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Sea Change
As boating lags the state's economy, water-dependent businesses try new tricks to boost trade
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Business New Haven
5/4/1999
By: Betsy Guertin Regan
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Connecticut's recession and recovery have redefined many of the state's industries. Some, like insurance and technology, have regrouped and come back stronger than ever. Others, like the boating industry, are just treading water.
“It's been a slow climb back. The recession killed the boating industry,” says Port Milford's Bruce Kuryla.
Repossessions ran rampant and boat sales dropped dramatically during the early '90s. The boat building industry was devastated by the luxury tax, and even after its repeal, businesses that had stopped making or selling boats have not returned.
“When things go bad, the first things that go are the toys,” says Captain's Cove owner Kaye Williams.
Captain's Cove stopped selling boats a few years ago and has instead focused on creating a destination spot for boaters and landlubbers alike. Williams says his challenge is to attract people to spend the day at the waterfront. A restaurant, boutique, fishing spots and amusements like the H.M.S. Rose - the largest wooden tall ship in operation - are available at Captain's Cove in addition to the 400-plus boat slips.
Those assets make Williams an optimist. “I believe [a turnaround] will happen,” he says. “I just don't know when.”
He recently donated four acres of his property for the creation of an aquaculture school, in hope of encouraging the next generation of water lovers.
Competition is stiff, but friendly, as marinas vie to keep their slips filled. Each is concerned about his or her own bottom line, but mindful that problems are industry-wide. At this point, believes Dawn Williams, co-owner of Pier 66 in Branford, “there are just too few boaters for too many marinas.”
Marina owners are quick to point out their amenities - a restaurant or easy access to one, security, ease of getting to open water, a family atmosphere, clean facilities and competitive prices. Most owners concede that the farther east you go, the cleaner Long Island Sound becomes and the more ambiance the harbor towns exude, culminating, of course, in Newport, R.I., the yachting capital of the solar system.
Bridgeport's revitalization efforts have been a double-edged sword for some marina operators. Self-promotion has helped to change the image of the city, and is working to attract out-of-state boaters to the area. Crime is down, the harbor is cleaner, and there are things to do and places to see on land.
But John Brown, owner of Hitchcock Marina Service, sees a different perspective. Private developers are hoping to buy up Steel Point Peninsula, including the former United Illuminating Co. facility, to build retail, hotel and entertainment. Brown is preparing for the worst - that the city will take his family's 90-year-old business through eminent domain.
“The city's improving, but some of it may be at our expense,” Brown laments.
Up the coast, Milford boasts easy access by land and by sea. Driving up to your boat docked at Port Milford means no Quinnipiac River bridge bottleneck. Once aboard, it's less than five minutes out of the harbor to open water.
While it may be a bit more of a technical challenge to reach open water from Branford marinas, there is the added attraction of the Thimble Islands.
Clean-up efforts are also having an impact on the industry, as the environmental condition of Long Island Sound and its tributaries continues to improve. Ken Biebel is co-owner of Enterprise Yacht Sales, which has about 60 slips in the Housatonic River in Shelton. Biebel reports more people are staying in the river, as opposed to heading out to crowded Sound waters.
“We're five miles up, it's pretty clean,” he says. “In fact, we recently had a seal up here. A lot of people are staying up in this section to swim or water-ski. They wouldn't do that if the water wasn't clean.”
Port Milford's Kuryla also reports cleaner waters in his area of the Sound. As a result, he says, clamming and oyster fishing are on the rebound. Most of the clams and oysters served in local restaurants are harvested in Long Island Sound.
“Where the Sound is very ugly is really west of the Housatonic River where the tide doesn't clear out as well,” Kuryla notes.
But Kuryla worries that new regulations that the state's Department of Environmental Protection is considering for dredging harbors would be another blow to marina owners. Milford Harbor is dredged every two or three years and the added expense of having to dump further out in the Atlantic Ocean will cripple some businesses, Kuryla asserts.
El Niño may also be play a positive role in this year's business. The mild winter has gotten people thinking about outdoor sports.
“With the warm weather, boat sales have been good all winter,” Biebel says.
Captain's Cove's Williams would like to see boating in Connecticut become more of a year-round sport. Only half-kidding, Williams says he'd like to see Labor Day moved to later in the fall.
Despite the fact that weather conditions remain great for boating for another eight weeks after the September holiday, people tend to wrap up their boating season after that holiday weekend - even those without school-age children.
“In Boston, kids don't go back to school until later in September. Here Labor Day is devastating,” Williams says. “There's a drastic drop-off in business.”
Williams has a few ideas about accelerating the recovery of the boating industry. The comeback has been slow, although he expects 1998 to be a good year.
“On a whole, we could use a shot in the arm like Tiger Woods,” he says, referring to the golf prodigy whose win at last years Masters tournament spurred a whole new interest in golf.
Having been in the boating business for nearly 50 years, Williams says the days where a family bought a 14-foot boat for less than $500 and spent the weekends fishing and claming are long gone. Instead, he says, “There's Disneyland and all the other places people have to go.”
Williams would like to see Connecticut realize its own appeal, aggressively pursue tourism and begin to compete with the glitz and glamour of Boston and New York.
“Metropolitan New York ends in West Haven,” he says. “We've got to act like we're in the Big Apple, be a part of it.”
The clock is ticking on what he believes is the ideal opportunity - the new Millennium. Williams suggests that Long Island Sound should take part in a giant celebration - a “big jamboree,” if you will.
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