Reviews from John Newman (26)

Anchorage Review for Mill Cove - Doctors Lake

Reviewed by: John Newman on Sep 5, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

As per the other reviewer, the anchor bit quickly with a 8:1 rode because of the weather. It was windy and stormy. We swung around, but the anchor held. The next morning, the anchor came up easily with loose mud. Nice area to anchor if it were better weather.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Palm Cove Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on May 16, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

$2.50/foot plus $20 for electric (not pleased about that)

We have a 50 foot trawler. This is a nice quiet place. Mark 32 next door is a great restaurant. Can walk to Publix and some restaurants. They have a swimming pool and nice bathroom/shower rooms. However, it is a long walk from C dock.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for St. Augustine Municipal Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on May 16, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

$2.30/foot plus $17/day for electric (not pleased about that)

It was recommended to go during slack tide. We did that, but the wind was such that we had to try docking twice. The dockhands were great and definitely knew how to handle boats coming in with the tide and wind.
Docks are not keyed and there's a lot of foot traffic during the weekends. It was not a problem.
The bathrooms were a distance away from the transient dock. There were 3 toilets and 3 showers - didn't seem enough for such a large marina. But it was keyed and nice as compared to the public bathrooms around the corner.
The laundry room / lounge was also keyed. This is the place the marina put all the Amazon deliveries, since there really isn't a marina office. I would be concerned that my items were left unattended in the laundry room.

Right in the middle of everything, We waked to the Castillo de San Marco as well as the shops and restaurants downtown.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for New Smyrna Beach City Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on May 16, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

$2/foot plus $10 for electric
There are nice floating docks.
There is no pump out.
OK bathrooms and showers.
The gate to the dock doesn't lock, but that wasn't a problem.
The slips are not numbered. Luckily the dockhand was there to help us tie up. The marina is well protected.
There is construction next door, so there is a lot of noise during working hours.
The River Dr deck music is nice in the evening.

Walking distance to shops and restaurants. Historical museum had lots of information on New Smyrna.
There is a bus across the street..85 for seniors. Takes you to Home Depot or the beach.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Eau Gallie Yacht Basin

Reviewed by: John Newman on Apr 12, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Small marina. Quiet and well protected.
It's a tight fit for larger boats, but Mike and Pedro helped us dock without an issue.
Side tie concrete fixed dock. There are 2 toilet / shower combos. A nice friendly local community. Walking distance to Ace Hardware and Intracoastal Brewery and other restaurants. Publix is 2 miles away over the bridge.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Loblolly Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on Apr 12, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Very protected marina - quiet and peaceful. $3.50/foot.
Narrow channel that opens up to the marina. We didn't have a problem with our 50 foot trawler.
Well kept, nice floating docks and beautiful bathrooms / shower facilities. The dockhand was helpful in getting us docked.
The club that is next to the marina is open to members. I'm assuming the marina members are also club members. As transients, we were not allowed to use the restaurant on site, or the pontoon boat that takes members over to Peck Lake. Apparently, the marina and the "club" are separate. I would like to think there might be some sort of reciprosity. It really made us feel like outsiders. The area is all residential - no retail. An Uber is about $16.
We walked around the marina and along raised boarded walks. The mangroves are all nicely trimmed. The neighborhood has big multi $M houses and all the common grounds are very well kept.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Lake Park Harbor Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on Apr 2, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

We have a 50 foot trawler with 15 beam.
$4 / foot plus $11/day for electric

We were on G dock, which are floating docks with a locked gate. The bathrooms and showers are at the marina office, which is a 15 minute walk. There are unlocked bathrooms outside the gate that are closer. The gate doesn't have a dropbox on the inside, so when you leave, you have to walk the 15 minutes to the drop box at the marina office to return the key, or dock at the fuel dock on your way out, to return the key. Having a drop box at the gate seems like an easy solution.

We then had to move to C dock, because the owner of the G dock slip was returning.
The dockhands were great in helping us get tied up.
We were now on a fixed concrete dock with a 2 foot tidal change, which was managable. Better access to the bathroom/shower facilities.
There are diveboats and Freedom Boat Club boats at this marina. FYI - the wake from the boats and from the ICW is constant, hitting us on the beam. It did calm down at night. There are a couple of restaurants within walking distance.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Delray Beach City Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on Mar 19, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

We have a 50 foot trawler with 15 beam.
Slip fee was $85 with no charge for electric.
The bathroom/laundry building is locked. There are 2 bathroom shower/combos one for men and one for women. Could be unisex.
Plus a bathroom only. There is free laundry - one washer and dryer. There is free ice. And there is free pumpout at the dock.
The marina is not gated but is across the street from a nice quiet residential area. Lots of dog walkers. Felt safe - saw police several times. Most of the boats have either live aboards or are permanently docked.

