Marina of the Year Awards 2019

Large Winner – Port of Everett

Port of Everett in Everett, Washington, is the largest marina on the West Coast with accommodations for 2,300 boats. The facility also has a 13-lane boat launch, upland storage, a boatyard housed in the “Craftsman District” of the port, fuel, laundry and shower. This past year the port added an activity float, guest dock and even a special dock for fishermen.

The facility is a major part of the community, and the port hosts or supports more than 50 waterfront events each year including a regular drive-in theater for boats. For outreach, port employees attend boat shows, conduct presentations to local groups and communicate with local clubs.

The facility also has a strong focus on customer service. The Port of Everett hosts a marina forum where select guests are asked to share what they are hearing on the docks and provide feedback.

The port continues to make improvements with a planned renovation of the docks for the next year, as well as the demolition of existing boathouses to make more room for an expansive side-tie dock. It also strives to make environmental improvements holding monthly education sessions for boaters, installing SeaBins to retain trash in the harbor, the jetty at the facility is a dedicated wildlife preserve and over the years, materials dredged from the basin have been used for upland remediation.

Small Winner – Plum Branch Yacht Club

Situated on Lake Thurmond in Plum Branch, South Carolina, Plum Branch Yacht Club has been a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concessionaire for 23 years. The facility has 147 slips, upland storage for 35 boats and 41 storage sheds. Amenities include fuel, a store, boat ramp, a restaurant and event area, and 64 campsites.

The yacht club has a history of supporting its community, a town with a population of just 79 people and surrounded by government-owned land. Early on the marina reached out to local churches offering the yacht club as a site for events and today churches hold Sunday services at the yacht club’s pavilion. In addition, there are three concerts on-site each summer and numerous private events. Unique to the yacht club is its hosting of Clemson University’s 4H2O summer camp that is held on-site each year to teach students about water quality and environmental issues and solutions. The marina was also the first certified Clean Marina in South Carolina.

To help recruit and retain quality employees, Plum Branch provides continuing education for its staff and has an incumbent worker training program. The owners have the goal to be self-funding, ensuring all profits are put back into the facility for expansions and renovations. The facility has a long history of renovations and constant improvement.