOR YOU The Membership Concierge program provides personal assistance to those who want to navigate the Safe Harbor network.

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ne of the many benefits of Membership at Safe Harbor is access to its entire network of locations across the U.S. and Caribbean. Whether you’re doing a weekend trip or an extended cruise, there’s a reliable, well-maintained, friendly place to stay. But did you know Safe Harbor has a new Membership Concierge program that makes managing the logistics of visiting another destination easier than ever?

Launched mid-summer 2023, the program offers expert assistance coordinating travel between different Safe Harbor locations. “We have always served our Members in navigating the network. The Membership Concierge program is a way to formalize this support and let our Members know that support is available,” says Shannan Yucel, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

Abby Smith and Sara Faucher make up the core of the Membership Concierge team, utilizing their experience in operations and marina management to advise Members. Add to that their unique knowledge of the individual Safe Harbor locations and Membership Concierge is a must-use resource when navigating between properties.

“When a Member has a question or uncertainty about a specific location, we can thoroughly answer their questions and guide them through the entirety of the reservation process,” says Faucher.

“In the past, if a Member needed assistance to get in touch with another location, it would often involve a teammate at that Member’s home port calling the other location. We step in as a bridge to help with communication,” Smith adds. “Members can contact us, even if they have 10 different places they want to go, or a thousand questions about the network. We can be a single point of contact for clarifying and arranging all of it.”

A form on the Safe Harbor website makes using the service simple. Just fill out contact details, basic information about the boat, travel preferences and dates, and any additional notes that will help the team assist you. The Membership Concierge team will then reach out to help in any way possible.

Sara Faucher (left) and Abby Smith (right)

“

When a member is uncertain about a specific location, we can thoroughly answer their questions “We’ll have a Member get in touch with us and say something like, ‘I’m looking for pet-friendly and guide them through the entirety locations with restaurants onsite’ and we’ll provide a list of locations, ordered north to south with of the reservation process.” detailed notes” says Smith. “Last week, somebody asked our recommendation for a vet in the area where their boat was docked,” Faucher adds.

Faucher and Smith can streamline the process of planning a cruise—they alleviate the stresses of traveling—and they do so for all Members, not only for those making long trips. “We have a high concentration of locations in the Northeast, where many of our Members will travel for just a night or two in the summer,” says Faucher. “As the seasons change, we see a lot of boaters migrating from the Northeast down to Florida or the Carolinas for the winter.

In the winter months, we have many boaters cruising through Florida and down to the Keys. Out west, we’re helping with California requests. Wherever you are in the network, this service is for you.”

SARA FAUCHER | MEMBERSHIP CONCIERGE

Whether you’re plotting your way south for a warm and sunny winter, or you need a last-minute recommendation to make the most of a spontaneous getaway, the Safe Harbor Membership Concierge team is ready to provide booking assistance and thoughtful advice so you can focus on enjoying your time on the water. ▪

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NEW ENGLAND SALTWATER SHOWDOWN TREASURE

altwater I

n the wake of World War II, fishing and boating saw a major influx of new enthusiasts. Americans were spending more time on the water and venturing farther offshore in pursuit of larger species. Then Ernest Hemingway published Old Man and the Sea, a tale about a fisherman’s multiday battle with a mighty blue marlin. The book’s popularity cemented the marlin’s stature as the ultimate game fish. Anglers all over the world wanted a chance to tangle with a big blue, a fish that can grow to more than 1,500 pounds.

These fishermen were drawn to places such as Palm Beach, Montauk and Miami. One spot that wasn’t on their map, however, was Morehead City, North Carolina, which at the time was mostly a commercial waterfront.

Community leaders wanted to change that. In 1956, a group of local business owners got together and formed the Fabulous Fishing Club.

They knew blue marlin swam in the Gulf Stream waters off Morehead City, and they put up a cash prize for the first caught locally in hopes it would generate some buzz.

The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament has become the largest blue marlin event in the world and created a legacy of giving back to the community.

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Local fishing boats spotted blue marlin offshore that year, but none were caught. That all changed on September 14, 1957, when Jimmy Croy hooked into a blue while fishing the 50-fathom curve aboard Mary Z, a 52-foot North Carolina-built boat with “Captain Bill” Olsen at the helm.

After a 38-minute battle, they boarded the fish and headed back to town. The fish and crew were photographed and as the story goes, Olsen won $250, which was awarded in real silver dollars and presented in a little red wagon.

From these humble beginnings, the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament took shape. More than 65 years later, the tournament is one of the largest of its kind—in 2023, a fleet of 271 boats competed for more than $5.8 million in prize money.

there is a long-lasting impact that generations can enjoy.

Many captains have seen the impact of the Big Rock firsthand, but few have been as closely connected to the tournament as Casey Wagner. He first fished the Big Rock in 1973 when he was 15, working as a mate on a local charter boat. While the event wasn’t nearly as large as it is now, all the local charter captains and private boats fished it. In 1985, Wagner and his friends bought a 42foot Bertram, which they used to fish the tournament for a dozen or so years. He then sold the boat and ran other vessels before he got his 55-foot Jarrett Bay, Inspiration.

In 2012 Wagner finished in second place with his son Cole mating for him. They landed a 437-pound blue marlin on the first day of the event. After a nail-biting few days, their fish was in the money.

“I don’t know of any captain that doesn’t want to fish this, whether they’re from Morehead City or Islamorada,” says Randy Ramsey, Vice President of Operations at Safe Harbor Jarrett Bay and a tournament board member since 1987. Safe Harbor Jarrett Bay has been a tournament sponsor for years. “The Big Rock is the Super Bowl of fishing,” he says.

“We were happy to get second,” Wagner says. “We’ve been in the top 10, three or four times. We’ve been up there, but we had never placed in the money. That was the first time.”

The tournament’s forefathers wanted to showcase the fishing off Morehead City and bring some notoriety to the area, but the event did much more than that. Over time it became a fundraising conduit for a long list of charitable organizations in the community. Backing up to Big Rock Landing with a weighable fish on deck as a crowd of several thousand people looks on is a thrill you won’t experience in many parts of the world. And when the dust settles and a six- or seven-figure check is donated to a worthwhile cause ranging from cancer care to a community theater,

“After about three hours, we had the fish within about 50 feet of the boat and it just took off and almost took all the line on the reel—that’s about 1,000 yards. If a fish does that after three hours, you’ve got something serious going on,” says Wagner who is now 68 and still runs the boat. “When the leader popped up, my son reached down and grabbed it, and pulled about three times. That fish popped up on the surface and we saw how big it was. One of my best friends was on the bridge with me, and I turned to him and said, ‘We just won the Big Rock!’”

Two years later, Inspiration won again, but this time the crew took first place after a five-hour battle with a monster marlin.

Tournament Timeline

A H I STO RY O F B I G R O C K 1956 Fabulous Fishing Club Formed, with a prize issued for the first blue marlin caught

1963 Fabulous Fisherette’s Club Formed

1957 Jimmy Croy catches first blue marlin on vessel Mary Z with “Captain Bill” Olsen

1968 Tournament entry costs $35

1970 Bump Styron wins tournament after 13 years fishing it

1 9 74

Jimmy Croy with the winning blue marlin in 1957.

1973 Event is renamed The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, after a popular offshore ledge

100 boats enter the competition

1979

1986 Tournament dedicated to Michael J. Smith, a native who died aboard The Challenger Space Shuttle

15-year-old Mark Mason catches the winning fish

1986 Big Rock Foundation formed

1993 Record fish of 759 pounds caught by Kathy Keel

2000 831-pound blue marlin caught on Summertime Blues

2007

The Inspiration crew caught the biggest fish in 2014.

1998 First annual Lady Angler Tournament takes place

2003 Additional points awarded for using circle hooks

Big Rock 50-year anniversary

2019

2023 For the Big Rock 65-year anniversary, Sushi wins $2,769,437

914-pound blue marlin caught on Top Dog; it holds the current tournament record

Winners of the 2023 Big Rock took a big purse.