The marina is right near the Atlantic Avenue Bridge. Inconsiderate boaters wake the marina. It is within walking distance to the beach and restaurants and shops. The town is really nice.

The only problem I had was contacting Prescilla, the office manager. We wanted to come in a day earlier, but never got a call back, so we anchored out. The phone is never answered and it seems if you leave a messages, it's not returned.
We finally connected on the day of arrival
(I needed the slip assignment). She then gave me the dock master's cell number. That worked well. Marty is great - he was there to help us dock, and gave us the bathroom keys. Also restaurant recommendations.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Hall of Fame Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on Mar 19, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Cost: $4.25 a foot. Plus a surcharge if you use a credit card.

Free Pump out on the dock.
Security gate. The bathroom is outside the security gate but also locked. There are 2 bathroom shower/combos one for men and one for women. Could be unisex.
Docks - Concrete fixed docks with a 3 foot tidal change. The marina provided steps for us to get off the boat during high tide. Dockhands very helpful.
The dock overlooks the Fort Lauderdale Aquatics Center where there are diving and swimming competitions daily. It wasn't bothersome. The beach and the restaurants and shops are a short walk. It was Spring Break and there were a lot of kids, but the marina was quiet.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Rose Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on Mar 4, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

We really enjoyed our 2 week stay.
The marina has transient slips but is mostly commercial with boat launching, tour boats and the Key West Express. But it's quiet.
We have a 50 foot trawler and were on B dock. Floating dock.
The bathrooms are new - 3 toilets and 2 showers. They were always clean and had toilet paper.
Only 1 washer and dryer at 2.25
Trash cans near the end of the dock. Staff is very friendly.

If you have a Towboat or SeaTow membership to get 10% off dockage.
It's less than a mile to Publix, and restaurants. Marco has multi use sidewalks for walking and bicycles.

Cons - they don't accept packages.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Safe Harbor Burnt Store

Reviewed by: John Newman on Jan 30, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

We were on the T on F dock, which is the transient dock. We came in in the rain and the Dockhand was waiting to help us dock. There are several people available at the marina office during working hours.
These are fixed docks in great condition. There are trash cans at the end of the dock. They were emptied daily.
There is no security onto the dock but there was never a problem because the restaurant overlooked the dock.
There is one washer/dryer at $2.25 a load. Credit card which is nice but the dryer is $2.25 for an hour and you can't change it. You really only need 30 minutes.
The restroom near F dock had 2 toilets and 2 showers. It was open and used by the general public. We were given a key to the other building near the swimming pool, which is quite a walk. There are 4 washers and dryers. The bathroom has 2 toilets and 4 showers.
The key also opens the gate to the pool. Nice pool with chairs.
There is a 2 week maximum stay, which is unfortunate.
We rented a car because there is nothing around the marina. $25 Uber to Enterprise. There's nothing around but the restaurant and snack bar. Cas Cay restaurant has nightly entertainment and trivia and bingo.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Marina Jack Yacht Basin

Reviewed by: John Newman on Jan 22, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

We have a 50 foot trawler and were on D dock.

Pros:
- Dockhands were available to help us dock and the marina office seems always available during working hours.
- Great floating docks
- Gated security onto the dock
- Secure restrooms - note there are only 6 shower/toilet combos. Not enough for a marina this size, but they are constructing more
- Pumpout at dockside
- Walking distance to downtown Sarasota. Lots of restaurants and Whole Foods. Need an Uber to the Circus Museum but well worth it.

Cons:
Price was 4.25/ft. No weekly discounts.
Added to that is a $20/day electric charge for a single 50.
I had a problem with that given the cost of the slip.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for St. Petersburg Municipal Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on Jan 6, 2024
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Had a great experience at St Petersburg municipal marina. The marina is very well maintained. We were in the south basin overlooking the airport and next to Demens Landing Park. It was wonderful except for the occasional waves coming from Tampa Bay. The breakwater doesn't prevent much. There is also a 3 foot tide and with fixed docks, it can make getting off the boat problematic.

Frank the dock master is very knowledgeable and was there to help us dock during very windy conditions. He gave us great instructions on tying up the boat. We didn't have to readjust our lines the entire time we were here! Joan and Mia and the rest of the staff were always helpful.

