Marina choice makes or breaks enjoyment of any port of call--doubly true when the reason for your stay is to have work done on your boat. Haven Harbour Marina in Rock Hall, MD delivers in every way that matters. When our live aboard Hardin 45 ketch-cutter needed major work done, we brought her to Haven Harbour and were delighted with the results, as well as our personal experiences while our boat was being serviced.
Yard Service
Haven Harbour service staff members are experts in their chosen disciplines. We chose Haven Harbour after meeting the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show, where Mark Bryden told us about an Imtra Side-Power bow thruster for our thirty-five year old sailboat. He had sample hardware on hand to show us how the system is configured, and could show us our installation options. After learning that Haven Harbour has installed so many of these bow thrusters, we knew we were dealing with the right people to get the job done. We did have to wait for an opening in their schedule, but that suited us fine.
The bow thruster work, once begun, proceeded quickly and efficiently. Haven Harbour delivered on our expectations completely! You would never suspect now that the bow thruster hadn't originally come with the boat. Once back in the water, Bill Neff, the Service Manager, performed and end-to-end system test to make sure that we had the bow power when and how we needed it, and that we knew how to operate the system on our own.
While we were on the hard for the bow thruster, we took advantage of the opportunity to get a laundry list of other items done that best happen while hauled out: port light window, through hull, and propeller upgrades, and of course bottom paint. We noticed the beautiful, gleaming paint jobs on several other boats near ours. One day while we admired the paint, Mark saw us and told us that Ricky Nordhoff, Haven Harbour's paint master, had painted that particular boat. We decided then to have Ricky paint our topsides, on which he did an amazing job worthy of his reputation. He also offered welcome and helpful advice on our other projects. For example, we had originally planned to complete installation of our port light windows first, but he talked us into waiting until the topside paint job was complete so that there would be a good surface to seal against. That turned out to be excellent advice, and our windows couldn't be better.
By the time topside painting was done--we sprang for an extra-fancy sheer stripe in contrasting color--our boat had suddenly been transformed into a fine yacht!
Having finished with the hardest stuff, we finished up bottom painting and re-launched our floating home. Haven Harbour's 50 MT TraveLift easily handled our big boat.
Staff
Part of the joy of staying at Haven Harbour for service was the friendly and welcoming staff. Dockhands were always ready and helpful whenever we needed a pump-out (for a little extra, we could have had their mobile pump-out cart come right to our boat!), and the office staff were unendingly patient and friendly.
Creature Comforts
The quality of amenities at this marina cannot be overstated. From plentiful and spacious bathroom and shower facilities, to "beach cruiser" loaner bikes, to not one but two immaculate outdoor pools, the smaller one being reserved for adults only, Haven Harbour again delivered!
Also available are water toy rentals, a really nice playground, a wide assortment of lawn games, several different picnic table and gazebo areas, a lovely picnic table studded series of decks around the bath house, and even an excellent part-time restaurant on summer weekends catered by the local Chestertown Restaurant Fish Whistle. For contract slip holders, they hold a very impressive annual picnic. Indeed, Haven Harbour is a difficult marina to contemplate leaving, when life is just so good here!
In winter, Haven Harbour transforms itself from a land of summer boating fun to a yard efficiently packed with boats for winter service and storage. Their haul out schedule can run to over half a dozen boats a day, so their 50 metric ton TraveLift gets its workout! For the short haul and power wash special, all of their power washing fluid is recycled and cleaned, making for a waste-free system.
Through it all, the staff and yard crew remain friendly, available, and helpful for all the needs a boater may have while here in Rock Hall. I personally plan to come back here in the spring to service my other sailboat, as well as to alight here in spring and fall during my transit up and down the Atlantic coast with the cruising seasons, and would recommend this marina to anyone for any purpose, bar none. This is simply the finest marina my husband and I have experienced anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic region. read more