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In 1973, the tournament was renamed the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament and Warren “Bump” Styron, owner of the Morehead City Yacht Basin, began running the event. A 2,000-pound scale was erected next to Capt. Bill’s Restaurant downtown. That same year the fleet caught 68 marlin (62 of them blue marlin) to set a new event record.

The following year 100 boats entered, and the event soon became the largest of its kind on the East Coast.

2023 Keli Wagner Lady Angler winners

The crowd was waiting at the waterfront for the boat to come in, eager to see if the team had a large enough fish to win it all. “Everybody in town knew I was hooked up and fighting a fish. Word spreads fast. After we boated the fish and started coming home, I slowed the boat down a little bit. I said, ‘Boy, you got to enjoy this one. You don’t get to do this very often.’” The fish, caught on the first day of the tournament, weighed 754 pounds.

Fishing has always been a family affair for Wagner. His wife, Keli, was an avid angler. The two met while fishing a tournament in the Bahamas and they always had the kids out on the water. When Keli passed away in 2008 after battling cancer, the board of the Big Rock decided to name the women’s tournament in her honor. The Keli Wagner Lady Angler (KWLA) Tournament is the largest ladies’ blue marlin fishing event in the world. In 2023, the 26th annual event, more than 1,500 female anglers participated. The event has raised more than $425,000 since its inception. “Everybody’s been touched by cancer,” Wagner says. “I think everybody feels good about having a fun fishing tournament and they know where the money’s going.”

If you could go back in time and ask the founders of the Fabulous Fishing Club if they thought their tournament wagon of silver dollars would grow to a prize purse more than $5 million, they’d probably have a good laugh. In 1964, the entry fee was $25 per boat with a captain’s prize of $200 to $500. In that same year, the tournament awarded bonus points for releasing small fish, which kicked off another one of the tournament’s pillars— billfish conservation.

By the 1990s, the tournament was boasting cash prize purses in the $250,000 range and the charitable donations grew as well. The tournament board also increased the minimum size for any fish weighed to 300 pounds or 100 inches long. Any fish brought in smaller than the minimum would result in a costly penalty. The tournament’s minimum size was 100 pounds larger than the federal regulations at the time. The board increased the minimum size again in 1998, to 400 pounds or 110 inches.

In 1994 a new $5,000 category was added to the event and 197 boats fished for a total purse of $550,000. Salty Fare won the event with a 649-pound blue marlin and took home $256,525. By the late 1990s, the Big Rock was a $1 million event and it just continued to grow. In 2023, a fleet of 271 boats released 252 marlin. A $700,000 prize for the first fish over 500 pounds went unclaimed in 2023 and rolled over into the 2024 event. That fish alone is now be worth an estimated $1.4 million.

With big prizes, charitable gift giving and a chance to be among some of the best sportfishing crews in the world, it’s no surprise the Big Rock continues to grow.

“

The Big Rock is about changing lives. It’s lifechanging if you win. It’s lifechanging for the people who see a blue marlin for the first time, and it is life-changing for the charities that benefit.”

RANDY RAMSEY | VP OF OPERATIONS AT SAFE HARBOR JARRETT BAY

“It’s always a great week,” Wagner says. “You get to see so many people. Everybody’s so excited and there’s a lot of great events and parties and things like that. You just can’t imagine what it’s like unless you’re in it.”

Even if you manage to get the boat, tackle and crew ready to go, you still may need to make a few adjustments.

Take, for example, the 2001 tournament when longtime participant Adrian Holler didn’t like the vibration and hum coming from his boat Sea Striker. He decided to take a lay day and brought his vessel to Safe Harbor Jarrett Bay to change out his cutlass bearings. Call it intuition or superstition, but Holler and his team caught a winning fish the very next day. At the awards banquet, Ramsey presented Holler with a custom lure made from a cutlass bearing.

The Big Rock draws huge crowds to see the big boats, big fish and big checks, but this event is designed for everyone.

It’s for the fans who come to the waterfront every day. It’s for the anglers. It’s for the charities and local businesses.

And let the record show, you don’t need a big custom sportfish to compete. An outboard-powered 35-foot Contender center console won the tournament in 2022.

“The Big Rock is about changing lives. It’s life-changing if you win. It’s life-changing for the people who see a blue marlin for the first time, and it is life-changing for the charities that benefit,” says Ramsey.

Since 1986, the charitable arm of the Big Rock has donated more than $10.25 million. Core charities receive donations every year, as do high-impact projects that meet a specific need.

Big Rock Kids

These traditions continue to blossom and get passed down to future generations. The latest event is the Big Rock Kids Tournament, which encourages young anglers to join the fun. In the last kids tournament, 73 boats released 224 billfish. Welcoming young anglers is a great way to extend the fishing legacy while educating youth about the importance of conservation and raising money for worthwhile causes.

Who knows, some of these youngsters may be on the tournament’s board in a decade or so and passing the torch on to their kids. For more information visit thebigrock.com. ▪ SAFE HARBOR MARINAS

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Founded in 1703, Mount Gay rum stands as the world’s oldest rum distillery. During the mid-1900s, Mount Gay began sponsoring sailing regattas globally, fostering camaraderie among sailors with après-sail gatherings becoming synonymous with the brand.

Today, Mount Gay is a fixture at Safe Harbor Experiences, where Members enjoy exclusive tastings and curated cocktail workshops that captivate the senses and underscore the rum’s enduring connection to the sailing lifestyle.

DIS COVE R M OR E

2023 Safe Harbor Race Weekend winners donning the iconic Mount Gay Red Cap.

THE PERFECT WEEKEND

Members make lifelong memories during a three-day Safe Harbor Experience in South Florida.

M

arch is one of the best months to be in South Florida, as the weather is often spectacular. On this day, though, a steady downpour drenched the docks at Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center in the hours before a welcome reception got underway for Members who had traveled to the Sunshine State for a big weekend. And yet the rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the team coordinating the event. Donning sailing bibs, Safe Harbor teammates prepared the venue, taking pains to ensure the comfort of guests with thoughtful details that included a stack of new umbrellas so Members could stay dry until they stepped into the marina’s restaurant.

By 7 p.m., YOT Bar & Kitchen was filled with smiling faces, stations of food, signature cocktails, good music, and lively conversation. The weekend had throttled up to a great start. When the rain tapered off, Members could really appreciate the amazing setting. Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center in Fort Lauderdale is the largest yacht service and repair facility in the country, and a 65-acre home to a fleet of striking superyachts. Here, docks can handle vessels up to 200 feet long—almost the length of a city block. And yet, while that colossal nautical eye candy is riveting, some people couldn’t help but talk about tennis.

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Favorite moments FROM OUR MEMBERS

We had such a blast at Safe Harbor Tennis Open weekend! The cocktail party on Friday was so enjoyable and we had a great time on Saturday at the matches, watching a lot of our favorite players up close and personal. And then there was the wonderful brunch and cruise on Sunday. We met some super people and will keep in touch with them. We want to thank your staff for the gift of a wonderful weekend.

- M I K E & PA U L A M .

Safe Harbor Narrows Point | Grasonville, MD

We want to express our extreme gratitude for a special weekend at Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center. We fully enjoyed the hospitality, the wonderful food, the boat rides, and the fabulous tennis.

Everything was organized so perfectly and thoroughly, even with the interference of Mother Nature. Thank you again for including us, and please keep us in mind for future events.

- R I C H & C A R O L L F. Safe Harbor Manasquan River | Brick, NJ

We had a wonderful weekend at the Safe Harbor Tennis Open. You did an outstanding job hosting this event, covering every detail to make the experience memorable for all attendees. It was a great opportunity for us to meet other boaters and to get to know the Safe Harbor team.

It’s evident that you folks love your jobs and take pride in the Safe Harbor organization.

We feel fortunate to be Members of this community. We look forward to future Experiences.

- C I N DY & M I K E B .

Safe Harbor Haverstraw | West Haverstraw, NY

It was, after all, the Safe Harbor Tennis Open, a three-day weekend for the more than 300 Members who came from 50 different ports to attend. A day of matches at the Miami Open in Hard Rock Stadium was the main event, but it was bookended by activities that gave Members the chance to explore new cruising destinations and connect with like-minded people who value time on the water and the camaraderie of the boating community. It was organized and hosted by Safe Harbor as one of four nationwide Experiences in 2024.

