Danfords in Port Jefferson closes its marina for the summer, citing winter damage

Harsh winter weather caused Port Jefferson waterfront resort Danfords to shut down its marina for the summer as the company makes repairs to the dock.

In a statement Monday, Danfords' parent company, Cranston, Rhode Island-based Procaccianti Cos., said the marina is closed "to allow for a comprehensive rebuild of the marina’s critical infrastructure caused by the "unprecedented ice damage that occurred" this past winter.

The company added it expected "minimal to no disruption" to other parts of the hotel-marina complex on Port Jefferson Harbor during reconstruction.

Ralph V. Izzi Jr., a Procaccianti Cos. spokesman, said in a statement visual inspections conducted after ice melted found damage that was "catastrophic and beyond repair."

“Mother Nature really won the battle this winter,” Paul Hitselberger, executive vice president of operations for property manager TPG Hotels & Resorts, said in the Procaccianti Cos. statement. 

Danfords' marina, which includes slips for more than 100 boats, usually opens April 15. Marina customers were told last month the marina would be closed, the company said.

Port Jefferson Mayor Lauren Sheprow said Monday in a text message she had "full confidence" in Danfords and its corporate parent.

"They are working diligently and thoughtfully to bring this treasured asset back to its original luster, and we stand supportive of those efforts every step of the way," Sheprow said.

Danfords, located just east of the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry dock, provides dockage for vessels ranging in size from cabin cruisers to yachts. It is one of the few locations on Long Island that offers a marina joined to a hotel.

It is difficult to gauge the marina closure's economic impact on Port Jefferson's bustling downtown, but the shutdown has been the "the buzz around the village," said Barbara Ransome, executive director of the Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce.

“I think it's going to play a role with boaters not coming into Danfords and then [not] coming into downtown to enjoy an ice cream or whatever,” she said Monday in a telephone interview. “It’s always been an asset for the village and we‘re pleased to have them.”

She added that boaters still will come to Danfords to use its fuel dock, which will remain open, though the loss of season-long boat slip rentals will hurt the business. 

“I can only assume that this is going to be crushing for their bottom line not having that revenue coming in,” Ransome said.

Other parts of the resort, including the hotel, restaurants and spa, are not affected by the marina closure, the Procaccianti Cos. statement said.

Boat rentals at the marina through the Freedom Boat Club will continue to operate through the summer, the Danfords website says.

Brookhaven Town's Port Jefferson marina, just west of Danfords, was largely spared by the winter weather, town spokesman Drew Scott said in an email. He said the town marina was "good to go" and scheduled to open on time the first weekend of May.

"There was no major damage, mostly due to the fact that we remove all floating docks at the end of season," Scott said Monday in an email.

The winter took a harsh toll on harbors, canals and marinas across Long Island, as freezing temperatures caused ice to grip dock pilings and yank them out of bay bottoms and sea beds, Newsday previously reported.

Newsday's Alek Lewis contributed to this story.

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.