Amenities now enhanced due to input from boaters
Winds of change are blowing at Windward Sadler Point Marina since its 2022 acquisition by Windward Marina Group, and they’re bringing new fueling services for boaters on the St. Johns River.
The acquisition combined Sadler Point Marina with its neighboring Ortega River Marina and plans are in place to make access easier between the two formerly separate entities.
Longtime boaters at Sadler Point will still see husband-and-wife duo Brooks and Jenny Busey at the marina, who have stayed on to run the service side of the marina under their umbrella, Sadler Point Marina Inc., and maintain a minority ownership in the larger combined property.
Since Windward came on board, Brooks Busey said, it has made a number of improvements: resurfacing the parking lot, painting the buildings and coating the decks on all the docks. But the fuel tanks, which are expected to be operational by April, are a “big deal.”
“Prior to this, the Lamb’s Yacht Center was the only game in town for getting fuel on the upriver side of the CSX Railroad bridge, and [it’s] a little harder to get to,” he said. “We’ll be able to be competitive with Lamb’s and offer a second place to get fuel on the river. Beyond Lamb’s, you’ve got to go way upriver or past downtown, so I think it’ll be a nice amenity.”
Windward Marina Group Vice President and Commercial Relations Manager Stephen Mask said Windward typically allows for a 12- to 18-month period to get a “big picture” idea of what the community needs.
“Sadler and Ortega were both operational upon acquisition, so we brought them together to share existing amenities,” he said. “We are currently working on upgrade designs and should have information to share by mid- to late summer.”
Another feature that Windward has brought to its Sadler Point Marina is the JetRide boating club, which is leasing 20 slips there for its rentable boats. JetRide is a boating membership that allows members to rent from its fleet of boats and jet skis from any one of its 12 Florida locations, with another one in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
“Typically, we see people who are new to boating get into boating that way,” Busey said of the club. “Or folks who are aging out and don’t want to deal with all the hassle, but still want to go for a boat ride periodically. It works out really well for them.”
In addition to the amenities Windward has brought to Sadler Point, the marina has existing amenities that are popular by sea and by land: on-site restaurants The Loop and High Tide Burrito, and the latest microbrewery addition of Grace Note Brewing.
“Having two restaurants has turned out to be really nice, and opening the brewery has been the cherry on top,” Busey said.
Busey said he believes the marina has “got good things going on” and now, with Windward Marina Group at the helm, he hopes to see the marina continue to grow.
“I think it’s always going to be beneficial to get more people exposed to the waterfront,” he said. “By partnering with Windward, leaning on their financial clout to do some of the things that we wanted to do around here that as a mom-and-pop we were struggling with…I think it’s been a good move.”
By Michele Leivas
Resident Community News
