Glovertown opens new marina

After nearly a decade of work, boaters in Glovertown celebrated the official opening of the new marina on Friday.

Boat owners in the area have been waiting a long time to see the marina finally be open, and 44 of the 48 berths are already spoken for, with everything from a wooden sailboat to 45-foot yachts.

Jim House said he's happy to finally see the project completed.

"It's a big deal — I'd say we've been waiting 100 years for this marina to come along," House said.

According to House, most marinas don't have any space for a new boater to dock, and new marinas bring a lot of attention to a community.

"Some of the other marinas around the island are getting pretty full, and they look at Alexander Bay, Glovertown, as a bit of a boating mecca."

Clarence House, chair of the Glovertown Yacht Club, said the project was hard work.

"We wouldn't quit. A couple times we felt like throwing in the towel on it, but then you know, we said, 'No, we'll rearrange this and we'll rework the figures — and we're going to make this work.'"

Those changes in the plan landed the group with a price tag of nearly $750,000 for the marina.

However, boat owner Derek Webster points out that with the cost of fuel and other necessities like food and drinks, the marina will pay for itself pretty quickly.

"Most boaters do that anyway, they buy local where they are so they can support the economy in the local area — to make sure the marina stays a viable operation," Webster said.

There is still some construction being worked on, including electrical hookups and a few renovations.

The yacht club already has plans to expand the marina to build more berths, so more boaters can utilize the space.