DESTINATIONS - Strong's Marine - Issue 2 - 2022

LIVING THE HIGH & DRY LIFE

A longtime client recounts his experience as a Cobalt owner and valet dockage client at Strong’s Mattituck Bay Marina.

The Cobalt R5 is so well thought out there is a reason for every detail on board. I especially love its multiple seating areas and the included head And whether running at 30 MPH on glass or heading

home from Sag Harbor in chop, my guests and I always feel safe with Cobalt’s sturdy ride

I knew I wanted to keep my new Cobalt on the Peconic Bay when Tami and Susan told me about Strong’s valet dockage. Having my boat stored on the high & dry racks and put in the water when I’m ready was the best boating decision I could make

The valet dockage experience makes everything ridiculously

easy: I launch my boat through the app, then arrive to a clean, gassed up boat in the slip, ready to go

The entire team at Strong’s Jeff Strong, the marina GM Will Bartesch, Tami and Susan, Yard Manager Luis Marcos and the dockhands is there to assure boaters have a great experience Every one of them has a sense of ownership, a sense of urgency and a sense of humor all qualities I look for in people I work with in my own career

You can feel the client centric culture the Strong family has instilled within the team I have been to many marinas, and none offers the tailor made service that Strong’s provides I am one of many satisfied customers!

"You can feel the client-centric culture the Strong family has instilled within the team."

FROM THE HELM

This issue of our magazine is filled with stories of happy boating clients, amazing team members I am proud to call colleagues, and exciting new boat & yach brands. Enjoy this look back at summer 2022 and a look ahead with Strong’s!

Dear friends and fellow boaters,

This summer has been extra special for our family, filled to the brim with memories I hope you, too, have enjoyed a wonderful season

We experienced valet dockage at the Mattituck Bay Marina for the first time and it was truly a life changer! It was effortless to boat whenever we wanted on a whim, we could get on the water for a few hours on a weekday afternoon, or plan a full day with grandkids on board If you boat in the area, I encourage you to stop in for a tour, and learn how valet service can improve your boating experience

Jeff Strong President

THROUGH THE YEARS WITHCRUISERSYACHTS

David Kirshner owes his passion for boating to his wife, Stephanie, who grew up on the water and shared her enthusiasm for the lifestyle In 2015, David & Stephanie purchased their first family boat, a Cruisers Yachts 278 SS. The entire Kirshner family was thrilled with this boat, especially their young children, who loved nothing more than tubing all day and rafting up with friends Eventually, like most owners, David started thinking about upgrading to a bigger boat

At a 2015 boat show, they were introduced to the Cruisers Yachts 328 SS, which provided the family with more space and a cabin upgrade. Five fun years later, the kids grew older, and watersports were no longer the family’s priority; instead, the Kirshners were looking forward to longer trips and new destinations

David recalls his excitement when Ryan Strong brought a Cruisers Yachts 42 Cantius to the Kirshner’s marina. He fell in love with the boat, and found the perfect 42 Cantius for his family while visiting Cruisers Yachts’ Wisconsin factory floor later that year their third Cruisers model As they upgraded, the Kirshners also found a new home port, Strong’s Water Club in Mattituck on the Long Island Sound “It was one of the best decisions we ever made,” notes Kirshner.

Choosing Strong’s Water Club as our home port “was one of the best decisions we ever made.”

As a family who enjoys spending time at the dock and taking long trips to new locales, the 42 Cantius is the perfect fit. It has a commanding appearance on the water, but they never have any trouble finding a slip to accommodate the vessel at a destination marina

TheKirshner&Strongfamilies

Whether off on a day trip, or for a weeklong vacation to Block Island or Montauk, the family always enjoys a comfortable ride, with more than enough room on board

As the family’s captain, David especially enjoys the helm area “Not only is it fit for comfort, but it has great visibility and no divider in the middle of the large windshield, getting rid of any obstruction or blindspots ” Just above the helm is another one of David’s favorite features of the boat, the hydraulic sunroof

“On a beautiful day I can open up the sunroof while running and feel like I’m in the elements while driving,” notes David. “And when the weather turns, I can close it up and be driving in my living room ”

One of their favorite trips of the 2022 season was the Strong’s Rendezvous to Newport, Rhode Island They enjoyed meeting fellow boating enthusiasts and the Strong’s team at this very special boating destination, and easy seas both ways made for a beautiful ride.

