LI's Port of Egypt celebrates two milestones

Port of Egypt Marine in Southold has changed from its humble beginnings in 1946 as a boat rental business at a small, white cabin and a dock, but 65 years later a devotion to its founder's spirit and a grand view of Southold Bay remain at the heart this boat dealership and marina resort.

"Whatever we do, there's a lot of pride involved in carrying on our dad's beginnings," said Elisa Ruroede, president of Port of Egypt and daughter of William J. Lieblein. "We have a loyalty to . . . what he envisioned."

Last week some 150 patrons joined several generations of Lieblein's family to celebrate the company's 65th birthday and 50th anniversary as a dealer of high-end Grady-White boats. The festivities also marked family members' talents in steering the business through the recent economic downturn.

"We said, 'We're in the middle of a recession, and we have to brainstorm what we can do to get more people here," Ruroede said.

The result: a refurbished Port of Egypt Marine with additional services and amenities exploiting its perch on the bay.

The company brought in A Lure, a joint venture by well-known restaurateurs Tom Schaudel and Adam Lovett and chef Jeff Uguill. The seafood restaurant has large bay windows and a wraparound deck offering water views.

The family added a waterfront lobby and lounge to its hotel, Heron Suites, and outfitted its grounds with a new bayside courtyard. The complex, which has offered a pool for guests and a casual take-out seafood restaurant, now is home to Eagle's Neck Paddling Co., a kayak and bike rental shop, and a Hertz car rental office.

Hoping to attract more boaters, Port of Egypt has introduced a boating club so people can try boating without incurring all the expenses of ownership, and is experimenting with renting out one of their boats. It also offers seminars on fishing, boating and wildlife topics.

"It isn't just a place to put your boat," Ruroede said. "It's a lifestyle."

Humble beginnings
The business got its start when William Lieblein, a master carpenter and avid fisherman, bought the boat livery and fishing station and was joined a year later by his brothers Herb and Herman. For decades recreational fishing brought in good business. Ruroede and her brother, Port of Egypt chief executive Bill Lieblein, remember working the dock as young kids and starting at 4:15 a.m.

The Lieblein children counted worms and cleaned, packed and froze squid for bait and cleaned the boats. By age 10, Bill Lieblein was earning tips for towing fishermen to and from the various fishing spots.

As more people were able to afford their own boat, the business gradually expanded, adding a marina and a restaurant. In 1961 the Lieblein family began selling boats made by another family-run company, Grady-White.

By 1986 insurance costs had skyrocketed, gas prices were going up and brown tide had destroyed Long Island's fishing patterns, she said. The family closed the rental business and focused on the marina and Grady-White sales.

Since the mid-1980s and 1990s increasing numbers of women have begun participating in boating, Ruroede said, as more working women made it possible for a family to afford a boat. 

Signs of recovery
Over the past two years, new boat sales, dockage and service revenues dropped by about 50 percent from previous levels, Ruroede said. But there are some signs of a recovery. In New York State, revenues for new boats, engines, accessories and services increased by 5.3 percent in 2010, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.

Ultimately, customer service is at the core of Port of Egypt success, the family says. Whether someone buys a boat, rents or becomes a member of the boat club, the Lieblein family provides hourslong instruction, by Bill Lieblein, before leaving them with the craft.

Fielding customers' questions while on vacation is not uncommon, he said.

"We pride ourselves on holding their hand," Ruroede said. "We have to impart on them that they're not just buying a boat. They're buying us and obviously our longevity."