“These events are planned around major happenings that align with Member interests,” said Rebecca LeBlanc, Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Experiences at Safe Harbor, who has helped develop weekends around everything from sailing regattas and polo matches to PGA TOUR golf tournaments. “Attendance grows each year, and many Members have become ‘frequent flyers.’ They look forward to each Experience and the chance to meet up with people from around the Safe Harbor network.”

The success of the nationwide Experiences, says LeBlanc, has inspired the creation of regional events organized by individual Safe Harbor locations. Thus, Members now have more opportunities to make memories in new locales closer to home.

By all accounts, the 39th edition of the Miami Open was unforgettable, as Members got VIP treatment. That included 100-level seats on the main court for men’s and women’s singles, and a private hospitality lounge, which was convenient when rain once more swept through early Saturday morning. The lounge was stocked with food and drink, including complimentary tastings by Mount Gay Rum. Members were also able to check out the action on side courts where other matches were underway. “You could choose your adventure,” said LeBlanc.

While the action on the courts made for an exciting Saturday, many Members said the best part of the weekend was Sunday, when Safe Harbor organized boating excursions on the historic New River in Fort Lauderdale.

X Shore and Barton & Gray supplied vessels to ferry guests along this canal that connects to the Intracoastal

Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. From the cockpits of these boats, Members enjoyed exceptional views and understood why Fort Lauderdale is sometimes called the “Venice of the Americas,” with superyachts plying the waters rather than gondolas.

“We’ve organized boating excursions for other Experience weekends, but this one took it to a new level,” said LeBlanc. “People were enjoying the boats, sharing stories, catching up with old and new friends, and marking their calendars for future Safe Harbor events.” Those events include the second annual Safe Harbor Dream Weekend in Montauk, New York, and fourth annual Safe Harbor Race Weekend in Newport, Rhode Island, which will host a record number of attendees.

“Safe Harbor Experiences will continue to elevate,” said LeBlanc. “The excitement is real.” ▪

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Get a personalized financial plan that changes with you We have partnered with Citizens Wealth Management® to offer exclusive financial advice and guidance for Members in every stage of life.

D I S COV E R MO R E

Citizens Wealth Management® is not affiliated with Safe Harbor Marinas.

Citizens Wealth Management (in certain instances DBA Citizens Private Wealth) is a division of Citizens Bank, N.A. (“Citizens”). Securities, insurance, brokerage services, and investment advisory services offered by Citizens Securities, Inc. (“CSI”), a registered broker-dealer and SEC registered investment adviser - Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services may also be offered by Clarfeld Financial Advisors, LLC (“CFA”), an SEC registered investment adviser, or by unaffiliated members of FINRA and SIPC providing brokerage and custody services to CFA clients (see Form ADV for details). Insurance products may also be offered by Estate Preservation Services, LLC (“EPS”) or an unaffiliated party. CSI, CFA and EPS are affiliates of Citizens. Banking products and trust services offered by Citizens.

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Navigating towards a greener horizon:

THE BIRTH O T

he story begins in 1996 when Konrad Bergström, founder of X Shore, first planted the seeds of this vision. Inspired by his deep connection to nature, design, and technology, and driven by a desire to reduce emissions and noise pollution, Bergström envisioned a future where boating could be both luxurious and environmentally friendly. His idea lay dormant for years, waiting for the right moment to take root. In 2020, the first production series of the Eelex 8000 was launched, followed by the new 21' model, X Shore 1.

Fast forward to today, and that moment has arrived.

With Bergström’s vision as its guiding light, X Shore has emerged as a beacon of sustainability and innovation in the boating world. Under the leadership of CEO René Hansen, the company is on a mission to provide boating enthusiasts with a superior, zero-emission experience.

Read more about X Shore and take advantage of exclusive offers to Safe Harbor Members below.

DISCOVER MORE

OF X SHORE In the serene landscapes of the Nordics of Scandinavia, a vision for sustainable boating was born—a vision that would eventually culminate in the creation of X Shore, a pioneering electric boat company committed to revolutionizing the leisure boating industry.

SAFE HARBOR MARINAS 00

2023 safe harbor sustainability report Caring for our people and the natural environment in which we operate is integral to Safe Harbor.

Our 2023 Sustainability Report highlights how our services, hospitality, and amenities facilitate memorable boating experiences that connect people to each other and to our magnificent world.

DISCOVER MORE

NEW ENGLAND TREASURE

The Connecticut River is one of the most treasured cruising destinations along the East Coast, combining pure natural beauty with a relaxed, small-town vibe.

A

s the morning sun clears the trees to the east, the Connecticut River sparkles like gemstones. Two osprey swing in graceful hunting circles above the flood tide, while a shortnose sturgeon breaks the stillness with a jump. It is early summer and the skippers of two center console boats are looking for striped bass along the lower river just as an express cruiser passes by, having left Long Island Sound to enter the river between the breakwaters off Old Saybrook, Connecticut.

The longest and largest river in New England, the Connecticut River is one of the few waterways in the country that has remained largely undeveloped, especially around its mouth. No major port city sprawls across the entrance to this important waterway. Mother Nature deserves the credit for this fortunate happenstance. “It’s

the only major river in New England that has never been industrialized,” said Doug Domenie, Safe Harbor Marinas Regional Manager for Connecticut and New York. “And that’s because of the shoaling at the mouth.”

The Connecticut River wends its way 410 miles from the Quebec-New Hampshire border to Long Island Sound, to which it provides 70 percent of its freshwater.

Domenie spoke fondly of the river’s “spectacularism,” highlighting two spots that exemplify the special beauty of the lower Connecticut River: Hamburg Cove and Selden Creek. More on those shortly.

“It’s a little bit unknown in terms of what it has to offer,” said Domenie. “Yet it’s still a weekend destination and an

interesting stopover for boaters going east or west along Long Island Sound.”

Scores of boaters enter the river each season, leaving to port both the Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse (1886), known as the outer light, and a short distance later the Lynde Point Lighthouse (rebuilt in 1838), aka the inner light. Old Saybrook greets boaters along the western shore, and the 500-acre Great Island saltmarsh stretches along the eastern banks. The marsh is home to numerous wading birds, including great blue herons and snowy egrets, and provides a nursery for juvenile fish, crabs, and other tidal inhabitants.

The aerial virtuoso of the marsh is the osprey, and more than two dozen nests are found on Great Island. The

concentration of these sharp-eyed fish hawks on the lower Connecticut is as great as you’ll find anywhere in the country. Their distinctive whistles and high pitched cheep-cheep-cheep calls are familiar river sounds. Bald eagles have also made a strong comeback, and nesting pairs can be found along the lower river. The paddling trails through the marshes on the eastern shore, both north and south of the railroad bridge, are perfect for kayakers, canoeists, and bird watchers. Remember to keep a respectful distance from nesting birds.

Boats traveling upriver pass between the Amtrak Old Saybrook-Old Lyme Bridge, which is typically kept in the open position during the boating season. Contact the bridge tender over VHF channel 13.

SAFE HARBOR MARINAS 4 9

The lovely historic town of Essex is located on the west side of the river about six miles north of the river mouth.

With a history of shipbuilding, Essex has long been welcoming to cruisers and weekend boaters. Essex has a large anchorage, three yacht clubs and five marinas and boatyards. “And you don’t need a car,” said Tim Dennett, a Regional Sales Director for Safe Harbor, which owns and operates three marinas in the small town. “It’s all right there. Stroll the tree-lined Main Street and you’ll feel as if you’re going back in time,” Dennett added.

If you are looking for a deeper dive into the history of the lower river valley, visit the Connecticut River Museum, which is located on the water at the foot of Main Street.

From benches next to the museum, visitors can watch the parade of boats slipping past at no-wake speed.

Across from the museum is Nott Island, where many boaters anchor and swim on summer weekends. Smaller

boats sometimes slip behind the island, entering from the south end.

