Marina developer ‘A’ begins with a clean sheet of paper and sees the project as an opportunity to clear away the old and create something new. He gives it a brand name and a logo, but does little else to take advantage of the essential nature of the location. Developer ‘B’ recognizes the potential of what is there. He patiently encourages a process that channels the ethos and energy of the community into the project.
Matthew Strunk is the quintessential Developer ‘B.’ Stock Island Marina Village embraces Key West’s mellow lifestyle and colorful history. Rather than a marina tailored to a narrow market segment, Strunk is creating a Key West experience that appeals across a wide spectrum. “It’s eclectic,” said Strunk. “It’s a big gumbo that appeals to all kinds of people.”
Strunk and his team just completed Phase One of a two-phase development in Safe Harbor on Stock Island. The island is the penultimate link in the Florida Keys before Key West. A new Bellingham Marine-built floating concrete dock marina occupies the east half of the basin. The newly opened moorage features Unifloat docks in a 128-slip configuration with berths ranging from 12m to 21m (40 ft. to 70 ft.). Two new side-tie berths welcome super yachts up to 80m (250 ft.).
Safe Harbor is accessed from the Atlantic through a dredged entrance channel 7.6m to 10.6m (25 ft. to 35 ft.) deep. The marina basin is divided by two massive land piers cut from solid indigenous limestone and separated by 90m (300 ft.) of water. At the end of the north land pier is the ship’s store with a captain’s lounge above and an outdoor bar and grill alongside the new floats. The second land pier anchors an older live-aboard moorage with 80 slips. The facility offers a wide range of amenities, including in-slip pump outs for all slips and 480A, 3-phase electrical service for power-hungry super yachts. High-speed fueling is available on the 430-foot fuel dock, the largest in South Florida.
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