The marina has a locking gates entrance and the bathrooms were clean and always stocked. There are 3 showers and 4 stalls.
It is within walking distance to the downtown with lots of restaurants and museums like the Dali.
Will definitely return!

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Water Works Public Guest Docks

Reviewed by: John Newman on Aug 9, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Vermilion Waterworks Municipal Dock
$2/ft, 50 amp, no fuel or pumpout
Bathroom has 1 stall and 1 shower. Definitely not enough.

The docks are the first ones on the right side of the Vermilion River. It's next to the Chez Francois restaurant. The advantage is that it is close to the inlet and relatively quiet except for the restaurant noise, which isn't bad. We were next to the restaurant in dock 2. We have a 50 foot trawler. There is a LOT of boat traffic here.
The main street shops are walkable and the Saturday Farmer's Market had a lot of bakery goods and other items for sale. The restaurants are good especially the Wine Vault.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Chagrin Lagoons Yacht Club-PRIVATE

Reviewed by: John Newman on Aug 9, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Chagrin lagoon yacht club

$1.50 foot. Fuel and pump out available.
Bathroom is in the clubhouse has 3 stalls and 2 showers. Very well kept and decorated and always open.

We stayed in a members slip. We have a 50 foot trawler and were one of the largest boats there.
No 50 amp but used twin 30 to 50 setup.
Residents are friendly. Several members turned out to take lines and guide us into the slip. It was great.
Pool is wonderful overlooking Lake Erie. Ate dinner at the restaurant and it was very good.
Mexican restaurant and ice cream are a couple miles away.
The entire facility is well kept, with personal decks for each members' slip. An unusual configuration, but really nice.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Ashtabula Yacht Club-PRIVATE

Reviewed by: John Newman on Aug 9, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Ashtabula Yacht Club

no fuel, self pump out

$2/ft, cash or check, 30 amp service only

The bathroom has 3 stalls and 2 showers. Recently renovated, nicely kept and always open
Transient dock accommodates at least 2 large boats. We have a 50 foot trawler.
Location is after Bascule bridge which opens on the hour and half hour.

Residents are friendly. Short walk to town with good places to eat. We didn't have a bad meal.
Rennick Meat Market and Briquettes Smokehouse. Went to the Ashtabula Maritime Museum, which told the history of the area.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Erie Yacht Club-PRIVATE

Reviewed by: John Newman on Aug 8, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Erie Yacht Club

$2/ft
bathroom has 3 stalls and 2 showers. It is in the Clubhouse across the hall from the restaurant. Clean and not busy.
There is 1 transient dock with access from both sides. The dock is floating concrete. Very well kept place!

Fuel is $3.75 for diesel, pump out available

NOTE: It is located at the end of Presque Isle Bay and it took up over 30 minutes from the bay entrance to the marina.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Chadwick Bay Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on Aug 8, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 3

Fuel
$2/ft, BoatUS members $1.50/ft
bathroom has 1 shower and 2 toilets. Very basic. Always had toilet paper.

Older marina - the Transient dock wall could accommodate 2 large boats - we have a 50 foot trawler. We got the only 50 amp power on the dock. The rest are 30. The docks are metal, but are stable. The residents are friendly and it is a short walk to great pizza and a little tourist area.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Bootleggers Cove Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on Jul 17, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Bootleggers

Fuel, no pumpout (there is one at Tuscarora Yacht Club near the inlet entrance)
$2/ft

Nice floating docks.
Bathrooms and showers are a bit of a walk, but there are 4 shower/toilet rooms that are basic but nice and always clean.

The most frustrating part was not being able to reach anyone by phone or text on the weekend. The voice mail for the marina says they are closed Sat and Sun (really?!?), but Jimmy, the manager, says that they are open on the weekends.

On the Monday we were to arrive, I texted both numbers saying we were coming in. I got a response that there was room and I would be given a slip number. When we were in the cove, I texted and said we were 5 minutes away and we needed help docking. At that point I got a slip assignment. And Jimmy and Wyatt were there to help us dock. They do have plenty of room, but it would have been nice to have some sort of a confirmation.