Safe Harbor operates three marinas in Essex: Safe Harbor Dauntless and Dauntless Shipyard and Safe Harbor Essex Island. The 13-acre Essex Island has about 1,000 linear feet of transient dockage for both Safe Harbor Members and guests. The island is but a two-minute ferry ride across a narrow waterway located at the foot of Ferry Street in downtown Essex and the ferry dock on the island. The ferry is free and runs seven days a week in season. The slips, grounds and facilities are comfortable and well maintained. The island has attracted generations of boaters in the 60-plus years that a marina has been in operation there.

Siren Kitchen & Bar is a stone’s throw from the island ferry dock. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the outside

SA F E H A R B O R P R O P E R T I E S A LO N G THE CONNECTICUT RIVER

SAFE HARBOR FERRY POINT

S A F E H A R B O R DAU N T L E S S & D A U N T L E S S S H I P YA R D

seating makes the restaurant a great place to indulge in both boat and people watching. The island also has a large pool and numerous barbecue areas. “Essex Island is just an experience,” said Domenie, who for many years managed Safe Harbor Dauntless Shipyard. Essex Village provides the kind of setting where the children of visiting boaters can safely traipse the streets in groups searching for ice cream and lattes while enjoying the first whiff of newly found independence.

along the river has been positive. “It has changed in that it is a dramatically cleaner river,” said Domenie, a sentiment echoed by others. “When it is blowing like stink on Long Island Sound, the river is easily manageable.” And like most locations, the river is busier on weekends than during the week, when it is surprisingly empty. “I love the fact that the river is so quiet during the week,” said cruising sailor Bruce Freeman. “You see fish and wildlife all the time.”

Safe Harbor Dauntless Shipyard is equipped to handle any service issues that arise. And Safe Harbor Dauntless has fuel and provides launch services for itsmooring customers.

The Connecticut River experiences an annual spring freshet, which typically litters the river with logs and partially submerged debris for a week or more. The severity depends on how much snow has fallen to the north, when it melts, and how much rain accompanies it.

If you are on the river during the freshet, keep your eyes open for debris. And don’t run at night until the worst of it has passed.

Change comes slowly to this charming corner of the world, where residents and visitors alike enjoy the friendly small-town vibe. Much of the change that has taken place

SAFE HARBOR ESSEX ISLAND

SAFE HARBOR DEEP RIVER SAFE HARBOR MARINAS

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About a mile upriver from Essex Village on the eastern shore is Hamburg Cove, a popular spot to while away a summer afternoon swimming, barbecuing, catching rays and chilling to tunes with family and friends. “I’ve always told people my kids had more dinners in Hamburg Cove growing up than they did at home in summer,” said Domenie. The entrance to the cove is roughly across from the midway point on Brockway Island. The marked channel leading to and from the cove is narrow. Focus too long on a snowy egret as you thread your way in or out and you might find a mud bank.

A narrow channel, dredged to six feet at low water, leads to the upper cove and the pretty village of Hamburg, located in the town of Lyme. On returning to the river, you might spot small boats anchored along the sandbar off the north end of Brockway Island, which is a popular swimming spot at low tide.

Less than a mile upriver to starboard is the entrance to Selden Creek, a quiet waterway brimming with birds and natural beauty. Gunkholing through Selden Creek feels

Kayakers enjoying the Connecticut River under Gillette Castle in Lyme, CT

Hamburg Cove, CT Striped bass caught in the Connecticut River

Connecticut River Museum in Essex, CT

“

I have never witnessed a spectacle more dramatic than the twisting tornadoes of tree swallows I saw plunging from the sky.”

ROGER TORY PETERSON | RENOWNED ORNITHOLOGIST, ARTIST, & OLD LYME RESIDENT

A great migration of swallows over Goose Island

more like secreting through bayou country than it does Connecticut marshland. Few places in New England are as quietly enchanting as Selden Creek. One caution: Do not attempt to exit the north end of Selden Creek. It is often unpassable due to shoaling. The south entrance is best taken right down the middle, the more tide the better.

If you have doubts, take your dinghy.

This is a good time to run past Gillette Castle, the 14,000-square-foot stone edifice that overlooks the river from its 200-foot perch on the border of East Haddam and Lyme. Depending on the foliage and the day, leaf watchers may choose to continue past the stately Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, and through the swing bridge to Middletown.

The Connecticut River also has a strong striped bass fishery, with spring and fall being the best seasons. At times, the bass fishing is off-the-charts good. Anglers are allowed to keep one fish a day between 28 inches and 31 inches. Much of the current effort to revive striper stocks is aimed at reducing catch-and-release mortality from recreational anglers. Remember to handle your catch carefully and to return fish to the water as quickly as possible.

If you are on the river in fall, the murmuration of migrating swallows at twilight off Goose Island just north of the I-95 Baldwin Bridge is a sight to behold. The swirling ballet of birds typically occurs in late September and October. The late renowned ornithologist, artist and Old Lyme resident Roger Tory Peterson said it best: “I have never witnessed a spectacle more dramatic than the twisting tornadoes of tree swallows I saw plunging from the sky.”

Fall is a wonderful time to cruise the river. Traffic is down and the foliage seldom disappoints. Most boaters try to time their last cruise to peak foliage, which varies from season to season.

It is a marvel of nature, and just one of the experiences that make the Connecticut River such a treasured waterway. ▪

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Set on 16 acres of pristine coast, undone natural beauty, and endless views is a sanctuary for slipping into Montauk’s transportive landscape, eclectic character, and barefoot ease.

N OW B O O K I N G

COMMITTED TO SAFETY

Behind the scenes at all Safe Harbor properties, there’s a keen focus on protecting peoples’ health and the environment.

W

hen boaters pull into any Safe Harbor Marinas property, they see a clean, smartly operated facility that functions as a good neighbor in the community. The feeling around each location is that people care— and that isn’t happening by accident.

“This isn’t only an area of priority, it’s part of the fabric of who we are,” says James Phyfe, Safe Harbor’s Chief Resource Officer. “Safety is, of course, an essential part of running any business. But at Safe Harbor, we believe we are building something never seen before in this industry, and we want to set the standard that safety and environmental stewardship are indispensable characteristics of companies successful in this space.”

Behind the scenes at Safe Harbor, an entire team is dedicated to ensuring not only the personal safety and well-being of guests and teammates, but also each property’s environmental safety. Every Safe Harbor location has an environmental, health and safety coordinator who is the designated person on-site charged with overseeing these issues, ensuring not just compliance, but also above-and-beyond adherence to a culture of safety at all times.

“When we acquire a property, oftentimes it’s a business that’s been run by a family for decades, so they don’t have the background that we have,” says Mark Liffers, Vice President of Environmental Health and Safety programs. “One of the things we focus on is that safety and quality rely on each other. If you have good quality service, good quality products, a good quality operation, then it follows that you’re doing it safely, and vice versa. We’re basically taking the time to do it right the first time.”

As just one example, Safe Harbor has spent more than a year offering employees OSHA 10-hour training. It’s a program of the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration that involves 10 hours of live instruction with a certified trainer, as well as a written exam. This training is voluntary, going beyond mandatory training, to add even more of a culture of safety to a facility’s operations.

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“On the surface, that’s a lot of extra work,” Liffers says.

“You’re taking teammates out of work to deliver the training, and they still have to do all their regular, required OSHA training in addition to this. We do it because our teammates are enthusiastic about it, and it contributes to our culture.”

Ken Brown, Director of Environmental Health and Safety for Safe Harbor, is the person who leads that training program. So far, between 400 and 500 teammates have volunteered to participate. “You have to raise your hand and opt in to do this, and right now, we are backlogged,” Brown says. “We have more people asking for it than time to do the training. That’s a wonderful problem for us to have.”

Safe Harbor also focuses on safety aspects that are easier for boaters to see. That includes a requirement for all teammates to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) while doing maintenance work. “We need to walk the walk,” Liffers says. “We can’t expect our people and our Members to appreciate the importance of

Safe Harbor Kittery Point

PPE if our people are not modeling the behavior. At Safe Harbor, you’ll see that the people who tend lines on the travelifts are wearing life jackets and hardhats, because there’s a chance they could fall into the water.”