FriendsaboardatStrong'sWaterClub

OUR AWARD WINNING MARINA

Heading into our tenth season, we were recently honored by Northforker magazine’s readers as Best Marina on the North Fork It’s always a pleasure to welcome the region’s boaters to our unique destination property at the base of Mattituck Inlet on the Long Island Sound. We hope you’ll visit soon! Learn more at strongswaterclub com

ABOUT THE ARTIST KELLY FRANKÉ

Kelly is a leading North Fork fine artist and illustrator, specializing in custom drawings of boats, homes and landscapes You can find Kelly’s illustrations in issues of Northforker magazine Visit kellyfranke com or follow @kellyfrankeart for more.

The team’s view on life Island style at Fire Island’s Atlantique Marina by Strong’s + Grovers.

WHY WE LOVE WORKING AT ATLANTIQUE

SEAN RYAN, MARINA MANAGER

We have the best commute in the world. Getting on a boat to cross the Great South Bay every morning really clears my head and readies me to tackle the day. Our Atlantique boaters are amazing, whether they are repeat customers whose children grew up here or the once a year visitors traveling from all over the East Coast. And our team is unmatched!

BRIANNA RYAN, OFFICE MANAGER

Boaters travel here to get away from the business of their everyday lives and experience the kindest and most relaxed version of themselves and others. It’s great to see kids outside and off their phones, on the beach swimming, crabbing, and running around with other kids I've heard countless stories of happy memories and lifelong friendships formed all thanks to this place It’s a privilege to work here in such a wholesome family environment

CONNOR DENNEHY, DOCKMASTER

Spending time on Fire Island every summer with my family opened my eyes to just how special this place is; a twenty minute ride across the bay is all it took to feel like you were on a vacation across the globe. When I started working at Atlantique at fourteen, I had no boating experience. Now as Dockmaster at Atlantique, I’m very comfortable on boats, running them back and forth across the bay, and helping visitors dock and tying up their boats

MANAGER SPOT LIGHT

WILL BARTESCH was the first general manager at our flagship marina and now oversees two North Fork locations.

17 years ago, Will was helping his mother in law with her boat on weekends while working a construction job in Queens Knowing his interest in boats, she shared an ad she’d seen for a Parts Manager position at Strong’s Marine. Curious about the role, he interviewed and decided to make a career change Will was promoted to general manager in 2017 and has been leading the team at Strong’s Mattituck Bay marina ever since

“My favorite part of my role is when all departments work in concert together toward a common goal,” notes Will, recalling annual preparations

for Strong’s major boat shows where all functions are involved

"Our yard teams are moving the boats around the marina to service, our service department is prepping the boats, our transport team is bringing the boats to the arena and setting up a beautiful display, and our sales and marketing team are training for showtime, so they are ready to find clients their next dream boat at the event!”

Outside of work, Will enjoys hanging out with his dogs, Maddie and Murphy, and traveling the US and the Caribbean with his wife Kristy

"SEED" YOU SOON

PLANS SET FOR STRONG'S MATTITUCK INLET STEWARDSHIP SITE

As a longtime partner of Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Marine Program, our company most recently supported the Long Island Shellfish Restoration Project, resulting in more than ten million clams grown in shellfish nurseries hosted at Strong’s Marine.

