Stage Harbor Marine Sold; New Owners Have Local Ties

CHATHAM – Stage Harbor Marine, a landmark along the Mitchell River waterfront for more than 50 years, has been sold to a group of investors with local ties.

The group plans major upgrades to the site at 80 Bridge St., including a new bulkhead and renovation to shoreside facilities. The facility will also have a slight name change, to Stage Harbor Marina.

According to the Barnstable Registry of Deeds, Stage Harbor Marina LLC purchased the property from A.M. Meincke and Sons, Inc. on July 9 for $5.2 million. Eric Weinberg and Jeffrey Feuerman are listed as managers of the LLC. The town’s assessing department lists the value of the 12,900-square-foot marina property at $2,083,400.

The facility will be operated by Deep Blue Landing LLC, which lists Weinberg, Feuerman and Mariner Kemper as officers. The new owners, which include three other investors, have ties to both Chatham and Harwich Port, either as full-time or part-time residents.

No immediate changes are planned for the business, and the current staff will be staying on, they said.

“Keeping the family business vibe is really important to the new ownership team, and in that sense, personalized service, a family-friendly environment and small-town civility are priorities to them,” the new owners said in a statement.

Significant capital expenditures are planned, they said, including replacing the failed seawall on the west side of the property, which is already permitted, along with dredging of the immediate area. Sheeting for the bulkhead is on site, piled next to the marina’s storage and shop building.

The new owners will have to go before several town boards for approval of any changes to the buildings, including the zoning board of appeals, the historic business district commission and the conservation commission. The owners didn’t rule out some sort of food service operation at the waterfront spot; many years ago, the marina was home to the Mitchell River Cafe.

Improving the aesthetics and functionality of the marina are also goals, according to the new owners, who added that they hope to tie a new bulkhead into the newly-built seawall at the adjacent town property at 90 Bridge St. The town has made substantial improvements to that property, including relocating the historic Stage Harbor Coast Guard boathouse there. It is currently being renovated into a new home for the town’s shellfish growing operation.

The marina currently has 30 slips and 11 floating docks with a total of 57 moorings, according to the harbormaster’s department. Its two buildings house offices and a showroom as well as boat and engine repair shops and storage.

The marina was founded by Howard and Jane Meincke, who purchased the Mitchell River Marina in 1972. Andrew Meincke took over the operation from his father in 1979. His sons Drew and Dylan currently work at the marina and will continue to do so, according to the new owners.

The Monomoy Yacht Club, which has had its clubhouse on the second floor of the main marina building since 1971, will be entering into a “very long-term lease” for the space, according to Commodore Peter Gaines. The new owners plan “substantial capital improvements” that will upgrade the clubhouse space, he said. 

“The acquisition is important to Monomoy Yacht Club in many ways,” Gaines said in an email, “but most importantly that ownership will remain local, that MYC will finally achieve long-term permanence and stability in the form of a waterfront clubhouse with access to a world-class marina.” The club currently has 235 members representing 424 individuals, he added.

The transaction includes separating the marina’s boat storage property at 31 Lake St. from the Bridge Street location. The Barnstable County Registry of Deeds lists the Lake Street land as being sold by A.M. Meincke and Sons, Inc. on July 8 to Son of a Sailor, LLC, for $950,000. Drew Meincke will run the boat storage operation as a separate business, according to the marina’s new owners. He is also remaining on as general manager of the marina.