Yet another area of focus is making sure that toxic materials are properly disposed of—say, during a pressure wash after a boat’s haul out, or when bottom paint flakes off and needs to be collected. “Every one of our yards has a stormwater management plan. That informs our decisions on things like wash water collection systems and dustless sanders,” Liffers says. “We sample and test rainwater running off the properties regularly to regulate spikes in metals or other contaminants.”

The Safe Harbor team is also making sure products like waste oil are properly stored, managed and recycled.

When a boat’s engine oil is changed, a system is in place to get it re-refined so it can be used again. “Collection of waste petrochemicals is law pretty much everywhere in the U.S. now, but how you do it says a lot about the company, ” Liffers says. “If you look at our hazardous

says. “When an underground tank is leaking, nobody sees it. With above ground tanks, any issues are immediately evident and can be addressed in real time. When Safe Harbor came together as an entity we made a decision to preemptively pull out underground storage tanks where we were able to, and replace them with above-ground tanks. It’s voluntary and not inexpensive but it’s the right thing to do and we’re doing it across the country.”

Overall, these and other areas of focus help to create what the team calls an evolved culture of safety. Managers at Safe Harbor locations turn in daily reports on anything they see that needs correcting, be it a behavior or a condition. The idea is to make thinking about safety so routine, everyone simply does it.

“Think about the power of that,” Liffers says. “We get all kinds of opportunities to prevent accidents every day.

That’s what we’re working toward, that it’s an ingrained habit, a normal part of your day that if you see something unsafe, you say something and get it corrected.” ▪

Having a plan to manage fuel leaks is another priority.

Completely preventing such leaks is all but impossible, but knowing what to do when they happen is key, Phyfe says.

“At the end of the day, in any marina there’s a chance that fuel will find its way into the water. Our plans of course focus on preventing that, but they go on to dictate how we react,” Phyfe says. “If an owner has a dirty bilge and it overflows triggering the bilge pump, we can’t control that, but we can address the oil in the water, put our plans in place to contain and mitigate it.”

That level of thinking also extends to how fuel is stored before it gets to the fuel-dock pumps, Phyfe adds. “One of the things that Safe Harbor did early on, at all of our locations that provide fuel, is address the inherent risk associated with underground fuel tanks,” he

MARK LIFFERS | VP OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

waste collection stations, you will find neat spaces with properly marked containers in secondary containment that are regularly checked and emptied. We make a very concerted effort to do it properly—again because it helps us create that culture of responsibility.”

“

We get all kinds of opportunities to prevent accidents every day.

That’s what we’re working toward, that it’s an ingrained habit, a normal part of your day that if you see something unsafe, you say something and get it corrected.”

SAFE HARBOR MARINAS 00 59

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SALT OF THE EARTH

Josh Hester makes boaters feel at home at Safe Harbor Sunroad in San Diego.

R

aised in Kentucky, Josh Hester was introduced to boating on runabouts and pontoons as he navigated the waters of Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. As a young man, those moments in nature with friends and family were his ultimate pleasure, laying the foundation for a lifelong love of the outdoors. He went on to attend college at Western Kentucky University, where he studied electrical engineering. There, Hester met his future wife, Shelly, who later convinced him to go to California to be closer to family. Unbeknownst to Hester at the time, the move

would also bring him closer to a career that would connect him with like-minded water enthusiasts. When the couple landed in San Diego, Hester, who was then 23, immediately began looking for work. Seemingly by fate, his mother’s neighbor recommended he apply for an open position at a marina in San Diego. Hester was punctual for what would be the fastest interview of his life. He was hired on the spot at what is now Safe Harbor Sunroad. Eighteen years later, Josh has gone from the kid who took out the garbage and washed the docks, to a beloved and respected General Manager within the Safe Harbor network.

“

A man of integrity, Josh is both professional and knowledgeable about all things boating, but most importantly, he makes us feel at home.”

JAN CURTIS | MEMBER AT SAFE HARBOR SUNROAD

Safe Harbor Sunroad

Today, Safe Harbor Sunroad boasts 645 slips and 63 commercial tenants. For everything to run smoothly, Hester understands the importance of trust, a value at the core of his management style and the broader Safe Harbor company culture. “I like to let each person be their own person,” Hester says of his coworkers. “I don’t leave the property and worry because I know my team can handle it.

They make good decisions and I trust them.”

Hester also makes efforts to ensure his team gets quality time on the water. That, he believes, is integral to the marina’s success. “It’s good team building, and it allows everyone to better understand our services and products,” he says. “And this understanding leads to stronger relationships with our Members and guests.”

Jan Curtis, a long-time Member at Sunroad, was so impressed with Hester that she invited him to crew on her

boat for a transatlantic crossing. “A man of integrity, he is both professional and knowledgeable about all things boating,” says Curtis. “But most importantly, he makes us feel at home.”

This hospitable nature and incessant desire to make boating as pleasurable as possible for everyone who enters the marina gates has come to define Hester’s career.

Safe Harbor Sunroad recently invested in upgrades to gangways and ramps for improved accessibility, a goal that had been in the works for a while. When Hester told the president of the local association of sailors about the changes, the man was moved to tears. “I got to sit in my office and tell him that Safe Harbor was about to make his life – and the lives of the boating community – easier,” says Hester. “He then cried and told me that I made his year. I left with an incredible feeling that day, having recognized once again the type of company I work for.” ▪ SAFE HARBOR MARINAS

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E X P LO R E O P P O R T U N I T I E S

ISLAND RETREAT

A quick ferry ride to Safe Harbor Essex Island transports Members to a simpler time.

BY DANIEL HARDING JR. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AT POWER & MOTORYACHT AND SAFE HARBOR MEMBER

A

s a kid growing up in a suburban town, I never really knew the neighbors. Sure, we’d nod at each other from time to time, maybe even give a half wave and a comment about the weather, but that was about it. Those relationships were in stark contrast to the ones I forged at the marina where we kept our family boat. I became close friends with the dock neighbors, and I think of them as family today. It takes a special marina to foster that type of connection. I found a place like that again when I became a Member of Safe Harbor Essex Island in Essex, Connecticut.

A big reason for the magic at Safe Harbor Essex Island is the fact that it’s, well, an island.

To get to the marina, you take a 20-second ferry ride on a pontoon boat from the mainland.

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Each time I step onto that boat with my family, we’re greeted with warm smiles, and our dog Salty goes berserk as she’s fed a treat from the captain, with whom we chat with like old friends. As the old Cheers theme song goes, “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.”

Before we even get to our slip, we inevitably stop a couple of times, either to talk with (not just nod to) the dockmaster or one of the many polite and gregarious staffers, whom we also know by name. It’s these interactions that make a marina feel less like a place to store your boat and more like a close-knit community.

I like to think that I’m approachable and outgoing, but I can’t hold a candle to my highly sociable wife, Karen, 3-year-old son Connor, and high-energy pup. Every venture to the pirate-ship-shaped playground at the marina results in introductions to more of our neighbors.

Seeds of friendship are planted constantly, thanks to them.

Me, I can often be found with my deck hatches up, crouched between the engines of my old Bertram for any number of reasons. These hatches might as well be a welcome The family dog, Salty, enjoys the social atmosphere at the marina.

“

Safe Harbor Essex Island crew help dock a Member

Before we even get to our slip, we inevitably stop a couple times, either to talk with (not just nod to) the dockmaster or one of the many polite and gregarious staffers. It’s these interactions that make a marina feel less like a place to store your boat and more like a close-knit community.”

DAN HARDING | SAFE HARBOR ESSEX ISLAND MEMBER

Karen, Connor and Dan Harding enjoy family time on the water.

banner that screams, “Come talk to me!” While I might not always be at my most patient during these moments, I have come to appreciate the kindness of neighbors who come by to offer a hand, a tool, a word of encouragement or a cold adult beverage. And then there are the many times my marina neighbors (seasonal and transient alike) stop what they’re doing to catch my dock lines. It’s a small courtesy that means a lot, particularly when the wind and current disagree.

