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The Milford Landing Marina.
Hearst Connecticut Media file photo
MILFORD — Milford Landing Marina has been named a 2021 Elite Fleet Marina by Marinas.com
The award by Marinas.com is a Boater’s Choice award. The award recognizes marinas that consistently provided an excellent home for the boating community throughout the year.
“We were excited when we found out, and it’s something that is great for the marina, but is great for the city also,” said Jim Donegan, operations director. “One of the things that Milford Landing does is that it brings a lot of people into the downtown area, and it’s a great tourist destination.”
Donegan said hundreds of boaters come into the marina over the summer, and for many of them it is their first time visiting Milford.
“They can walk up to the downtown area, visit the shops and restaurants, and it really is a great thing for the city,” he said.
To be named an Elite Fleet Marina, the marina must have 10 or more reviews in the previous year, and the reviews must average 4.7 stars or higher.
“The award is based on ratings and customer feedback, and one of the things here is we pride ourselves in customer service,” said Donegan. “We have a summer staff crew that does an excellent job, that goes above and beyond. By people seeing this award, it shows they will have a good experience.”
Donegan said the service begins the moment the visitor arrives.
“The dock crew will meet them on the dock, help them get tied up and provide them information about the area and any events that may be going on,” he said. “We always try to make everyone’s stay as easy and as best of an experience as possible.”
Donegan said one thing that makes Milford Landing popular is that it is a transient marina and doesn’t rent slips for the season.
“We are renting slips by the night or weekend, so we have a lot of availability because we have 40 slips open. So we have the space to bring people in,” he said.
Also, the marina’s location in the downtown area was an advantage, he said.
“You can get off the boat and we have a great area for barbecue, picnics, (to) hang out and relax,” he said. “We have Scoopy-Doo’s ice cream, and every afternoon the patio is full with people relaxing.”
There aren’t a lot of marinas on Long Island Sound with that kind of attraction so close, he said.
“A lot of times, the marina will be far away from anything else, and you would need to take a taxi or an Uber to get to restaurants and shops. So it makes it very convenient,” Donegan said.
This is the first time the marina has won the Elite Fleet Marina award.