After we docked, everything was fine. Jimmy was great in helping us get to the rental car place in Lockport.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Port of Rochester Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on Jul 17, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Port of Rochester

No fuel or pumpout
$2.50/foot

Nice sturdy floating docks. Keyed entry into the marina. Resturants and shops in walking distance. There is a park across the street. Very nice. The staff met us and helped up dock. Had a problem with the power about an hour later and the dock hand immediately came over. It was a tripped breaker in the junction box. The transient wall is to the left of the entrance. The bathrooms and lounge are on the opposite side of the marina. It is a 10 minute walk to the bathroom, around the marina and past the restaurants.. Glad there were trash bins on our side, but a bathroom would be nice.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Oswego Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on Jul 17, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Oswego Marina

Fuel and pumpout. $2/foot
Bathrooms have 2 stalls and 2 showers
Laundry room
The marina is U-shaped with a long cement wall across from the office and fuel dockwhat wraps around the corner. We have a 50 foot trawler and the wall held 3 large trawlers, then wrapped around the corner. We docked ourselves, which wasn't a problem. The marina store (and the dumpster) are on the opposite site from the cement wall. It's an awful long way to throw away your trash. We were told to leave it in the bathroom, but it would be better to have some trash containers on that side of the marina. Staff always answered the phone.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Ess-Kay Yards Inc.

Reviewed by: John Newman on Jul 17, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Ess-Kay

Fuel and pump out
Courtesy car is nice.
Marina staff is great! The ship's store is stocked well and Kim really knows the inventory and recommends solutions to any problem you have. Ethan is knowledgeable and is also willing to help. Bathrooms consist of men and women in the front with 1 shower and small stalls. The 2 newer ones are in the back and are large with a single shower and toilet.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Hudson River Maritime Museum

Reviewed by: John Newman on Jul 10, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 5

Hudson River Maritime Museum
No fuel
no pump out
Floating docks
Great response from the dockmaster

We have a 50 foot trawler. We docked right under the 9W bridge. The highway noise didn't bother us.
We were right in front of the tour boat, which left at 11 and 2:30. It was fine.
We got great help docking. There is significant tide.
We were able to walk to town and the various restaurants. The museum was great, as was the lighthouse tour. The bathrooms had 2 stalls and 1 huge shower. There aren't a lot of boats able to dock here. Very calm and nice to view the creek.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Half Moon Bay Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on Jul 5, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Half Moon Bay
Lots of loopers go here. There is no sign for the marina, so we passed by it going toward another marina to the north. I'm assuming because there are condos overlooking the marina, they don't want a sign out? It was difficult.
They have a self-pumpout on the north side of the marina. It wasn't working, but Sebastian did a wonderful job unclogging the problem.
The slip was fine - floating docks. We did have some turbulence, which is surprising given the distance from the main Hudson channel. There are a lot of steps to climb and the ramp from the docks to the mainland is very steep, FYI. Steve is great in trying to accommodate you. Note there is no fuel and no pool. Bathroom is 2-3? stalls and 1 shower. Doesn't seem like enough for all these boats.

• WG Editor Comment:
  

  Marina Response:
  Thank you for the review. We should have pointed out that there is a very easy walkway and no need to use steps. We'll put you in a very protected slip next time. We did have a very abnormally strong wind storm while you were here. Usually the slips are very protected. But, in the extreme storm during which you were here, sadly we couldn't prevent all the turbulence. Hope you'll visit again.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Brielle Yacht Club Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on Jul 5, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Brielle Yacht Club
$5 / ft plus $20 electric
Diesel as 3.95 - great price!!
There is also a pump out boat that they will call for you.
Quite expensive - we were on the fuel dock. It was lit up all night so it seemed safe. The Pig and Parrot was a great place for dinner. The docks are new and the dock hands were very attentive and helped us dock. The current is really strong in Manasquan. There is a railroad bridge for Amtrak. We didn't have to wait for the bridge to open but maybe something to consider. Bathrooms were past the restaurant. 1 shower and 2 stalls. Nice but not plentiful. You have to walk past all the people eating outside to get to the bathroom.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer

Marina Review for Alpine Marina

Reviewed by: John Newman on Jul 5, 2023
Vessel Type: Power
LOA: 50'
Draft: 4.5'

Rating: 4

Alpine Yacht Basin
$4/ft
Fuel and pump out available.
Floating docks
We were docked outside the seawall. It was really bumpy because of the Hudson. Even inside the seawall it was a little turbulent.The floating docks were not stable and they had posts to avoid boats going to the pubic park from docking there. The problem was, I couldn't tie up because the sign was under the cleat!!
This marina is adjacent to a public park. There are restrooms for the public park, which are basic, but the one for the marina is better and consists of 1 bathroom and 1 shower on opposite sides of the office.
This marina is too exposed - it is beautiful, under the NJ palisades, but for those affected by sea sickness it probably won't be a pleasant experience.

View location on the Waterway Guide Explorer