Many marinas in New England under the Safe Harbor umbrella were once family owned and operated. I’ve heard some in the marine industry say that because Safe Harbor is a huge corporation, these properties are now less appealing. I can’t speak to all locations but the many that I’ve visited, and the one I call home, possess the personal touch in spades.

Safe Harbor offers countless opportunities for Members to meet one another at events that vary from coffee-anddonut get-togethers, to wine tastings with live music.

Breaking bread—or in this case glazed donuts—has a way of putting everyone in a good mood for the swapping of boat stories.

I sometimes wonder if any of this has an influence on our toddler. I get my answer when I pose this question to Connor: “Do you want to go home or stay over on the boat?” His response always warms the heart: “Stay here.”

The happy memories we’ve created at our second home made my recent call to Safe Harbor Business Manager Stacy Briotti a tough one. “Uhm, I can’t believe I’m even saying this, but we’re not going to be back next summer.”

The difficult decision to skip a season of boating was made for the best reason: We decided to expand our crew with the addition of a second son. He’s due in July, smack dab in the arrow-narrow New England summer. With a pregnancy and then a newborn, Karen and I knew we would not be able to use the boat as we typically do.

“Congratulations,” Stacy replied. “And no problem at all.

When you’re ready to come back just give me a call.”

I guess Thomas Wolfe was wrong when he wrote, “You can’t go home again.” We will, and we can’t wait. ▪

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I NQ U I R E A B O U T MAR I NE S E RVICE

NAVIGATING THE NETWORK

Spotlighting Safe Harbor locations in the Florida East, Lake Norman, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast regions.

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L

ocated north of West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce and Stuart are two towns known for spectacular cruising and fishing, along with easy access to the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean. Safe Harbor has first-class facilities in each town.

Safe Harbor Harbortown is in Fort Pierce, a village popular among cruisers and anglers alike with its easy-to-navigate waters and popular pelagic species, including mahi-mahi, sailfish, pompano, amberjack, cobia, snapper and grouper. It’s also home to the Indian River Lagoon, a scenic, 156-mile estuary.

Fort Pierce

White City

Safe Harbor Harbortown has all-new docks with wet slips for boats up to 100 feet long with a maximum beam of 32 feet, a draft of seven feet and unrestricted height to accommodate everything from tall-masted sailboats to cruising yachts and offshore battlewagons. Each slip has shore power, fresh water, cable and VHF connections. Transient slips are available for boats with the same dimensions. At the marina’s dry storage facility, the maximum length is 120 feet, with a maximum beam of 30 feet and weight of 150 tons. Launch and haul service is available.

SAFE HARBOR HARBORTOWN

Hutchinson Island

Port St. Lucie Jenson Beach

Stuart

SAFE HARBOR HARBORAGE YACHT CLUB

For marina guests who want to enjoy local excursions, there’s the St. Lucie County Aquarium in Fort Pierce. The largest display here is a living model of a Caribbean coral reef; other live displays include seagrass, mangrove, nearshore reef habitats and the deep-water Oculina coral reef. Children will like the touch tank as it offers up-close encounters with local marine life.

Jupiter

Palm Beach Gardens

Riviera Beach

West Palm Beach

Fort Pierce, FL

Stuart welcome arch near Jensen Beach

Safe Harbor Harborage Yacht Club in Stuart, FL

Also in Fort Pierce is the Manatee Observation and Education Center. A nonprofit organization, the center straddles the Indian River Lagoon and Moore’s Creek, a freshwater tributary. Hands-on exhibits educate guests about how manatees live and how to properly treat them during an encounter. Other wildlife on site include bottlenose dolphin, mullet, brown pelicans and turtles.

South of Fort Pierce is the popular town of Stuart, which also draws boaters all year long. Boaters know the area as the home of the Chapman School of Seamanship, while anglers call Stuart the “Sailfish Capital of the World.”

Safe Harbor Harborage Yacht Club in Stuart is located on the St. Lucie River, with wet slips for boats up to 100 feet long with a maximum beam of 25 feet, a draft of five feet and a height of 63 feet. Transient slips are offered for vessels with the same specifications and each slip has shore power, fresh water and pump-out connections,

Manatees at the Fort Pierce Manatee Observation and Education Center

plus dock boxes. Thanks to drive-up parking, you don’t have to lug all your gear hundreds of feet down the dock to the boat. It’s one example of the thoughtful amenities Members will find at this first-class, fullservice facility.

Stuart is home to the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center, a nonprofit created to inspire environmental stewardship of Florida’s coastal ecosystems. The 57-acre center is located on Hutchinson Island in Stuart, between the Indian River and Atlantic Ocean. It’s nationally recognized for its educational and research programs.

Boaters who are aviation fans will be interested in the Stuart Air Show, an annual fundraising event that draws more than 25,000 people. Attendees get to enjoy flying feats while helping local schools and youth agencies. Of course, the best place to watch the show is from a boat.

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N

LA K E N

orth Carolina’s Lake Norman is one of the most popular boating, fishing and watersports sites in the state, thanks in part to its proximity to the state capital of Raleigh. It was created in 1962 when the Cowans Ford Dam was built on the Catawba River. It took more than 700 days for the lake to reach full capacity and more than 500 miles of shoreline were created. Safe Harbor has four locations on the lake that can accommodate and service many different vessels.

There are two locations in Cornelius, North Carolina, a city that has become popular thanks to its location on Interstate 77, which leads directly to Charlotte. They are Safe Harbor Peninsula Yacht Club and Safe Harbor Kings Point.

Safe Harbor Peninsula Yacht Club has wet slips for boats up to 45 feet long, with a maximum beam of 17 feet and a max draft of seven feet. Docks have shore power, fresh water and cable TV hookups plus dock boxes and pumpout services. Transient slips are available for boats up to 35 feet long with a maximum beam of 11 feet. These docks have the same utility hookups as the Member slips. Guests can charter an excursion vessel too. The fuel dock has gas and diesel and there’s a wonderful restaurant, ship’s store and swimming pool. The property has barbecue grills, fire pits and showers.

Safe Harbor Kings Point has wet slips for boats up to 34 feet long with a max beam of 13 feet, 6 inches and a max Safe Harbor Kings Point illuminated by the sunset over Lake Norman

draft of 12 feet. The slips come with shore power and fresh water connections. Safe Harbor Kings Point also has rack storage for boats from 16 to 30 feet with a maximum beam of nine feet, a height of 12 feet and a weight not to exceed six tons. The secure facility has open and closed racks, valet launch and haul-out services. It also offers service for engines, fiberglass and more. Charter boats are available on site.

The Safe Harbor Kings Point fuel dock has gas, plus access to water and pump-out services. In the ship’s store, boaters can stock up on everything from ice to boat supplies. Safe Harbor Kings Point offers winterizing, rigging and de-rigging, a canvas shop, electrical, fiberglass and mechanical repairs by certified technicians, and vessel condition inspections. Mobile service is also just a phone call away.

Lake Norman has become popular among scuba enthusiasts, with underwater attractions that range from a cotton mill to an old airplane. Because the lake is close to Charlotte, it also appeals to professional athletes and members of many NASCAR teams that call the Queen City home. NBA legend and NASCAR team owner Michael Jordan owns a house in Cornelius, as does his business partner and NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin.

Also on the east side of the lake is Safe Harbor Skippers Landing in Troutman, North Carolina. Troutman is the home of the National Balloon Rally held at the Iredell

NORMAN SAFE HARBOR SKIPPERS LANDING Troutman

Sherrills Ford

Hot air balloons at the National Balloon Rally Terrell

County Fairgrounds; it’s one of the largest gatherings of hot air balloons in the country. Lake Norman State Park, known for its inviting bike trails, is also located in Troutman.

Safe Harbor Skippers Landing has wet slips for boats up to 34 feet long. Each slip has fresh water and shore power connections. Rack storage is available for boats up to 32 feet long. Valet launch and haul-out services are offered, as is winter storage. The fuel dock has gas and there’s a ship’s store. The gazebo on the property offers a place where guests can enjoy a picnic with a glass of wine from the nearby Davesté Vineyards. The service department performs winterizations, repowers and repairs on everything from canvas to fiberglass by certified technicians.

