Recent Emails about Lighthouse and Pirates Cove Marinas
Dear Mr. Hamilton,
I am writing you to let you know how much I appreciate the outstanding customer service that Mr. Chris Silas and Mr. Joseph Howard provide. They are exemplary employees who always conduct themselves in a very professional and courteous manner.
It is rare nowadays to encounter employees of this caliber and they are indeed appreciated.
Sincerely,
~ Denaro Sanchez
To: Jim Hamilton, Marina Director
Subject: Our recent experience at Lighthouse Marina
Dear Jim,
We recently had to come into your boat yard to be hauled out with a busted prop on our old Hatteras. I was very nervous about it because we didn't know anything about your place, but all the other repair yards were too busy to even talk to us.
Well, didn't we ever get a pleasant surprise! Your manager Justin Kelly could not have been more helpful and more accommodating if he was working on his grandmother's boat! Justin (and his colleagues Matt and Bryan) did everything they could to help us find the parts we needed, even loaning us tools and materials to do some minor patchwork on the boat ourselves.
When we needed to return to Atlanta for a week, Justin took us in his personal vehicle to pick up a rental car, and then stayed in touch with us all through the week as parts arrived and he got them installed. He even added on extra things like painting the props for us at no extra charge.
When we returned late on Friday evening, he stuck around way past his normal quitting time to make sure we had everything we needed for our early departure the next day.
Jim, there are so many people in the boating business who are out there to take inexperienced people like us for a ride, because they can. Our experience with Justin Kelly and Lighthouse Marina really restores our faith in the recreational boating industry. You are lucky to have him as part of your team. I hope you are paying him well. Please let Justin know that his attitude and customer service will go a long way toward making Lighthouse Marina the best on the Gulf Coast. We will not go anywhere else when we are back in PC a year from now.
Sincerely yours,
~ Richard Cope and Katherine Myrick - M/Y Kat in the Hatt - Marietta, GA
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Major Expansion Planned for Iconic Panama City Beach Marina
Additional Dry Storage Will Double Current Capacity
Panama City Beach, FL (9/24/13)—Coastal Marina Management and North Lagoon Partners recently announced plans for a major expansion in the dry stack storage at Pirate's Cove Marina in Panama City Beach, Florida. With a current capacity of 309 boats, the new boathouse unit will add an additional 450 dry stack slips for boats up to 45 feet in length. It's a move that will make Pirate's Cove Marina one of the largest indoor dry storage boat facilities found anywhere on the northern Gulf Coast. Coastal Marina Management anticipates construction on the new facility to begin on October 1, 2013; the new facility should be completed in about nine months, in time for the summer 2014 boating season.
"We're designing this new facility to accommodate all kinds of boats but specifically the new breed of big multi-engined center consoles," said CMM's Scott Burt. "This will be a perfect place to keep those boats in the 32- to 42-foot range that have become so popular with Gulf Coast anglers in the past few years. The slips will be tall enough for boats with T-tops with radar and small mini-towers, and it's hard to beat keeping your boat safe and out of the elements in a new dry stack facility like this one."
The new building is being designed and constructed by Roof and Rack Products, a world leader and authority in dry storage facilities for over 30 years that's based out of Boca Raton, Florida. The building will be built using hurricane-rated construction for added protection against Gulf Coast storms.
The addition will increase the popularity of Pirate's Cove, which is already one of the top marinas in the Florida Panhandle. It features not only wet and dry boat storage but also a large family-friendly pool overlooking Grand Lagoon that's complete with tiki bar. The marina offers an excellent service department, clean restrooms, ample parking and much more. The location itself sits just five minutes from the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, with no bridges or no-wake zones and no hassles to unrestricted boating. It's just a 10-minute run to the pristine white sandy beaches of Shell Island, a perfect destination for families to swim or picnic along the shore. "Pirate's Cove is already a great destination for boaters in Panama City—we're going to make it even more attractive with the new expansion," said Burt. "Our goal is to make this one of the most popular fishing and boating destinations in the Southeast and with the increased storage capacity, we feel that we're well on our way to doing just that."
For more information, visit
www.piratescovemarinapcb.com or call Pirate's Cove Marina at 850-234-3939.
About Coastal Marina Management: In 2006, Scott Burt created Coastal Marina Management, a forward-thinking company which offers effective and creative management solutions for today's waterfront marine developments. The company's mission is to be an active and passionate advocate of the boating lifestyle by delivering across-the-board service, dynamic marina management, innovative consulting for waterfront development and design and exciting special events.
Presently CMM operates seven marinas: five in Florida, one in Alabama and one in Texas. The CMM-managed marina family represents a combined excess of 2,000 slips under management and consists of upland amenities, nationally-recognized fishing tournaments, boatyard and repair facilities and major transient yacht destinations. For more information, visit
www.coastalmarinamanagement.com.
A recent blog entry about Pelican's Perch Marina
While in Pensacola FL we decided to do a quick haulout to fix our profusely leaking stuffing box and check the bottom condition after our multiple groundings. We also spent a couple days tied up to their docks there to rest and do some interior cleaning.
We can't say enough nice things about the crew at Pelican's Perch Marina and Boatyard. They were very professional and exceeded our expectations in the "friendly" and "helpful" categories. If you happen to be in the Pensacola area or panhandle of Florida I would definitely recommend them for a priced right and convenient boat yard (West Marine is also just a short walk down the road) or as a nice marina.
~ Kim, Tammy and Sandler - s/v Sea BungalowA recent letter to Surfside Marina
"Greetings. From a 'new to me' boat owner and one who is learning the ropes, I wanted to send a note on how much I appreciate your crew at the Marina.
Everyone from the office and store down to the boat crews and especially Santos, have always been willing to help me out and teach me how to maneuver my boat. I have had Jon do some service work and Daniel is always willing to answer my questions. The facilities are clean and that shower sure feels good before heading home. I took
this photo last night (10-17-2010) as the sun set over the marina. Thanks again for running a first rate marina."
~ David and Marian LoweWhat Florida Cruising Directory says about our neighborhood...
"Perhaps the most outstanding non-physical feature of the Panhandle is the attitude of its residents toward visitors. While other parts of Florida get more attention as tourist destinations, no other region will make you feel more welcome than you will here.
Service people and tradesmen will go out of their way to accommodate your wishes or needs, yet they don't think they are doing a thing but being decent. Couple this with the outstanding scenery, plentiful good food, and an almost overwhelming sense of history, and you'll see why we say this is a cruising area not to be missed."
~ Reprinted with permission of
Waterways' annual
Florida Cruising Directory 