Strong’s has now made a long term commitment to creating a Back to the Bays Stewardship Site in Mattituck Inlet, with the aim of improving the health of this valuable waterway The site will include eelgrass plantings, along with an oyster reef built from spat on shell grown at CCE Marine’s satellite shellfish nursery, onsite at Strong’s Yacht Center.

The Stewardship Site will improve water quality, enhance local oyster populations, and will provide important underwater habitat for local fish and other species in the Mattituck Inlet & Long Island Sound Plans are in place to begin plantings for the site in late 2022; efforts will continue for years to come!

For more information and to join Strong’s in contributing to the Mattituck Inlet Stewardship Site, visit backtothebays.org/mattituck and follow @ccemarineprogram on social media

COBIA JOINS THE FLEET

This summer, Strong’s Marine welcomed Cobia Boa its family of premium manufacturers in Nassau Cou and the 5 boroughs. Sales Consultant Brian Hyland f us in on what we can look forward to with Cobia!

“Cobia’s hull design and wide bow flare allows their hulls to stay on top of the waves and slice through a chop which provides a much smoother ride The building process includes no wood construction, premium fade resistant gelcoat, custom hand built wiring harness utilizing the best marine rated wiring 316 stainless steel hardware and all hoses are double clamped for safety

The Cobia 262 Center Console with twin Yamaha 150s is a perfect entry level boat for the waters around New York City and Long Island. With the quality of the construction and the components use this model has a fast comfortable ride.”

Cobia262CC

BrianHyland

Cobia350CC

THE WORK WE DO

TAMI BYRNE, OFFICE MANAGER, STRONG’S MATTITUCK BAY MARINA. My husband Kevin and I moved to the North Fork in 2017 for a change of pace from the corporate world. We chose Strong’s Marine as the new homebase for our boat, Pointless and I began my new career as Strong’s Dockage & Rentals Concierge before my boat even arrived in its new slip!

Following that role, I became Service Coordinator and am now Office Manager for the Mattituck Bay Marina. In my current position, I oversee all rentals, boat club and dockage functions, assist in communicating with clients, and support our general manager, Will Bartesch.

I love my interactions with clients and the relationships we’ve developed. A bonus is that my job has made me more comfortable on the water! I still get that nervous excitement every time I take the helm, but I am much more confident assisting our dockhands and on my own family’s boat

I am especially excited about growing Strong’s Boat Club offerings Since I joined, Boat Club membership has grown by more than 250%! I look forward to adding more boats to our fleet and getting still more clients acquainted with the boating lifestyle we cherish!

SAFETY FIRST

SALES CONSULTANT DAVID RUSSELL OUTLINES KEY SAFETY FEATURES OUR BOAT MANUFACTURERS EMPLOY TO KEEP YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SAFE ON THE SEAS.

COBALT

FLIP-UP BOLSTER SEAT FOR VISIBILITY WHILE OPERATING SEATED

Cobalt’s focus on innovation has yielded the most patents of any boat manufacturer. Cobalt’s ingenious flip up bolster seat allows the captain to have visibility over the bow while operating the vessel from a seated position

REGAL

HIGHEST FREEBOARD FOR A DRY RIDE

Regal’s freeboards are the highest in the sport boat market, adding weight to give you a nice ride, keep you dry from spray, and make you feel like you ’ re sitting IN the boat, rather than ON the boat.

PURSUIT

TALLEST SINGLE PLATE WINDSHIELD FOR ULTIMATE VISIBILITY

Pursuit’s windshields, the tallest in the industry, are constructed with a fiberglass frame supporting a single piece of glass, providing ultimate visibility without obstruction Optically clear laminated windshield glass offers the best clarity on the water

GRADY-WHITE

GUNWALE TOE RAILS FOR FISHING SUPPORT AND SECURITY

Grady White uses toe rails in the lower gunwale that your feet fit under for added support while leaning on the side of the boat This feature allows you to feel secure while reeling or netting your big catch!

B R A N D S Y O U C A N

T R U S T