While Interstate 77 and Charlotte make the east side of the lake a big attraction, the west side is more laid-back.

For boaters who want a quieter experience, there’s Safe Harbor Westport in Denver, North Carolina, which is also home to Rock Springs Campground.

Safe Harbor Westport has wet slips for boats up to 30 feet, with no beam, height or weight restrictions. Each slip has dock boxes, pump-out, shore power and fresh water connections. The marina also offers dry storage for boats from 16 to 33 feet. Customers can also store their boats on the trailer on the property. The fuel dock at Safe Harbor Westport has gas to fuel your vessel. This full-service facility offers winterizing repower work, plus repairs for electrical, fiberglass and mechanical issues.

Mooresville

Denver

Davidson Westport

SAFE HARBOR WESTPORT

Cornelius SAFE HARBOR PENINSULA YACHT CLIUB

SAFE HARBOR KINGS POINT

Huntersville

Lowesville

Mt. Holly

Charlotte

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F

rom early spring throughout the summer and well into the warmest days of autumn, the Mid-Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay regions offer a treasure trove of destinations and experiences for boaters of all ages to enjoy. Dock-and-dine restaurants spring their windows and porches open, offering everything from fresh-caught fish and crab to homemade saltwater taffy with a view of the nearby marinas and docks. Summer festivals go into full swing, featuring everything from jazz musicians and carnival rides to hot air balloons and clam chowder. Maritime museums offer programs almost every day with topics ranging from the ocean ecosystem to classic ships, sometimes with an opportunity to take a tour and walk right through maritime history itself.

In fact, the variety of options along the waterways is so limitless that some boaters spend entire lifetimes in the region, trying to experience it all. Some prefer to go cruising. Families with kids tend to love the games and fun along the boardwalks in beach towns. History buffs tour the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. Culture aficionados explore the shops and restaurants that line the streets throughout the historic harbor at Baltimore.

Anglers can’t get enough of the fishing and shellfishing in countless nooks and crannies along the Chesapeake Bay.

Georgetown

Middle River SAFE HARBOR GREAT OAK LANDING

Baltimore Edgemere

Farlee Chestertown

Centreville

Queenstown Annapolis Edgewater

Shady Side

Annapolis skyline with the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel dome Chesapeake Beach SAFE HARBOR OXFORD Oxford

Huntington

Cambridge

Blackwater National Wildllife Refuge Solomons SAFE HARBOR ZAHNISERS

All along the way, Safe Harbor has properties in locations that let boat owners make the most of their time on the water with friends and family. This is particularly true throughout the Chesapeake Bay region, which has so many different areas to explore. Boaters could cruise here for an entire summer and still not see it all.

At Safe Harbor Great Oak Landing in Chestertown, Maryland, the floating docks are brand new to welcome boaters who are exploring the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. That includes multihulls, with the facility’s new haulout option for catamarans that need service. While the work is being done, boaters can check out the nearby nine-hole executive golf course, meander around the farmer’s market, tour the local farms and vineyards, or grab a drink and some food at The Landing Restaurant or at Jellyfish Joel’s Beach Bar. Safe Harbor Great Oak Landing also has a private sandy beach for relaxing well into the evening with a campfire and a great view.

Over in the Solomons section of Chesapeake Bay, Safe Harbor Zahnisers serves up a yacht-club atmosphere along with delectable versions of lobster ravioli, linguine seven fishes and branzino at La Vela Italian Restaurant. The floating docks at this marina are also new, with slips and space for boats as long as 140 feet overall—and plenty of room for transients who want to check out the nearby Patuxent River and its many spots for fishing and crabbing. Solomons’ rich maritime history is also worthy of exploration, with the Calvert Marine Museum and Drum Point Lighthouse among the must-see stops. An unusual offering is at the University of Maryland’s Chesapeake Biological Laboratory Visitor Center, where boaters can learn about the whole bay’s ecology and natural resources.

Safe Harbor Oxford in Oxford, MD

The Landing Restaurant at Safe Harbor Great Oak Landing

Drum Point Lighthouse and Calvert Marine Museum

Safe Harbor Oxford, meanwhile, puts boaters right in the heart of a former colonial port on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Boating built this community on the waterfront, which is among the oldest towns in the entire United States. Its offerings include The Water’s Edge Museum with displays about black farmers, professional sailmakers, military figures, musicians, watermen, and crab pickers from throughout the region’s history. From that museum, it’s a short walk to the Robert Morris Inn, which dates to 1683 and still serves up one of the tastiest seafood cakes anywhere. The entire population of Oxford is less than a thousand people, giving the place the kind of charm that can be hard to find anywhere else. It’s pure maritime ambience in every direction you look.

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N O RT H E A Boston Light, originally built in 1716

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ew England is a gem of a region for boaters exploring the northeastern United States. Since the days of the great tall ships and whaling vessels, these waters have been filled with people heading out to explore. And within New England, few states offer as much history, charm and boating opportunity as Massachusetts.

Colorful, charming stores in downtown Salem, MA

Water is such a big part of the Massachusetts experience that its nickname is “The Bay State.” Yes, some people call Massachusetts “The Pilgrim State”—because of that famous rock connected to the Mayflower, arguably the most famous boat in American history. But “The Bay State” moniker pays homage to classic boating destinations such as Massachusetts Bay, Cape Cod Bay, and Buzzards Bay. So many people love to head out on sailboats and powerboats in this part of New England that the National Marine Manufacturers Association estimates a $5 billion annual economic impact and a recreational marine industry that supports more than 16,300 jobs.

That means plenty of infrastructure for transient boaters to access and enjoy as they set a course for, say, Boston Light, which is the oldest continually used lighthouse in the nation’s history. This landmark dates all the way back to the Revolutionary War, when its “beam” was powered by candles. It does a bit better as a navigational aid today, with a light that shines about 27 miles out into the Atlantic.

The Mayflower II replica in Plymouth, MA

Or, cruise over to the Cape Cod National Seashore, which is protected by the National Park Service. Its 40 miles of sandy beaches, marshes and other natural areas are mixed with lighthouses and cranberry bogs for all kinds of fun and exploration. Birdwatchers delight in this region, where roughly 370 species are generally around. About 80 of them nest and raise their young here during the spring and summer months when the boating weather is at its peak, creating a colorful air show that can be viewed from any aft deck with a good pair of binoculars.

AST Another fun part of Massachusetts to explore is Salem. Safe Harbor Hawthorne Cove has premium facilities and a large mooring field in the heart of this historic town, with a wave-attenuating dock and recently upgraded service center to keep boats safe and in superior operating condition. There’s a gourmet market nearby, as well as a local brewery and restaurants.

Plum Island

Manchester by the Sea

Burlington

Salem SAFE HARBOR HAWTHORNE COVE

Boston

Safe Harbor Plymouth offers yet more colonial heritage mixed in with modern dining at the on-site Surfside Smokehouse (with an oyster bar and live entertainment). This marina is within walking distance of Brewster Gardens, a park that links the waterfront with the downtown district. Pilgrim Memorial State Park is nearby, home to that famous rock as well as a full-scale replica ship called the Mayflower II. Some good places to eat and grab a draft beer are within walking distance, too. For a tasty breakfast off the boat, stop in at the Water Street Café and ask for the banana bread French toast. ▪

SAFE HARBOR MARINA BAY Quincy

An entirely different experience awaits just seven miles south of Boston Harbor at Safe Harbor Marina Bay, which has a Nantucket-style boardwalk with waterfront dining, dockside bars and clubs. A new dock here can accommodate boats as large as 150 feet, and some of Boston’s most iconic landmarks are just a short distance away. The Newbury District is a favorite for shops, restaurants, and galleries, along with the bookworm paradise known as the Boston Library.

Another popular stop is Faneuil Hall, which once served as a gathering place to hear great orators including Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison.

Hull

Brockton

Marshfield

Bridgewater Plymouth SAFE HARBOR PLYMOUTH

Cape Cod Bay

Rochester

Buzzards Bay

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SAFE HARBOR LOCATIONS | As of May 1, 2024

SAFE HARBOR MARINAS

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DIRECTORY | As of May 1, 2024

A world of timeless harbors From iconic cityscapes to shimmering seaports, your greatest memories are waiting to be made.

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S TAT E S + P U E R T O R I C O

ALABAMA

FLORIDA

Safe Harbor Sportsman Orange Beach, AL

Safe Harbor Angler House Islamorada, FL

ARKANSAS

Safe Harbor Burnt Store Punta Gorda, FL

Safe Harbor Brady Mountain Royal, AR

Safe Harbor Calusa Island Goodland, FL

CALIFORNIA

Safe Harbor Cape Harbour Cape Coral, FL

Safe Harbor Anacapa Isle Oxnard, CA

Safe Harbor Emerald Coast Niceville, FL

Safe Harbor Ballena Isle Alameda, CA

Safe Harbor Harborage Yacht Club Stuart, FL

Safe Harbor Bayfront Chula Vista, CA

Safe Harbor Harbortown Fort Pierce, FL

Safe Harbor Cabrillo Isle San Diego, CA Safe Harbor Emeryville Emeryville, CA Safe Harbor Loch Lomond San Rafael, CA Safe Harbor Marina Bay Yacht Harbor Richmond, CA Safe Harbor Shelter Island San Diego, CA

135+ L O C AT I O N S

Safe Harbor South Bay Chula Vista, CA Safe Harbor Sunroad San Diego, CA Safe Harbor Ventura Isle Ventura, CA

CONNECTICUT Safe Harbor Bruce & Johnsons Branford, CT Safe Harbor Dauntless Essex, CT Safe Harbor Dauntless Shipyard Essex, CT Safe Harbor Deep River Deep River, CT Safe Harbor Essex Island Essex, CT Safe Harbor Ferry Point Old Saybrook, CT Safe Harbor Pilots Point Westbrook, CT Safe Harbor Port Milford Milford, CT Safe Harbor Stratford Stratford, CT Safe Harbor Yacht Haven Stamford, CT

F I N D YO UR N E X T H O ME P O R T

Safe Harbor Mystic Mystic, CT

Safe Harbor Islamorada Islamorada, FL Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center Fort Lauderdale, FL Safe Harbor Marathon Marathon, FL Safe Harbor New Port Cove Riviera Beach, FL Safe Harbor North Palm Beach North Palm Beach, FL Safe Harbor Old Port Cove North Palm Beach, FL Safe Harbor Pier 77 Bradenton, FL Safe Harbor Pineland Bokeelia, FL Safe Harbor Port Phoenix North Fort Myers, FL Safe Harbor Regatta Pointe Palmetto, FL Safe Harbor Rybovich West Palm Beach, FL Safe Harbor Siesta Key Sarasota, FL

GEORGIA Safe Harbor Aqualand Flowery Branch, GA Safe Harbor Bahia Bleu Thunderbolt, GA Safe Harbor Hideaway Bay Flowery Branch, GA Safe Harbor Savannah Yacht Center Savannah, GA Safe Harbor Trade Winds Appling, GA

KENTUCKY Safe Harbor Beaver Creek Monticello, KY Safe Harbor Burnside Burnside, KY Safe Harbor Grider Hill Albany, KY Safe Harbor Jamestown Jamestown, KY Safe Harbor Wisdom Dock Albany, KY

MAINE Safe Harbor Great Island Harpswell, ME Safe Harbor Kittery Point Kittery, ME Safe Harbor Rockland Rockland, ME

MARYLAND Safe Harbor Annapolis Annapolis, MD Safe Harbor Bohemia Vista Chesapeake City, MD Safe Harbor Carroll Island Baltimore, MD Safe Harbor Great Oak Landing Chestertown, MD Safe Harbor Hack’s Point Earleville, MD Safe Harbor Narrows Point Grasonville, MD Safe Harbor Oxford Oxford, MD Safe Harbor Podickory Point Annapolis, MD Safe Harbor Zahnisers Solomons, MD

MASSACHUSETTS Safe Harbor Edgartown Edgartown, MA Safe Harbor Fiddler’s Cove North Falmouth, MA Safe Harbor Green Harbor Marshfield, MA Safe Harbor Hawthorne Cove Salem, MA Safe Harbor Marina Bay Quincy, MA

Safe Harbor Onset Bay Buzzards Bay, MA

Safe Harbor Post Road Mamaroneck, NY

Safe Harbor New England Boatworks Portsmouth, RI

Safe Harbor Plymouth Plymouth, MA

Safe Harbor Stirling Greenport, NY

Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard Newport, RI

Safe Harbor Sunset Bay Hull, MA

Safe Harbor Willsboro Bay Willsboro, NY

Safe Harbor Sakonnet Portsmouth, RI

Safe Harbor Vineyard Haven Vineyard Haven, MA

NORTH CAROLINA

Safe Harbor Silver Spring Wakefield, RI

MICHIGAN

Safe Harbor Jarrett Bay Beaufort, NC

Safe Harbor Wickford Cove Wickford, RI

Safe Harbor Belle Maer Harrison Township, MI

Safe Harbor Kings Point Cornelius, NC

SOUTH CAROLINA

Safe Harbor Detroit River Detroit, MI

Safe Harbor Outer Banks Wanchese, NC

Safe Harbor Beaufort Beaufort, SC

Safe Harbor Grand Isle Grand Haven, MI

Safe Harbor Peninsula Yacht Club Cornelius, NC

Safe Harbor Bristol Charleston, SC

Safe Harbor Great Lakes Muskegon, MI

Safe Harbor Skippers Landing Troutman, NC

Safe Harbor Charleston City Charleston, SC

Safe Harbor Jefferson Beach St. Clair Shores, MI

Safe Harbor South Harbour Village Southport, NC

Safe Harbor City Boatyard Charleston, SC

Safe Harbor Toledo Beach La Salle, MI

Safe Harbor Westport Denver, NC

Safe Harbor Port Royal Port Royal, SC

Safe Harbor Tower Marine Douglas, MI

OHIO

Safe Harbor Port Royal Landing Port Royal, SC

MISSISSIPPI

Safe Harbor Lakefront Port Clinton, OH

Safe Harbor Reserve Harbor Pawleys Island, SC

Safe Harbor Aqua Yacht Iuka, MS

Safe Harbor Sandusky Sandusky, OH

Safe Harbor Skull Creek Hilton Head, SC

NEW HAMPSHIRE

OKLAHOMA

TENNESSEE

Safe Harbor Wentworth by the Sea New Castle, NH

Safe Harbor Harbors View Afton, OK

Safe Harbor Eagle Cove Byrdstown, TN

NEW JERSEY

PUERTO RICO

Safe Harbor Holly Creek Celina, TN

Safe Harbor Crystal Point Point Pleasant, NJ

Safe Harbor Puerto Del Rey Fajardo, PR

TEXAS

Safe Harbor Manasquan River Brick, NJ

Safe Harbor San Juan San Juan, PR

Safe Harbor Emerald Point Austin, TX

NEW YORK

RHODE ISLAND

Safe Harbor Pier 121 Lewisville, TX

Safe Harbor Capri Port Washington, NY

Safe Harbor Allen Harbor North Kingstown, RI

Safe Harbor Walden Montgomery, TX

Safe Harbor Gaines Rouses Point, NY

Safe Harbor Cove Haven Barrington, RI

VERMONT

Safe Harbor Glen Cove Glen Cove, NY

Safe Harbor Cowesett Warwick, RI

Safe Harbor Shelburne Shipyard Shelburne, VT

Safe Harbor Greenport Greenport, NY

Safe Harbor Greenwich Warwick, RI

VIRGINIA

Safe Harbor Haverstraw West Haverstraw, NY

Safe Harbor Island Park Portsmouth, RI

Safe Harbor Bluewater Hampton, VA

Safe Harbor Montauk Yacht Club Montuak, NY

Safe Harbor Jamestown Boatyard Jamestown, RI

Safe Harbor Stingray Point Deltaville, VA

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